Using Garage for ham shack and computer

Hi all,

I'm about to get my amateur radio license (technician class), and with our house not being all that large I was thinking the garage might be a nice place to setup shop... we don't really use it for cars, and currently it just has the mower and some other yard equipment out there. I was wondering if others have converted their garage into a home for their ham shack or computer area without doing an entire room conversion.

The garage is on one corner of the house with one wall being exposed to the outside and the garage door. My idea is if I blow insulation into the attic above garage and also into the one wall, then get a better garage door that seals better, it should be dueable.

Now the catcher is heating and cooling. We live in Texas, so heating isn't generally a problem. During the Summer I was thinking a window unit and a simple space heater during the winter. My concern though is the heat and cold on the equipment. If the garage is insulated okay with a sturdy garage door, I'd think that should work, right?

Just curoius if anyone has ever looked into doing this... the garage is

430 sqft of space we're not using, and it'd be perfect if I could setup shop out there :)

Thanks for any suggestions,

Alex

Reply to
Alex
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Cant speak to the radio equipment. I've run computers in my garage for years (wireless) with out any known problem or adverse affects. We skipped spring this year and went into triple digit temperatures in Las Vegas.

I just have a portable ShopCool evaporative cooler I run in Summer, crack the garage door a little... the PC runs and runs....

Oren

Reply to
Oren

Congratulations on becoming a ham. I have a number of ham friends and I'm jealous of their skills and knowledge. One day I may have to go for the license myself.

Several of my friends have set up their 'shack' just as you plan - building a workbench for the equipment and cooling with thru-the-wall A/C for the summer and overhead radiant heat for the winter. It seems to work for them, but the temperature extremes don't approach those that you might see in Minnesota or North Dakota! I'm not sure where you are located.

Good luck.

Reply to
Travis Jordan

Hi Travis and everyone else,

I'm in Central Texas where our summer days get up to about 100-105 at the hottest but average probably 95-99. Winters are rarely below freezing, and I'd guess stay around 40-50 most winter days.

My only concern is the garage door, which doesn't seal very well, and the insulation. If I can get both of these better sealed I think it would make for a cozier place. Also sealed I hope it'll keep the varments out as I do find an occasional mouse running around in there.

Thanks for the great info, and if you wouldn't mind asking your friends who do this what tips they have, I'd love to hear some feedback.

Take care --

Alex

Reply to
Alex

Sorry, Alex, I don't know why I didn't read your location in your first post -- when I went back to re-read it you clearly had said Texas. Must be old age setting in!

The shacks that I've seen set up in garages have L-shaped workbenches that still leave room for a car if you need it. The long part of the L is along the wall and the short part angles off at something less than

90 degrees (maybe even 45 degrees?) near the front of the garage area. The radio equipment is mostly along the front part of the L with the operating positon at the apex of the L. The long part of the L is used for storage, junk boxes, test equipment, etc.

Adding insulation and a better garage door will certainly help with the heat load.

Reply to
Travis Jordan
0My only concern is the garage door, which doesn't seal very well, and

Is there anything preventing the removal of the garage door and building a partitioned wall? Garages can be converted into living spaces easily.

Oren

Reply to
Oren

Hi Oren,

You're correct, but I'm trying to do this on a budget for now ... eventually I'd like to build a seperate garage in the back yard, but for now we're not quite ready to do a full conversion into a room... not yet anyway :)

Alex

Reply to
Alex

To keep options open for the next owner, and to probably be cheaper than a new garage door, as well as have usable storage for the mower and such, I would throw a removable partition wall across the garage. Use 2x4 or even steel studs, and place the wall right at the end of the garge door tracks. Screw it to the joists overhead, and to the sidewalls, but don't disturb the concrete. I would include a fire-rated door, and cover the 'outside' with fire-rated drywall. No need to mud unless you are fussy. This will give a nice weather seal, reduce the volume you need to heat and cool, and if the next owner doesn't like it, it can be cleanly torn out in a couple of hours, with only a few tiny holes to patch (assuming garage is rocked.) If you screw the whole thing together, you can reuse most of the materials in your eventual detached garage with secret clubhouse built onto the end of it.

Keep in mind many or most local codes require a floor height difference between garages and 'living space', so you don't want it to look finished.

aem sends....

aem sends...

Reply to
ameijers

Ham equipment made in the last 50 or 100 years has specs that describe how hot or cold it can be during operation and during non-operation.

Equipment made in the last 20 or 30 years should have these specs available (as well as much of the older equipment).

Reply to
mm

If you compare the cost of studs and drywall with the cost of a "good" garage door you may be surprised.

Reply to
J. Clarke

Reply to
souperman

Next time you have a natural disaster such as Katrina try calling for help on your internet connection.

Reply to
Travis Jordan

Number of Hams declined a LOT, so the code requirement was dropped for most classes of licenses and generally its way easier to become a amatuer today!

They really had no choice, no users and the bands would of been reassigned:(

Cell phones likely did more to hurt members as internet. in the old days amatuers were the only ones with hand held radio telephone patches

Reply to
hallerb

Hi,

Actually there's SO much to do with amateur radio, it's impossible to list here. I originally thought as you, why get into amateur radio when I have the Internet, but ever tried using your Internet connection when there's no power? What about when you're on vacation in the mountains or driving cross country? Internet is great for retrieving information, looking up stuff, etc, and it does well for casual communcation across the globe -- but come a disaster or time where there's no power when you REALLY NEED to talk to someone, via radio is the only way.

Most of the folks I talk to in amateur radio point newbies to

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which is a nice site with tons of great info. Technically though I hope to get into APRS
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packet radio, SSTV, and do the many contests that are out there. When messing with computers to talk across the globe, what are you accomplishing, but when doing it via amateur radio, YOU are doing it -- not an ISP, phone company, power company, etc. YOU are the one reaching out and touching someone :)

Take care --

Alex

Reply to
Alex

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