PocketPC ham radio apps, links, DXPedition Map, and more.
Remote Ham Radio Station Control using VNC with PocketPC
VNC stands for Virtual Network Computing. With VNC, you configure a "server" computer and connect from remote computers ("viewers") via a network of some sort. The software is freeware/open source and a version has been made available for PocketPC.
http://home.utah.edu/~mcm5849/wince/vnc.html
http://www.realvnc.com/download.html
The diagram below shows just how simple the setup really is. It's really just a matter of getting the ham shack PC setup with a radio control software utility, then installing the VNC server software on that PC. Setup is very easy. After that, you'll need to install the VNC viewer software on your PocketPC PDA. Once it's running on both ends and you've established a connection, you have a view of your PC's desktop on your PocketPC. Very slick.
Your final challenge is routing audio. If you're goal is simply to tune your rig from across the room, this isn't an issue. If you'd like to listen to the bands from across the house or in your backyard, you might consider a wireless headset. If you'd really like to control your station from your office on the other side of town, you'll need a much more sophisticated means of routing audio. Finally, if you'd like to transmit (full ham radio duplex), you have a much more complicated scenario that will involve additional hardware.
05-May-2007