First thing first
Ok, so let´s begin this difficult task of updating my shack. It is quite a job, specially when it comes to decide what goes where and what is better from the ergonomics of the operations.
At first I beleived my shack was done one year ago when I set up an 7300, a laptop with an extra monitor, an 7000 (later sold it). Then I started FT8 and it demanded better computer and more monitor real state; then I started operating remote and it demanded flexibility on the rotor control (I had an old CDE controller) and the antennas plus more monitor real state.
And then I found myself watching a youtube video on a Flex radio and, well you can imagine. After the Flex, I wanted a better computer, more power and a good tuner and more control on the antennas.
The first thing I had to do was to list the equipments and accesories so I can play a little chess with them. And even that I had to think of an effective way of doing it, so I opted to do it by main and backup lines.
On one hand there is my main radio line, a Flex 6300 which I really love and been using it for 6 months now. For the Flex I use the following set up:
Flex 6300
Samlex Power Supply
Enclosed Relay (for remote on/off)
Logitech Speakers
Now for the backup radio, an Icom 7300, which was my main radio before discovering the world of Flex. The Icom set up is comprised of the following:
Icom 7300
Icom PS 126 Power Supply
Icom SP-38 Speake
LDG 100 Pro II Auto Tuner
MFJ 816 Watt Meter
After that, I had to list the rest of the equipments that are complimentary to the shack and/or shared between the radios.
Palstar HF Auto Tuner
Acom 600s amplifier
Hygain DCU2 rotor control, controlling my Ham IV rotor
Green Heron Wireless Base, which goes with my Green Heron Select 8 on the roof
MFJ 1146 DC Injector, used to power thru the coax the Green Heron Select 8
On top of that, I had to include
shack PC, with Logitec Speakers
3 monitors
Rapberry 3 Pi, with an 7" display
As you can see, the list is large and varied, specially considering that my shack is no more than half the closet of my 15 year old son. This is the reason that my equipment and set up selection is mostly "remote operation friendly", but I would talk about that in another time.
To all that please add all the cables (usb, hdmi, coax jumpers, serial, power, etc...) and you can imagine the headache.
On the roof things are a little easier. I have a homemade 5 elements 6m LFA (made by recently silent key HI8T), an EA Hexbeam with the NA4RR 40m kit and an end fed 10m-80m dipole. It is good to say that the NA4RR kit tunes on 30 just fine and that the EFD tunes to 160 sufficient enough.
In the gallery section of this page I will post photos of my shacks and all components.
73, Santiago