[CQ-Contest] shack table height - optimal for CW contesting?

[Jimk8mr at aol.com]

Hi Jeff et al,
 
My desk height is 28.5". It just happened that way, this was a free desk  
they were getting rid of at work.
 
I have installed a slide out keyboard shelf, which rests the keyboard 24"  
above the floor. This works out to be almost literally in my lap.
 
Two things I have discovered that have worked out very well:
 
1.  Use a chair without arms, or at least a chair wide enough that you  can 
drop your arms by your side without using the arm rests. It is much more  
relaxing to have your shoulders at rest with your arms dropped by your side,  
than to be scrunching up your shoulders with your arms on the arm rests or 
on  the desk top. Also, your wrists will not be bending sideways, as would 
be the  case with your arms spread out away from your body and your elbows or 
forearms  on the chair arms.
 
2.  Have enough extra cables on your radios that you can slide them to  the 
very front edge of desk. With this, there is only an inch or two of forward 
 motion required to move between the keyboard and the radio, which in many 
cases  can be done just with finger and wrist movement, but not moving your 
arms or  shoulders.
 
At the same time, radios can also be shoved back to a more conventional  
position, with your arms resting on the desktop. With a long enough keyboard  
cable (or a wireless keyboard) you can also move the keyboard to the 
desktop, in  front of the radio(s). Change of position is always a good thing over 
a very  long time.
 
One note about armless chairs: stay awake!  I've never done it, but if  you 
fall asleep leaning sideways, you might be waking up more quickly than you  
would like.
 
 
73   -   Jim   K8MR
 
 
 
 
In a message dated 9/20/2012 7:15:14 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
jeff at ac0c.com writes:


On  20/09/2012 10:29 AM, Jeff Blaine wrote:
> Ergonomics question.   Optimal table height?
>
> I’ve always had shack tables made from  whatever I had around.  But this 
> time I’m building up a table  and can pick the height.  Of course it 
> depends on what chair you  set in, and your body, etc.  But I wonder if 
> guys had a  particular preference or range.
>
> Thanks!
>
>  73/jeff/ac0c
> www.ac0c.com
>  alpha-charlie-zero-charlie
>
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