Chairs are the only thing that I feel semi-qualified to talk about. I have found that a chair in the shack is only as good as what you put into it. They require break in time to become really comfortable. Also a coffee stain or 2 helps the chair become "one" with the operator and shack. A proper chair for the shack must be able to be rolled out of the shack for comapny at Thanksgiving. This prevents some disliked inlaw from bringing their paper plate of food into your shack while looking for a place to sit, then dropping their mashed potatoes on your cherished vibroplex when trying to sit down. For a nominal fee I would offer a chair consultation with a free thrown in break in service. Good luck and I hope you have found the chair of your dreams.
There has been lots of discussion among the ADXA folks over the past couple of months about the chair at the operating position and what should be considered when searching for a replacement. The one I have had for many years has rapidly approached the end of its usefulness and comfort over this low band and contest season.
Chairs specifically designed for and used by on-line “gamers’ was an option noted by some since they are designed for long periods of intense activity like DX’ing and radio sport. My grandson has one for his gaming activities. I sat in his chair for a while one evening while visiting them at their home in Little Rock. It didn’t seem very comfortable to me even though it had a few fancy options, like a USB port that could be plugged into a power source to generate a back massage. Even with that option, the chair was just not comfortable for my body but it fit him nicely and he loved it. Defining “comfort” is definitely different for someone 67 as opposed to someone who is 15 !!! 😊
I finally discovered a couple of options on-line however, that doesn’t afford the opportunity to spend a bit of time sitting in one to actually try it out. I found two gaming chairs on-line that were in stock in Little Rock so late yesterday afternoon Kim and I drove down. I spent about 20 mins or so in each one. Both were very comfortable, in fact so much so that I almost dozed off while sitting in each one. Maybe not a good thing for a heavy contest weekend!!! The price tag is not attractive, around $600, but they were both very nicely designed, the material appeared to be of exceptional quality, and most importantly they were comfortable and provided excellent support. There are designs that are considerably less expensive, but also of considerably less quality in design and comfort.
A decision was made between the two, the purchase completed, and loaded up. A bit more time was spent in the evening visiting with the grandkids and having dinner and when we arrived home it was passed my usual bed time BUT I couldn’t’’ resist assembling the new “toy” and spending a couple of hours in the ARRL DX contest for a test drive (test sit?).
Initial assessment is it will be perfect for me, so now I believe I can “GET IN THERE” in most excellent fashion and comfort !!! 😊
73 Joel W5ZN
p.s. Chairs are like automobiles, religion, and politics – opinions differ so “your mileage may vary”!