Several people have requested a photo of my layout. It'll be a few days
before I can oblige. I'll put it on a website somewhere and announce
the URL here.
Hmm.. Maybe Pete would be OK with putting it on his Contesting
Compendium Wiki under the heading of ergonomics. Seems a little cheeky
of me though, given my little pistol status.
Uh-oh... this is rapidly escalating from a simple photo to a lengthy
writeup on what everything is for.
I'll do the simple photo first because at least that much will get done.
73, Jim Smith VE7FO
Gary K9GS wrote:
> Hi Jim,
>
> How about a picture??
>
>
> 73,
>
> Gary K9GS
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> K9GS
> Gary Schwartz email: k9gs (at) arrl.net
> Check out K9NS on the web: http://www.k9ns.com
> Society of Midwest Contesters (SMC) http://www.w9smc.com/
> GMDXA http://www.eng.mu.edu/gmdxa/
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Smith" <jimsmith@shaw.ca>
> To: "cq-contest reflector" <cq-contest@contesting.com>
> Sent: Sunday, December 13, 2009 2:41 AM
> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Rig placement and ergonomics
>
>
>> Hi John,
>>
>> I see lots of stations with:
>> Keyboard on the desk
>> Radio behind the keyboard
>> Monitor on top of the radio.
>>
>> To tune the radio, as I often have to do, being a little pistol, you
>> have to lean forward, reach over the keyboard and fiddle the knobs. As
>> you have discovered, this can be a real pain. i.e. poor ergonomics.
>> Probably not much of an issue, though, if all you do is run.
>>
>> To look at the monitor you have to take your eyes off the keyboard
>> (that's right, I don't touch type but I can log 3-4 cw Qs per minute,
>> sometimes 5) and tilt your head back a bit, thus putting a strain on
>> your neck - another pain.
>>
>> My station:
>> The op position is an L-shaped secretarial desk as was common in the
>> days of typewriters. One part of the L is the main desk surface with a
>> height of 28-1/2". The other part is called the "return". It is 1-1/2"
>> below the main desk surface. This is where the typewriter used to be
>> placed.
>>
>> So, my keyboard sits on the return which puts it at a better height for
>> typing than the typical desk height. The main desk surface is to my
>> right.
>>
>> The radio sits on the main desk surface to my right and is positioned in
>> such a way that the radio is pretty well facing me and when I rest my
>> right forearm on the main desk surface the tuning knob is about 3" away
>> from my hand. So all I have to do to reach it is pivot my arm slightly
>> to the right using my elbow as the pivot point. I don't even have to
>> look at the radio to do this.
>>
>> The monitor, and to me this is really important, sits BEHIND (not on)
>> the return and the bottom edge of the screen is about 2-3" BELOW the
>> surface of the return. This means that I never have to move my head to
>> view either the keyboard or the monitor. In addition, I find that this
>> placement of the monitor results in a very comfortable position for my
>> body.
>>
>> I can op for 12 or more hours continuously and NEVER get a stiff neck or
>> other discomfort, other than the normal stiffness for my age due to
>> sitting for long periods.
>>
>> "And what age is that, pray tell?" Well, I'm getting sensitive about it
>> but I got my ticket in 1953.
>>
>> I have a second monitor mounted above the first on which I display
>> things like DXAtlas, HamCAP, etc. Looking at it does require raising
>> the head but I'm not doing it all the time.
>>
>> Above the 2nd monitor I have a little scope, a phone patch, an AC VTVM
>> and a frequency counter. Above that I have an audio patch bay.
>>
>> Here's how this is all supported.
>>
>> The L shaped desk is shoved right up against two adjoining walls in the
>> shack so the outside corner of the desk fits snugly into the inside
>> corner of the two walls.
>>
>> I built an alcove (just like a closet but no door) right behind the
>> keyboard. It's about 22" wide and 36" deep and juts out into the
>> basement. It has adjustable shelves on which I can put all this gear
>> (and a place at the bottom for power supplies and big battery) and it
>> has a door at the back which gives me access to the back of the monitors
>> etc. and makes it easy to move things in and out. It also provides a
>> convenient location for my Rig Runner DC distribution block and PWRGate
>> auto switchover between AC and battery operation.
>>
>> The intent was that the door would normally be closed. However, I found
>> that, as one of the monitors is a CRT type, it got warmer than I liked
>> in there so the door is normally open and, in summer time, I add a fan.
>>
>> I spent quite a bit of time thinking about how I wanted to set up the op
>> position and I'm VERY happy with the result. The only thing I would
>> change would be to make the alcove a little wider to accommodate bigger
>> monitors.
>>
>> Regarding your comment about clutter, remember the old design maxim,
>> "Form follows function."
>>
>> Anyway, I don't for a moment suppose that you're going to tear your
>> station apart and duplicate this. I do hope that you found it to be of
>> some interest.
>>
>> 73, Jim Smith VE7FO
>>
>>
>> John Geiger wrote:
>>> You can tell that the 10 meter contest has no propagation if I am
>>> sending out an email during it.
>>>
>>> Let me preface this question by saying that I don't want to computer
>>> control the rig. I have tried that before with a TS-B2000 and didn't
>>> like it. I say this because I am sure that it would be the answer
>>> many would reply with.
>>>
>>> Here is my situation. On Thanksgiving day I hurt my right shoulder
>>> (I am right handed) and as it was getting better I reinjured it last
>>> weekend in the 160 contest by excessive tuning of the VFO dial. The
>>> shack is set up on a computer center, and the rig is on the second
>>> shelf, right at eye level. This means I have to raise my arm to tune
>>> the VFO dial, and the excessive raising last weekend reirritated my
>>> shoulder. This past week I would just use my left hand to tune the
>>> VFO and push buttons instead, but that was getting awkward,
>>> especially with the 10 meter contest coming up.
>>>
>>> Today I broke down and moved the rig to the desktop instead, so I
>>> don't have to raise my arm to turn the dial. I really don't like it
>>> here as it looks a little more cluttered now with the rig, laptop,
>>> keyer paddles, and rotor control. Plus is it closer to the line of
>>> fire when my 6 year old daughter is throwing things around the
>>> house. However, this will have to do for now.
>>>
>>> Now here is my question: Have others found that having the rig
>>> slightly lower than you is easier on the arms or shoulders over the
>>> long run than having to raise your arm to tune the rig? I was hoping
>>> to eventually move it back to its original place, but if I run the
>>> risk of straining the shoulder more having it there, I might have to
>>> learn to live with it where it is.
>>>
>>> What has your experience taught you about rig placement? Maybe there
>>> is a doctor or orthopeadist on the list who knows something about
>>> ergonomics and injury prevention. I am using a Yaesu FT857D so I
>>> guess I could eventually remote mount the faceplate at a lower level
>>> and put the body of the rig where it used to be.
>>>
>>> Talk about a bummer way to start the 10 meter contest weekend.
>>>
>>> 73s John AA5JG
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> CQ-Contest mailing list
>>> CQ-Contest@contesting.com
>>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
>>>
>>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> CQ-Contest mailing list
>> CQ-Contest@contesting.com
>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
>
>
_______________________________________________
CQ-Contest mailing list
CQ-Contest@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
|