Well the ugly dark paint and wallpaper are gone as is the old carpet. In their place I have a fresh coat of "Polar Ice" paint on the walls and ceiling and newly laid walnut flooring. Gone is the ugly and too small computer desk serving as a radio desk and in it's place is a new operating position made from two steel file cabinets and a side panel from an RCA BTA-1S AM broadcast transmitter.The desktop is 74 inches wide by 32 inches deep giving me lots of room for papers, logbook etc in front of the gear. The steel panel desktop is a dark grey hammertone enamel finish that is tough as nails. It is reinforced underneath by inserting two slightly planed down 2X4's across the width. Another similar panel will be cut in half lengthwise and serve as a shelf above the desktop. Eventually there will be legs made from the RCA transmitter's front door panel and placed underneath the desktop alongside the file cabinets. This will allow the desk to be moved independently of the cabinets and add some stability. The entire thing will be trimmed in oak over all unfinished edges.I still have to work on changing the cable entrance point and have a panel made up for that but since it involves cutting the drywall and removing insulation in order to drill holes inside the wall to the basement I may wait until spring for that. I said I may wait. 
As soon as I get into the city I am going to pick up a large laminated National Geographic world map that measures 4X6 feet and put it up on the wall behind the desk. Things are looking sooooooo much better than they did before but I still have a ways to go yet.
Here is an overview of the shack as it is now. The room is about 11 feet by 12 feet in size.The desk is about in the middle with two windows to the left. In the bookcase on the right you can see my Heath DX-60 gear for 80m AM. It will be put in action in another week or two. Also seen on the bottom of the bookcase are two rows of reel-reel tapes consisting of all the "gold" hits from the 60's,70's and early 80's. Original cost to the radio station where I worked in 1986, $5000. Price to me when we were converting to digital: Nothing! I am slooooowly converting them to digital storage using a Studer-Revox PR-99 Mk-2 reel-reel machine that I got for the same price as the tapes.
The PR-99 Mk-2 machine with Pioneer turntable on top for archiving my music.
The new computer location somewhat behind the radio desk. I plan to add an older computer that this one replaced that will be dedicated to the radio operations and internet surfing on the radio desk shortly after the new year. I may even go with a newer laptop in that application.
Closeup of the gear currently in operation. Radio is a Kenwood TS-820S with matching SP-820 speaker with builtin filters,external VFO-820 vfo, AT-230 antenna tuner, and MC-50 microphone. On top of the TS-820S is a Kenwood R-1000 receiver with Radio Shack DSP unit on top.To the right is an Icom IC-2000H 2m radio and the meter is a Diamond SX-1000 along with an MFJ-264 dummy load. The power supply on the left is a Tripp-Lite PR-40a with a homemade volt/current meter bridge on top. The meter bridge also serves as a power distribution point with several terminals on the back. On top of the meter bridge is a Peet Brother's Ultimeter 2000 weather station.
That is my station as it is now. I have more gear to put up but this is the roots of the home station. The Yaesu FT-857 is still in the vehicle but will be coming out in the next week or two and added.Lots of other goodies to be added as well but I need the shelf on top first and they can wait. The station is completely functional as it is now.After the holidays are over maybe I can find the time to get back at the 572B amp project that got sidetracked, or rather derailed. :headbang
One last picture. this is the panel I plan to mount in the wall to manage all my cables.From left to right: telephone line, multi connector for remote antenna switching,relay control etc, rotator control,five coax connectors with ground lug below, CAT-5 connector for addition computer. I still need to add a pair of binding posts to accept a balanced feedline. This entire panel will take the place of a mess of separate boxes currently under the desk. The wooden panel will be screwed to the studs and the metal panel will be removable to do work. This will allow all cables to be neat and tidy and it will be simple to unplug everything and pull it out from the wall leaving no cables hanging. BTW, the coax jacks have right angle adapters on the back to make the drop straight down to the basement inside the wall easier.
As soon as I get into the city I am going to pick up a large laminated National Geographic world map that measures 4X6 feet and put it up on the wall behind the desk. Things are looking sooooooo much better than they did before but I still have a ways to go yet.Here is an overview of the shack as it is now. The room is about 11 feet by 12 feet in size.The desk is about in the middle with two windows to the left. In the bookcase on the right you can see my Heath DX-60 gear for 80m AM. It will be put in action in another week or two. Also seen on the bottom of the bookcase are two rows of reel-reel tapes consisting of all the "gold" hits from the 60's,70's and early 80's. Original cost to the radio station where I worked in 1986, $5000. Price to me when we were converting to digital: Nothing!
I am slooooowly converting them to digital storage using a Studer-Revox PR-99 Mk-2 reel-reel machine that I got for the same price as the tapes.
The PR-99 Mk-2 machine with Pioneer turntable on top for archiving my music.
The new computer location somewhat behind the radio desk. I plan to add an older computer that this one replaced that will be dedicated to the radio operations and internet surfing on the radio desk shortly after the new year. I may even go with a newer laptop in that application.
Closeup of the gear currently in operation. Radio is a Kenwood TS-820S with matching SP-820 speaker with builtin filters,external VFO-820 vfo, AT-230 antenna tuner, and MC-50 microphone. On top of the TS-820S is a Kenwood R-1000 receiver with Radio Shack DSP unit on top.To the right is an Icom IC-2000H 2m radio and the meter is a Diamond SX-1000 along with an MFJ-264 dummy load. The power supply on the left is a Tripp-Lite PR-40a with a homemade volt/current meter bridge on top. The meter bridge also serves as a power distribution point with several terminals on the back. On top of the meter bridge is a Peet Brother's Ultimeter 2000 weather station.
That is my station as it is now. I have more gear to put up but this is the roots of the home station. The Yaesu FT-857 is still in the vehicle but will be coming out in the next week or two and added.Lots of other goodies to be added as well but I need the shelf on top first and they can wait. The station is completely functional as it is now.After the holidays are over maybe I can find the time to get back at the 572B amp project that got sidetracked, or rather derailed. :headbang
One last picture. this is the panel I plan to mount in the wall to manage all my cables.From left to right: telephone line, multi connector for remote antenna switching,relay control etc, rotator control,five coax connectors with ground lug below, CAT-5 connector for addition computer. I still need to add a pair of binding posts to accept a balanced feedline. This entire panel will take the place of a mess of separate boxes currently under the desk. The wooden panel will be screwed to the studs and the metal panel will be removable to do work. This will allow all cables to be neat and tidy and it will be simple to unplug everything and pull it out from the wall leaving no cables hanging. BTW, the coax jacks have right angle adapters on the back to make the drop straight down to the basement inside the wall easier.
