Messages

31

Configuration, RRC 1258 / Re: Elecraft K3 Twin with Heil HM-5/HC-5

« on: 2021-08-31, 22:02:55 »

Dan, I have the RR boxes working FB using a a modified Koss headset that has a Heil HC5 element in it.
The mike is plugged into the Mike input at the side of the K3/0 Mini.  For the remote station, the mike
input is FPH.

I found the key was to provide a PTT signal- in my case, I have a footswitch plugged into the PTT jack on the
back of the K3/0 Mini.  To use the digital inputs such as FT8, I also had to add a PTT signal into that same
jack or the radio would not send the audio tones (I used WSJT-x to drive a 1-transistor level converter to provide
the PTT signal).

Dennis W1UE

32

General discussion forum / Re: RRC stereo audio for SO2R

« on: 2021-04-05, 20:58:45 »

Dan
Let's go back one step.  Plug headphones into the So2R Mini- is it switching properly?  Do you actually hear the two audio streams?

Now add the Y cable, and test again by connecting headphones to one of the two plugs.  Do you still hear the two audio streams?

Try restarting the RRC box. 

Are you using the Speaker or Headphone output on the K3?  Front or rear? 

Using the REMaudio produce both channels?

The L-Mix-R should be "A  B". 

Dennis W1UE

33

General discussion forum / Re: Novice user - where do I go to get started (K3 twin)

« on: 2021-03-10, 02:02:37 »

Bill, Contact me direct.  I have the same setup (minus linear) and have it working FB.

Dennis W1UE

34

Hardware, Cabling, Installations / Re: Bad Audio thru RRControl Box

« on: 2021-01-22, 14:10:22 »

Dennis- did you make sure to match your audio codecs? 

35

Configuration, RRC 1258 / Re: Yaesu Ft5k TWIN Serial settings with OMpower

« on: 2020-06-25, 14:12:06 »

JP
I don't have an FT1000, and I don't have an OMPower Amp, so I can't shed any specific help for your problem.

A couple of ideas that I do have on it:
1. Are all the devices you are using communicating at the correct baud rate?  I'd check out that baud rates match on all the equipment.
2. If the baud rates all match, can something to be done to make the time for the OMPower amp to receive the data longer?  If its timing out, waiting for a response with x milliseconds, can you make it y milliseconds?

Dennis W1UE

36

General discussion forum / Re: Winkey : problem and features..

« on: 2020-04-25, 13:00:50 »

Patrick
If you do SO2R operating, you might want to take a look at the SO2R Mini controller.  Its built around an Arduino.

Good luck, have fun, and see you in the contests!

Dennis W1UE

37

General discussion forum / Re: Winkey : problem and features..

« on: 2020-04-23, 12:25:37 »

GM Patrick

I tried to use the Winkey Emulator included in the RRC several years ago, but did not have satisfactory results.  I don't recall exactly what didn't work, but I use the remote station for contests and the last thing I want to do in a contest is to spend time fussing with the hardware.

I bought a MORTTY CW Keyer, set it up with my computer, and it has worked flawlessly.  I realize this doesn't exactly answer your question, but that's how I solved the keying problem.

Dennis W1UE

38

Configuration, RRC 1258 / Re: Remote RRC occasionally crashes during CW transmit

« on: 2019-11-20, 12:28:58 »

KL0R, it sounds to me like you have a power supply problem, and let's get the nomenclature correct.  The remote site is where the transmitter is actually transmitting, its where the antennas are, and its where the K3s is located.  The control site is wherever you are and where the K3/0 is located.

Are you feeding the Remote RRC and K3s voltage from the same power supply?  If so, I'd suggest getting a separate power supply for the Remote RRC.  What I think is happening is that occasionally, for no real reason at all, your power supply to the Remote RRC drops too low, the Remote RRC turns "off" due to the voltage being low, then when you finish the code element and the voltage comes back up the RRC says "I just got voltage applied, so I'll start" and restarts.  It would be an intermittent thing, and hard to trace down. 

As for your setup, the Winkey need only be used at the Control site.  Its not necessary to plug the Winkey into the Control RRC; its much easier to plug the Winkey output into the "Key" jack on the back of the K3/0.  I have mine configured like that, and it works great.  Unless you operate using Teamviewer or similar desktop program, there is no need to have a Winkey or similar at the Remote site if you are going to use the Remote Rig system.

Dennis W1UE

39

General discussion forum / RR Use with Icom 7300 or 7610

« on: 2019-09-06, 13:09:01 »

Anyone have any experience in using the RR sets with these radios?

