OUCH

[ka4koe]

I've been working on my radio rack in order to rearrange the components in a more logical, ergonomic fashion.

Question: Do you have any idea how bad it hurts when you lose your grip on a Collins R388/URR, it slides out of said rack, ricochets off your chest on the way down, leaving a nice cut and a bruise, and then slams into the floor???

The Collins has a nice dent on the back side near the antenna jack. It still works.

[KD6VXI]

The Collins has a nice dent on the back side near the antenna jack. It still works.

Of course it does.   It's a Collins.

😢

--Shane
KD6VXI

[K9DXL]

In all seriousness, it's a good idea to have a second person nearby when dealing with boatanchor iron and racks.  Racks can tip, roll out on casters, and all kinds of ugly havoc may ensue.   Like having a spotter when lifting weights. (Not that I've done any weightlifting in the last 25 years, unless you count wrestling with my DX-100 chassis.) 

[Opcom]

I hope you are not badly cut. I too have borne cuts, smashed fingers, etc. dealing with the heavy rack-mount items.

Here is one way to help you put heavy things in and out of racks.

It is mainly meant to help make very heavy things like power supplies level while the screws are going in, but the strap definitely helps all things not slide out including lighter things like Collins receivers.

http://www.bunkerofdoom.com/kd5oei/psurack1/index.html

[flintstone mop]

While the radio is out of the rack Feelip,
Mount some 2X4's where they will support the unit as you slide it back into its slot.
I have two 2X4's going ACROSS the rack to give plenty of PRE-support to the equipment. A better approach than trying the death-defying act of trying to hold on to 70 lbs of radio while you wrestle getting two screws into the radio/rack without cross threading.
You're lucky that dam thing didn't fall on your foot or toes!!
Fred

[WQ9E]

Agree completely with Fred.  For heavy stuff in racks I have some aluminum angle to provide support so it isn't dependent upon the front panel and I don't believe in trying the balancing act routine while trying to start screws in place. 

[ka4koe]

I've got metal rails going from back to front, so the screws keep it in place. So, yeah, this was a real bonehead maneuver. Rack looks real nice. Has three receivers, BC348, R388, HQ180, Tek 465/DM43, HP5326B, HP3325A, and then the Behringer keyboard amp on bottom.

The R388 just barely missed the 465's screen (it was sitting on the floor). Now that would have been sucky if I'd lost my nice oscope as well.

[WQ9E]

Glad your scope survived!  You had a "target rich" environment for collateral damage.

It doesn't even have to be heavy to cause problems.  I was temporarily sticking a pair of Hy Gain R-1735 receivers (solid state single channel xtal controlled mil equipment) into a rack and I managed to pinch a finger and almost let them slide back out like Philips little catastrophe.  In this case it wouldn't have been as heavy but still not fun.

I wonder if OSHA has a set of rules for rack mounting gear

[Opcom]

w9QE that is a beautiful set!

Hey the old Collins collectors say that the heavy radios mustn't be supported solely by the front panel because it warps the set. I tend to put shelves in and set the rigs on those using shims at the back where needed.

[Opcom]

I've got metal rails going from back to front, so the screws keep it in place. So, yeah, this was a real bonehead maneuver. Rack looks real nice. Has three receivers, BC348, R388, HQ180, Tek 465/DM43, HP5326B, HP3325A, and then the Behringer keyboard amp on bottom.

The R388 just barely missed the 465's screen (it was sitting on the floor). Now that would have been sucky if I'd lost my nice oscope as well.

When it's back in place, how about a picture to drool over?

[w1vtp]

In all seriousness, it's a good idea to have a second person nearby when dealing with boatanchor iron and racks.  Racks can tip, roll out on casters, and all kinds of ugly havoc may ensue.   Like having a spotter when lifting weights. (Not that I've done any weightlifting in the last 25 years, unless you count wrestling with my DX-100 chassis.) 

AMEN!!

[Steve - K4HX]

I think you have the wrong understanding of the phrase, "Dropping the Maul."

[ka4koe]

I'll try to get some photos and post soon. Woke up this AM and my chest wasn't hurting from my battle wound!

[KB5MD]

Try unloading a broadcast box by yourself and then standing it up vertical.  It ain't easy, by-golly, but it can be done with enough head scratching, ropes and pulleys.

[WQ9E]

After the Peoria hamfest I brought an AN/FRR-59A receiver (about 275 pounds of National receiver) into the house by myself.  At the hamfest four of us loaded it into the bed of my pickup which was easy.  Once I got home I put some thick cardboard on a tailgate ramp and slid it down onto an appliance dolly which got it up the sidewalk and front steps.  From there I transferred to a furniture dolly to get it into the radio room.  It wasn't as difficult as I expected it to be but it surely isn't something I would want to do everyday.

It is a neat receiver and is certainly the heaviest receiver I own.  Since it sits near the Desk KW the house might start to lean to the north

[KD6VXI]

My 600 amp 12 volt supply takes some serious heft to move it around as well.

Tips the scale at a couple hundred pounds,  and is a beast to load and unload.   Loading into my Tahoe wasn't bad,  had 3 people.   Didn't count on getting it home,  where it was just me.

Couple 2x4s, MDF plywood material and a cold 807 (so I wouldn't think about the pain if this beast unleashed and came crashing down),  and I had it in the garage.

Built out of a buck / boost x former.   

--Shane
KD6VXI

[WQ9E]

w9QE that is a beautiful set!

Thanks Patrick, they are interesting receivers with good build quality and nice IF filtering.  I tried them out using my signal generator to provide injection (they are designed for single channel crystal control) and at some point I will buy one of the DDS board synthesizers to use with them.

Thanks also for scanning the Alpha 274/374 manual on your bunker of doom site.  I picked up an $80 Alpha 374 on ebay that is missing its tubes and power transformer thinking at that price it would be useful for spare parts if the 274 I have paired with my Signal One CX7B ever has a problem.  However the front panel, RF parts, etc. are in such nice condition that I think I will probably convert it using some of my spare 4CX800 tubes and a spare G3SEK tetrode board I have hanging around with an external plate and screen supply.  Another winter project

[Opcom]

You are welcome on that manual. Can't go wrong converting to available tubes.

[ka4koe]

Back of the R388 and rack (now full).

[Opcom]

That's a really nicely assembled rack there. It's always gratifying to see how people mount their non-rackmount items in with the rackmount ones. I'll have to keep in mind those rails. I had used various things but never that arrangement. I can see where a little care can allow them to be leveled at exactly the correct height. I think I'll copy that method if you have no objection!

If you frequently remove things and find the bottoms get scratched or underside-screws drag, I have a suggestion for those L-bracket rails. Put a thick nylon tape on the top surfaces of the rack rails you made. That will let the item slide easily and not have its bottom scratched up by the metal rails. An old hand showed me that and gave me a spool of that smooth nylon tape, mil spec, sticky on one side, 1" wide and about 0.025" thick, but I don't know where to get more.

I use this tip on the Tucker which has about 100 steel screw-heads protruding along the bottom edges of the heavy RF deck and boy did it stop them from gouging into the metal rails inside that transmitter. (In this case I occasionally replace the damaged tape)

[KA9EGW]

www.mcmaster.com 8730K15 nylon sheet, 1" wide, .031 thick, 34 cents a foot.  no minimum order.  no connection other than I'm a satisfied customer.
73, Brian KA9EGW