Just moved across country to northern GA. The components of my station were moldering away in carboard boxes for nearly two years, but now, I have all but finished my new shack in the basement. Of course it's more than a radio shack, it's my little hangout I escape to whenever I can manage. I felt the need to build a little structure to keep the dust and grime off the equipment, as my shop is also in the basement.

The idea was to make it look rather like an old barn, and for that reason (and because I'm cheap), it was built of salvaged lumber and cheap stuff like yellow pine fence pickets for the interior wall. They are neither straight nor uniform, but the resulting gaps are actually just the look I wanted.

Things are a mess, as I am still unpacking and finding room for equipment, but I finally have an antenna up and have been making some contacts!

IMG_1193 by Jim QRB, on Flickr
(exterior wall with fridge and "lounge")

IMG_1194 by Jim QRB, on Flickr
(operating desk and computer desk)

IMG_1195 by Jim QRB, on Flickr
(electronics workbench and vintage test equipment)

IMG_1196 by Jim QRB, on Flickr
(I can tell you Rush Limbaugh sounds magnificent on the SX-28!)

Nice!

I'm pretty new to the HAM game, with just an IC-7300 on a desk. You set quite the benchmark with that shack!

I don't think it matters what gear you have, but rather that you actually use and enjoy it. And speaking of benchmarks, I wouldn't say "just an IC-7300," that's about the nicest radio going until you get into big rigs designed for contesting!

Mine is smarter than I am

That's some good stuff.  I was just thinking the only thing missing was a Goonie Box and then there it came!  

That's a great shack I hope you enjoy it for many years.

#YouWin

ps. Not too far (potentially) in Upstate SC.

Nice, lobe the gooney box. Gotta get me one of those.

Yeah, I agree.

I love my 7300. You have to spend 3 times the money or more to get a better radio.

And antennas can always change. The only reason why antennas ( although always the most important part of the station ) get so much emphasis right now is because the propagation on 20 and above is in not that great most of the time so antenna efficiency can make a big difference.  But that means 160-40 is pretty damn good.

Yeah, I love the old Gonsets, but these days, they are pretty useless. I tried for well over a year to make a 2-meter AM contact with one, and had no success. I contacted one old timer, he was game but all of his gear was in storage as he had moved into the nursing home. I posted an ad on the local HRO board, and messages on QRZ - all to no avail. I kept that Comm II CD on my bench in San Diego and used it to listen in to some local FM repeaters, but at my new QTH, there is virtually no 2-meter activity, and what there is tends to be blocked by terrain.

Addiction by Jim QRB, on Flickr

Certainly 'somebody' in your AO still has a functioning Heathkit 2-meter 'Lunchbox' that they can put on the air...

Or not (I certainly don't have one anymore)...

Very cool OP.

Very cool setup!  Really like what you’ve done with the place!!

Nice Shack!

Like the set up and all the tube gear.
Have a pretty good collection of National, Johnson, Collins and Kenwood Hybrids.
One of these days I need to build a few more benches because I am out of room in my shack.

Yes I have a Icom 7300 too.

I have a Hallicrafters SX-28 that I bought in unknown working condition.
Well it doesn’t light up and have not dug into it yet.

Wish I could find a tech to rebuild it- from reading about them some of the caps are hard to get at.
It is one beautiful looking receiver.

Nice boatanchors!

I had a Central Electronics 20A back in the early '60s. It had a pair of 6AG7s in the finals, IIRC, and would easily drive an 813. Never did understand why they didn't use an 807 like the Meissener Signal Shifter.

You're singing my tune, brother! I built the new shack just a little bit larger than I planned, but I could use twice the room. Can't expand further without infringing upon the space where my machine tools go.

I love the SX-28, but had always heard they were devilish to work on. I saw a Craigslist ad for TWO SX-28As, along with the PM-23 speaker for $100. I set a land speed record getting to the spot, and found a lovely estate where it seemed the gent had simply lost interest in amateur radio. He had a literal pile of fine Collins and later generation Hallicrafters gear in his stable. I would like to have bought the lot, but counted myself fortunate to have the SX-28s.

So I rebuilt both of these units, and it was indeed a challenge. There are four separate RF sections to be removed in turn if you are going to replace all of the electrolytics. It was quite a job, and for a dim bulb like me, it required expending considerable effort in identifying each wire as it was unsoldered, so that I could restore everything to its proper place. With all that, I still made one wiring error, and failed to spot one well buried capacitor which required me to remove two RF sections a second time.

Tedious work, but fun none the less!

Here's the unit out of the chassis, showing the four RF sections:

Hallicrafters-SX-28-Rebuild-004 copy by Jim QRB, on Flickr

Here is one of the RF sections removed:

IMG_3174 copy by Jim QRB, on Flickr


Here's an example of how I had to mark things with color codes:

IMG_3192 copy by Jim QRB, on Flickr

I don't think I am smart enough to figure that out... my soldering is awful as well. I need to get a workstation of some sort before I can really get into any learning on that level.

The  one receiver that I would put upstairs and in our living area out of the shack is the SX28 with a PM-23 Speaker.
If I could not find an original speaker I have seen plans on building one. Attached File

It is one awesome looking retro receiver-

Great job on the restoration!

To me, the SX-28 is the prettiest SW set ever made.

Yes it is one beautiful receiver—

Of course I agree. You might say they almost look... well, Presidential.

73-3777 copy by Jim QRB, on Flickr