[TowerTalk] Re: steppir radio interface

[VR2BrettGraham]

N6KJ added:

>Yes, but the SteppIR retunes every 25KHz.  Suppose I am tuning around
>14.025.  Every time I jump over the "retune point" the controller starts
>running the stepper motors.

And you then hear something & call it, transmitting into the antenna whilst
it's tuning.  D'oh!

Kelly later mentions leaving the antenna where it was after a band change, as
one might only be having a listen.  I do the same, hear some mult in a contest,
mash the band button & then try to remember not to transmit into the antenna
until it has stopped tuning.  D'oh!

A PTT lock-out is something that would be nice if it were included in the
controller & something that would definitely need to be taken into 
consideration
for an automagical SteppIR yagi stack controller - I cringe ever time I put 
just
400 watts into those wipers as they slide along... ;^)

For simple band switching, some sort of one-shot driven by a band decoder
could be used to mimic button pushes on the controller box & based on Kelly's
report of his experience with the frequency-slaving option, might just have 
to give
that a go.  Thanks!

73, VR2BrettGraham