Initial Local Installation
Of course you can use the software locally where you install and operate the software on your shack computer.
Audio is available via the USB serial connection. Speakers and microphone connected to the radio should be automatically installed on your operating system when you install the USB drivers.
There is support within Pycom for a local RC-28 controller and you can run doppler tracking or other software on the same computer; however the software comes into its own when you want to start to operate remotely.
Remote Setup
Once you have the software installed on your shack computer, you can use tools such as Microsoft Windows App or MacOS Screen Sharing to view the display and control the computer remotely. Audio can be streamed over the network both to and from the shack computer using tools like Sonobus. There is also support for a remotely connected RC-28 controller. Using a combination of these tools (or alternatives if you prefer) you can have full operational capabilities when you're away from your shack.
Remote Audio Chain
Connecting remote audio involves configuring levels at each component in the chain, including within the Pycom software. In addition to the components documented in the diagram I also pass audio out of the local SonoBus to Blackhole Audio which allows me to record audio for playback later. I have a wired ethernet network between the two computers however it is possible to reduce the audio quality without too much impact for streaming over the Internet.
My Specific Configuration
| Component | Detail |
|---|---|
| Shack Computer | HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Small Form Factor Business PC 4 x Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-7600 CPU @ 3.50GHz (1 Socket) 46 GB DDR4 RAM Proxmox Virtual Environment 8.4.1 |
| Operating systems | Window 10 virtual machine with 2 virtual CPUs and 16GB RAM macOS Monterey (Intel) virtual machine with 2 virtual CPUs and 4GB RAM macOS Sonoma (Silicon) Apple M1 with 16GB RAM |
| USB Drivers | Icom USB Drivers installed. For MacOS I used CP210x VCP Mac OSX Driver |
| Remote control software | Windows App macOS Screen Sharing Sonobus RC-28 Server |
| Doppler tracking | CSN Technologies S.A.T (preference) Gpredict SatPC32 |
| Antenna rotation | PstRotator Gpredict Both underpinned by my own custom rotctld implementation |
Making Amateur Radio Accessible
Although there are many reasons why you might want remote control, the motivation for creating this software was a desire to operate satellites specifically linear satellite and finding a lack of support from currently existing software on the market.
In 2018 I had a surfing accident and was pulled out of the sea by a lifeguard from RNLI. I was left paralysed with a spinal cord injury from the neck downwards. I've recovered sufficiently to be able to use a trackpad awkwardly with the middle finger on my left hand however turning dials and pushing buttons on a radio is a little bit beyond me. Using Pycom Radio Controller remotely allows me to operate successfully without limitations.
You can find out more about the origins of the software and Making Amateur Radio Accessible on the RSGB Tonight@8 episode and information about spinal cord injuries from the London Spinal Cord Injury Centre .