Messages

16

General discussion forum / SPE Expert 1K on COM1

« on: 2010-08-09, 19:01:52 »

My remote SPE Expert is driven from a TS-480 using Mk11 RRCs

I cannot get any response from the amp using the COM 1 channel, the rear switch is ON..
I have re-checked the control end cable, but have to do a 200Km round trip to re-check the radio end cable..

Could someone please confirm the correct serial settings before I make the trip.

My original copy of the documentation stated
Mode5, 9600, 8, 1, off, No, 0d

The latest documentation states
Mode3, 9600, 8, 1, off, Yes, 0d

A previous thread many months ago mentioned using Mode1, which gave partial control.

What settings do people who have it working use? - I have tried both the options above.

Any advice on how to trouble-shoot the problem would be appreciated.

73,
Dave, G3UEG

17

General discussion forum / Re: CW keyer - odd behaviour unuseable.

« on: 2010-07-24, 21:43:16 »

Hi Mike,

Thanks, that was the problem.. so now sorted..

Another visitor suitably impressed...

73,
Dave, G3UEG

18

General discussion forum / Re: CW keyer settings

« on: 2010-07-24, 16:50:11 »

Hi Alan,

I don't know the IC706, but will help if I can..

Could you let us have your current settings..

Is the RRC working (can you hear the CW sidetone OK) or is it the interface from RRC to the IC706 that is not working?

73,
Dave, G3UEG

19

General discussion forum / CW keyer - odd behaviour unuseable.

« on: 2010-07-24, 16:45:56 »

I have a CW operator visiting to try the CW functionality, and I am getting odd behaviour..

When the TS-480 radio head is disconnected or switched off the RRC keyer works fine.  When the radio head is switched on I get the following behaviour..  I am using a single lever paddle (not full iambic)

When sending an "N" I get a "D" (extra dit) unless the deliberate dit is ***very*** short.
When sending an "A" I get an "R" (extra dit) every time.

I have tried all 4 keyer options, with no difference.
I am using the I/O connector and have the key out from the PC (via Rigblaster) connected to pins 4&8 and the keyer to pins 1&2&8..   The keying output from the PC works fine, so I can use the CW generated by N1MM OK.

I have the keyer settings as follows
Lf delay = 45ms (my ping time)
Key delay = 15ms

Any suggestions as to what I need to do..  the keyer is unuseable as it is.

73,
Dave, G3UEG

20

General discussion forum / CW keyer settings

« on: 2010-07-15, 20:41:49 »

I am not a cw operator but somebody is coming to visit who would like to try the CW facilities.

Which keyer settings do I need for a simple (ie NOT squeeze) paddle?  I thought it might be "Old Type" but that specifically says squeece (squeeze) keyer..

At the radio end, I think I need to set OUT1 mode to keyer, and make up a lead with a stereo jack for the RRC end, and mono jack at the TS-480 end with the tip of the stereo connector linked to the tip of the mono connector.  Is this correct?

73,
Dave, G3UEG

21

General discussion forum / Re: New installation - TX problem - RX brilliant

« on: 2010-06-24, 16:02:43 »

Hi Bjorn,

Thanks for the info...  but I am not quite sure I understand your comment.

The codec input preamp is only an option at the control RRC.

The codec parameters I have are as follows for the V4 hardware and the op-amp mod **not** done

CONTROL..  255 / 13 / OFF
RADIO..      255 / 0 

73,
Dave, G3UEG

22

General discussion forum / Re: New installation - TX problem - RX brilliant

« on: 2010-06-23, 14:25:22 »

Steve,

Thanks for your post.. I have sent an email direct to your address on QRZ.COM..  I wonder if you received it OK?  It would certainly be a help to work together on trying to sort this problem out.

73,
Dave, G3UEG

23

General discussion forum / Re: New installation - TX problem - RX brilliant

« on: 2010-06-19, 23:53:58 »

Thanks Mitch for your comments and encouragement..

Just to confirm I checked both the radio and control RRCs.. 

I don't know how I can actually **test** whether they are working as they should..

Mike, if you read this, can you let me have the spec of the wire for the strappings..  I am going to need to make some more, I have used 12 so far as once one has bent it is difficult to re-use it so I have just been using a new one..

73,
Dave, G3UEG

24

General discussion forum / Re: New installation - TX problem - RX brilliant

« on: 2010-06-19, 18:37:54 »

I have made the 200km round trip to the remote site today to try and solve this pulsing problem on TX.  I have made some progress, but I do not understand the data I am getting.

I took the control end gear up to the remote site and operated all the equipment off the local LAN.  I still got the rythmic pulsing (pulse every 0.5 sec approx) of output when the ptt pressed but not speaking into the mic, with 10w output.  The antenna is an 80/40 trap dipole that is about 18m away from the shack, it is fed through a balun and I have a good shack earth system.  (All my other equipment works happily with this set-up at the 400w output level). I was planning on putting an SPE amp into the system...

The problem went away when using a dummy load.

I re-checked all the strappings and they looked and felt OK.

