SteppIR, RRC1258's and RC1216H

[ea3geo]

Hi OM's,

In my current remote setup, I've got an SteppIR, a TS2000, a RRC1258 and a PC.

I use the SteppIR Y-cable which is connected to the RRC1258, the TS2000 and the DATA IN on the SteppIR controller. Then, the controller DATA OUT is connected to the PC. This way, if something goes wrong on the SteppIR, I could open a VNC connection to the computer and, through the VCP control software from N8LP, I could do a calibrate if necessary.

Somehow, the VCP control software stopped to work. As anyway I wanted to get rid of the computer, I thought that a RC1216H would be a nice addition.

Reading the RC1216H manual I can see the wiring instructions. But these doesn't show the case where you've got an RRC1258 on the setup.

As per my understanding, the only thing I have to do is to connect the RC1216H where I currently have the PC, isn't it? So I just let the Y-cable exactly as it is and I connect the RC1216H to the Steppir controller DATA OUT port.

Can anybody confirm this to me?

Tks & bst 73 from Daniel, EA3GEO

[dj0qn]

Hi Daniel,

It has been a long time since I setup a SteppIR to use with RemoteRig, but maybe I can give you some tips:

There are two connections to the SteppIR controller, in and out. One is used to control the settings and the other
to sync with CAT to allow automatic tracking of the frequency and changing the length of the elements to match.

The RC-1216H will allow you to control the SteppIR using its web interface, but won't handle the sync.

To handle the sync, one could probably use the Y-cable between the rig's CAT port, the SteppIR controller and the
radio RRC's COM2 port. However, if you are not already using it, then you can instead use the RRC's COM1 port
to duplicate the CAT there. Just change both RRCs' COM1 to mode-7 and you can run two straight serial cables
instead of the Y-cable. The baud rate on COM1 does not have to be the same as COM2.

Note that I used to use a Lantronix serial to ethernet server and a standard SteppIR Windows client to control
my SteppIR. The RC-1216H was not available back then, but I would anyway have preferred the desktop client
to a web interface.

I hope this helped somewhat.

73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX

[ea3geo]

Hi Mitch, thank you very much. Yes, I catch the idea.

I'm using COM1 to control the antenna rotor.

I'd say that the easy way to go is just using the RC1216H for the SteppIR remote control, as planned.

So DATA IN for CAT sync with the Y cable and DATA OUT for settings control with the RC1216H.

Well, I'll let you know how I finally leave all this setup.

Tks & 73

[ea3geo]

Hi all,

I let the RC1216H as mentioned and all working the right way.

Bst 73