[Fourlanders] Radio Rack

[Tom McElroy]

Hi folks,
For years, I've wanted a better way to use my radios and lab instruments.

Being able to see the dials and controls became more difficult because I
was suddenly in need of bifocals.

Commercially available racks don't always fit on a desk, and if they do,
they're very expensive, inflexible, and seldom transportable.

I needed to make a custom solution. I decided it was time to figure what I
wanted, and how to make it happen.  Here's my list:

*1.   I'm real big and wear bifocals.  My wife and kids are trim and nimble
with perfect vision.  So it has to accommodate a wide variety of operator
sizes and visual acuity.*
*2.   It should use off-the-shelf parts that are easy to assemble.*
*3.   Got to be sturdy enough for grab, pick up, and transport without
falling apart.*
*4.   No flammable structure elements.  If you've ever been hit by
lightning, or had an instrument overheat, you know why.*
*5.   Should have lots of hard points for securing tye-wraps, boxes, cables
and meters.*
*6.   Provide adequate airflow around the instruments.*
*7.   Have lots of hand-room to reach around and behind things.*
*8.   Can't collect dust.*
*9.   Everything had to be visible.  No solid walls.*
*10. I didn't want to have to drill-through a back wall to run cables or
wires*
*12. I have to be able to see that everything is connected without
maneuvering behind the rack.*
*13.  Would be nice if it provided a way to bond your radios to a broad,
low-inductance return path for ESD, RF and lightning currents.*
*14.  Keep the cost low. The whole thing cost <$30.*

So far, it's worked very well for W4SDR, KM4BUN and K4PRM.
We'll re-configure it when we include more feedlines and gizmos,
and meters for 70cm and 23cm.  But they'll stack and bungee to the top rack
items.

It's easy to connect more sections of wire-shelf to make it wider, or
taller.

Here's a link to the video that shows the design and construction, and a
video of the rack in actual use:
https://goo.gl/photos/Nys6Ah8KdFM7CDih8

73
Tom McElroy
W4SDR

[image: Inline image 2][image: Inline image 1][image: Inline image 3]
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