Cumulative Hours Meter

Neil D Friedman N3DF

Can't say that it would be enormously useful, but I would like to see a cumulative-hours-on meter added to SmartSDR--or perhaps same coupled with an hours-this-session meter.  Over the past 50+ years, I have added mechanical cumulative hours meters as adjuncts to most of my rigs (often made with surplus components from the Mendalson's tent at the Dayton Hamvention).  I have kept logs of the readings when components were replaced, when the rig was serviced, etc.  It also gave me a sense of the time I was devoting to amateur radio and the value I was extracting from my radios.  Originally got the idea from engine time meters when I was training for the private pilot practical exam.  I published a QST "hint or kink" about my first meter roughly 40 years ago. 

Joe N3HEE

I have created a way to control devices and monitor sensors in my ham shack using Home Assistant.  I track uptimes of the radio and power supply.   It's pretty geeky but it works.  I also use home automation to control switches and lights in the shack.  I can do this remotely as well. The devices I use are from Sonoff using Tasmota firmware.



In this example I am tracking the "on" state history of the device that I use to turn the radio on and off with.  I am doing the same for the power supply uptime.  The device that my power supply is plugged into provides AC power stats.  

Double click on the image for a larger view. 

Joe
N3HEE