Messages

16

Hardware, Cabling, Installations / Com Port Slowly Becomes intermittent and Totally Unusable

« on: 2020-01-17, 17:50:52 »

Hello Forum--I've been running my remote station for about three months with a remote controlled KPA500 and I've completely lost remote control.  The TS480 and 1258 RRC remote control works fine and no complaints on the radio operation. At first the KPA control was intermittent and  then began to show errors on the utility screen (ERR:FC?0).. now it won't communicate at all. Resetting the control RRC worked one time, but subsequent resets at control and radio do not seem to wake anything up. I'm plugged into COM1 on both ends and running the radio end on a separate laptop. The fact that it worked for three months tells me I had it set up OK. So where to start troubleshooting? Here's a link to some pix of the setup: http://www.valhallatreefarm.com/WB7ELY/remoteB/remoteB.htm
Thanks de Dave WB7ELY

17

Hardware, Cabling, Installations / Re: RS232 to USB Adapters

« on: 2019-11-04, 02:31:15 »

Thanks Mitch! Yeah I am behind the 8 ball on cat control and logging. I just hit the log button on WSJT and manually upload the logfile when I get around to it. Ahh, one of these days. I was able to get the pinout of the TRS plug and RS232 Cable :
The cable uses a three conductor shielded cable. The connections:
DE9M Pin 2 - Mini Phone ring
DE9M Pin 3 - Mini Phone tip
DE9M Pin 4 - DE9M Pin 8
DE9M Pin 5 - Mini Phone sleeve
DE9M Shell - Mini Phone sleeve
So I will build that cable and plug it into the remaining RRC [radio end] COM Port and Use an FTDI as you recommended on the [control end] into the PC to run the utility.
Thanks for your inputs
de Dave WB7ELY

18

Hardware, Cabling, Installations / Re: RS232 to USB Adapters

« on: 2019-11-03, 05:44:00 »

Thanks for your feedback! I am not using CAT, I prefer the good looking TS-480 control panel at my remote operating position. (Note my diagram has the 480 control panel connected directly to the control RRC) So I think you have almost helped me figure out what to do here. Let me make sure I understand. The RRC has (2) COM Ports and I have two remote devices I wish to control, The KPA 500 which has RS232 on the rear panel and the KAT 500 ATU which has a TRS jack and comes with a cable with a USB plug on the other end. So the KPA is a no brainer, it's a straight RS232 (w/ null modem if using COM 1) from KPA to RRC. And that works great using the elecraft KPA utility on the PC.
However, next you state a little gem that I did not know:"USB adapters can only be used between a computer of some sort and a device, but never between devices without an operating system. These require host mode to work, which in turn requires device drivers on the o/s. So... going from e.g.an RRC COM1 to an amp or ATU will require a "real" serial cable."

So then I am screwed if I think I can use the other com port to control the KAT 500 ATU using the TRS-USB cable with a "double female" hooking the whole thing together. Buying a RS232 cable -> USB would be a waste of $. It does not even look like I could use the microbit 1216H module because it still wants a "real" RS232 plug. You state that there are some third party "serial servers" out there. Would those accept a USB plug from the KAT-ATU and output a USB plug at the control end?
Thanks de Dave WB7ELY

19

Hardware, Cabling, Installations / RS232 to USB Adapters

« on: 2019-11-03, 00:28:14 »

I'm needing at least three RS232 to USB adapters to complete my remote installation. Looks like everyone and their brother sells these things on the internet. I want to avoid problems with compatibility issues. Does anyone have a good product to recommend. FTDI any good? Attaching my remote hookup diagram using elecraft KPA and KAT boxes
Thanks
de Dave WB7ELY

20

Hardware, Cabling, Installations / Re: Remoting a KPA500 + KAT500 & TS480

« on: 2019-10-21, 05:43:56 »

Regarding the remote POWER ON of the KPA-500 amplifier, in going over the tech manual it appears you can turn on the amplifier by taking the aux connector pin 8 low, but only for a moment, do not hold low. I've attached a scan of the AUX connector interface pinout. Note it is a DE-15 Male plug. So... I will try using a pair of extra contacts on my webswitch to pull that pin low and see if it turns on the KPA. Otherwise I will have to leave ON in STBY all the time.
//dave WB7ELY

21

Hardware, Cabling, Installations / Remoting a KPA500 + KAT500 & TS480

« on: 2019-10-20, 16:38:04 »

