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Topband: A Remote Controlled Low Bands QTH

To: "Topband Digest" <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Topband: A Remote Controlled Low Bands QTH
From: "Jarda OK1RD" <ok1rd@ok1rd.com>
Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2006 18:11:31 +0200
List-post: <mailto:topband@contesting.com>
Dear TopBanders,
since have drawn down so many E-mails as reaction on my submission named
Multiple Reception from Multiple Beverages in this Topband Digest, Vol 45, 
Issue  27, let me respond this way too because I have no power to answer to
all. Thank you very much for your interest and I was pleased that all the
E-mails were positive one. I can see that interest into a remote controlled
QTH and low bands operation from there increases. Let me allow to skip all
the question which Beverages antennas are concerned because many articles
have been written on this theme already. Anyhow the most your questions were
devoted to remote controlled QTH operation. As I don't want to overfill the
Topband Digest pages writing details of this problem and every one of us
would have divergent requirements and terms so I will try put forward just
complex of my practice. I would like to underline that next lines are
representing my personal enclosures gained by running a remote controlled
QTH last four years.
My first finding was that if somebody wants to do a low bands operation on
upper-most level and doesn't want to build a new house far away from
civilization is, of course, forced derive benefit from new technologies and
cross over a remote controlled QTH.
I found after many and many trials, disillusions, frustrations and ejections
a lot of money that if I want to operate low bands and not just play with
remote operation will have to charge myself from previous lapses.
What we want from remote controlled QTH operation. This sort of operation
must be for operator almost equivalent to operation from home QTH. I
personally now don't know from where I am running operation ( with the
exception that I cannot hear a DX station at all because being switched into
home QTH Hi Hi Hi ) and for that reason I had to use a LED to show me from
where is operated.
Extract of my experience and brief system description:
Basis is reliability of the system in all the situations. Can you imagine if
I wanted to make any DX and remote site failed from a thousand reasons, how
enraged I was and had to drive there and back tens of kilometres to find
what happened it is not working ? Further could you imagine if some from
many gears there would 
burn up and inflames small telecommunication house ? We should take into
consideration all the circumstances from which malfunction of the system is
nothing.
A remote site.
PC as a server running 2x hard disc to increase reliability
UPS of course
A lot of remote controlled switches via COMs and LPTs ( my case abt 40
because there are so many to control to switch ON/OFF )
Some of switches have back status indication to see what really happened
there on remote site
Remote controlled gears via COM ( all virtual ) as we found that response
delay is negligible. / HF TRX, VHF, UHF, small PA 1,5kW, Big Gun 160m,
WinKey, PTT,./
Internet connection in my case 2Mb/s all the time. But for controlling of
the system one do not need very high speed Inet just must take care about
delay it means find for remote site the Inet provider which is using the
same backbone NET as home provider uses.
Controlling process is done via Internet as comes out from above.
Listening is done via: VHF link, UHF link, telephone line, VoIP  ( is better
to have more ways to listen to )
CW operation : via WinKey and excellent hardware and software
SSB operation : via VHF, UHF and telephone line. VoIP is not practically
suitable because of double delay
Note: a telephone line plays very important role wanting voice connection. I
let built for me a tailor made gear TELESTART which picks up the phone and
keeps line opened but has several DTMF controlled relays which can be used
for emergency control of remote site in case if Inet service is away ( could
anybody imagine to let run the PA Big Gun there a few days without
supervision one ? ) 
All the above described is controlled through tailor made software runs on
LINUX and I was told by my softwarer ( I do not understand this thinks at
all, just give him my demands what I want to control ) in simplicity is
beauty and I can see just results - the system works on line and reliable. 
Please do not try Windows I lost a year with one and my nerves too. I could
not recommend so called remote controlling soft wares based on Windows, this
is fine for anybody who wants to play with one as a toy but not for serious
low bands DX operation. It could be way to perdition I guess. But sorry
there is one exception the HRD which is very nice program and I use one on
my home PC.
Home operation QTH
PC with Windows XP proff.
Interent: 4Mb/s
Controlling software for remote site but I can see just so called operation
nozzle for each gear on remote site on which is seen status of all values (
ON,OFF,PWR OUT, PWR BACK, HV, TUNE etc..) and for TRX control I successfully
use HRD an excellent program which allows fully controlling of the TRX.
It is all never ending story and I hope rough description would tell
wondering what way incidentally go to avoid mistakes which I had to pass.
Good luck with remote controlled QTH operation. It is worth to go into a
different HAM radio world.
73  Jarda   OK1RD & OK7XX from remote QTH

 
  
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