[TowerTalk] Coax Switch

Mon Apr 1 17:46:59 EDT 2013

Larry,

You can find the schematic here: 
http://www.ameritron.com/support.php?productid=RCS-8V

I have used one for my beverages for many years with their controller 
but I now do it more efficiently.

As was previously mentioned in this thread, Green Heron Everywhere is a 
remotely operable product with 8 switching relays.
You have several configuration choices depending on what works best for you.

You can have a controller on your desk controlled by a PC and control a 
remote RF linked switching controller at the tower or in the shack if 
you already have control wires running to the remote antenna switch.
You can also get the controller without the RF link and control it from 
a PC in your shack. In this configuration, you need wires to the remote 
switch.
In my case, due to limited shack space, the controller is connected by 
USB to a PC on my LAN but in another area of the house. GH's supplied 
server software runs on that PC and their client runs on my shack PC.
I can simply click to change antennas. Their software is very flexible, 
even more than I thought it was when I bought the controller and you can 
assign different relays in the same controller to different switched 
devices if you need to.
If you choose GHE, you will need to supply 12VDC for the remote antenna 
switch from a wall wart or other source.
No programming, just some choices for the software setup and you're on 
the air.
Go here for info: http://greenheronengineering.com/ The left display has 
four examples of their server software on the screen.

Their support is second to none.
No affiliation with Green Heron except for being a very happy customer.

Les W2LK

On 4/1/2013 5:11 PM, Larry Loen wrote:
> Can someone open this thing up?  I'd very much like to have this
> competently reverse-engineered.
>
> Reason being that I'd like to replace it with computer-controlled relays
> and I'd like to know 1) how it works and 2) what the "specs" are.  I have
> my eye on a USB-based set of relays.  You get either 4 or 8 from the
> company depending on how heavy duty the requirements are for power.
>
> We could run it easily from a PC or (for better remote operations) a
> Raspberry Pi that could survive power failures.  That's the dream, anyway.
> If I knew how to do it, all I'd have to do is literally wire it up; the
> relays I found are SPDT and I assume that if it is SPST, I could just float
> or ground or power the "other side" as needed.
>
> This seems to me about the best of the coax switches around.  It has five
> coax positions to switch and (if I read the specs right) is good to 6
> meters.
>
>
>
> Larry Wo0Z
>
> On Mon, Apr 1, 2013 at 12:54 PM, Patrick Greenlee
> <patrick_g at windstream.net>wrote:
>
>> If you don't find a control box you can make one easily.  It is just
>> powered by a small wall wart (or other supply.)  It is the equivalent of a
>> single pole 5 throw switch. It is a rotary wafer switch with 5 positions
>> and is probably break before make contacts.  I haven't opened mine up so it
>> is always possible it is a two pole switch with one pole switching the
>> indicator LED's internally and the other pole sending power out one of the
>> 5 output wires (with the 6th wire as common.)  If you could maintain
>> discipline and not mess up you could use 5 single pole single throw
>> switches to switch the relays in the remote box.  You'd just have to
>>   remember to switch off the current energized circuit before switching on
>> the next one. One on at a time only please.  The indicator lights are just
>> LED's with a series current limiting resistor so they don't burn out or
>> shine too brightly.  I'm kind of jammed up time wise right how but if you
>> want me to draw a schematic contact me via PM and I will try to get it done
>> ASAP. I'm good in QRZ.
>>
>> I spent the day with my trencher digging out for a concrete pour of a
>> tower base on Fri if at all possible as I have a flying trip to the left
>> coast and will be out there in SOCAL for a week before team driving back
>> and then entertaining a house guest and then and then...  Need to get the
>> base poured to start the count down clock ticking... Standard concrete mix
>> cures to 90% of its final strength in 28 days.I have a second house guest
>> due in May.  He is a mechanical engineer (masters degree from UCLA) with 30
>> + years hands on experience and is my consultant and sanity checker for my
>> designs.  Got a good start on the hole and got all the rebar cut and the
>> stirrups made.
>>
>> Patrick AF5CK
>>
>> -----Original Message----- From: donhall161
>> Sent: Sunday, March 31, 2013 5:21 PM
>> To: towertalk at contesting.com
>> Subject: [TowerTalk] Coax Switch
>>
>> Looking for a control box as a replacement for my Ameritron RCS-8V. Remote
>> unit OK.
>>
>> Got one laying around not being used?
>>
>> (Using this on my LM354 tower so related to Tower Talk!!)
>>
>> Don  K5AQ
>>
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