Over the past 7~8 years I have been building and de-bugging remote HF systems.

It all started when I purchased a "fixer" home on an ocean cliff in Hilo Hawaii.

This was not actually a fulltime home....I was in Hilo several weeks at a time (mostly to work on the house) and found that Hawaii is about the best place in the world to operate from. Everyone wants to talk to Hawaii.

So....I had this idea.....why not use the internet to facilitate operating my Hilo station from my home in CA.

After many mistakes and "refinements" I was able to dependably operate my Hilo station from CA. (There are notes about that system on this web site....look at how complex it is vs the new Remote Rig system)

Since setting up and operating the Hilo remote many hams contacted me and for help in setting up their remotes and I have, over the past several years, set up and assisted others in setting up about a dozen remotes; all basically using a remote desk top software ( I use VNC) and Skype. (Note: I just found Teamviewer.com....it's better than VNC and it keeps track of rotating IP addresses.)

These systems requires a computer at the remote end.....and I still recommend having a computer at the remote end....more later.

I have had great success with these systems and after much fiddling with the audio controls I have been able to achieve very good quality transmitted audio. (Getting great sounding transmit audio is the true test) However, having and maintaining a computer at the remote end adds complexity….remote resetting etc.

Recently I found this new product in QST …..from Sweden ….RemoteRig

I ordered the pair immediately and have been delighted.

I also added the PC Micro...which works very well also.

To date this is by far the best remote system I have ever used.

With the Remote Rig “boxes” “RRC” I now get fantastic transmit audio with no fiddling….. and it is simple. (After you get past the computer networking issues).

The RRC boxes will work with any radio….but they are the best (IMHO) when used with the Kenwood TS 480. This radio is built in two parts; the control head and the larger “radio box”. The radio is mostly used for mobile operation; the control head goes up front and the bulk of the radio goes in the trunk….…but this ability to separate the control head from the radio is the key to great remote operation. Using the RRC boxes…..the control cable (RJ 11, six wire telephone cable) is cut between the control head and the radio box……the internet (with the two RRC boxes) is inserted in series and is now remotable to anywhere in the world. The control head and one RRC box sits on your desk and only requires an internet connection …………and the balance of the radio and the other RRC box sits at the remote location and only needs an internet connection….plus an antenna of course.

You sit at your desk and control the radio with the actual control head…..not from a computer screen….real knobs and dials. Your microphone plugs into the local RRC box and the radio speaker is in the control head.

When you look at Remote Rig web site you will see that the “boxes” also have a serial port connector DB9 at each end. This is available to run a linear (or other serial device e.g. rotor) such as the SPE 1K at the remote end without the need for a computer at the remote end. I had hum problems on my transmitted audio when using the serial port to control my SPE 1K amplifier. I elected to interface the amplifier to a computer at the remote end instead …..hum problem solved. This hum issue is probably solvable. Others are using the same equipment and I assume do not have hum issues…..but I want a computer at the remote end for other reasons ….so I am not presently using the serial port function on the RRC boxes.

Lantronix makes a serial device server which will accomplish the same result and give you multiple serial ports at a remote site with out a computer…this is called a Serial Device Server and only requires an internet connection.

SPE 1K amplifier does work well as a remote amp and has included software to be controlled from a computer and also includes an antenna tuner.

For a quick and very simple remote system this is great.

I have operated my system from many hotels all over the US and while traveling abroad I have operated from Athens Greece, Lucca Italy, Hong Kong and Hawaii. All you need is a high speed internet connection. (...and now you cell phone G3 or G4 systems will work fine) I have a friend W9PCI who runs his remote from his Iphone...sounds great!

I recently operated from a cruise ship (while at sea) the MS Paul Gauguin in and around the islands of Tahiti.

I tried the PC Micro (from the ship) to the RRC box at my CA location, however, the latency was running bout 700ms and that was just too much for the RRC system. (This was a satellite based internet system.) I emailed Mikael for advice....his advice was go back to your old system using Skype. I did that and had great contacts with my daily group that meets daily on 3.737Hz at 6AM.

This an several other reasons are why you should consider keeping a computer at the remote end. ....but in the simplest form....you do not need one with the RRC system. You can have the RRC system completely operational and still operate your remote using a remote desktop software to run your radio control program at the remote site and then use Skype for the audio.....the best of both worlds.

Read all eham reviews at http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/8956