[Elecraft] More on remote operations

[David Windisch]

Thanks to all who replied to my earlier post.  The LL discussion has been
especially informative and quite welcome.

I do have questions for further discussion, but first, a recap of events.

The remote project started simply enough: a K3/100 and RRC-1258 in my local
shack in Florida, to the internet, to a remote RRC1258, K3/100 and 40M
monoband antenna in Ohio. 

I handled the logging, dx-clusters, etc., with a Windows Vista computer
connected to the miniature USB port on the local RRC-1258.

It worked, except turning on the 2nd rx killed TX on all modes.

Elecraft factory service diagnosed and fixed that.

It all worked. 

The feedback from the remote K3/100 to the local K3/100 was enough to ensure
proper K3/100 and antenna operation at the remote end, no remote computer
needed.

I got a K3/0, swapped out the local K3/100, and it all *still* worked.

I got another remote-end version of the RRC-1258 so I can troubleshoot and
test a complete system locally.  More on that later.   

Then . . . life became too short for simple remote projects.

At the remote end, an Alpha 87A amplifier, antenna switching, rotator
control for 3 rotators, an external power meter, and a WindowsXP computer to
run all the control programs, were installed.

At both ends, free versions of "logmein" client/server software are used to
log in and run the Alpha, the rotator controls, and the external power
meter.

A homebrew kluge decodes band data from the K3/100 ACC connector and
controls the antenna switching and rotator selection.  I wanted to use the
KRC2 for decoding and switching, but that's another story.

A dit or a cough <grin> brings the Alpha on frequency.

Things are *still* working <another grin>.  

Now, the questions for further discussion.

Could the computer at the remote end be swapped out for a multi-port serial
server and control of the Alpha and rotator transferred to my local shack
computer?

The serial servers I have found aren't inexpensive; would someone be willing
to make a 4-port serial server available for testing the concept, please?

Have I overlooked a remote-server capability in equipment mentioned by N3WG? 

As for the remote-end version of the RRC-1258 I got, it could be used with
my K3/100 (into a dummy load only, sri) by any one out there wanting to do
live testing or experimenting, with me at this end, 
to see just what can and can't be accessed or controlled.  Playing with
macros comes to mind.

Brgds,
Dave, N3HE



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