Operating

In toggle mode the station transmits at most up to its time limit.

If you move into another segment of the band plan, the page sets the mode usual there: CW, SSB on the right sideband (LSB below 10 MHz, USB from 60 m up), data for FT8, FT4, PSK and the like, FM on VHF/UHF. Within a segment, whatever you choose yourself stays; bookmarks and spots bring their own mode.

Display

Contrast, 3D and display type are set at the waterfall's cog. The browser may block external WebSDRs without https.

Keys

Audio

Audio path when transmitting: microphone at this computer → browser → station → sound card at the station computer → rig. When receiving, the same path back to the speaker or headphones at this computer.

Voice in SSB, AM and FM: set the audio source on the rig to USB (FTX-1 “MOD SOURCE”, ANAN: VAC 1 in Thetis).

Transmission

There is one audio stream per station: the codec applies while you operate, and all listeners get it too. Whoever takes over, their choice applies at once. If the link gets tight, the station suggests a leaner one; only you switch.

This station cannot do another codec yet; the choice comes with afu-remote 0.2.115.

12 kHz, about 100 ms buffer; transmit is always µ-law (96 kbit/s).

Accessibility

Operate without looking. Only applies in this browser.

Level tone

S-meter as pitch: low at S0, high from S9. Generated in the browser, the station notices nothing.

Keys

With Alt + Shift they always work, never in input fields and dialogs. On the frequency: arrows one step, Page Up/Down ten, Enter to type.

Watches

Notifies you by push or mail when the squelch opens, a signal appears, a beacon becomes audible, a spot matches or someone signs in at the station. Never changes the rig and needs pairing with afu.tools. To your phone even without a browser: Account › Notifications.

Bridge for digimode, logging and contest programs

afu-remote on your computer offers rigctld (port 4532) and Kenwood CAT and passes everything on to this station. The station checks just like in the browser (transmit permission, band, power, dead man's switch); browser and bridge with your callsign count as one operator.

Start

1. Download the program (Windows · Linux) and start it once with the line above. The bridge remembers the key; after that afu-remote bruecke is enough.
2. Settings in the browser on the same computer: http://127.0.0.1:8075/. There you turn on rigctld, as many CAT ports as you like, audio and the control surface, all at once; changes apply immediately. Also stored in bruecke.toml (Windows: %APPDATA%\afu-remote, Linux: ~/.config/afu-remote).
3. Programs with Hamlib (most digimode and logging programs): “Hamlib NET rigctl”, 127.0.0.1:4532, PTT via CAT, split “None” or “Fake It”.
4. Programs with their own CAT control (such as contest loggers): a pair of virtual COM ports (e.g. COM10/COM11), CAT on COM10 in the bridge, the program as Kenwood TS-2000 on COM11. One pair per program. Linux: pty, then ~/.afu-remote-cat.
5. Audio: choose a virtual audio cable (on Linux a null sink) as receive or transmit audio. Transmitting only happens while the bridge holds PTT. Without an audio device the bridge fetches no audio from the station, only frequency, mode and PTT.

Your control surfaces

Only devices you have paired are listed here; you map each one separately, even two identical ones. Everything runs in the browser, without the maker's software (which must even be closed).

An M5Stack Dial as a Bluetooth tuning knob (TRX-Dial) is set up at afu.tools/dial: flash the firmware in the browser.

Add device

This browser cannot talk to USB devices (WebHID). For keypads with displays, use Chrome or Edge on a computer. D100H and macro pads work here too.

Displays

Operating

A template becomes a new profile that you adapt afterwards. Rig controls (filter, power, NB …) only work where the radio has them.

Station

Applies to beacon clock, satellite, rotator, two antennas, thunderstorms, skimmer and PSK Reporter.

Operating

Bands are the buttons above the receiver's waterfall ; empty limits: IARU Region 1. Saving restarts the engine, listeners get a few seconds' break.

One receiver alongside per band (online SDR receiver). Operators see the matching one in the external waterfall.

What the station logs or passes on by itself. Callsign and locator come from General.

Decodes CW, FT8 and FT4 across whole bands. People at the receiver take priority, it never transmits. (change)

Report

For the RBN: RBN Aggregator on the same network on this port, registration at reversebeacon.net.

Digimode, logging and contest programs on the station computer (or on the network) also control the rig. afu-remote holds the port alone, the programs talk to afu-remote. The same rules apply as for any operator: if someone else is operating, the programs only read. Saving only restarts the changed interfaces.

Contest programs: frequency and mode via CAT (with OmniRig, put the rig file above into its Rigs folder), CW via the WinKeyer on a port of its own. The text goes to the rig as CW text and the rig keys it itself; for that the WinKeyer needs the “control and transmit” permission.

Connected

What the “Shack” panel shows: power supply, PA, SWR, switches, room temperature, cameras. Values come via MQTT, JSON over HTTP or the Antenna Bridge (under Sources).

Values and switches

Cameras

MQTT broker

Antenna Bridge

Shows its antennas for selection; its values come in as the source “Antenna Bridge”.

Warns, locks transmit, disconnects and switches depending on the level. Sources: DWD warnings (Germany only) and a lightning sensor from the values (Blitzortung.org forbids using its data for warning systems). Does not replace lightning protection or earthing.

(change) Use a different location

Levels

The highest level met applies and only drops after the all-clear time; the transmit lock drops with it, antenna and switches are switched back by a person.

The station always records who was there when; the per-transmission log is off by default.

My stations

A station is a rig with the afu-remote program on the computer next to it. It dials in here, so no port forwarding on the router is needed.

Program at the rig

1. Download: Windows · Linux (PC) · Linux (Raspberry Pi, 64-bit). Linux: chmod +x, groups dialout and audio.
2. Connect the rig via USB, start the program, enter the station key. It finds the rig and sound card by itself.
3. The station appears here. Transmitting stays off until you allow it.

Every step with pictures: Pair afu-remote with afu.tools.

HAMNET or LAN only: leave the key empty, turn on direct access, and the page then comes from http://<Rechner>:8073/ (without microphone). Source code · all devices and files: afu.tools/remote.

The control page is part of afu.tools: Remote control explains the setup, Sources lists the data behind it.

• FT8 and FT4 in the browser: ft8_lib (MIT)
• QR codes for guest access: qrcode (MIT)
• Opus audio codec: libopus (BSD) at the station and in the browser, plus opus-decoder (MIT) where the browser does not decode Opus itself
• Satellite orbits: satellite.js (MIT)
• Maps (beacon clock, satellite, rotator): Natural Earth (public domain)
• Thunderstorm warnings: Deutscher Wetterdienst, Open Data (CC BY 4.0)
• Band plan: IARU Region 1, via afu.tools

Legal notice (Impressum) · Privacy · Report a bug · Telegram group

Your support session runs in the “Support” panel at the bottom right. To the panel

The program at the station writes its own log to the console.

HID devices

Shows what the browser sees of a USB or Bluetooth device (collections and reports). Helps with support for a new control surface (AFU-161).