Shack Tour

Things in the KE2AAC Command Center rarely stay static. Equipment comes and goes and stuff gets moved around on a regular basis, so this post might not be 100% accurate in the future, but I’ll try to keep it as close to current as possible. The vast majority of my equipment is used, or was broken and fixed. A tight budget in an expensive hobby necessitates ingenuity, creativity, and the ability to think outside the box.

Below you will find photos and explainers on what is in the photos, and how it gets used!

Here’s a wide angle shot to get the entire setup in one frame.

On the left side of the above photo, you’ll see my computer setup for radio-related stuff. On the right side, is my computer setup for gaming and anything that isn’t radio related, like CAD design for 3D Printing. Having a setup like this makes it more practical to do things like working FT8 while playing some Counter-Strike without too much trouble or distractions.

This is the left side of the desk.

Radio Computer Specs:

Dell Latitude 5480
– Intel i5 6300U
– 16GB DDR4 RAM
– 256GB SSD

All hooked into 2 monitors sourced from the local Amvets Thrift Store.

Radio Equipment (From Left to Right)

• MFJ 949D Manual Antenna Tuner
• Kenwood TS440 HF Radio
• Micronta SWR/Power Meter
• JPS Electronics ANC-4 X-Phase QRM Eliminator
• ICOM IC-756 PRO II
• Motorola Spectra Converted VHF Unit (Not Shown)
• Motorola Spectra Converted UHF Unit (Not Shown)

Antennas:

– Diamond X30 VHF/UHF Antenna on 33′ Mast
– DIY Homebrew 40m/20m Fan Dipole
– DIY Homebrew 17m/15m/10m Fan Dipole
– DIY Homebrew 64′ End Fed Random Wire w/ 17′ Counterpoise
– DIY Homebrew 20m/15m/10m/6m Multiband Vertical

Antenna & Coax Wiring Blueprint

Gaming Station (Right Side of Desk)

• Ryzen 7 5700X CPU
• 32GB DDR4 RAM
• ASUS PRIME X570-P ATX Motherboard
• Radeon RX 6800 GPU
• Phanteks ATX Mid Tower Airflow Case
• Corsair 1000W PSU
• 2x Onn 165Hz 1080p LCD Monitors
• Logitech PC Speakers
• Logitech G213 Keyboard
• Logitech G502 Mouse
• Blue Snowball Microphone