Remotely Controlling Your Station
Remotely controlling your station from a long way away is very cool, and can provide you with entertainment at work over lunchtime too.
As a minimum, you will need:
Start off by getting the CAT to talk to your PC. Download and install Ham Radio Deluxe (HRD), which is free. Use the software to confirm that you can attach to and control your transceiver. Check that it switches to transmit when you click the TX button. More importantly check that it switches back to receive when you click it the second time. Install Skype on the PC and create a new account - even if you already have an account. Configure it to answer automatically, and only accept calls from people on your Contacts list. Add your own (original) Skype account to the contacts list. Using screened cable, connect the audio output of your sound card, via an isolation transformer, to the audio input of your radio. Ensure that the audio output level is set very low initially, or use an external mixer to control the audio input to the transceiver. Using screened cable, connect the audio input line to the sound card to the headphones output of the radio (not the external loudspeaker output) using the spare side of the Y adapter. Using the headphones, set the AF Gain on the radio to a normal position, and ensure the mic level is where you would normally set it. Personally, I don't use a speech processor (ever), and I would advise keeping it switched off while operating using Skype. Turn down the RF output on the rig or attach a dummy load. Switch on the Monitor on the radio and use Skype to call the Echo/Sound Test Service. When it answers, switch the radio manually to TX and listen to the transmitted Skype lady's voice in your headphones. Adjust the PC audio output using the Windows Volume Control Panel so the rig is modulated/driven normally. You may have to call the service a couple of times to get this right. They cut you off after 10 attempts, so don't dilly-dally. Turn up the TX transmit power, and disconnect the dummy load. Reconnect your mic and now have a play around with HRD to ensure that you can work people using the computer control, and they give you decent audio reports. Also ensure that RF is not getting in to the system. Reconnect the sound card audio output to the mic. Now install the HRD Remote Service. Click the Remote button on the toolbar and follow the instructions. Leave the default port number unchanged. Add yourself (and other potential remote users) to the config file and save it. Reboot the PC. Depending on how you connect to the internet, you may have to configure your firewall or PC to allow port 7805 to pass through (inwards). Now go to the web site www.whatsmyip.org and it will tell you your IP address. This will vary each time you restart your internet connection on ADSL unless you get your ISP to allocate you a static IP address. This costs about £15 a year. You will be leaving your PC on for now, so initially you don't need to worry. Make a note of the IP address. You are now ready to connect remotely. Leave the building.
At the remote PC, install Skype and add your radio Skype address. Install Ham Radio Deluxe. After installation make a New Connection. It will ask you to configure your radio. Select the radio type and Remote as the connection. Click connect. Enter the IP address of your home location. Accept the default port number, unless you altered it on your home PC. Enter your username and password and click Connect. You will see a welcome message (the one you entered in your config file). Now enter the COM port which is used by your remote PC to connect to the radio - probably COM 1 and select Slow dial-up as the connection type. Click OK. You will see the familiar HRD screen with the radio settings. A small (and annoying) window displays the connection information, which can be minimised. Now, use Skype to connect to your remote account. It will answer automatically. Hey presto, you're QRV.
73
Stewart GM4AFF/GM0F