[Elecraft] K3: Remote Operating from Assisted Living

[Edward R Cole]

Thanks everyone for great comments!

Dennis,

Certainly that could be an issue.  Recently read of some hams using 
wifi gear for point-point ham connection so if a suitable antenna 
could be used (like a patch on a window facing your remote site) for 
trailerized remote that is only a few miles away (up to 20?) that 
might work (one could use a high-gain directional antenna at the remote).

Not sure how bad latency is for these remote operations (how does the 
phone company counter it?).  Personally I am acquainted with latency 
using full duplex satellite operation where you hear your 
transmission being repeated on the downlink.  That drives some guys 
crazy but with time you can mentally filter it (or turn down the 
volume while you speak or send CW).  I guess the bigger problem would 
be tuning and control latency.

Well, this has been a look into the future (20-years, I hope).  Most 
residency in assisted living is only 1-2 years before the big-sk!  My 
mom went into one in 2012 and still doing OK at approaching 93.  This 
has given me some up-close and personal exposure to the life-style 
(don't forget Bingo!).

My wife turns 73 this month so we are lagging behind and still 
comfortable at home. Much will depend on my macular degeneration 
progress (so far I do not notice it -but the ophthalmologist see 
it).  I still making my sm kits!

I could see moving the ham shack into one of the toy-mover trailers 
and be able to go on the road with it.  A fold-over 30-foot tower 
attached and StepIR yagi + some VHF/mw stuff (just for fun!).  A 
couple folding bunks in the back and a camp stove and fridge.  FD on 
wheels!  Might take some selling to get my wife to buy into 
that!  Class-A motorhome is more here style!  Compromise might be a 
class-B/C with 4-door towed "radio" jeep!

end-of-topic - thanks all!

Ed

From: Dennis <egan.dennis88 at gmail.com>
To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Elecraft] K3: Remote Operating from Assisted Living
Message-ID: <561C0FCA.3030602 at gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed

Ed

Having done this for several ops, the biggest issue I've faced is
inadequate Internet at the Assisted
Living, Out Patient Care, or Elder care.  In 3 cases where I've been
involved in setting one of these
up so an op could work a special DXpedition, the Broadband provided for
the residents did not
have enough bandwidth to support the usage of a Remote Rig unit.  If you
paid for your own
broadband service in the Assisted Living section, then, of course, you
should have enough bandwidth
to support this usage, but don't count on the community Internet service
to be enough to use Remote
Ham Radio.  We did have one other case where the community Internet
service blocked the ports
we needed, and would not consider opening them for us (and we weren't
able to find unblocked
ports that we could use).  In all these cases, we were able to use a "4G
Wifi Hotspot" that gave us
enough bandwidth, but that kind of thing is often missing once you get
out of the big cities.

Dennis W1UE


73, Ed - KL7UW
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