HF Remote From the Ground Up

About 10 years ago, I briefly setup my Home HF station for remote operation. This remote setup was very simple, using just Remote Desktop software. My main interest was for contesting, so I setup N1MM (now known as N1MM+) contesting software on a PC at the station, and then accessed it using a Remote Desktop. First I tried Microsoft’s remote desktop software, then I moved to TeamViewer. The results were barely usable, with the high latency and jitter on my rural Virginia Internet connection. I made a few contacts from Northern VA in a couple contests, but it was painful. There was one contest where my contest club (PVRC) would get a multiplier added to its score if I just made 5 contest QSOs. I was traveling that day, so I made my 5 QSOs from an airplane, flying from Virginia to Ohio. It was difficult, but fun. For me, remote operating was just not quite ready for prime time. As my rural Internet connection deteriorated, I gave up on the remote operation idea. Now, it is time to get back in the remote HF operating game.

I am going to start from the ground, up and look at what is needed for my specific remote operating interest, the ability to operate either of two stations at different VA QTHs from either of the two QTHs. Of course this would also mean that I can operate either station from anywhere with an Internet connection.

Remote Operation Needs vary Wildly

I just went to the 2026 Dayton Hamvention. I attended some forums, one of which had the title “HF Remote.” I thought that sounded great to help me get back into mobile HF operation. I figured I would get the lay of the land of all the various software packages and commercial services now supporting HF Remote. I also expected to see some discussion about the issues surrounding remote Internet and audio, both of which are critical and I know can pose problems. Rig control and equipment switching were also topics I looked forward to hearing about.

Boy was I surprised when the forum started. The first presenter was a well-know leader of Flex Radio marketing. He started by saying something like “If you are looking for a detailed DIY approach to creating a remote station, this forum may not be for you.” He also said something to the effect that you can just throw some money at the problem and off you go. Guess who’s radios you can use to do just that? I have nothing against Flex Radios, and remote operating may be just the niche that Flex desperately needs to survive and thrive going forward. It is hard to argue against their claim that Flex Radios were created to be on the Network.

Saturday was rainy and I needed a seat for awhile, so I stayed. There were a few good nuggets that I picked up, so it was not wasted time. But it made me realize that there are wildly varying perspectives and solutions that apply to “HF Remote.”

What is the Mission?

There are many different station types and objectives for HF Remote. From a simple one-radio station at home where the operator is traveling, to a full-scale Multi-multi contest station with hundreds of pieces to be coordinated and controlled. I know people who have very complex and robust HF Remote stations that are being regularly used for major domestic and worldwide contests. In my case, I have a station that will start with one radio and then be upgraded to two radios, which I want to fully operate in a remote mode. I need to keep rig-control and antenna switching to a minimum, but I will be using some multiband antennas which will need to be switched and in some cases antenna tuners will be required.

What are the Needs and Constraints?

I plan to operate CW, SSB, RTTY, and Digital modes with my remote station (in descending order of interest). CW, SSB, and RTTY are my main contest interests. I only use Digital modes casually and they happen to be the easiest to work remotely, so those will be included. I will be using Icom radios as my main equipment and also want to be able to use a Yaesu FTDX-3000 at one of the stations. I must be able to run N1MM+ which is the main software I will be using. I have tried many Remote Desktop software packages in recent years and they can all be used if you go through the learning curve. Once I was struggling with Desktop software, an IT person I worked with told me about NOMACHINE Remote Desktop software. That has been a great discovery. I have been using it extensively on WINDOWS and LINUX (and briefly on Android).

This will not be a Quick Project

I am starting from scratch, but with some experience from prior remote operating attempts. The first step will be to get one radio setup for remote CW and SSB contest operation. with two antennas. I will post periodic blog articles chronicling my adventure. If you are interested, please check back. Suggestions and comments are always welcome.