[pskmail] Re: Aw: Server's antenna turning function
- From: Robert Krasowski <rkrasowski@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: pskmail@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2012 18:44:43 -0700 (PDT)
Thanks for comments Rein, I am trying to adapt my situation to PSKmail
scenario. I do have A3S for 20 meters and at he same time I have people
exchanging emails while crossing Atlantic and while in BVI . So this is almost
90 degree difference which in case of 3 el beam is a killer. I do not have
omnidirectinal antenna, so beam is the only choice for me. Now with software
controlled directional antenna I am planning to set antenna towards Europe for
my morning and afternoon and for evening turning it south, plus if we get the
antennaTurning subroutine implemented anybody can get antenna pointing towards
its station.
I spend all my day today fixing and tuning antenna and I am happy what I got.
Next week I will put in up and see how things will work.
Best Regards
Robert
KB2PNM
--- On Sun, 4/1/12, Rein Couperus <rein@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
From: Rein Couperus <rein@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [pskmail] Aw: Server's antenna turning function
To: pskmail@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Sunday, April 1, 2012, 3:43 AM
Hi Robert, great idea, although I doubt that may servers will be able to use
it...
Generally speaking, I think a server needs to hear 360 degrees, but I also
see the advantage of pointing the antenna to a discrete direction when you
want to serve a station e.g. sailing in the south atlantic.
I would try to make a switchable antenna; I have developed one for
contesting which switches 3 directions with 120 degrees sectors...The main
advantage of a directional antenna is to silence QRM from certain directions.
Disadvantage of a rotating antenna is the time necessary for pointing it into
the right direction.
Anyway, I like your idea, and I can easily implement it into the client and
server.
What do others think of this?
Rein PA0R
.
Hi
I wrote a subroutine in Perl to turn antenna towards calling client. My 20
meters antenna is down and I am fixing it. I also purchased kit to adapt my A3S
to 30 meters, so it will be directional in both bands that is why I started
working on this idea.
I used Basic Stamp 2 with compass module - that is a part that is installed on
mast, everything is connected to my server's computer, I hacked my Yeasu
rotator G-800S, used UK1104 - 4-Port USB Relay Controller to control rotator
and wrote software, which I attached to this email. Anybody interested in
copying this please feel free, any help needed, just send me an email.
Now, subroutine receive position in Lat Lon form , and does turn antenna
towards client.
I need help with implementing this into the server.
Which way will be the best to do it ?
The way
I see this:
1/ Station trying to connect to the server should send a message to server
with call sign of the server, client's callsign as well as client's position,
2/ Server after receiving that position send a confirmation and start
antennaTurning subroutine,
3/ After server finished turning antenna send another message that turning
is completed and is ready to connect .
4/ Now client can connect into the server
I think that initial message from client should look something like this:
<SOH>00uKB2PNM>>SQ2ZAC 37N,44E ABCD<EOT>
It should be transmitted in some rebust mode, and answer from server needs to
be in similar mode.
It would be great to have a function implemented into client software utilizing
this function, however I understand that not too many servers will have that
ability. I used already the function that I created in my experimental server
~TURNANT, but client have to connect first to be able to do this.
Please let me know what you think about that idea.
As I mentioned, my antenna is down (A3S, server is running on 30 meters only
now), I will try to fix it this week end, the only thing that can stop me from
doing that can be a need to order some extra parts, that will delay the process
for at least a week.
73
Robert
KB2PNM
Other related posts:
