Rack mount? Or bench mount? RF Gear

[W4PJB]

What are everyone's thoughts on rack mounting vs. bench mounting RF gear?

I'll be building a new home lab this summer. I can build my bench to whatever height/width/depth I want, and space is not an issue, so no external constraints dictate my layout. I have the usual arrangement of 19" HP RF boat anchors. 8566, 8665, 8753, 5350, 8672, you get the idea. I could easily build a bench deep enough to mount these and still have plenty of work area. But the idea of a rack mount is intriguing. It would open up some room on the bench for things like oscilloscopes, power supplies, soldering iron, tools, parts, messes, etc. But it means my RF stuff is a bit further from the bench, and some gear might be mounted awkwardly higher or lower than I'd like. Also, I'd potentially need longer coax than perhaps ideal at times.

I'm curious what experience others have had and what the pros/cons are to both, and if you've chosen one layout over the other, why?

[KungFuJosh]

Why not both? My opinion is that bench gear will usually work just fine on a rack shelf, but build what suits your needs. I was originally going to do rack shelves, but instead I built exactly what I needed with scrap wood from my basement.

[DaJMasta]

You may be able to build a rack mount system into a portion directly behind the desktop - either attached or freestanding.  I have a similar non-custom setup with a set of 18" deep shelves directly behind normal workbench tops - the height works close enough and I can stack equipment a couple tall on each shelf sort of mimicking a rack while right at the edge of the bench.  Also not too expensive to get wire shelving that will be rated to several hundred pounds a shelf, so as long as it's not piled too high, even boat anchors can do.

If you have the space, be sure to build in a couple feet worth of clearance behind your bench/racks so it's easier to access those rear connections, reconfigure cables, or remove/rearrange equipment without having to try to lift over the depth of the bench.

[fourfathom]

I've got a rack next to my bench that has some RF gear that is seldom re-configured, but for general test and measurement I find it easier to have my computer keyboard / monitor, signal generators, spectrum analyzer, scope, power supply, etc., on the bench or on a two-level benchtop shelf.  If you try to stack/rack too high then the cables and knob-twiddling become unwieldy.  Place things where you can access them without having to stand up from your lab-stool (with wheels).

[nctnico]

I only have the equipment I need on my bench. The rest sits on a shelve. For heavy equipment, it can help to have it on a trolley. The typical steel wireframe shelving systems are easy to convert to a trolley.

[G0HZU]

I guess a lot depends on how much space you have and how much test gear you need to accommodate.

Sadly, I don't have a large workroom so I have to make sure I always have lots of free space for 'me' and only have a minimal amount of test gear on the bench or shelves. The majority of my test gear is stored elsewhere and only a few items live on the bench all the time. Despite the limited space I still have two large office desks and a large main work bench in this room. I try and keep each one as uncluttered as possible. I have no room for racks and only room for one overflow trolley.

If I had more space I still don't think I'd want a rack system unless it had a limited height. A sturdy trolley is better when a bit more gear is needed than the bench can accommodate. The HP 8566B is a big and heavy and very noisy beast and I didn't like having one of these on my work bench because of the fan noise. I found it way too tiring to be sat next to. If you want to keep yours on your bench then maybe think of a way to manage the noise it produces. Maybe a rack will help here as it might mask some of the noise.

[themadhippy]

I still don't think I'd want a rack system unless it had a limited height. A sturdy trolley is better

if ya gets an "amp rack" you'll have everything you want,plus covers for the front and back for when its in storage,you could even chuck a draw in for accessory's.

[HalFoster]

It depends on what works best for the space you are trying to use and your personal requirements.  For me a mix of both works very well...

[W4PJB]

It depends on what works best for the space you are trying to use and your personal requirements.  For me a mix of both works very well...

I like that setup quite a bit, the best of both worlds, and somewhat similar to what I'm doing now. I have my 8753 and 8665 on a TestMobile, and my 8566, 8672, and 5350 on a small rolling toolbox next to my bench. The rest such as scopes, DC supplies, LCR meter, arbitrary generator, etc. are on a shelf above my bench. But they're not as densely packed as I could get them if I mounted them in racks like that. It would also save me from having to mount the bench on castors so I could access the back of equipment easily.

Thank you for sharing a photo of your setup, I will be taking some inspiration from it.

[W4PJB]

I guess a lot depends on how much space you have and how much test gear you need to accommodate.

Sadly, I don't have a large workroom so I have to make sure I always have lots of free space for 'me' and only have a minimal amount of test gear on the bench or shelves. The majority of my test gear is stored elsewhere and only a few items live on the bench all the time. Despite the limited space I still have two large office desks and a large main work bench in this room. I try and keep each one as uncluttered as possible. I have no room for racks and only room for one overflow trolley.

If I had more space I still don't think I'd want a rack system unless it had a limited height. A sturdy trolley is better when a bit more gear is needed than the bench can accommodate. The HP 8566B is a big and heavy and very noisy beast and I didn't like having one of these on my work bench because of the fan noise. I found it way too tiring to be sat next to. If you want to keep yours on your bench then maybe think of a way to manage the noise it produces. Maybe a rack will help here as it might mask some of the noise.

We are building a new house, and the entire basement is pretty much mine. So for all practical purposes, space is unlimited. So it's more about packaging for usage, and not space. My concern with rack mounting is things would get too far from each other, and with RF, typically shorter is better for cables. But the configuration that HalFoster posted pretty much nails it, I think. Close enough to reach the bench, far enough to be out of the way. The half rack on the bench is also a great idea. Gets gear close to the bench (ideal for VNA) but being to the side and not across it keeps the work area open.

Great ideas, everyone, thanks for the feedback!

