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KX2 as a remote front panel for another KX2, KX3, or K3S?

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wayne burdick

KX2 as a remote front panel for another KX2, KX3, or K3S?

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A number of KX2 owners have asked whether they could use the rig as a “terminal” to control a remote radio. This may be possible to a limited degree.

This can already be done with a K3, K3S, or K3/0-Mini. All three can do 100% control of a remote K3 or K3S, including 1:1 display mapping.

On the smaller end of the scale, you can use a KX3 in “RIG CTRL” mode to do limited control of a remote KX3, K3, or K3S. Page 28 of the KX3 owner’s manual provides more information on this. A small number of basic functions is provided, including VFO, band change, mode change, AF gain, etc.

The rigs can be connected together with a null-modem TTL/RS232 cable (2 wires + ground) or through a simple server app. Receive audio, mic, and keyer paddle must be handled separately from the control stream.

The question is whether there’s enough interest to justify adding such functionality to the KX2. Like the KX3, the KX2 would only provide certain basic controls.

We’re open to discussion about this (on the list or to me privately). Please include a short description of the application you have in mind. It could be as simple as this: using a KX2 on one side of a large shack to control a K3/K3S on the other side. This would be my motivation, since my primary work computer is out of reach of the K3S setup.

73,
Wayne
N6KR

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James Bennett

Re: KX2 as a remote front panel for another KX2, KX3, or K3S?

Wayne,

This sounds interesting. My station is located in a fourth bedroom, downstairs, at one end of the house. I use a K3/P3 mostly for CW operating and a KX3/PX3 connected to a Raspberry Pi for primarily for data modes. They share my meager array of wire antennae via two coax switches. With a wife and two kids here, I don’t want to spend all my time at home hidden away in my “man cave” - aka the shack. In the past I had taken the KX3 out of the shack into the family room at the other end of the house, strung up a temporary wire antenna in the back yard trees and fed it with some coax run under the door sill. That let me do a little CW while still being in the room where the “action” was. But disconnecting all the cables, rigging up the antenna, and then re-connecting the cables got to be a PITA, so I pretty much gave up on doing that.

This past summer I got that nifty KX2 and added it to the shack. Now I alternate between the K3 and the KX2 for my CW operating. I have to admit that the KX2 sees more on the air time than the K3! Anyway, the KX2 has been used in the family room on occasion, but I still face the antenna install and de-install issue, along with that antenna not having nearly the performance of my big doublet at 45 feet. It would be great to use the KX2 to run the K3 remotely and have the benefit of a much better antenna, along with the option of “QRO” at 100 watts if I wanted. But, does such a setup allow one to use CW, and if so, how the heck does that work? A 90 foot, multi conductor cable attached to the keyer paddle? :-) :-)

Jim / W6JHB

> On Dec 21, 2017, at 5:40 PM, Wayne Burdick <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> A number of KX2 owners have asked whether they could use the rig as a “terminal” to control a remote radio. This may be possible to a limited degree.
>
> This can already be done with a K3, K3S, or K3/0-Mini. All three can do 100% control of a remote K3 or K3S, including 1:1 display mapping.
>
> On the smaller end of the scale, you can use a KX3 in “RIG CTRL” mode to do limited control of a remote KX3, K3, or K3S. Page 28 of the KX3 owner’s manual provides more information on this. A small number of basic functions is provided, including VFO, band change, mode change, AF gain, etc.
>
> The rigs can be connected together with a null-modem TTL/RS232 cable (2 wires + ground) or through a simple server app. Receive audio, mic, and keyer paddle must be handled separately from the control stream.
>
> The question is whether there’s enough interest to justify adding such functionality to the KX2. Like the KX3, the KX2 would only provide certain basic controls.
>
> We’re open to discussion about this (on the list or to me privately). Please include a short description of the application you have in mind. It could be as simple as this: using a KX2 on one side of a large shack to control a K3/K3S on the other side. This would be my motivation, since my primary work computer is out of reach of the K3S setup.
>
> 73,
> Wayne
> N6KR
>

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Lynn W. Taylor, WB6UUT-2

Re: KX2 as a remote front panel for another KX2, KX3, or K3S?

For data modes (PSK-32, FT-8, etc.) you don't need to move the radio.

Raspbian supports VNC natively. There are VNC clients for just about
every operating system including Android and Windows.

Sit in the living room with your laptop or tablet, jump across your
network using VNC to get to the Pi, and operate.

73 -- Lynn

On 12/22/2017 9:31 AM, James Bennett wrote:

KX3/PX3 connected to a Raspberry Pi for primarily for data modes.
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Igor Sokolov-2

Re: [KX3] KX2 as a remote front panel for another KX2, KX3, or K3S?

In reply to this post by wayne burdick

Wayne,

Do I understand correctly that KX3 can be used in combo with Remote Rig
set as a remote head for K3? You state that basic functions are
supported through CAT and then receive audio, microphone and keying can
be supported by Remote Rig. To me this sounds like there should be no
problems. Or do I miss something?

73, Igor UA9CDC

22.12.2017 6:40, Wayne Burdick [hidden email] [KX3] пишет:

>
> A number of KX2 owners have asked whether they could use the rig as a
> “terminal” to control a remote radio. This may be possible to a
> limited degree.
>
> This can already be done with a K3, K3S, or K3/0-Mini. All three can
> do 100% control of a remote K3 or K3S, including 1:1 display mapping.
>
> On the smaller end of the scale, you can use a KX3 in “RIG CTRL” mode
> to do limited control of a remote KX3, K3, or K3S. Page 28 of the KX3
> owner’s manual provides more information on this. A small number of
> basic functions is provided, including VFO, band change, mode change,
> AF gain, etc.
>
> The rigs can be connected together with a null-modem TTL/RS232 cable
> (2 wires + ground) or through a simple server app. Receive audio, mic,
> and keyer paddle must be handled separately from the control stream.
>
> The question is whether there’s enough interest to justify adding such
> functionality to the KX2. Like the KX3, the KX2 would only provide
> certain basic controls.
>
> We’re open to discussion about this (on the list or to me privately).
> Please include a short description of the application you have in
> mind. It could be as simple as this: using a KX2 on one side of a
> large shack to control a K3/K3S on the other side. This would be my
> motivation, since my primary work computer is out of reach of the K3S
> setup.
>
> 73,
> Wayne
> N6KR
>
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kevino z

Re: KX2 as a remote front panel for another KX2, KX3, or K3S?

In reply to this post by wayne burdick

I’d really like to be able to use my KX2 to control my KX3. Is that an option or is only the K series the lucky one?

No trees were killed in the sending of this message. However, a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced !

> On Dec 21, 2017, at 20:42, Wayne Burdick <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> A number of KX2 owners have asked whether they could use the rig as a “terminal” to control a remote radio. This may be possible to a limited degree.
>
> This can already be done with a K3, K3S, or K3/0-Mini. All three can do 100% control of a remote K3 or K3S, including 1:1 display mapping.
>
> On the smaller end of the scale, you can use a KX3 in “RIG CTRL” mode to do limited control of a remote KX3, K3, or K3S. Page 28 of the KX3 owner’s manual provides more information on this. A small number of basic functions is provided, including VFO, band change, mode change, AF gain, etc.
>
> The rigs can be connected together with a null-modem TTL/RS232 cable (2 wires + ground) or through a simple server app. Receive audio, mic, and keyer paddle must be handled separately from the control stream.
>
> The question is whether there’s enough interest to justify adding such functionality to the KX2. Like the KX3, the KX2 would only provide certain basic controls.
>
> We’re open to discussion about this (on the list or to me privately). Please include a short description of the application you have in mind. It could be as simple as this: using a KX2 on one side of a large shack to control a K3/K3S on the other side. This would be my motivation, since my primary work computer is out of reach of the K3S setup.
>
> 73,
> Wayne
> N6KR
>
>
>
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Matt Murphy

Re: [KX3] Re: KX2 as a remote front panel for another KX2, KX3, or K3S?

I would very much like to be able to use my KX2 as a remote control head
for my K3. Some usage details below:

- Use the RCForb software (remotehams) to control my K3. So if the KX2
supported terminal mode, I believe it would be able to remote control any
rig via RCForb.

- Having the built-in paddles send CW via the KY commands (and also ideally
by having them generate the RTS/DTR serial port signals used by RCForb for
local paddles) would be great as well. Local side tone generated by the
KX2 would also be great.

- In my opinion, integrating the audio back through the KX2 speaker is not
important at all, the computer audio works fine.

