So I finally am getting my "shack" set up in the basement see below photos. I have antennas entering the house at a KF7P entrance panel (thanks ARFCOM...) running across the joists to get over to where my shack is set up.  I currently am running a Yaesu FT-450D Samlex 1223 PS, Yaesu FTM-3200D Powerwerx SS-30DV supply, SignaLink USB for the FT-450D, end fed antenna outside for the 450, haven't gotten my 2M antenna up and running yet still working on location of that antenna.

Question now, in the pictures you will see metal bars on the wall hastily painted and my antenna cable coming down behind the fluorescent light above the desk.  Trying to figure out if I am going to have any problems with either the metal bars which are foundation supports for the house so they can not move out or the fluorescent light above and the antenna cable coming in.

Thanks for looking and hopefully I will get this desk cleaned up and looking nicer as winter goes on.  Had to move into new ham shack from dinning room wife was not fan of my radio stuff in there plus our first is due in February and she didn't want this all upstairs either.

PICS:

Fluorescent lights can can cause BIG noise issues.  Hold an AM radio up beside it and see what happens.  Then you will know for sure.

YEP ditch the light and go old school bulbs...

Put a ceiling up also, dust will be dropping too much.

Bill

yeah ceiling isn't in the budget since there is a little one coming soon.  So shop vac and air dusters it is to keep things clean.

No worries on the bars, may be a good ground.  Get everything grounded,  that is very important..    Good job, you have a good spot for a shack....

Prosise

need to run one or two more outlets to the area I have one and it is out of picture view but like I was telling my other ham friend not like I can talk on both HF and VHF at same time......Heck I can't even talk on 2 channels at same time at work and I am a dispatcher......Unless I patch the channels together....HAHA

This thread has inspired me.

I have a poor mans gun room and will be dedicating a corner of it for a HAM shack and getting my General.

This is purely a poor mans set up believe me!!! Nothing is out of reach, I got the desk for free spent a little money on paint for the walls, which now I am told by the boss I have to paint rest of basement walls......my response of find a new home for all the wedding gifts that have been sitting there for 2 years didn't go over well, but they are directly to the left of my desk on a home made table.....SO maybe me getting my radio shack out of dinning room will get her to move stuff out of basement.....wishful thinking I know.

The comment about the flourescents is accurate.  

You can however get the LED conversion bulbs and they don't cost much $.

They have two types.  One works with the existing ballasts, the other requires connecting the bulbs directly to the AC that powers the fixture.  This type that does not go through the ballasts is better for your use since there would not be a ballast to spew noisy EMF.

I have converted a few and it is REALLY simple.  Basically a few minutes and some wire nuts.

I will just swap the LED overhead light over my work bench with the fluorescent over the ham desk. I saw LED one on sale at Menards so picked it up but it is an easy swap with work bench and ham station.  Work bench is in another part of the basement and light won't be on if I am not at desk or laundry being done.

Watch cleaning the bench with a shop vac.  Air and dust going down the hose causes some major static electricity that would love to jump to your properly grounded transceiver.

Oh yeah, and watch for 220 stuffed behind your siding....  (Pro tip, it shouldn't be there, unless your electrician was lazy...)

Use a towel or old sheet and cover your table to keep the dust off you gear.  No need to make it complicated, just cover everything when not in use.

FYI some LED fixtures will also cause considerable interfere with you HF rig too.