TS-480S working without the 1268 RCC unit control head

[py2xb]

**Sorry if that matter has been answered/explained in the past. I have not found any thread about it**

Hello Mike+all   

I have been using  Remoterig 1258 with TS-480S for about 2 years in my current remote site. The TS-480S control head is connected thru the RCC unit as it should. I am glad with the overall results.

My remote set-up diagram and photos can be seen in my QRZ.COM page.

When I travel I take the Control  head and the RRC unit with me. Once I was in the airport and I a new entity showed up on six meters. I fired up the remote station using my Android phone and I could work the station. This was on FT8. Then I realized that the control head was in my back pack along with the RRC unit. So, I was able to turn-on the TS-480S without the head, only with the 1258 Radio unit connected to the transceiver’s body in the remote side.

I have not figured out when and how it happens, but sometimes the TS-480s works without the head in the same situation described above.

A friend of mine who has a similar setup with IC-7100 described the same thing. On the other day, he was working his remote site and the head was not turned on.

Mike, although this does not affect the station operation, I would like to know why (and when) it happens, given that normally a TS-480S does not fire up without the control head.

Thanks and Best regards to all

Fred PY2XB

[sm2o]

HI

Both TS-480 and IC-7100 can be used without the Control head, when connecting via the CAT port. But they are the only Control-Head radios which Im aware of that has the function built in. For IC-7100 there was a separate document describing how to start it without the panel, for TS-480 I think it's a standard command shown in the CAT document.

We tried with other stations like IC-706, FT-857 etc but without success.

73 de mike

[py2xb]

Mike thanks quick answer

I am only using CAT to interface Digital modes Software. The Digital Mode SW as MSHV or WSJT-x only deals with CAT Frequency commands.
The weird thing is that sometimes the radio fires up without the head on sometimes doesn’t. I have not yet understood in what circumstances the radio turns on without the head. The fact is that normally the head must be on.
Per your explanation it seems that here is a CAT command that turns the radio on. Is it the case?
I will investigate this more, however any extra input is appreciated.

Regards FredPY2XB

[VE3VEE]

Fred,

Is it possible that at the airport when you used your Android phone to make the new entity on 6m, that you did not close your station fully via your android?

Marvin VE3VEE

[py2xb]

Hi Marvin. I did. I have a software quicklag that  turns off everything in the remote site.

After receiving Mike's input. I made the folowing test: I disconnected Control RCC from the power supply. So, at the control site nothing was on. Then I got to the remote NUC computer using Anydesk. Then I just powered the TS480  at the remote site (nothing else)  and I have started MSHV on the NUC  computer. The trasceiver started to work normally, same  as if the head was connected.

Per TS480 CAT manual, the PS command, which I believe it is the CAT command that Mike mentioned, works like this

Parameters:
P1
0: Power OFF (The transceiver’s CPU is in active mode.)
1: Power ON
9: Power OFF (The transceiver’s CPU is in sleep mode.)
When the transceiver is turned OFF and P1=9, a dummy
data must be sent to the TS-480 to wake up the CPU.
For example, send a string of “; ; ; ; PS1;” to turn the
transceiver ON. If you use a hyper terminal program that
comes with Windows to control the transceiver, disable the
flow control in the program.

So, for a reason that I do not know yet, the CPU is in active mode and any CAT command turns the radio on. I need to investigate what puts the Radio's CPU in the acitve mode. It is not me ! Maybe MSHV or WSJT-X.

However the "no head" operation does not happen all the time. I guess it does not work when the CPU is not active.

So It seems I understood why the radio turns on. What I have not figured out is what puts the CPU in the active state.

As you use a similar set up, you may make a test and see what you get.

Thnaks for the input. Fred