Remote SO2R With TS-480 Rigs

[K6VVA]

Fellow NCCC member AE6Y (P49Y) just referred me to the www.remoterig.com website.

I am currently using the W4MQ software for remote control of a single TS-480 and IP Sound for audio with a low power consumption ASUS Eee PC at the remote site.  Although I have a very low latency 1ms 5Ghz link between home and my remote site on Locust Peak (4.4 airline miles away), audio delays with IP Sound are too long (and general quality problems) for QRQ 35WPM CW Contesting.

My long range goal has always been to use TWO TS-480 rigs in an SO2R configuration.  W1VE was going to program software to handle TWO radios, but for some reason we have not been able to connect again.  My initial block diagram for the SO2R setup is still at:  http://www.k6vva.com/remoteso2r (however I QLF'd on the audio portion to the TS-480 control heads which obviously won't work).  I am very interested in how to supplement RRC 1258 interfacing to get a control signal from the remote site DXD unit to activivate the home QTH 2nd DXD unit for SO2R audio management.

Confession:  I am not a super-technical ham, and yet do have the basic solar/battery powered remote station running.  One of the MAJOR concerns and needs for possible use of the RRC 1258 is if I can also use TR4W (contest logging software now deployed) on the remote site location computer AND have rig control co-habitating with the TS-480 RS-232 interface?  Or, am I understanding that the RS-232 port on the TS-480 is NOT required with the RRC 1258?  If so, how can inter-related rig control beween a TS-480 and contest logging software be facilitated?  This is extremely critical in serious contesting, and all contest CW is sent via the software, NOT paddles.

Of most serious concern is the realistic audio latency factor involved with the RRC 1258 units.  I have had discussions with the CEO of Barix and other companies about various audio hardware solutions, but no one has yet been able to guarantee anything less than 50ms (per side) which is still unacceptable for 35WPM CW Contesting.

When will be anticipated availability to the U.S.A.?  I encourage you to consider making "Turnkey Cables" available for those of us 65 or older who no longer solder and don't have the best eyesight anymore!

Looking forward to more specific details. 

Tnx & 73...

Rick, K6VVA * The Locust

[sm2o]

Hi Rick

I'm not a contester and is not fully aware of what the needs for SO2R is but I will try to give you some answers anyway. First RRC-1258 does NOT connect true the RS232 port so it will be free to use for the contest logging software. About the delay it's always minium one RTP packet=20 ms you can set the delay in steps of 20 ms, default is set to 3 packets= 60 ms. But with only 1 ms latency in the network i think it does not matter whatever specially when you send from the remote computer. Everything i software controlled so it could be possible to send smaller audio packet to minimize the delays. I don't think it's worth it on Internet connections but on LAN type networks like yours it could be. About the availabilty in US, the problem is that we have not had time to check what the FCC rouling says compared to CE. Maybe some one can help us ? And about cabling, to make cables in Sweden is really expensive, I don't think people will pay for that. But as a conclusion, when CW is involved I think you have to make practical test to be sure. Best 73 de mike/sm2o