"To Switch or not to Switch" part two..

[W2NBC]

Hey folks,

Remember this post?

"So this is the question to the group.. How many of you are using “indoor” pieces of coax that could be as old as some of your vintage gear, and maybe it's time to simplify our switching systems to a less convenient direct patch panel with NEW coax.."

After a couple years of work priorities and drilling and blasting homebrew transmitters, I FINALLY got around to punching, painting and creating a functional coax patch panel.. The nice part about this piece is that's it's a swing out 19" wall mounted rack with 6" of depth behind it to accommodate the coax bends.. With the addition of QRO capability with the new transmitters at the station, coax switches will be used for low level stuff only.. This panel can be configured in many ways, however having 20 sources and 4 destinations is OK fine by me.. I have been constructing all new LMR-400 jumpers around the studio..

Sometimes it's the little things..

[AB2EZ]

Jeff

Beautiful!

Stu

[KA2DZT]

Jeff,

Nice work,  seems 20 sources (rigs) but only one antenna (turner port) or am I not seeing something?
Did you make the cabinet or something you re-purposed?

Fred

[K4RT]

Jeff - That really is nice work, and thanks for posting the photos.

From the back side it looks like he can use just about any configuration - just update the labels on the front.

Brad

[N2DTS]

I just use a bunch of switches.
I made a small rack mount box that has a bunch of switches and relays in it and I can select 4 transmitters, 7 receivers, it has the mod monitor takeoff, the big TR relay and a bunch of mute and key relays in it.
I can select up to 4 antenna's and if I use a tuna I can put it in both or just the TX path.

The relays and switches are good for my max power levels, about 3kw pep.

I also can bridge the RX antenna poers to feed 2 receivers at once, and sdr for a band scope and the homebrew RX.
Its about 6 inches high, the T/R relay is rubber mounted.

[W2NBC]

I also have been using a bunch of switches and relays with a central T/R with 5 transmitters, and 8 receivers..
 
BUT, isolation and noise gets a little suspect and I didn't realize it until I traced just one leaky coax jumper that was introducing junk from my wireless modem into the SDR.. It was then that I started looking around at my "bunch of switches" and added coax jumpers, etc. Too many, and switches can fail especially at QRO..
 The beauty about patch panels, RF or audio is that they are flexible, and as Fred asked, "only one antenna port?" and Brad correctly pointed out that's it's all about the labels..

After all with a label maker, "..you can do anything you want to do. This is your world."

[K1JJ]

There is a special place in heaven reserved for ultra-perfectionists like you, Jeff...  

Vely nice.    

BTW, for the beginners amongst us -  be sure not to use 90 degree PL-259 / SO-239 elbow adapters for QRO. Most elbows use a tiny steel spring inside for the inner conductor and can fry.  

But J, looks like you got it covered and left enuff room in the box to make a gradual bend in the coax instead.

T

[KA0HCP]

A beautiful panel any radioman would be proud to own!

[Tom WA3KLR]

"..you can do anything you want to do. This is your world."

"Just paint in a happy little jack right there."

[w1vtp]

Jeff

Gotta say that I have had problems with switches developing problems in the past.  That has to be the elegant way of managing your RF connections.  Gotta think seriously of implementing that approach in my shack

Thanks, Al

PS: miss you on 75

[Pete, WA2CWA]

I've been using B&W 551A coax switches to switch antennas and rigs for the last 40 years. Also have a homebrew set of 6 position ceramic switches for additional switching of rigs and antennas.  Never had a problem with the switches. I tried the patch panel route years ago but discarded it. Looked like hell on the wall.

[W3GMS]

Jeff,

I prefer your approach to switching.  I am going to do exactly the same thing downstairs in the working museum where I will have 10 separate working stations.  Pick a rig, pick a receiver and patch them to a common TR antenna relay and your done.  I do have some very nice Bird many KW rotary coaxial switches, but I still like the patch panel approach.

Very nice workmanship. 

Joe, GMS   

[N2DTS]

If you do a lot of switching, a switch is nice.
I have not had a switch failure yet.
I used to have more, but still have 4 transmitters and 3 receivers, 2 antenna's and the dummy load, plus whatever wanders into the shack.
I change rigs to change bands, and patch cables would get old fast.

[KB2WIG]

J,

That panel really looks good. All I have is a Steel City new work box.

Does Tareyton still make coax switches?



klc

[John K5PRO]

That is indeed nice work!

I used to work for Delta Electronics inc. in Alexandria, VA/ They made some beautiful big matrix switches for the various government and military installations, where you just push a button and transmitter X is connected to antenna Y. I remember testing these things for VSWR, crosstalk, and speed, and they were very high quality and price...

http://www.deltaelectronics.com/hfprod.htm

http://www.deltaelectronics.com/data/sls4data.htm

[MikeKE0ZUinkcmo]

Jeff,

Looks great, but you just have the cheap part done.   A couple thousand feet of good coax should bring it up into the "real whiskey" price range .

I built a panel recently to switch around the various exciters and amps.   Not nearly so elaborate as yours, nor for high power capabilities but sure makes interconnect a lot easier.

[W2NBC]

 Mike, that's a neat looking switch panel! You are absolutely correct about the amount of coax needed to make this happen.. $$$$..and then, tearing out all the old runs around the shack and the factory approach doing up all the connectors.. (boring) 

John, thanks for the link to the Delta Electronics remote switching.. beautiful looking stuff with great specs.. Perhaps I can trade one of my classic cars just for a down payment! Ha

Joe, Ok on the museum future patch arrangements.. I'm sure you will definitely run into many hundreds of feet of coax to make all THAT happen at the zoo..

Mr T, thanks for the tip on the right angle adapters QRO.. Nary a one present on the transmit path..

Patching and switching are all the same deal, just a different method..  As Brett and Pete pointed out, switches work for years QRO or otherwise with no problems.. As far as how it "looks" on the wall.. I will leave that to the eye of the beholder..

After all,
 "..you can do anything you want to do. This is your world."
-Time to paint in another "Happy Jack"-   

[K4NYW]

Heh, that's not a patch panel....THIS is a patch panel...
http://www.navy-radio.com/xmtrs/tuner/xmtr-patch-02.JPG


But Seriously, that's a really great looking panel that you've built.
Nick K4NYW
www.navy-radio.com

[W3GMS]

Joe, Ok on the museum future patch arrangements.. I'm sure you will definitely run into many hundreds of feet of coax to make all THAT happen at the zoo..

Your right about that Jeff!   My switch panel will be in a rack mount cabinet in an adjacent room.  I am building the baseboard with extra thickness with a removable lid cap on the top.  That will be the wiring trough.  2 coax lines from each station.  One RG-58 for each receive and an RG-8 type for the transmitters.  So for 10 stations that's 10 runs with an average length of 40' each or a total of 800' of coax.  That does not take into account the audio and PTT routing.  I have included a preliminary statement of requirement for my interconnects. 

Your patching scheme looks great and I am sure you will be happy with it.

Joe, W3GMS 



     

[flintstone mop]

I have been down both roads of a patch panel and now using a switch. I am using the MFJ 1700C and looking inside, looks very well built for legal limit.
I can quickly switch up to 6 "radio systems" to 6 antennas.
When I want to test, I can switch to the dummy load without messing with PL259's. Everything going out to an antenna system is all 50 ohms so, there should be less chance of switching mismatched loads and arcing the contacts.
I still have my full length dipole @65 feet high  w/OWL, two magnetic loop antennas capable of remote tuning and QRO, A defective A3S,Vertical for 40/15 and 17M with its own remote MFJ antenna switch at the base of the antenna.
Fred