[TowerTalk] remote stations

[Larry Phipps]

I have been running a remote station for over three years. I use a 
private connection, and it is not intended for anyone else to use. There 
is enough interest that QST has run several articles about remote 
control the last few years. They will be running an article of my system 
in October.

I don't use a  computer at the remote site... I use serial device 
servers to convert the serial port data to TCP port data so that it can 
be accessed over a network connection, and converted back to serial 
data. I provide some freeware for control of rotors, remote relays, 
reading remote analog voltages, etc... even a remote SteppIR controller. 
I also use TRX-Manager for rig control.

Some radios can be used with my system by having a similar model at each 
end, and having one mimic the other. If latency is not too high, this 
can work OK. Since the remote station is simply having its serial port 
remoted back to me... it's like having a LONG serial cable for each 
device, as long as critical timing for handshaking isn't required..

73,
Larry N8LP
www.telepostinc.com



Jim Lux wrote:

>At 11:39 AM 7/23/2005, Bob Kellow, W5LT wrote:
>  
>
>> Facinating topic, but doesn't it take a special, or at least a very modern
>>HF radio (and antenna(s)) to do this?
>>How would one 'tweak' the notch, or the APF tuning, or others of the myriad
>>of controls on a FT-1000xx class radio from a keyboard/mouse?
>>I am certainly showing my ignorance of the subject, but would like
>>enlightenment.
>>
>>Bob, W5LT
>>    
>>
>That's precisely the problem, today.  The radios are built to have the op 
>sitting in front of them. There are some radios suited for remote ops (e.g. 
>the no longer available Kachina) and some of the TenTec radios.  The 
>SDR-1000 and other similar software radios are also ideally suited to 
>remote ops, since the entire control system is a PC (much like modern test 
>equipment, which has a standard PC motherboard inside, and a VGA display on 
>the front).
>
>As for mouse and keyboard... That's more a matter of good interface 
>design.  Some people love mouse and keyboard.  I personally like knobs and 
>sliders.  Either way, there's dozens of computer input devices in all 
>manner of physical forms.  The music business has tons of inexpensive 
>"control surfaces" with knobs, sliders, and buttons, all with USB or MIDI 
>interfaces that can easily be used to control your radio.
>
>There's also people building customized controller hardware (in the sense 
>of buttons and knobs) to interface to the SDR1000, which does most of the 
>functions totally in software.
>
>However, there's a fairly large installed base of not-suitable for remote 
>use radios out there.  Or, marginally suitable for remote use: The origin 
>of my illfated efforts to flip sidebands using DSP was because I wanted to 
>use my FT-757 remotely.. I could set the frequency with an RS232 link, but 
>couldn't change the mode switch from LSB to USB when crossing the 9MHz 
>divide.[Now there's an operating practice based on an old and archaic 
>hardware implementation for SSB.]  I actually contemplated ripping the 
>front panel off and building a interface board (all the switches and knobs 
>are mostly analog voltages, for which one could use a digipot or logic 
>levels to the internal microprocessors.)
>
>The SDR-1000 concept is very appealing (I actually have one), but, while 
>the radio works fine, the software is still in a state of flux. Frankly, I 
>think it probably will be that way for quite a while... it's too easy to 
>tinker, and since it's not a commercial product, there's no incentive to 
>stabilize on a "final version" with formalized testing and release.
>
>The demand, in the ham market, appears to be for boxes with knobs, not for 
>blank front radios with an ethernet connection, and a separate "radio front 
>panel" (also with an ethernet connection) so that's what's getting 
>developed and shipped by the big makers.
>
>Certainly, if you've got the bucks, you can buy high quality commercial HF 
>radio gear with total remote control (WJ, Racal, etc.), but that concept 
>hasn't penetrated the ham market very well.  For instance you can't get the 
>Ten-Tec Pegasus any more (however, the Jupiter is essentially the same 
>radio, with a front panel, and I imagine you can not use the panel).  Most 
>of the new HF rigs are obviously digitally controlled (since the front 
>panels removable with a cable connecting the panel and the radio) but don't 
>necessarily have the control protocol published, nor is the interface at 
>all standardized.  Again, no ham demand, apparently.
>
>Maybe it comes back to that I'm not the only one with an uneasy feeling 
>about remote stations, so there's just not much demand for things to 
>support it.
>
>Jim,W6RMK
>
>
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