I switched off the tx monitor function.
I reduced the mic gain slightly
I have put 4 clip-on ferrites (two each end) on each of the cables between the RRC and the TS480 body.
I have powered the Radio RRC from an individual gel battery to decouple from everything else
I have put ferrites on the ethernet cable and the dc power cable

As a result of this I have got to the stage of being able to transmit at 50w,  above this level the pulsing  restarts but the frequency has reduced to 1 pulse every 3 secs approx.

I am surprised and disappointed that the RRC/Head unit is so susceptible to RF, for equipment that is intended to work in an RF environment.  I did just confirm that the rig and head connected as normal work perfectly well togther at the 100w level

Is this RF problem typical, or is there something else I should be doing, or is it possible there is a fault with the RRC?

Are other people operating successfully with antennas within 20m or less of the RRC?

73,
Dave, G3UEG

25

General discussion forum / New installation - TX problem - RX brilliant

« on: 2010-06-17, 16:44:42 »

I set up my remote station yesterday, and after sorting a few computer and network set-up issues,  it was working fine on receive.  I am using the Webswitch to control the power-on and antenna switching.

Not having another amateur to help I was not able to transmit from the control location and for me to monitor at the radio location (100Km apart)

Today I tried some SSB transmissions.  I am getting what has been described as a "pulsing heterodyne" on the signal. If I press the PTT, but do not say anything, I can see the power meter pulsing,  showing significant output.  It does not seem to be related to the output power, When I reduced the output from 80w down to 15w and I could still see the same thing happening.

Any suggestions as to what might be causing this, and how to cure it. 

The RRC,Webswitch and ancillary devices are on one  PSU, and the rig is fed from a separate 25A supply.

I have put several clip-on ferrite cores on the TTL cable and used the supplied cable for the aux/mic cable.

73,
Dave, G3UEG

26

General discussion forum / Re: I/O port use and settings

« on: 2010-06-12, 21:51:42 »

I have received a reply from Mikael direct, as I have had difficulty logging into the forum.  I have cut and pasted his answer below..

If you activate the the Keyer function input 1 and 2 are dedicated to the paddle and cannot be use to anything else and input 0 are then dedicated to straight key input via the keyer handler or can be used as an extra PTT for foot switch etc.

If you not activate the keyer, all 3 inputs are just transferred to the output at the Radio-RRC if they are set to I/O at the I/O settings tab.

73,
Dave, G3UEG

27

General discussion forum / I/O port use and settings

« on: 2010-06-10, 20:40:36 »

I think there is a small typo on the drawing for the RRC-1258 I/O connections in the CW section.
I think the wire from the PC going to Pin 4 should be IN0 (not IN2)??

I have a need to transmit a control line from control end to radio end in addition to using the paddle.  My thought is that I can leave the paddle inputs as is,  and the keying output (UT0 pin5) as on the diagram.   Can I then apply my control line to IN0 (pin 4) and set up that to output to either UT1 (pin 3) or UT2 (pin 6)  Is my thinking on this correct??

In addition to my control line,  If I wanted to use a straight key (or a computer keyed output) at the control end (in place of the paddle), Is there a way to do this??  Although it seems simpler than the paddle option I can't work it out??  What I effectively want to do is have two separate simple control lines with the two independent outputs following each independent input.

73,
Dave, G3UEG

28

General discussion forum / Re: Set-Up with a fixed remote IP address. Also Webswitch

« on: 2010-06-06, 18:56:30 »

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the quick reply.

I will also have a PC and a serial server attached to the remote router.  Would this affect the way the port forwarding is done?

Where do I define the Ip of the radio rrc as the DMZ server..  I can't see any reference to this on the IP setting page of the rrc?

73,
Dave, G3UEG

29

General discussion forum / Set-Up with a fixed remote IP address. Also Webswitch

« on: 2010-06-06, 18:20:11 »

I have just bought the Remote Rigs and a Webswitch, and have read the documentation several times.  I can see how the two boxes link together in the examples when they are connected in what I would call "test mode" on one network.  I cannot understand how to set them up when separated across the internet.

I have a fixed IP address for my remote site, which should make life simpler, so as I understand it I put this IP address into the SIP contact field in the radio setting on the Control RRC.

If the radio RRC (remote) has IP address of 192.168.0.50  where do I put this information at the control (home) end to fully define the link??

Secondly, The Webswitch will be attached to the same router with the same IP address,  if the Webswitch IP address was, say, 192.168.0.51..  If I put the fixd remote IP address into my browser, how do I then "drill down" to the 192.168.0.51??

Finally all the Webswitch examples show a 1.nnn address, does it have to be in this series,   or is 0.nnn OK??
73,
Dave, G3UEG

30

General discussion forum / Using a SteppIR antenna

« on: 2010-04-20, 11:58:28 »

Is anyone using a SteppIR antenna remotely, (I am thinking of using a BigIR with 80m coil) and if so how have you integrated the controller into the set-up/connections at the rig end?

73,
Dave, G3UEG