My new monitor mirror lets me watch results on a reflected monitor while I work on make adjustments behind the desk in the radio room. Another 3D printed solution for a radio guy.

We have talked before about the maze of wires, cables and connectors that can emerge underneath and behind our radio set-ups. I am fortunate enough to have space behind my L-shaped radio shack desk. Only 20 inches between the desk and walls is more than enough for me to move around and make adjustments.

Every spring, I make a point of radio room cleanup. In part, I need to do this because many changes over the year result in mayhem. In part, I need to do this to tackle new sources of in-shack RFI that may have emerged over time.

What are the sources of RFI and other connectivity problems? Over time, cables and connectors may go bad or become intermittent. Proper shielding may become partial or poor shielding. Switch-mode power supplies may age and begin to generate local RFI. And quite often, that wonderful new idea I had for creating a new solution may actually have unforeseen consequence.

All but one of my radios displays on a monitor. Good news about spectrum displays is that they make it easier to see what’s going on. Bad news about spectrum displays is they let you see all of your RFI more than you would like.

So, why did I install a monitor mirror? Well, when I am working behind my monitors and radios, I cannot see anything on the back of the monitor, obviously. This means when I make an adjustment, I need to walk around the desk to look for any changes on the screen. A real pain.

Monitor Mirror 3D Printed Solution

I found a nice little 8″ by 4″ silver coated mirror in my junk drawer. With a 3D printed adjustable mounting bracket on the far wall, see above right, I can now stand behind the radio desk and view my mirrored monitors while I make cable and other adjustments.

At first, I thought about a fixed bracket and using trigonometry to figure out the right angle of reflection. Then, I switched to an adjustable bracket with the mirror holder that moves up and down, secured by a quarter inch bolt and nut. Works perfectly, especially since I found a wing nut for easy tightening.