[TenTec] New Radios in the Future

[Neil Martinsen-Burrell]

On the TenTec Rebel list recently, PA3ANG showed off a bluetooth module
that he had plugged in to the ChipKit microprocessor in the 506 Rebel which
acted as a serial monitor for the state of the transceiver.  He showed a
terminal program on his smartphone displaying the frequency and other
operating information.

It is only a matter of degree from there to a more full-featured CAT
interface operating on the smartphone controlling the radio.  As more and
more people carry small touchscreen computers in their pockets, it seems
likely that the additional interfaces imagined by DJ0IP and K8JHR will be
smartphones or tablets.  It is quite easy to imagine a future TenTec SDR
that is Bluetooth or WiFi enabled and could be controlled remotely by a
custom set of knobs and buttons (which really ought to have programmable
LCD button labels instead of F1-F6), by an attached PC running SDR
software, as well as by a smartphone running a rig control app the likes of
which we haven't even seen yet.

The live audio mixing industry experienced a similar change as mixing
consoles became digital rather than analog and now the sound engineer can
be walking around the venue mixing the show from his iPad.  Imagine a
TS-480 form factor RF box that sits under the operating desk and talks to
whatever interface peripheral is preferred by the operator.  Elecraft is
nearly there with the K3/0 which is just a particularly robust and
device-specific interface device.  An interested party could almost
certainly reverse engineer the serial protocol used by the K3/0 and decode
it on a computer and use the input to control a generic SDR.

Many people (W6JL among them) have said that there is no better time to be
a radio homebrewer than now, and I think that it is also true that there is
no better time to be a radio UI homebrewer.  There will be a great deal of
innovation on this front in the next 10 years.  Kudos to TenTec for giving
us the Rebel and allowing innovation to thrive again.

-Neil KD0UKC

On Fri, Oct 31, 2014 at 9:50 PM, Richards <jrichards at k8jhr.com> wrote:

> This is one of your best bits, Rick.   Newer radios have more options,
> settings, features, etc.  Unless we increase front panel real estate to
> allow for more knobs and buttons, we must resort to some other interface,
> as Rich suggests.   Previously, manufacturers met the demand for more
> controls by adding a MENU system, but even this is becoming cumbersome and
> difficult to manage easily and quickly.   One of my radios has 196 menu
> items.  That is kinda nutty, and difficult to manage looking at just a few
> at a time.   It can get awkward scrolling up or down to change settings.
>
> Hence, the need for an alternative interface that is inexpensive to build,
> but which provides quick access to a myriad of controls. Computer based
> interfaces can help, but then we lose touch with the rig, itself, so
> perhaps the interface of the future will be a combination of a few, well
> chosen, front panel controls,  and another mode that provides quick access
> and adjustment of other controls.    I still like my Omni VII and how the
> most used controls are on the front panel, with a simple, one level menu
> for less often used controls.   I also liked my TS-590 which had buttons
> and knobs for many items, and other controls were easily accessed using
> either Kenwood's control program or Carl's N4PY control program.   The
> ability to access, view and modify the entire menu system on a single
> screen is golden.  Having a few key knobs that are easy to use is also
> golden.
>
> Rick's and Carl's comments hit the spot.    Having the right interface
> will be key in the future.
>
> ------------------   K8JHR  ----------------------------
>
>
>
> On 10/31/2014 7:26 PM, Rick - DJ0IP / NJ0IP wrote:
>
>>   In the future there will be multiple companies offering various Human
>> Interfaces.
>> Our choice of human interface will be just as important as our choice of
>> SDR
>> radio that goes behind it.
>>
>>
>>  ______________________________________
>
>
>
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