[CQ-Contest] Control Ameritron RCS-4 Coax Switch with my PC

[Gerry Hull]

Talk to Marty, KC1CWF... 14 years old, and a contester.  He used a $16
relay board, and a $30 wifi interface to it to control his RCS4... and
wrote the control software in Python.    kc1cwf at yccc.org

73, Gerry W1VE

On Fri, Aug 26, 2016 at 9:55 AM, FritzOAQ <fritz at k4oaq.com> wrote:

> I'm tired of switching thu my 4 beverages after every CQ with a rotary
> switch on my RCS-4.
>
> I've looked at the RCS-4 schematic & it looks like it wud be pretty simple
> to fish the wires connected to the rotary switch out to some switches I can
> control with my PC.
>
> Many many years ago I keyed my xmtr with a little reed switch & pgm I
> wrote.
> Frankly, I don't remember whether I did it with my Commodore 64 or on a PC.
> I do remember there were plenty of pins that one cud programmatically turn
> off & on (RS232 & COM ports). Now I look at a USB plug & it looks like two
> wires to me.
>
> Obviously I've been on vacation for the past 30 years but I want to get
> back
> into the game. I have recently learned a little java but haven't been able
> to see where I mite possibly talk to a com port. Then there's the
> electronics that I never was very good at. I suspect there's some IC that's
> just the thing I need to use. So, I'm looking for some direction as to what
> web sites I mite look at that wud get me going in the right direction. And
> also that maybe I shud learn C+ since it seems everybody & his brother are
> using it for ham apps.
>
> Where I want to end up with this project:
>
> Phase 1: Computer pgm switches to next beverage every X seconds. Esc stops
> it switching. Double click Esc stops it & switches back to prev beverage.
>
> Phase 2: Computer listens for a signal & stops if it hears one. I know, in
> practice this one mite not work as well as I hope. Like how does one detect
> the diff between a real CW signal & noise?
>
> Phase 3: Computer completes QSO & wins many contests in my name . GUYS!
> Just
> kiddin!
>
> 73,
>
> Fritz K4OAQ
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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