Building your remotely controlled station can be an evolutionary process.

The complete station controller, called the RTE/FXO, is all you may need for station control. It consists of the RTE unit (which takes care of the data transfers) and the A2T unit (which handles the audio via a telephone line or an Internet ATA connection).

 

Remember,

 

RTE/FXO      =   RTE     +   A2T

 

Here are the basic "evolutionary" steps to station control       

 

     In the beginning there was you, your Radio, and your Antenna

 

            Then you added local computer control. Audio was local. You ran a Local rig control program

 

                          But now you could add a Wattmeter "Watcher"

                                  Display on local computer

 

 



                            

Then, using a remote computer program such as LogMeIn and an audio program such as Skype, you could control the remote computer and run your radio... it worked, but reliability of the setup was certainly an issue. The PC would crash, and you were susceptible to hackers since you needed to have a pathway to your remote computer open at all times. And OH! those slow screen redraws! Latency became a big issue. A nice weekend project, but not for the serious "remoter"

 

 


So what to do??

Glentek offers a simple, step by step solution to elimination of your dependency on a remote PC. 

STEP ONE:  add an RTE controller:

 

                                                            

                                                                                                                                                                                              PC running Skype

  •  Get the PC out of the direct control loop by adding the Glentek RTE (Radio-to-Ethernet) card. This solves three immediate problems: 1) there's no loss of station control when the PC crashes or locks up. 2) Control latency is all but eliminated. Operation is almost EXACTLY the same as if you were directly connected to your radio. 3) No need to keep a port open to a PC. Any open ports only point to the RTE (and hackers, even if they get in,won't know what to do! That's no fun!)
  • Continue using your remote PC for the audio path return (e.g., SKYPE). But now, if that PC crashes you can reboot it using the RTE auxiliary outputs. This may be as far as you need to go ... this is adequate for all but the most serious contesters and DXers. It's simple, it's inexpensive, and most of all, it's reliable. 

 


STEP TWO (serious "remoters" only): add the A2T audio card to your RTE

 


                                     

                                                                                                          Caseless RTE & A2T shown above                                                                                                                                                                                     

  • Completely eliminate your dependence on the remote PC. The A2T cards can be interfaced directly to a wireline telephone connection. This greatly reduces the VoIP latency issues you've been noticing. You can share the phone line with answering machines, faxes, etc. since it will only answer if the RTE turns it on. Of course, it's also fully compatible with internet VoIP systems using low-cost ATAs (Analog Telephone Adapters) if you don't have a wireline phone line that you can use.
  • Let your RTE automatically switch your whole station on and off using the built-in "Ethernet activity sensor switch". Automatically shut down if you somehow lose your internet connection and your control: fail-safe operation.
  • Use the RTE PTT 3 minute timer to eliminate any possibility of transmitter key-down lockups (it's the law too!)
  • Use programs like HAM RADIO DELUXE and your own customized buttons to control PTT and other things like antenna switches ... all from the HRD main panel. 
  • Add the Ethernet version of Glentek's Wattmeter Watcher and keep tabs on your station over the internet.

 



STEP THREE (only for SERIOUSLY  hooked "remoters") : start adding "bells and whistles"

 

  • Add another RTE card for remote rotator or amplifier control  .... even for antenna switching.
  • Use the PC as a "backup" system. When you're thousands of miles away you'll learn that redundancy can be a friend. And you can still access it for latency sensitive operating modes that must use a local sound card and use a keyboard (AFSK RTTY,  etc.)
  • Enclose the RTE and A2T in a finished case. (This now becomes called the RTE/FXO controller)

                                       
                                                                                             
                                                                        RTE for amp    RTE for Rotator         PC for backup control

 

 


STEP FOUR: add another radio

oh well... you get the idea!

 

Or just jump in "all the way" from the start. Our combination RTE/A2T actually IS the Glentek RTE/FXO   But you can build your own over time, bit by bit as your remoting "obsession" grows.

      Of course you could just BUY IT NOW.   (This unit does not contain the RF power monitoring equipment. You may order the Ethernet version of the Wattmeter WATCHER HERE )