On Mar 15, 2021, at 11:56 AM, Ken <kmiddleton@...> wrote:

?

Thanks Dave.. I dont exactly know yet what extras i need or want.. I do have a flex and would like to automate some functions in the shack.. Figured I'd?start with a PI and install the software and start to understand what it can do. I'm going to order up a PI4 with 4 gb memory and get the OS and software installed. I liked the dashboard you showed in your presentation yesterday. This will be a learning process.
Thanks
Ken
AG2K

On Mar 15, 2021, at 10:50 AM, Bob Watson via groups.io <kn4hhptc@...> wrote:

?Hi, Ken. ?I buy all of my Pi units and accessories at the The Pi Shop. ?They always seem to have the parts I need in stock and ship quickly.

73, Bob, KN4HH?

On Mar 15, 2021, at 9:45 AM, Ken Middleton <kmiddleton@...> wrote:

?I have some PI 3's and 2's but I'd thought I'd get a new one just for this.? Any recommendation on? PI4 configurations and where to buy. I've been getting them from amazon but they seem to only have kits with fans etc. What's needed and/or recommended.
Thanks
Ken
AG2K

On Mar 15, 2021, at 9:45 AM, Ken Middleton <kmiddleton@...> wrote:

?I have some PI 3's and 2's but I'd thought I'd get a new one just for this.? Any recommendation on? PI4 configurations and where to buy. I've been getting them from amazon but they seem to only have kits with fans etc. What's needed and/or recommended.
Thanks
Ken
AG2K

On Mar 14, 2021, at 10:45 PM, Charlie Rubenstein <charlier@...> wrote:

?Dave:

Great presentation!? My XYL walked in and thought we were having another brainstorming session. hi hi.
I think the video will be a great help to those who are thinking of setting up a NR system.

Charlie

On Mar 14, 2021, at 9:12 PM, Charlie Rubenstein <charlier@...> wrote:

?Hi Dave:

I'll have to check out the YouTube video.? I've been up to my eyeballs in the reconfiguration of my station after getting the amp and tuner.? Antenna problems are delaying everything. I planned on using my ladderline fed doublet with it (and got a BalunDesigns "Tuner Balun" for it), but the length of the ladderline has become a real obstacle. I apparently need between 90-100' of it for it to load. And not enough room for all that feedline from the tree to the house.....So the new station has yet to be on the air. I'm looking at the HyEndFed antenna (from the Netherlands) which is 132' long....but will have to clear a lot of branches to get it from the house to far in the woods to pull it up. Have tree guys coming to see about that.?

A friend of mine from Cincy has recently moved to Fla and got a 6400. I'm gonna get him set up on Node Red. He saw the Dashboard, and really liked it.

73 for now.

de Charlie KB8CR

On Mar 14, 2021, at 9:10 PM, Philip Hejtmanek via groups.io <p_hejtmanek@...> wrote:

?Wrong Phil, but interesting nevertheless?

11Pro

On Mar 14, 2021, at 7:20 PM, David De Coons wo2x <RocketNJ@...> wrote:

?

Hi Phil,

?

Welcome aboard!

?

Alan pretty much answered your question. If all three SDA controllers are in close proximity to each other they can be connected to a single Pi using USB to RS-232 serial cables. I recommend getting genuine FTDI cables since the cables have a unique serial number in each cable’s chipset. You can have individual flows for each SteppIR, then have the controls on a single dashboard. A web browser at each operating position will allow access & control simultaneously, so if position 1 turns SteppIR #2 antenna, it is updated on the browser at all positions.

?

There are ways to do antenna interlocking so if you have antenna switches that allow an operator to choose an antenna it would lock out the other operators from accessing it.

?

If Ham Plus has accessibility from other software then Node Red can probably interface to it to show antenna status on the dashboard page along with the SteppIR controls.

?

73

Dave wo2x

?

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of PHIL SCHECHTER W0OJ via groups.io
Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2021 2:44 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [nodered-hamradio] SteppIR SDA 100 serial data

?