Dennis W1UE

40

Hardware, Cabling, Installations / Re: Remote (radio end) cabling to allow local on site and remote operation

« on: 2019-07-05, 00:08:42 »

Chipp- you say you have a K3.  It should be easy to switch the microphone- the RR mike cable goes to the rear Mic in or Lin In jack, the mike in the shack goes to the front mike input 8 pin DIN.  You do have to toggle the K3 Menu selection on mike input, but no recabling would be necessary.

Paralleling PTT is usually done without a problem- just use a "Y" cable.  Easily obtainable, cheap.

RR Speaker line goes to Headphone out on the rear panel.  You plug headphones in the front panel.  No cabling required.

K3 Lin OUT goes to the soundcard for decoding at the remote site.

I don't know what cables the LP Pan require, so I can't comment on them.

The one cable we haven't been able to avoid swapping out is the CW keying cable.  We did try paralleling a local keyer with the RR keying line, but it didn't work reliably.  So we just swap keying lines.  One cable is still a lot less to change.

Dennis W1UE

41

General discussion forum / Re: RR Troubleshooting

« on: 2018-12-11, 14:19:14 »

AFter doing some voltage checks on the RR Control box (detailed in a previous posting), I don't have +8V for the TS480 control head available at any of the 6 RJ11 terminals.  Is it worthwhile to do a reset on the box to see if that re-establishes the voltages?  Or is there somewhere else I can look?

Dennis W1UE

42

General discussion forum / Re: RR Troubleshooting

« on: 2018-12-07, 20:17:45 »

Mitch
I might be inclined to agree with you, except for one big item- if I unplug the cable that goes from the RR Control unit to the TS480 head at the RR Unit, and plug it into the TS480 body, then the TS480 turns on and works.  If you tell me that wiring is different between the two functions of that cable, I'll believe you and get the cable that you specified.  It also appears to have all the 6 connections at both plugs.

Mike
You were partially correct- I was looking for the +8V at the jumpers for the MIC jack, not the TTL jack.  So I turned the unit over, and behind the TTL jack there are two rows of 3 connections that look like they go to the TTL jack.  I measured the voltages at each and this is the result (orientation is the pcb is upside down, and the two rows of connections have the top row, furthest away, with the first connection slightly to the left of the bottom row):
Top row, left most: 0V
Top row, middle: 0V
Top row, right most: 4.98V
Bottom Row, left most: .02V
Bottom Row, middle:" 5.03V
Bottom Row, right most: 3.01V

When I measured the ground connection was between the ground solder pad near the TTL jack, and again at the -DC input connector pad.  In both cases, the voltages were the same.  No 8V.  Per your other suggestion, I made sure that it was in Mode 5, TS480.

Dennis W1UE

43

General discussion forum / Re: RR Troubleshooting

« on: 2018-12-07, 13:12:15 »

Mike
Just went back to double check. Control RRC is definitely in Mode 5, TS480.  Opened case to make it easy to check. 
No +8V on either side of jumper.  When TS480 head is plugged in, it doesn't turn on or light up.

Is the cable connecting the two a normal 6 conductor straight through cable? 

Dennis W1UE

44

General discussion forum / RR Troubleshooting

« on: 2018-12-06, 20:24:20 »

I have a friend's Control RRC here.  He uses it with a TS480 remote head.  It currently is not working.
When checking it out, voltage measurements show there is no +8V to the wire jumper pins- either the one going to the RJ11 connector, or the one supplying the voltage.  Without voltage, the TS480 remote head won't come on, so of course it won't connect. 

If I plug the TS480 remote head into the TS480 body, the TS480 lights and works, so that isn't the problem.

Question: is that +8V supply problem fixable by a user, or must it go back to Remote Rig?  Or could a jumper be missing?  I read thru the manual, and didn't see an applicable jumper.

Dennis W1UE

45

General discussion forum / Re: Missing virtual drivers

« on: 2018-12-01, 20:52:07 »

Phil- I have the same setup that you do, and I can tell you it works fine.  First off, a tip- ditch the USB cable that goes from the computer to the Control RRC.  I think its just confusing the issue.

Install the USB to serial cable, and make note of that Com port number.  That is the comport number that you will use in N1MM.  Forget all the others.

I have my serial cable going to Com1 of the Control RRC.  I have nothing connected to Com2 of the Control RRC.  The K3/0 is connected to the Control RRC via the TTL cable.

Don't bother with trying to key the K3/0 via the RTS or DTR lines.  I have not had success using it. 

Also keep in mind, if you are looking at the baud rate of the K3/0, you can't have it connected to the Remote unit over the internet.  If you do, you are looking at the baud rate of the K3 at the remote site!

Try it again with the above in mind.  As I said, this setup works fine for me here.  Made 542 QSOs via it during the ARRL 160m contest this weekend so far.

Dennis W1UE