The AM Forum

With the other topic ongoing about how to select a rack and with all the expert opinion that’s been offered about type, use and working with racks I thought I would post something about who would want to show off and promote any of their own rack work. This would exclude any commercial or non Ham work but only showcase what's going on in there shack. I will start with some of the stuff I put together at the home QTH that includes racks with front and back rails, steel front hanging shelves, flat surfaces attached in the front and back of the rack and the ever popular sliding rails and all my smaller racks are on wheels to facilitate easy movement.
RF

Nice job!

I spy a NAB 6th ed Engineering Handbook on your shelf, too.  Mine is really beat. :'(

73DG

What happened to your RCA ?

Seems a little, uh, truncated.

Found the NAB handbook lying around at a radio station, great chapter on AM antennas and pattern equipment. In regards to the RCA, what the hell dose truncated mean? I think it’s a fine looking RCA-BTA1M and despite what others have said its look nothing like a industrial furnace.
RF

Hey, don't worry about them, it is just a bit of camera perspective playing tricks on 'em. ;)

I took care of several of that model RCA when I worked in Mexico for a network with 77 stations back in the 70's.  Tough old girls, never had any big problems.

With the transmitters, that is.  Some of the girls were another matter indeed.

73DG

Probably so.

full  rack

This thread will not go well.
Please keep it to metal type racks.


(http://imgs.materialflow.net/images/part_class_images/full/rivetier-ii-low-profile-bulk-racks---starter-units4495-.jpg)

 Pete

  Your too funny!

And stay away from the screws too!

Really nice station.  I also have an early HRO with the two coil housings but not the National speaker.  Yours looks great, like to have the speaker.  I had to make up a BW rack mounted speaker.  Looks good, but nowhere near as nice as an original National.  I also have a BC-348

Fred

Wow...........that's one hell of a nice rack.

OK, I said what probably everyone else was thinking............

73,

Bruce

Here's the local action. It's kind of old stuff, hope to improve on it.
A few things were added since these.
I love racks because they are a kind of erector set for engineers.

(http://bunkerofdoom.com/kd5oei/uv/0019.jpg)
UHF and VHF air band

(http://bunkerofdoom.com/kd5oei/com/MVC-427F.JPG)
HF RX

(http://bunkerofdoom.com/kd5oei/com/MVC-430F.JPG)
VHF-UHF Surveillance

(http://bunkerofdoom.com/kd5oei/com/MVC-431F.JPG)
VLF

(http://bunkerofdoom.com/kd5oei/rf301/harris_rf301.jpg)
HF transceiver

(http://bunkerofdoom.com/kd5oei/psurack1/mvc-411f.jpg)
Power supplies medium voltage (since moved to a 7FT rack at the workbench)

(http://bunkerofdoom.com/kd5oei/shack/20060201/barackco.jpg)
One row, before re-arranging it and adding the second row. I really want to make some kind of L-shape of it all. The place is a non-presentable mess while I repair what I am keeping.

(http://bunkerofdoom.com/kd5oei/shack/20060514/100_1537b.jpg)
progress on the operating position, has been changed some since the pic.

How to rackmount non-rackmount equipment for the mechanically challenged:
http://bunkerofdoom.com/rackmount1/index.html

 Entertainment Center

 

  Quick, Cheap and Dirty Rack

Put wheels on it and it becomes a quick, cheap, dirty, moveable rack.

Especially big screws:

(http://lifeisaroad.com/images/ridereports/ontheway/bigscrew.jpg)

Patrick,,,,I connected why your screen name is OPCOM!!!! That is a COMM CENTER you have there, bud!!!

And Ray, you're catching up to Patrick. You musta been an I.T. person.....nice layout.

EKH, Obviously your photo is faked. That shack is too darn clean to be real.
Is that a DEC VAX computer, or older?

Patrick, have you no shame at all? The rest of us suddenly seem somehow smaller... insignificant... btw, you do have antennas for that stuff?  :P

                    _-_-bear

My PDP-11 is yet another example of how to push the hobby of racking things up further. I may have wasted more time working on obsolete and useless computers then on obsolete and almost useless radios. I have a web page on the PDP-11 project subtitled " A fool and his money are soon parted" kind of the story of my life when it comes to big useless system, but then again what joy can be derived from a computer and a box with no knobs not much bigger then a pack of smokes? Maybe if you just want to talk on the radio that’s good but me, I would rather work on these big ridicules projects. The web link for the PDP-11 is:
http://staff.salisbury.edu/~rafantini/pdp11.htm

Pete...What is that...???Not helical....not a screw...looks like dangerous playground equipment...

Log spiral antenna.

You're really screwed if you get in the way of this thing.

I like that! But it looks clean..

"whatever it is, it's not my fault!" you guys just need to get into the spirit of rackism. Become rackists as I am.
When you are short on space like New York City, the only place to go is up. (Beware of the floor loading). That said I really like the entertainment center there.

My stuff is by no means excessive and I seem insignificant in other ways. There is a garage in DFW area with a maze of full racks, several rows of them all full of classic receivers from floor to ceiling and just enough room to walk between them.. I have drooled there.

The antennas here are few, but except for 6M there are antennas. They are shared - one HF dipole, a UHF/VHF discone, and a 10/11/12M veritcal.

Are there no more racks? Lets see them!!

Does it have to be a ham radio station?  :D

Bob, that 2m amp looks like an AM-494/GR. I had the low-band version years ago, the AM-495/GR. Had a pair of 4X150's in it. I traded it before I ever got a chance to put it on 6m.

See my profile pic ;-)