[Brad Winder]

Well, after months and months of on-off work on it, my test bench rebuild is almost complete. Waiting for a couple more escutcheons, a replacement gauge and maybe some metal trim along the edges of the back. What do you think?

[radiorich]

Hello Brad,
Very nice !
I am also getting ready to put up a shelf for some of my test equipment too.

Sincerely Richard

[RadioSvit]

Brad, that's great! You have a wonderful laboratory! May I ask what devices you have installed?

[morzh]

Great bench, Brad!

[slford310]

Nice Bench!

[Brad Winder]

Peter,
I installed:
-Isolation transformer
-Variac
-Dim bulb tester
-Antenna/ground connections

The transformer has an isolated plug, and also feeds the variac
The entire bench is controlled through a switch, so it can be shut down easily.

I built it because I got tired of setting up equipment each time I needed to use it, and cords...cords...cords running everywhere! Plus now I have much more usable bench space.

[RadioSvit]

Brad, I see that, I am interested in the name and models of the devices in your laboratory.
   

This is a professional interest, because I have worked with electronic measuring devices for many years and also have many devices

[KI5OMM]

That's a lot of hard work, planning, and great ideas that I see everywhere! What type of antenna do you have that you use with that built-in antenna jack?

I want to do something very similar, but my interests have been moving towards restoring "boat anchor" communication equipment. Therefore I want to tailor my needs towards that, by tapping into some of my ham radio antennas outside. Your variac and isolated plugs and gauges is very clean and well planned.

Thanks for sharing and giving me some ideas! Congratulations and I know you'll get some good use out of that!
Bud - KI5OMM

[morzh]

Bud


Am I wrong in saying that for boat anchors you will need some much heavier power sources? Some linear amps will make the lights in the house go dim for a few seconds.

[KI5OMM]

Yes many amps do better when they are fed 220VAC. I have a separate dedicated 220AC circuit in my ham shack just for my Heathkit SB-220 amp. It will also run on 115AC but for full 1500 watt output those big tubes need 220 volts.

[Brad Winder]

You could build a bench with both 120 and 240 volt outlets, plus the variac I used was capable of MUCH higher voltage. But the isolation transformer is only 120v, at 2.18 amps max. I don't really need more than that usually...

[MrFixr55]

That is fantastic!! I wish that my workshop looked as good as what is in the right of the pic. What is on the left is but a dream!

The one thing that I did was to put an electronic timer on the outlet that I use for my soldering iron (I don't have a fancy soldering station) just to ensure that it shuts down if I forget to do so. I also use the timer for shutting down battery chargers for power drills, portable power sources, etc. so that they are not charging when I am asleep or not home. Too many Li Ion battery nightmares in the news, and besides, this prevents baking NiCads, SLA batteries, etc.

[morzh]

Great idea with the timer. Timer.....what timer?

[TV MAN]

Sweet! Yes, that's a lot of planning and work but will pay off! I built mine about 10 years ago using a radio book from the '50s as a guide and have really liked it. Now, my boy has gone off to college and his room is available. I was planning to start preparations for the move like paint, better lighting, more plugs, but was looking at his "car's" wallpaper border, his pictures and a few things I did when he was 8. Started feeling nostalgic. Wow how time passes! For me it would be a move more than a build, probably add shelves for testers and a dedicated area for TV work.