Remote Contesting

We’ve talked about some of the remote conversations. There is also “voice chat” the radio is local or remote, although some contest winners, and we’ve talked software designed for online game players, polling settings may need to be slowed and about the importance of following the such as Mumble, mumble.info. And there timeout settings may need to be length- rules, so now let’s think about the basic is even software designed specifi cally for ened to avoid occasional error messages. requirements for remote contesting: Amateur Radio use, such as RemAud by 4. Control of “everything else” at 1. Good audio. DF3CB, df3cb.com/remaud/. the station is needed to allow the contest 2. Radio control. Radio control is needed to set the operator to change to alternate antennas, 3. Connection to logging software. radio’s band, frequency, mode, filters, rotate antennas, and monitor and control 4. Control of “everything else” at the etc. This can be done by software with an amplifi er. Other useful functions include station. an on-screen “virtual” front panel such as control of the ac and dc power supplies, Win4K3Suite, va2fsq.com, or Ham Radio and receive-only antenna switches. To the Digging Deeper Deluxe, hamradiodeluxe.com. Most con- extent a device is not fully automatic (e.g., Good audio is a top requirement for testers prefer to use their favorite logging automatically selected by band), there contest operating. How else can you pull software for simple operations like chang- needs to be remote control of the device. out that weak multiplier station calling you? ing frequency, but you’ll need additional This is often the hardest part of setting up Mono audio is adequate for single-radio radio control for other features that are not a station for remote operation, as each operators, but many contesters want stereo accessible via the logging software (e.g., device and function is somewhat different audio to allow SO2V and SO2R operation. fi lter bandwidths, notch fi lter, AGC). (e.g., switching versus rotating versus The audio transmission hardware or Connection to logging software is monitoring), and no single common solu- software should not apply any noise reduc- needed for automated sending and for tion can be universally applied. tion or automatic volume control functions frequency tracking. Automated sending Sometimes the radio control, logging, unless you verify that these will not harm is sending stored messages in CW, voice and “everything else” control will be done your radio operating. For example, Skype files, or digital messages. Frequency on a computer at the station site. The re- has been used for remote audio, but Skype tracking is needed for logging the QSO mote operator comes in via remote desktop has built-in noise reduction designed for frequency, building a band map, and — software and sees the station as if there in voice that sometimes degrades CW and when operating “assisted” — for jumping person. In cases where it is inconvenient digital signals. to DX cluster spots. Few contesters would to try and keep a computer running at the Our audio bandwidth requirements for go back to “manual” logging without the radio site, the radio control, logging, and voice are less than those needed for music logging program having some radio control. everything else will be extended across streaming, so most services designed for This connection is done via a real (hard- the internet to a computer located with music streaming would have adequate fi - ware) or virtual (software) serial port. Our the remote operator. One popular method delity, but they have too much buffering and popular contest logging programs (e.g., of extending radio and station function delay. Audio services designed for voice- N1MM Logger+, Win-Test, WriteLog, etc.) across the internet are a pair of RemoteRig over-IP (VoIP) telephony work better, as know how to talk to a serial port for basic they are designed for more rapid two-way control of a radio, and really don’t care if (Continued on page 38)

The RemoteRig system for control of an Amateur Radio station across the internet. [Courtesy RemoteRig and SM2O]

34 March/April 2019 NCJ Reprinted with permission; copyright ARRL. Remote Contesting

(Continued from page 34)

RRC-1258MkIIs units. The RemoteRig, There are remote control solutions be too slow at changing frequency or radio remoterig.com, system allows control designed to work with smartphones and settings, and does not connect to logging of an Amateur Radio station across the tablets, but I do not consider these as suit- software. internet. Sometimes a function can be able for contest operation, which needs a Our ﬁ rst column in NCJ November/De- controlled directly over the internet without keyboard and a logging program. Other cember 2018 mentioned Hal, W1NN, who involving a computer at either end (e.g., the solutions also allow for the addition of connects from Japan to his station in Ohio RemoteRig RC-1216H web-based control a remote front panel or control head to using RemoteRig units. The RemoteRig for amps or rotators). provide additional knobs and buttons; and units do meet our requirements for audio In some remote solutions, two or three these are desirable but not necessary for and rig control and logging. Hal has imple- of our contester requirements can all be remote contest operation. mented control of “everything else” at the met by one hardware solution (e.g., Re- Now that we’ve thought about the station, such as antenna switching, with a moteRig), or by one piece of software, such contester’s requirements, we can better web-controlled power switch. He uses this as FlexRadio’s SmartSDR, ﬂ exradio.com/ evaluate the remote solutions we may hear setup extensively for contest operating, so ssdr-for-windows/, leaving only “control and read about. For example, DTMF tone we know it works. of everything else” to be completed. These control of a radio and station through a Next time, we’ll look further at additional combined solutions can greatly reduce the hand-held radio or cellphone (i.e., Remote- solutions that do meet our contest require- complexity and increase the reliability of Shack.com) will not meet a contester’s ments for audio, radio control, logging and your remote station. needs for radio control and logging; it will station control.

38 March/April 2019 NCJ Reprinted with permission; copyright ARRL.