I thought that what people really wanted was the promised app that would
let users remotely control the K4 from their desktop or other device.
Buying two K4s seems like a very financially inefficient way to go.
Bidirectionality doesn't sound like a practical plus.
Dave AB7E
On 12/14/2023 9:19 AM, Rick Tavan wrote:
Many ops have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of K4 Remote. Although
it's not yet available for general release, several field testers have been
exercising it. (K4-to-K4, not K4/0 or PC-based VK4 although those are in
progress inside Elecraft.) I've made over a thousand remote contacts with
it, mainly CW contesting but also DXing, ragchews, SSB and FT8, and can say
this:
*THE HARD STUFF IS DONE!*
I have K4 radios at a mountain QTH and a valley QTH and either one can
connect to and use the other. It feels almost like local, better than K3
Remote with microBit RRCs. Some features and "corner cases" remain and
Elecraft programmers are hard at work on them.
Some highlights:
- Cabling changes required: *ZERO* - leave both stations in their local
configuration. You do need a way to turn on a remote K4. I'm using N6TV
"K-ON" dongles and remote power switches. I think you can also do it from a
connected KPA1500 and KPA1500 Remote. No need to leave anything powered on
when not in use.
- It's *dead simple* to connect - just specify an IP address on the
client (control) K4 and set up one port forward on the LAN router at the
server (remote radio) site. Passwords will prevent unwanted intrusion.
(Compare to over 100 parameters that have to be set up between pairs of
RRCs - and they only work one-way!)
- Connection takes about a second.
- It's bi-directional - any K4 anywhere can control any other K4
anywhere. No hardware asymmetry.
- CW sidetone and Voice monitor are local, so unaffected by latency.
- Use the keyer inside the client K4 or an external keyer.
- Plays nicely with loggers like N1MM. They see the local K4 and don't
realize it's controlling a remote radio.
- You can update the firmware in both radios from the K4 at either site.
- ... and more
I've been an avid remote op for a decade now and this is better than I
expected, like K4 itself well worth the wait. Hang in there, folks, it's
really coming. Really.
73,
/Rick N6XI
--
Rick Tavan
Truckee and Saratoga, CA
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