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Rotating Antenna from a remote location.

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Don Strom

Rotating Antenna from a remote location.

Am getting ready to order K3S with the remote rig duo from Elecraft.

Any one out there that is rotating their antennas remotely?

If so, very interested in what you are using to do the job.

Thanks! Don W0EAR

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'DGB'

Re: Rotating Antenna from a remote location.

The Green Heron rotor control works great over the internet.

73 Dwight NS9I

On 4/1/2016 11:11 PM, Don Strom wrote:

> Am getting ready to order K3S with the remote rig duo from Elecraft.
>
> Any one out there that is rotating their antennas remotely?
>
> If so, very interested in what you are using to do the job.
>
> Thanks! Don W0EAR
>
> Sent from Mail for Windows 10
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> Message delivered to [hidden email]
>
>

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Barry

Re: Rotating Antenna from a remote location.

I use one of these:
http://schmidt-alba.de/eshop/

Barry W2UP

Rick Tavan-2

Re: Rotating Antenna from a remote location.

In reply to this post by Don Strom

Easy, Don, but there are lots of choices.

First you need a rotor control box with a digital interface. Many have
them, usually with a conventional serial port connection. If yours does
not, consider the Green Heron universal controller. It can control most
rotors out there.

Second, you need software to interface to the controller. Some logging
programs can be set up to control some digital rotor controllers and that
may be the simplest way to go. You will probably need a remote serial port.

If you don't want to rely on logging programs or if your logger doesn't
support your rotor/controller, you will need stand-alone software.

Some controllers provide their own stand-alone software and there are also
third-party programs available (see below). There are two ways these
programs can run - local-only or client-server. If you choose software that
runs local-only, you can run it on a computer at the radio site and access
it via a remote desktop program from the control site OR you can run it at
the control site with a remote serial port to the controller at the radio
site.

If you choose software that runs client-server, you run the server version
on a computer at the radio site and the client version on a computer at the
control site. Often it's the same executable at both sites and you just
select different options. This is what I do, using PstRotatorAz from
YO3DMU. It can run either locally or client-server and interfaces most
rotor controllers and logging programs. Setup is less than obvious but help
is available online and once it's working it's very robust, surviving many
sorts of configuration changes and starts and stops, an excellent program.
Extra added attractions include presets, turn-to-prefix, logging program
interfaces, and a module that controls a SteppIR antenna controller, also
remotely.

GL & 73,

/Rick N6XI

On Fri, Apr 1, 2016 at 9:11 PM, Don Strom <[hidden email]> wrote:

--

Rick Tavan
Truckee, CA
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k6dgw

Re: Rotating Antenna from a remote location.

Another choice is to run a PC at the radio site which runs the rotator
control software, and then use a remote control program to get into the
computer from your control location. Tom at W7RN does this using
TeamViewer [free for non-commercial use]. When I log in, I see the GH
control screens, I can drag any of the antennas to any azimuth, plus I
have access to the KPA500 control utility, and a couple of camera
images, one of the shack in general and a close up of the K3 and the
antenna switch indicators so I can see if any are busy with on-site
operations. Works pretty slick.

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Northern California Contest Club
- CU in the Cal QSO Party 1-2 Oct 2016
- www.cqp.org

On 4/3/2016 10:15 AM, Rick Tavan wrote:

> Easy, Don, but there are lots of choices.
>
> First you need a rotor control box with a digital interface. Many
> have them, usually with a conventional serial port connection. If
> yours does not, consider the Green Heron universal controller. It can
> control most rotors out there.
>
> Second, you need software to interface to the controller. Some
> logging programs can be set up to control some digital rotor
> controllers and that may be the simplest way to go. You will probably
> need a remote serial port.
>
> If you don't want to rely on logging programs or if your logger
> doesn't support your rotor/controller, you will need stand-alone
> software.
>
> Some controllers provide their own stand-alone software and there are
> also third-party programs available (see below). There are two ways
> these programs can run - local-only or client-server. If you choose
> software that runs local-only, you can run it on a computer at the
> radio site and access it via a remote desktop program from the
> control site OR you can run it at the control site with a remote
> serial port to the controller at the radio site.
>
> If you choose software that runs client-server, you run the server
> version on a computer at the radio site and the client version on a
> computer at the control site. Often it's the same executable at both
> sites and you just select different options. This is what I do, using
> PstRotatorAz from YO3DMU. It can run either locally or client-server
> and interfaces most rotor controllers and logging programs. Setup is
> less than obvious but help is available online and once it's working
> it's very robust, surviving many sorts of configuration changes and
> starts and stops, an excellent program. Extra added attractions
> include presets, turn-to-prefix, logging program interfaces, and a
> module that controls a SteppIR antenna controller, also remotely.
>
> GL & 73,
>
> /Rick N6XI
>
> On Fri, Apr 1, 2016 at 9:11 PM, Don Strom <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
>> Am getting ready to order K3S with the remote rig duo from
>> Elecraft.
>>
>> Any one out there that is rotating their antennas remotely?
>>
>> If so, very interested in what you are using to do the job.
>>
>> Thanks! Don W0EAR