- Even though the KX2 control set is smaller than that of the K3, it would
still be very nice to see the display and use some of the knobs/buttons to
access some of the more useful controls. The KX2 is designed with a lot of
pragmatic attention to conserving space, so those knobs are typically all I
use most of the time anyway.

I'd be happy with any subset of the above features. I currently use a K3/0
Twin which takes up a fair bit of desk space, and would prefer to use my
KX2 for controlling the remote station most of the time, particularly for
casual operating or DXing. The operating position where I operate from
when using the remote setup is a smallish desk with a slim iMac and not
much extra space.

73,
Matt NQ6N

On Fri, Dec 22, 2017 at 7:09 PM, kevino z [hidden email] [KX3] <
[hidden email]> wrote:

>
>
> I’d really like to be able to use my KX2 to control my KX3.. Is that an
> option or is only the K series the lucky one?
>
>
> No trees were killed in the sending of this message. However, a large
> number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced !
>
> > On Dec 21, 2017, at 20:42, Wayne Burdick <[hidden email]> wrote:
> >
> > A number of KX2 owners have asked whether they could use the rig as a
> “terminal” to control a remote radio. This may be possible to a limited
> degree.
> >
> > This can already be done with a K3, K3S, or K3/0-Mini. All three can do
> 100% control of a remote K3 or K3S, including 1:1 display mapping.
> >
> > On the smaller end of the scale, you can use a KX3 in “RIG CTRL” mode to
> do limited control of a remote KX3, K3, or K3S. Page 28 of the KX3 owner’s
> manual provides more information on this. A small number of basic functions
> is provided, including VFO, band change, mode change, AF gain, etc.
> >
> > The rigs can be connected together with a null-modem TTL/RS232 cable (2
> wires + ground) or through a simple server app. Receive audio, mic, and
> keyer paddle must be handled separately from the control stream.
> >
> > The question is whether there’s enough interest to justify adding such
> functionality to the KX2. Like the KX3, the KX2 would only provide certain
> basic controls.
> >
> > We’re open to discussion about this (on the list or to me privately).
> Please include a short description of the application you have in mind. It
> could be as simple as this: using a KX2 on one side of a large shack to
> control a K3/K3S on the other side. This would be my motivation, since my
> primary work computer is out of reach of the K3S setup.
> >
> > 73,
> > Wayne
> > N6KR
> >
> >
> >
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Lynn W. Taylor, WB6UUT-2

Re: KX2 as a remote front panel for another KX2, KX3, or K3S?

In reply to this post by Lynn W. Taylor, WB6UUT-2

Jim,

The critical timing is handled between the Pi and the radio. If network
delays slow the display, that's generally not critical.

You raised digital modes.

I've spent a bunch of time ragchewing back in the day on AX.25. PSK-31
is good. My impression of FT-8 is that it isn't good for ragchewing, so
I can't get excited about it.

Network delays could be an issue for CW. I don't know, I haven't made a
CW contact in at least 4 decades.

73 -- Lynn

On 12/22/2017 5:01 PM, James Bennett wrote:

> Hi Lynn,
>
> Yep, I have remoted into my Raspberry Pi 3 quite often from an iPad using VNC. It might work for JT9 and JT65, but the speed with which one needs to get things done in FT8 makes me wonder if that is feasible at all. The VNC connections works great, but there IS a small amount of latency involved. And as you know, one doesn’t have much “fiddle time” when it comes to FT8!! That, plus the fact that after having used the JT modes for a few years now, I am getting sort of tired of them - not really much of a mode to actually communicate with the other guy - simply an exchange of signal report and grid square - gets boring after a while. Quite useful for nailing down new DX, grid squares, or states, but falls extremely short for rag chewing! I guess I’m just an old CW guy at heart!
>
> 73, Jim / W6JHB
>
>> On Dec 22, 2017, at 3:30 PM, Lynn W. Taylor, WB6UUT <[hidden email]> wrote:
>>
>> For data modes (PSK-32, FT-8, etc.) you don't need to move the radio.
>>
>> Raspbian supports VNC natively. There are VNC clients for just about every operating system including Android and Windows.
>>
>> Sit in the living room with your laptop or tablet, jump across your network using VNC to get to the Pi, and operate.
>>
>> 73 -- Lynn
>>
>> On 12/22/2017 9:31 AM, James Bennett wrote:
>>
>> KX3/PX3 connected to a Raspberry Pi for primarily for data modes.
>> ______________________________________________________________
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