Reestablishment Utility a possibility?

Steve K9ZW

This morning I’m waiting for the speakers to start at a trade show, and have found I cannot remote into my main station. Pretty certain what’s gone amiss, but it looks like I cannot correct the issues remotely. Clever folks have been using remote access software and WiFi aware power switches to handle some of the issues. But none of that works if it isn’t implemented and up & running. In my case the station pc is not on, making remote access that bit more difficult. Would it be possible to incorporate right in the Flex-6x00 ecosystem a reestablishment utility? A utility that an owner could access, provided they had the right credentials? Security is a manageable issue - there are lots of techniques in use that could be considered. The utility could be quite simple, perhaps including opportunities to: Reboot the radio Reconnect to smartlink Force transmit inhibit Read an error condition Read radio operating status Report information on other user(s) active If the connectivity were worked out to add a secondary source of access beyond smartlink it would be even better. Net benefit is I’d be making QSOs remote from Omaha rather than burning bandwidth thinking out loud about utilities. 73 Steve K9ZW

Mike-VA3MW

Steve

This has been well discussed by FRS internally.    Let me comment on this from my past experience in a different (non-ham radio/FRS) market.  Yes, the market does need a plug and play design.

The question that we are not able to solve is what would the community pay for such a solution?  Can it be engineered, produced, supported (that is a big) and be profitable?  It would also have to be a hardware device, lan based and be able to handle internet security.

I know on my remote station, I can do most of that, such as:

• Automatically reboot the Modem if no internet
• Remote power cycle the 12DC power
• Softpower down the 6600
• AC power cycle the PC
• Plus -- all the remote access things like accessing my PC next to the radio

One of the biggest challenges is post sales supportability, meaning if what happens ... if.   Some of the biggest expense is the tooling to make this a nice looking box/utility.

This has to be accounted for in the product design and life cycle.  

What would the market support for a retail price?

Mike va3mw

p.s.  I know some enterprising hams have posted some cost effective solutions.  Maybe someone wants to take the lead and market something as a garage industry.

Steven WA8Y

You can make your PC reboot when power is (removed and) Restored. This is an option in your Bios.

W7KHZ

Steve, its apparent that we won't get what we need. I have had to get USB controlled relay boards for the two radios we have and run a small app on external computers to reset/restart the radios, accessible via Teamviewer, to the remote on/off RCA jack. Its kind of pointless to try and control a device that is connected to the radio or Smartlink if the radio is lost in lala land. The "brute force" approach seems to work much better for now.

Steven WA8Y

Mike, how are you rebootng your modem?

Mike-VA3MW

You an buy an Digitial IO Loggers web switch and that will do it for you.  You can find them on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Web-Power-Switch-Pro-Model/dp/B0765NCB2L/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=154047654....  If you are in the US, this is about the closest plug and play solution.  Lots of Hams use this.

However, they are  hugely expensive in Canada, so I use a Raspberry PI and a script that runs every 20 minutes to check.  I couldn't justify the $360 +HST Canadian cost.

Mike-VA3MW

Not to be lost in a reply, this is about the best solution available today:

https://www.amazon.com/Web-Power-Switch-Pro-Model/dp/B0765NCB2L/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=154047654...

Mike 

Steve K9ZW

Station accessories in the 2-5% of total station investment tend to be easy acquisitions. Easier to justify and fund at that sort of level. Capabilities vs cost become more an issue if costs become more significant. 73 Steve K9ZW

Oxford English

Surely, if your service is down then everything will be down and anything connected to or dependent on the flow of data from the remote location, by whatever means will not work.

Just a thought....

Mike-VA3MW

I have had  many internet failures while transmitting unfortunately.  Full HF power sometimes can have ill effects on the modem if you are not choked correctly.  Every time, the transmitter has stopped transmitting.  

Mike

John - K3MA

To expand on what Mike said.  You need to run a script on the Digital Loggers device that check for a ping on a internet address.  Something like Google and if it does not get a response then it reboot the specified plugs.  Usually the one with the Modem and Router.