Hilltop Rig Project
Here's a project where we experiment with a remote rig unit to operate the station over an encryped directional link. This configuration placed an HF Transceiver on a hilltop behind the QTH.


RRC is moved to a small peak about .5 mile and 900Ft higher than Home
 



Jordan Peak with visual line of sight with experimental 2.4 Ghz link



Mountain-top antennas
(L-R Nanostation experimental link to neighbor, 2.4Ghz parabola, Nanobridge to ground sta)
Part I was to see if we could relay internet to neighbor-it worked!
Part II was to use the remote rig units to see if there was better HF reception by placing a remote radio at the mountaintop and running it over the network
 



We used a pair of Ubiquiti "Nanobridges" for the ethernet link
Heres the control-end Nanobridge on roof of garage
These units are available surplus for ~$50



#1 Plastic tote with router and power supplies on mountain
(L-R config notes on cards, router, homebrew 24V power supply for the nanobridge and 12V power module, deep cyclemarine battery)
 

Separate tote forIC-706 radio remote rig and power supply



Using a nice straight dead pine tree for the top end of the wire antenna
Note pulley at top, white nylon line and insulator

 



Here's Dave getting the wire antenna strung to a rope anchor.
Note the solar LED "yard flood" above the air-bridge dish, seen at night for several miles. helped zero-in the PTP link.



4" x 30' dead pine tree antenna pole is near vertical after much lifting and pulling
Final config: 40 ft wire antenna to tree at summit, bottom end tied off with yellow poly rope at left
Icom AT-4 auto-tune coupler bottom center tote is 6 ft away, bottom right
It was later moved farther due to RF "getting in the shack"
 



Comparison test
Two IC-706 radios tuned to the same freq. Left radio (mountain) shows a stronger signal than the one on the right (900ft lower).
Rather unscientific, but we felt that even with a wire antenna, signals were averaging 4-6 S Units higher.
 



"wire sloper" antenna on mountain appeared to pick up more distant stations.
(red is the pole and green is the wire)
picture of antenna assistant, Tom
 



Hy-Gain AV640 "no radial" vertical on a 10 ft tower section
This was connected to the local IC-706 radio for comparison tests
Note the outline of the mountain through the trees

 

Notes from Initial Testing of the Remote Rig
    
       It Really Works

       Have to remember the actual transmitter and antenna are remote.

       There's no T/R relay click
       
     No latency noted.

     Some dropouts noted during high network traffic at the home QTH.


         

 

Statistics:

Mountain station  930 ASL
QTH station: 400 ASL2
2.4Ghz link distance: .4 mile

          

 
Back to WB7ELY Projects

Story about "My Journey to Remote Control"

 WB7ELY Home

Audio Cutout Problem MP3 audio file

02/15/23