[aprssig] Sky Ccommand...

[Robert Bruninga]

New learnings about SKYCOMMAND:  Neat stuff!

I have a TS-2000 radio at work on HF set to skycomand
TRANSPORTER mode.

I can have my HT and my D700 and a Laptop running APRSdos all
acting as COMMANDERS and all display on their screen's the same
HF radio info no matter who is controlling.  I can even use DUMB
terminal on the APRS packet station and control the HF radio
too, and my COMMANDER radios are all updated to the new HF radio
settings.  The packets are simply UI packets sent to the TOCALL
of SC2.

Thus we can have GROUP operations of a REMOTE HF transceiver and
all can see on the front panels of their radios what is going
on!  Neat!  And anyone can listen to the VHF link to hear what
we are all hearing.

Do here is where we stand (and I have to go visit the inlaws for
the next 3 days so I cnnot play anymore)...

> 1) does it ever time out?  
> 2) What does #1 ON/OFF command do?  I saw no change.
> 3) Can others share my rig [Yes! All use call of CMDR!}
> 4) Can others use UHF as a voice coord channel? [YES, change
PL!]
> 5) Can the GROUP see the HF freq while I am commanding. [yes!]
> 6) what is safe TS-2000 VHF 100% TX power level?
> 7) How to remotely band change?  Just have multiple memories?
> 8) how can  you edit out an extra character in a 4 or 5 
> character call?  There is no SPACE character and no DEL 
> button that I can find.

So while station A is controlling the radio, anyone with the
SKYCOMMAND PL set and keys his UHF, will go out on HF, but all
the rest of the group can chat back and forth on the same UHF
channel as a coordinationg backchannel without keying the HF rig
if they just set a different skycommand PL.  Thus everyone on
the local COMMANDERS VHF/UHF net can still do everytihg with
their D7 and D700 mobile withouht needing ANY kluges.

Oh, I also found that if I set the TXD from 500ms down to 150 ms
in all the radio's TNC's before bringing up sky command, that
the packets are MUCH shorter.  Almost half as long.

Oh, and do NOT have CTCSS set (APRS voice alert) before you
bring up SKYCOMMAD, or you wont ever hear anything on the VHF
side.  Apparently SKYCOMAND does not ovveride your previous
setting of CTCSS if left on.

Wow, now from my D700 front panel, I can:
1) Do all of APRS (positions, messages, Igates, FINDU, etc)
2) Send and receive Email (via WU2Z engine)
3) Send and receive WinLINNK email (APRS-link system)
4) See ALERTS to local VOICE repeaters while traveling
5) See alerts to local nets and hamfest objects
6) See traffic info from APRS-TRAFFIC alerts
7) Remotely OPERATE any public SKYCOMMAND RADIO!

By using the APRS UHF channel of 445.925 (if avaliable in your
area) and setting a TRANSPORTER callsign of TPTR and mobile
skycommand calls of CMDR, then any and all mobiles in the area
can see/command any local SKYCOMMND systems.  We willuse PL of
67 to CONTROL the HF rig and PL100 for chatting on the UHF
backchannel.  This way, all an APRS mobile has to do to see if
anything is going on on SKYcommand is simply QSY his 144.39
Voice Alert channel to 445.925 and call out.  PL is arelady set
for backchannel voice.  And if anyone is listening, they will
hear it. Etc...

Ill put this all on a web page soon.  For now, here is my
not-yet-updated SKYCOMMAND plan in Annaplois Marlyand:

\\coyote\bruninga\web-docs\USNAremoteHF.html

This is a GREAT use for that $2000 radio when you aren't using
your TS-2000...

What I want is somone in my area to make up a list of HF
channels that a mobile might be niterested in listening too.
Since the D7 or D700 can call up any channel by MEMORY, then it
is easy to check  in on all the HF nets, etc...

Bob, WB4APR


> -----Original Message-----
> From: aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org 
> [mailto:aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org] On Behalf Of Bob
Bruninga 
> Sent: Saturday, February 17, 2007 12:42 AM
> To: aprssig at lists.tapr.org
> Subject: [aprssig] Sky Ccommand...
> 
> In addition to doing APRS, and Voice Alert, with my D700 
> mobile and also seeing local repeaters on the front panel, 
> I now wanna play with the TS-2000 HF rig at work with my D700 
> mobile via Skycommand.
> 
> So before leaving the office, I set up the HF rig and my 
> mobile for sky command and had my son drive home while I
> played with the HF rig remotely.  Soon I had lots of
questions:
> 
> 1) does it ever time out?  I ran out of range, but the link 
> stayed up.  I had to turn around to get back in range to turn 
> it off again.
> 
> 2) What does the #1 ON/OFF command do?  I saw no change.
> 
> 3) Is there anyway for others to share my rig, or do we all 
> just use the same generic call?
> 
> 4) Is there anyway for us to use the VHF channel as a 
> back-channel for voice between multiple operators while only 
> one of us is logged on the HF rig via SKY command.
> 
> 5) Is there anyway for the group to decode and see the HF 
> frequency while I am commanding.   Mayb ebe in APRS mode and 
> hit PMON to monitor the packet data?  Is the data human
> readable?
> 
> 6) what is a safe power level for the TS-2000 2m TX since it 
> is key down 100% of the time.
> 
> 7) How do you remotely band change?  Just have multiple
memories?
> 
> 8) how can  you edit out an extra character in a 4 or 5 
> character call?  There is no SPACE character and no DEL 
> button that I can find.
> 
> I want to set up this TS-2000 for the student community at 
> the school so everyone can use it, so that is why I am 
> looking at these ideas.
> 
> Has anyone decoded the packet exchange for all commands?  
> This should be easy to add to any APRS client.  This 
> legalization of sky command could not have come at a better 
> time for our radio club.  The Naval Academy again has the 
> radio club on the chopping block and is determined to clear 
> the roof of our "unsightly" antennas.  So with SKY command, 
> we could just put the TS-2000 across the river and let the 
> students access it from their D7 HT's.
> 
> Bob, Wb4APR
> 
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