In have the KPA500 working remotely on RRC COM I. Works great with the null modem cable and remote utility. But I have to leave the amp on (in STBY) all the time. If you turn it off via the remote utility, then the RS232 is off and you cannot regain control unless you push the ON button on the KPA. One post stated that you could switch 12V to a pin in the DB9 plug intended to connect to the K3. Does anybody have any further details on that connection? Now moving on to the KAT500, can I connect it to the RRC COM2 port? No CAT in use and no rotor so wondering if there's anything I need to know before moving to that connection..? Does it need a null modem like COM I?
Thanks de Dave WB7ELY

22

Configuration, RRC 1258 / KPA500 amplifier remote control using RRC1258 COM1 and TS480

« on: 2019-09-19, 06:41:25 »

I seeing some threads on this topic and still it is unclear if I can use the RRC COM 1 port on the RRC 1258 control to connect RS232 to my PC and run the remote utility. And then I'd connect another RS232 cable from the KPA500 to RRC Radio. I did see some talk on the com ports wired 'backwards' or using a null modem. I also have a webswitch 1216H perhaps that might work easier> If anyone could shed some light on this, would be much appreciated.
de Dave WB7ELY

23

Configuration, Webswitch 1216H / What outside address do I use for the WS

« on: 2019-05-19, 06:30:38 »

New WS in the shack and I have it up and operating on the local LAN with static IP. Using port 80. Works great! Submitted the s/n and received the ddns.webswitch.se but I am still in the dark on what to type into my browser when accessing the WS from the outside internet.  Please help
Thanks de dave WB7ELY

24

Hardware, Cabling, Installations / Re: Running station accessories using the COM Ports

« on: 2018-04-30, 05:52:22 »

Looks like Amazon sells a 4 channel RS232 relay board that would connect to the radio side RRC COM1 port. Here's a link: https://www.amazon.com/SainSmart-2-Channel-Serial-Control-4-Channel/dp/B01G160I5S
You could turn on a fan in the radio box or actuate a coax relay on command using this sweet little board.
Instructions say to first set the serial port configuration to 9600 baud: stty -F /dev/ttyM0 9600
Turn on the relay with hex 01 : echo -ne '\x01' >/dev/ttyM0
Turn off the relay with hex 00 : echo -ne '\x00' >/dev/ttyM0

25

Hardware, Cabling, Installations / Running station accessories using the COM Ports

« on: 2018-04-28, 00:37:08 »

I have a requirement to turn on a fan at the radio side and to switch a coax relay. I see that the COM Port out0 goes low upon connection. Could I use a relay driver connected to out0 to turn on a small fan? Would it be possible to set a logic 1 on other comport pins to toggle a relay?

26

Configuration, RRC 1258 / Re: Setting a profile for home and a profile for away

« on: 2018-04-19, 04:33:56 »

Got it!
Thankyou sir

27

Configuration, RRC 1258 / Re: Setting a profile for home and a profile for away

« on: 2018-04-18, 05:17:45 »

Thanks Mitch but you are not answering my question.
You are going to have to spell it our really s i m p l e for a dumb ham.
you say "change the SIP"
SIP is Session Initiation Protocol
My SIP Port is 13000-- There is no "SIP contact" on any of the literature associated with the RRC
Change it to what? Radio or control?
After reading your checklist and the manual numerous times..
I cannot guess what you mean when you say "change the SIP"

28

Configuration, RRC 1258 / Re: Setting a profile for home and a profile for away

« on: 2018-04-17, 06:08:06 »

Thanks ...but you are way ahead of me. I understand the profile setting procedure but..
I see two settings for "SIP" on the control and the radio RRCs:
SIP Port and SIP Password
Which do I change for home LAN use and what do I change it to?

29

Configuration, RRC 1258 / Setting a profile for home and a profile for away

« on: 2018-04-16, 04:41:38 »

Searched for some prior posts on this and couldn't find anything... I have everything working for remote operation over the internet but now I am home and want to set profiles on the RRC Control for the two different settings, (1="over the internet" and 2="Home LAN". Seems the profiles settings is ideally suited for a use such as this. User manual is sketchy on how to set profiles and I am not 100% sure what to change on the control IP Settings page just to run the control over my home LAN. I don't want to muck it up.

30

Hardware, Cabling, Installations / Re: Radio Seperation Cable

« on: 2017-12-13, 16:44:34 »

What kind of Radio? I have an extra  separation cable for an IC-706..

de Dave
WB7ELY