Thursday, April 5, 2018

Remote Station Operation

Here are two articles, with diagrams, that I wrote recently for use in the RV Service Net newsletter.  Any feedback and suggestions are welcome.


Many regulars on the RV Service Net recall that John, W4BXI, served as the second hour net control station on Thursdays, operating from his home at Fort Payne, AL. After moving to Asheville, NC, he now lives in an apartment that has no provisions for HF radio operation. John’s friend Carl, W4UOA, (at Mentone, AL) established a new remote interface to his own station for John to try from his new home. Carl has used other configurations of remote access to his station over a number of years.

Initially John used a single laptop PC, equipped with free software from RemoteHams.com to connect to Carl’s station. After getting familiar with the software interface (RCForb client), and finding it satisfactory for continuing his presence on HF radio, John resumed operation as a net control station. W4UOA is an excellent station for John’s participation in the RV Service Net.

Over a short period of time, John discovered other stations that are using the same RemoteHams software. This provided an opportunity to access other receiving locations, to hear stations that are too close to W4UOA for good reception during the early morning propagation on 40 m. John accessed the Richmond, VA, club station W4FJ that is available for receiving and transmitting, for club members. John also added receive capability provided by his RV Service Net friend Dan, KC4GO, of Casselberry, FL .

Around the same time John asked if my station in Baton Rouge, LA might be able to provide transmit / receive operation using the RemoteHams software. Previously I sometimes provided receive audio from my transceiver to John via a web interface (Google Hangouts), during his time slot on the RV Service Net. I set up the needed RCForb server software on my Windows PC that operates my Flex-3000 transceiver. This enabled John to use another remote station farther to the southwest.

The diagram below shows the current group of remote stations (in 4 states) that John uses from his operating location in North Carolina. Although these remote stations make it easier to hear reports from the many stations that check in, they don’t replace the excellent help provided by relay stations who are often located in even better locations for hearing and talking to the widely-distributed participants.

Click above to enlarge.

In a separate article I will provide additional details about how the RemoteHams software connects to radio equipment and the Internet.

John Krupsky, WA5MLF


W4BXI and friends have tested various software and hardware approaches during the past several years for remote operation of ham radio stations. We are currently using software from RemoteHams.com. In a single software package, RemoteHams includes both rig control (along with CW keying, memories and DX spotting) and audio transport. Some previous approaches have required the use of separate audio transport (e.g. Skype) and control software.

The RemoteHams software was designed to interface with the Elecraft K3 transceiver, but currently supports many other brands and models. A single, universal interface is provided for control of any supported transceiver.

For anyone thinking about remote station operation we suggest installing the free RemoteHams (RCForb) client program and using it to listen to any of the online stations listed in the RemoteHams directory. You can find many on this Online Map. The client software runs on Windows computers and Android devices. The RCForb client enables the remote operator to receive and transmit (depending on permissions granted by the station owner) and to select frequencies, modes, power levels and other parameters that are configured at the remote station. The diagram below shows the components at the location of a remote operator. The Documentation section has a good “getting started guide” along with client and server manuals. 
 
Click above to enlarge.

The diagram also shows a RemoteHams server that is used for:
  • registration and authentication of licensed remote operators
  • publishing a directory of online stations that can be used with the RemoteHams software
The server is contacted each time a remote station’s server software or a remote operator’s client software is started, but is not involved in the client-server traffic.

A remote station is not required to be listed online. Many owners of remote stations choose to operate on a non-listed basis, but can allow their friends or club members to access their station with a non-listed link.

To set up a station for remote operation requires interfacing a (supported) transceiver to a Windows computer that is running the free RCForb server program. The diagram below shows the components at the location of a remotely-controlled station. Transceiver interfacing for operating the many digital modes (PSK, FT8, etc.) provides the same capabilities needed for the RCForb server program.

If you decide to explore this mode of operation, we recommend consulting the server manual in the Documentation section and the Support Forum section of RemoteHams.com for additional documentation and tips from other users. The RemoteHams software also provides remote operation of supported amplifiers, antenna tuners and rotators.

Other topics that must be considered for the establishment of a remotely-operated station include:
  • Control of electrical power to radio and computer equipment
  • Ability of radio and computer equipment and software to restart if power is interrupted
  • Protection from lightning and electrical surges
  • Remote access to the server computer if changes to the server software settings are needed
Remote control software provided by the radio manufacturers for their radio products may provide additional capabilities that are not available through the RemoteHams software, such as SDR panadapter views. We suggest that you evaluate the capabilities of any remote control solution that control your radio equipment, and decide based on features that are most important to you.

John Krupsky, WA5MLF