Nice shack, good vid. 1:30 I noticed your RTL-SDR hanging off the USB port there. They are kinda long and heavy and the coax adds to the strain, so I always like to plug them in via a short 12 inch USB Male-Female extension to stop them ripping the USB port out. If I do this I desolder the USB-A plug end and wind the USB2 cable around a ferrite ring a few turns, then resolder the USB plug back on. If you have bigger rings, you can use 18 inch extensions for more turns. This can choke off some noise on the PC chassis comming up the USB shield. I like to have the RTL-SDR dongle hanging vertical so it created it's own chimney effect to reduce heat buildup - it makes them last longer expecially if you have hot summers. So with the short USB extension it can hang down (or up) in like with the coax. If the USB extensions pulls out due to the weight I just put a bit of tape to hold it in place. Another way to take the strain is to loop a few turns of panty elastic around the coax end and use pushpins into the shelf above to provide some upwards-and-inwards pull on the coax to counteract the weight.
Very good points, especially hanging dongle vertically. Well I normally dont keep dongle like this, it was just for the demo. I do have an extension cable I use but it was attached to another project.
I originally just had 1 scanner and a small antenna on garage. I ended up getting back into ham radio too and accumulated all this stuff. I wanted to do a more detailed video but need someone to do the camera.
Yep thats what I had in younger days back in early 1990's.....I had a Yaesu FT 757 and Cushcraft R5 antenna....no tuner needed. I actually miss the old school stuff. But I retired 8 years ago and like to tinker.
Thanks for the views of your hamshack. I'm envious of the equipment and setup, you've got it covered! Hope to see more. What program are you using for ACARS monitoring through the SDR dongle?
I am hoping to do a more detailed video but need to get someone else to operate camera. ACARS is being run on a Linux program called "Dumpvdl2" but you need a Linux PC to use it. It can detect the data from planes out as far as New Jersey. I am from Rhode Island. I also have a simpler ACARS program called "ACARSDEC" which is also a Linux program. I couldnt find anything to run ACARS on Windows that I liked.
@w1av I'm sure you could run a Linux image on VirtualBox and have that running on windows as well, right? Or perhaps Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL 2). Or else a dual boot machine. All of these things can be setup in 15 min. Not hard at all.
@@darinhitchings7104 I have 2 computers , one I use for Linux and the other is a Windows 11. They are both HP Elitedesks a few years old. I like having 2 separate computers, each with their own special things. I have a third PC an older HP Envy that I use for music production, and thats on a separate desk on other side of radio desk.
I should have clarified. I live in Cranston RI which, over the bay is not far from Bristol County Mass. I can reach the Wrentham repeater (220) using a 4 element beam. There's a lot you can monitor over here, both analog and digital. I can hear New Bedford PD full scale on P25 which is strange cause NB is a long way from here.
The room itself is nice. I originally used the room for music production. I had vocal booth and digital recorder in there. But I got back into radio around 2019 and I have outgrown this room. When I set up a scanner with discone antenna I didnt think I would have accumulated this much stuff in a small room. All the coax from all antennas comes in bottom of window and ends in corner of room so I am limited as to where I can put things. Thats why everything is crammed into the corner. My desk is a 6' folding table. And there is a small table for power supply and HF rig. I plan on making a more detailed video this fall.
I'd like to hear more about the antennas: coax used, switches, grounding, counter poises, how close you get them to each other, lightning arrestors, guying, and how they connect to an antenna tuner... ie all the multiplexing / demultiplexing issues. Seems like you transmit on some while receiving on others? And haven't blown up the receivers?
Like I said I will make a more detailed video. I use a G5RV as inverted "V" out in backyard. All other antennas are mounted on masts on back of garage, no guys needed. I listen way more than transmit. When I do transmit only 1 radio used. Normally have 2 scanners going and monitor DMR either with hotspot or directly from the local repeaters using a mobile rig. Antennas for uhf/vhf/fm/dmr are Diamond verticals. For scanners I use an Omni X connected to a Stridsberg coupler where I run 4 scanners from same antenna. But only listen to 2 scanners, one SDS200 with the 800 mhz P25 State system (PD, FD etc) connected to an 8 element yagi pointing northwest. And a Uniden BCD996P2 for all other regional stuff. All antennas grounded using 1/4" stranded copper wire to 8' copper rods. Each mast has its own grounding rod. I dont use any switches although I do have one mounted on wall that I don't use and will take down eventually. I don't have any RFI from the HF antenna...everything works pretty good. If I transmit I shut everything off except radio I am transmitting on. But using DMR thru hotspot there are no issues since signal going thru network. And I am only using milliwatts with hotspot. You can see in the video my vertical antennas are not very far apart but its the only room I have to put them. Like I said I monitor more than transmit so everything is ok and no problems. Been using this setup for a long time. Coax is LMR 400 and LMR 240.....HF rig barefoot and normally only use lower power on FT8. Rarely use microphone. Not a DX'er like I was in younger days.
@w1av thanks for the details, it's interesting. I'm looking at getting a yaesu ftdx10 and using it with an EFHW for 10-40 m or an inverted L... with a J-pole for UHF and VHF. But I've yet to pull the trigger. Still trying to figure out some logistical issues. But in the meantime I'm collecting information and seeing if folks have superior ideas...
So, your computers, are talking to other computers, over ham radio?? Other than the walkie talkies, Where are the microphones for talking (voice) to the "real" hams operators?
I have a microphone hanging on the right window trim just to the right of window fan. Thats for the 220 mobile radio . The microphone for my IC 7300 was off to the side and not plugged in cause I was doing ft8, but I do talk on HF. And there is a microphone hanging on the right top side if the wooden tower that has IC 2730 at top, Alinco MD 500 and 2 HP computers below them. I am usually on 40 meters phone and 80 when band conditions are better, in Fall and Winter. I am on DMR simplex a lot chatting with some friends. I also monitor a Brandmeister VHF repeater northeast of me, W1DMR and usually on TG 91, the East Coast Reflector and America Link. And there are a couple of analog UHF repeaters we use. In Winter we go on 6 meters to rag chew but band is very noisy here now. Ft8 has sort of worn out its welcome and I don't do it much anymore. I just had it running for the demo video. I never liked JS8CALL cause it seems pointless. I tried Olivia and some of those other digital modes a few times but they are a real pain in the ass to tune in. I used to do CW a lot back in the 90's. Mostly I listen to my scanners cause I can hear quite a bit around here. And I have my DMR and analog radios turned on too.
I am not using a switch. I was but it had a short and I need to replace it. I have a tri-band vertical (2m, 440 & 6 meters) that is connected to a dual band DMR Alinco mobile radio. Its connected to the LMR400 coming in thru window via a small jumper cable. If I want to use that antenna for 6 meters on my IC 7300, I just disconnect the pigtail and attach to another pigtail for the hf rig. I have an Icom 2730 dual band mobile radio and use a dedicated vertical antenna for that radio. The HF radio (ic 7300) is mostly connected to a G5RV. 3 scanners are connected to an Omni X scanner antenna via a Stridsburg coupler (4 channel) The Uniden SDS200 is connected to an 800 Mhz yagi for the State RISCON public service system.