[tautech]

My 2c....

Consider a L or U shaped bench setup with your most commonly used equipment in the middle leg as it were and you less used stuff on the sides but still closeby.

One of the bench legs/arms could be freestanding to allow for access to rear terminals whereas equipment that doesn't have such connectivity can be against a wall.

[Smokey]

I've started to accumulate too many 19" HP power supplies recently, so I'm thinking of moving them all to a rack.  That would clear off so much above bench shelf space.

[HalFoster]

Somewhat on topic - one of the best additions to a work area is good lighting. I added these track lights over my bench and used very good Philips CRI 96 bulbs which really make a difference.  Each track is on a seperate switch as well.

[HalFoster]

I've started to accumulate too many 19" HP power supplies recently, so I'm thinking of moving them all to a rack.  That would clear off so much above bench shelf space.

For those that have not used racks for test equipment before: ***USE SHELVES***  The rack ears are meant primarily for securing the equipment to the rack and may not be suitable to support the entire piece of equipment.  There is no problem with stacking two (or more) items on a single shelf but that will make adding/removing much more difficult. Personally I like the individual L/R rails for 19" stuff and use full width shelves when necessary.

Hal

[W4PJB]

This is a great topic in itself. With so much lighting going LED, RF noise is becoming an important consideration. I have old school fluorescents over my bench now and have no issues. But I'd be worried about the LED "fluorescents" being noisy.

[W4PJB]

I've started to accumulate too many 19" HP power supplies recently, so I'm thinking of moving them all to a rack.  That would clear off so much above bench shelf space.

For those that have not used racks for test equipment before: ***USE SHELVES***  The rack ears are meant primarily for securing the equipment to the rack and may not be suitable to support the entire piece of equipment.  There is no problem with stacking two (or more) items on a single shelf but that will make adding/removing much more difficult. Personally I like the individual L/R rails for 19" stuff and use full width shelves when necessary.

Hal

Great point. I've been keeping an eye on racks on my local Marketplace. I've been waiting to find a heavy one with lots of shelves (for a reasonable price). The shelves can get pricy, especially for ones heavy enough to support old HP boat anchor gear. I could see a pull-out shelf being helpful also, particularly for a VNA.

[tszaboo]

It depends on what works best for the space you are trying to use and your personal requirements.  For me a mix of both works very well...

How durable is that shelving system on the right? I've seen this before, can it really hold up heavy power supplies and other equipment?

[HalFoster]

I wouldn't stack linear supplies or anything but a single row would be no issue.  Each bracket can easily support 100+ lbs and the vertical rails should be screwed into studs.  This shelving is sold by all big box hardware stores and the rated capacity should be available somewhere in the item listing online.

As to the source of the racks, mine are NavePoint (highly recommended, also for the shelves and side supports) purchased via Amazon.  I have numerous other racks that I got through GovDeals auctions - keep an eye out for them especially from universities.

Hal

[themadhippy]

For those that have not used racks for test equipment before: ***USE SHELVES***  The rack ears are meant primarily for securing the equipment to the rack and may not be suitable to support the entire piece of equipment. 

or use a rear rack strip and extender wings.
another racking tip,put a strip of led tap in the back of the rack,makes working on stuff much nicer instead of groping around in the dark

[G0HZU]

In my case I built my own shelves for all desks and benches and integrated them onto the work surface. This makes them a bit more durable although the vertical supports do eat up a tiny bit of bench space. For me, having lots of free bench space is critical and having a reasonably deep bench is important too.

My bench is also L shaped but I don't have any racks anywhere. I don't see much advantage in having gear fixed into racks. I mainly see the disadvantages. I tend to stack the test gear to suit the task in hand but try to limit the stack to four items tall. I probably have far less space than most people but I think I manage it very well. I have learned what works and what doesn't from all my years at work in various RF labs where everybody gets moved around every few years (usually to a new building).

I've mentioned this stuff a few times on Eevblog but I don't allow tool storage or component storage on my main workbench and I try and keep a large area free on the workbench to keep it flexible.
I don't understand why many people cram loads of test gear onto the bench leaving a free worktop area less than about three feet by two feet for them to do 'everything'. Some have even less free space than this.

There are a few other rules I try and follow where a VNA always sits directly on the bench so nothing below it can heat it and cause drift. The same for DMMs and any RF power meters. I made custom mini shelves for these to block heat from other equipment from reaching them. Again, this is stuff I learned at work many years ago. I was told not to put DMMs or VNAs or power meters directly on top of other equipment. This kind of dictates the bench layout where the most critical stuff takes pole position and stuff that is less critical (sig gens or basic analysers) can sit higher on a stack.

[abeyer]

Great point. I've been keeping an eye on racks on my local Marketplace. I've been waiting to find a heavy one with lots of shelves (for a reasonable price). The shelves can get pricy, especially for ones heavy enough to support old HP boat anchor gear. I could see a pull-out shelf being helpful also, particularly for a VNA.

If you can get the "real" first party pull out rails that mount directly to the sides of your equipment, those are even better, as they also allow you to access the bottom panel of devices that open from both sides while extended (assuming it's far enough above the floor) and don't have the clearance issues you can hit with shelves when equipment that's very close to the max size doesn't fit. They may not exist or be impossible to find for older stuff, though, and are often quite expensive. I go for those where I get value from them to justify it.

NavePoint on amazon is reasonably high quality and affordable, if you want to look at new stuff. I bought several parts from them for my setup. I have a 1/3 height rack and rails on sliders under my bench with a butcher block work surface mounted to the top. It can stay under most of the time, but then I can pull it out and have some extra bench surface on top and have access to the back of the rack.