Remoterig RRC-1258MKII with two rotators ?

[DL5CW]

Hello everybody,

has anyone a solution/idea for using two seperate rotator
interfaces (schmidt-alba.de) with two rotators
and one expert 1k-fa PA with the COM1 and COM2 interface
of RRC-1258MKII ?
I have two towers (one of them with 10m and 40m beam,
the other one with 20m and 15m beam).

Any help?

73! Andy, DL5CW

[dj4mz]

Hi Andy,

I haven't tried this but maybe one can use one of the available I/O lines that are transfered from the control to the radio side to switch some kind of homemade COM-Port multiplexer. Then you can connect your PA to one of the two COM Ports and both rotator controllers to the other COM Port and select the rotator by an additional switch on the control side.

Just a first thought. If you have found a solution please let me know!

vy 73, Simon (DJ4MZ)

[HB9AZT]

Hi Andy

Any chance to abuse the elevation rotor relays on the erc-board for the second tower? This would save one comport for the expert... Maybe it's only a little firmware change to extend the elevation path to 360°. Has probably to be discussed with the manufacturer of the board.

73 de Mark, HB9AZT

[OH2FT]

Hi,

I ordered several ERCs some weeks ago to be controlled over a single serial port, but haven't tested them yet. Manufacturer said it's OK if their control line "disappears" so switching ERCs with relays should be ok, it's just rxd, txd and gnd. Their card for az/el should hardware wise be OK for 2*az, but the protocol or SW not yet. Please ask ERC yourself, their support seems excellent. The control end SW, like HRD would have to accept that also. Or maybe a second set of RRCs...

[DL8HCZ]

Hi, I also would like to know if it is possible to use COM1 and COM2
for 2 separate Prosistel Rotators. Did anyone do that successfully yet?

Did anyone try just to switch the 3 lines of RS232 cables from different Prosistel rotators to
the COM1 port by a relay that is switched with the webswitch?

73
Joe, DL8HCZ

[ON4AOI]

Hi Joe,
concerning 2 rotators on 1 comport using a 1216H to switch (even automatic) them should be no
problem if,

- Both prosistel rotators are setup equal (N or S stop), 0 to 360 deg etc
- the software that you use first checks (ask) the current position
   b4 it set the new position.

Guy ON4AOI