I appreciate the prior comments. I am attempting to expand my shack. I have 3 SteppIR antennas that I ?would like to be able to control independently from each of 4 operating positions. I am not a coder (except Morse hihi) and I am going thru a rapid learning curve especially with the software defined aspects of my project. NodeRed was a possible solution mentioned in a lecture on station integration at HamExpo today. I will describe my plans. I have one position that is centered around an IC-7800 exciting ?an Alpha 9500, a vintage radio position (mostly Collins gear) The third position is all SDR with a Apache Labs Anan 7000 DLE MKII exciting a Flex PGXL and finally a position that can be used for testing equipment on air or in my small workshop off air. ?I have thought of using separate SDAs for each position (technically difficult and quite expensive as that is obviously 12 SDAs) and have had no remotely doable solutions using only three SDAs across all 4 positions (can using NodeRed do this?) . I am not rich but have been able to purchase most of the hardware over 60 years of putting $$ into a ham budget Most of my ham friends are less affluent and I wanted to be ?able to give them a chance to play at any of the positions when visiting . . . while all the other positions were in use. I am keeping the antennas isolated and under individual control with HamPlus. That hardware doesn't yet play nicely with CI-V (although it uses it ) however it has worked partially when used when the station was only a couple of SDAs and their associated antennas and the only rigs were the IC 7800 and Alpha 9500 i.e. only one operating position two switchable antennas. I think the potential solutions for my project working are on the increase due to current interest in remote operating and in SO2R contesting. I hope that this gives a picture of what I am doing and where the problem is and hope that folks might have ideas re-potential solutions. Thanks much. 73 Phil W0OJ?

On Mar 14, 2021, at 7:20 PM, David De Coons wo2x <RocketNJ@...> wrote:

?

Hi Phil,

?

Welcome aboard!

?

Alan pretty much answered your question. If all three SDA controllers are in close proximity to each other they can be connected to a single Pi using USB to RS-232 serial cables. I recommend getting genuine FTDI cables since the cables have a unique serial number in each cable’s chipset. You can have individual flows for each SteppIR, then have the controls on a single dashboard. A web browser at each operating position will allow access & control simultaneously, so if position 1 turns SteppIR #2 antenna, it is updated on the browser at all positions.

?

There are ways to do antenna interlocking so if you have antenna switches that allow an operator to choose an antenna it would lock out the other operators from accessing it.

?

If Ham Plus has accessibility from other software then Node Red can probably interface to it to show antenna status on the dashboard page along with the SteppIR controls.

?

73

Dave wo2x

?

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of PHIL SCHECHTER W0OJ via groups.io
Sent: Sunday, March 14, 2021 2:44 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [nodered-hamradio] SteppIR SDA 100 serial data

?

I appreciate the prior comments. I am attempting to expand my shack. I have 3 SteppIR antennas that I ?would like to be able to control independently from each of 4 operating positions. I am not a coder (except Morse hihi) and I am going thru a rapid learning curve especially with the software defined aspects of my project. NodeRed was a possible solution mentioned in a lecture on station integration at HamExpo today. I will describe my plans. I have one position that is centered around an IC-7800 exciting ?an Alpha 9500, a vintage radio position (mostly Collins gear) The third position is all SDR with a Apache Labs Anan 7000 DLE MKII exciting a Flex PGXL and finally a position that can be used for testing equipment on air or in my small workshop off air. ?I have thought of using separate SDAs for each position (technically difficult and quite expensive as that is obviously 12 SDAs) and have had no remotely doable solutions using only three SDAs across all 4 positions (can using NodeRed do this?) . I am not rich but have been able to purchase most of the hardware over 60 years of putting $$ into a ham budget Most of my ham friends are less affluent and I wanted to be ?able to give them a chance to play at any of the positions when visiting . . . while all the other positions were in use. I am keeping the antennas isolated and under individual control with HamPlus. That hardware doesn't yet play nicely with CI-V (although it uses it ) however it has worked partially when used when the station was only a couple of SDAs and their associated antennas and the only rigs were the IC 7800 and Alpha 9500 i.e. only one operating position two switchable antennas. I think the potential solutions for my project working are on the increase due to current interest in remote operating and in SO2R contesting. I hope that this gives a picture of what I am doing and where the problem is and hope that folks might have ideas re-potential solutions. Thanks much. 73 Phil W0OJ?

On Mar 14, 2021, at 8:11 PM, David De Coons wo2x <RocketNJ@...> wrote:

?

