I guess Wayne breaks my record, of sorts
I have been toying remoting my 8P5A station in Barbados. Just about
everything I have tried (Skype, TeamViewer, remote rig) have worked to some
degree, and I will spare all the details, but the WriteLog remote is the
most promising path due to its simplicity of interconnect, preservation of
features (SDR/Bandmap) and close integration of the control and remote
sites. If Wayne can match the audio quality of the Remote Rig, this is the
best and cheapest solution.
Last trip I ran 100 stations on SSB from my apartment, about a mile from the
station. Nobody could tell I was remote, and the RX and TX audio was
flawless.
Some logistical issues to resolve, plus getting written authorization from
the ministry before I try from home.
Good stuff
Tom W2SC
-----Original Message-----
From: WriteLog <writelog-bounces@contesting.com> On Behalf Of Wayne, W5XD
Sent: Monday, December 03, 2018 9:39 AM
To: writelog@contesting.com
Subject: [WriteLog] I hereby claim to be the world record holder for...
...the most QSOs while using WriteLog Remote Control for a weekend.
I claim 236 QSOs during ARRL 160m this past weekend. The report breakdown
says I made QSOs during 18 different clock hours. For me, that is a serious
effort, but others would call it casual.
99% (my estimate) of WriteLog users are more skilled at using it than me.
But for this new feature I claim the record until one of you takes it from
me.
The setup was my home station in Texas remotely operated from north Idaho.
The WriteLog setup in Texas is standard issue: a pair of rigs under WriteLog
Setup/Ports and audio routed using DVK: Windows Sound Board and the WriteLog
Sound Board Mixer. The CW generated by a W5XD keyer. As advertised, the
WriteLog configuration at the home station specific to remote control is
only to add port forwarding in my cable router, use a dynamic DNS (to make
my home IP number available to the control site: www.noip.com) and add a
remote password and security certificate.
My control site, though, had a few items I am working on, but have not yet
published, but will:
a) I used a commercially available musician's USB adapter for receive audio
(and would have for SSB TX, but this was a CW contest)
http://my.roland.com/products/rubix22/
b) A homebrew USB device I am calling the RC-1101 that has a 16-key keypad
and 4 knobs to ease controlling the remote radio. It has a big knob for
tuning, a cell-phone sized LCD display for rig status (S-meter, power out,
TX/RX VFO, etc) 3 smaller knobs for software-settable functions, and a
16-key software-programmable keypad. I plan to make an open source
publication of its entire design. I think its stable enough for that "real
soon now." Open source means that if you want one, you have to build it
yourself, but there will be enough information to do so. Its function is to
take it with you to the control site. WriteLog at the control site makes it
easier to control the remote rig because it provides a display, knobs and
switches. (Yes, WriteLog Remote Control does support the K3/0 IF you also
have a K3 at the remote site. But the
RC-1101 is programmable. WriteLog's rig drivers all work with it, but
RC-1101 specific support in the driver makes a big difference, like adding
an s-meter, IF filter width control, etc. 12.35 has such support for the K3
and K2.)
There is no special software nor router configuration at the control site. I
just used WriteLog's "Control Site" icon to start it. My operating position
in Idaho is a PC with WriteLog, the Rubix22 audio box (with a front panel AF
gain knob!) and the RC-1101 radio front panel.
Back at my home station I had, external to WriteLog, a homebrew USB device
to route 12VDC control signals to the relays that switch my 160m antenna
tuner (MFJ-998RT) and also for my 4-direction beverages.
The beverages are two KD9SV beverage kits, one oriented NE/SW and the other
NW/SE. That makes 4x70ohm coax feeds into a homebrew 4-to-2 relay box that
switches RF from the 4 feedlines into the RX antenna input on one of my two
rigs. The relays in the box are 12VDC relays.
There exist commercially available USB relay control boards, but I couldn't
make myself pay $500 for this function. I plan to open-source the design of
this 12V control box. I am calling this device the ASW12V.
(Antenna switch for 12V) The functionality provided is that, when operating
from home, the ASW12V passes through the control signals from rotary
switches at the operating position. When a control site takes over, there
are USB commands to override what the operating position switches might
indicate. For the 160m contest, I could force the remote tuner to retune (by
giving it a power cycle) and could switch two of the
4 beverages into either of my rigs.
How did it go?
I arrived in Idaho a few days before the contest. My XYL was home at the
Texas station and, full disclosure, I could not have operated the contest
without her help. (I don't think that makes me ASSISTED though?) She had to
turn radios on and off and disconnect antennas when a powerful thunderstorm
squall line came through during the first night.
Then she had to turn things back on Saturday after the storm had passed.
I had planned a sort-of SO2R setup using my K3 as the primary rig and my
Flex-6500 as a listen-only radio. Being a single band contest and without
the technical savvy to listen while transmitting on the same band, my plan
was to have two different beverages in my ears while listening to answers to
CQs. But murphy intervened and I had to switch to plan B.
I had left the rigs and WriteLog PC at the Texas station turned on when I
departed, but by the time I got to Idaho, something had changed regarding
the K3. It was in an "ERR KEY" state. I failed to diagnose it by the time of
the contest start, so I switched to using the Flex as the only rig for the
weekend. My only remotable amp was wired to the K3, so I ran 100W instead my
planned KW. Diagnosing the K3 will have to wait until I return to Texas.
The primary point of this post is to report: WriteLog Remote Control works,
at least for a casual effort. I could tune the bands, answer CQs and call
CQ.
My secondary point is to mention that I plan to publish designs for two
build-it-yourself hardware items that make remote control easier: the
RC-1101, and the ASW12V.
And a good time was had by all. Or at least I did.I have always enjoyed
operating the 160m contest and this time travel did not prevent me from
doing so.
Wayne, W5XD
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