I just wanted to welcome our new members.

?

The Node Red presentation from the QSO Today virtual Ham Expo should be uploaded to Flex Radio’s YouTube channel in the next day or so. I will post a link here once it is up. The quality will be better than the Airmeet platform this morning (it was not my fault ;-/ )

?

I would recommend checking out this post which is pinned in the message section

/g/nodered-hamradio/topic/getting_started_with_node_red/79576075?p=,,,20,0,0,0::recentpostdate%2Fsticky,,,20,2,0,79576075

?

We did a 2 hour ad hoc Zoom meeting covering the basics of loading nodes, flows, and dashboard customization. In the description section on YouTube is an index to help you find specific parts of the video.

?

If anyone has questions, please ask. Have fun!

?

Dave wo2x

?

I appreciate the prior comments. I am attempting to expand my shack. I have 3 SteppIR antennas that I ?would like to be able to control independently from each of 4 operating positions. I am not a coder (except Morse hihi) and I am going thru a rapid learning curve especially with the software defined aspects of my project. NodeRed was a possible solution mentioned in a lecture on station integration at HamExpo today. I will describe my plans. I have one position that is centered around an IC-7800 exciting ?an Alpha 9500, a vintage radio position (mostly Collins gear) The third position is all SDR with a Apache Labs Anan 7000 DLE MKII exciting a Flex PGXL and finally a position that can be used for testing equipment on air or in my small workshop off air. ?I have thought of using separate SDAs for each position (technically difficult and quite expensive as that is obviously 12 SDAs) and have had no remotely doable solutions using only three SDAs across all 4 positions (can using NodeRed do this?) . I am not rich but have been able to purchase most of the hardware over 60 years of putting $$ into a ham budget Most of my ham friends are less affluent and I wanted to be ?able to give them a chance to play at any of the positions when visiting . . . while all the other positions were in use. I am keeping the antennas isolated and under individual control with HamPlus. That hardware doesn't yet play nicely with CI-V (although it uses it ) however it has worked partially when used when the station was only a couple of SDAs and their associated antennas and the only rigs were the IC 7800 and Alpha 9500 i.e. only one operating position two switchable antennas. I think the potential solutions for my project working are on the increase due to current interest in remote operating and in SO2R contesting. I hope that this gives a picture of what I am doing and where the problem is and hope that folks might have ideas re-potential solutions. Thanks much. 73 Phil W0OJ?

Alan correctly points out you can use two RPi devices, one for each radio.

If you want to use FRStackWebApi on two radios at the same time on one RPi you can accomplish this by performing the following steps.

Duplicate the frstack directory. e.g. frstack2.

Now configure each instance to point to the radio of your choosing via the initRadioName field in the appSettings.json file.

In the new?frstack2 folder?rename the FRStackWebApi.service file to FRStackWebApi2.service

Edit the?FRStackWebApi2.service file and set the following:

WorkingDirectory to /usr/local/frstack2

ExeStart urls port assignment from 5025 to 5026

This second instance will be at port 5026.

That should be it other than using the new service name when registering, unregistering and running the new service

73,

Mark

W3II

On Mar 11, 2021, at 5:15 PM, Alan Blind, WA9WUD <a.alan.blind@...> wrote:

Mike

Use two Raspberry Pis, one for each radio.

On one of the two Pis, I have modified the "connection" flow to control both instances of Raspberry Pis and display both on one dashboard.

Alan

On Thu, Mar 11, 2021 at 5:05 PM Mike/W5JR <w5jr.lists@...> wrote:

Greetings. I know others here also have more than one Flex 6000 series at a single location. Currently, I’m controlling both radios from one Pi/NodeRed configuration. And FRStack is currently connected to just one of the radios.

My end game is to have FRStack for both radios. So, what’s possible and the path of least resistance / best reliability - a separate Pi/NodeRed/FRStack per Flex, or can two instances of FRStack run on the same Pi without confusion? The separate Pi approach seems straightforward, but requires two browser windows to see both at the same time, which really isn’t how the two radios are operated. They are usually operated by different folks with unrelated operations.

So I’m leaning towards a Pi per radio. Separate dashboards per station. Thoughts?


tnx
Mike / W5JR
Alpharetta GA