Anyone Using Sky Command?

[KA4DPO]

I just saw where the FCC has approved Kenwoods Sky Command system. I was wondering if anyone is using it yet and how well it works?

[ka5piu]

Hello.

Sky Command is very much like the Yaesu WIRES, and will work with it.
I have programmed the VX-7R to send all the same commands.
One is for internet access, the other an HF link.
How well does it work? OK, but not great by any means.
We are sending touch tones to a remote radio to operate yet another radio, a lot can, and does, go wrong, as the entire level of security is 3 digits of tone.
Alinco has also had this feature for its radios, but no security whatsoever, all radios respond the same.
The only thing "new" about Sky Command is the linking of an HF rig, something allowed by the NTIA for ages.
ALE on HF to VHF FM is called HF retransmitting, and uses DCS on the VHF side to make things work, much better.
And, all modern military radios support this, without any adaptors.

[KA4DPO]

Thanks, I really didn't know anything about it but I assumed they had come up with a more robust system. I cross linked an HF rig with a cross linked mobile rig ( actually an Alinco) years ago using a touch tone decoder but couldn't change frequencies or control gain or volume since the HF rig was analog. All I could do was turn it on or off and the two meter/440 rig at the shack had to always be on. I made a couple of contacts on 20 meters from a few miles away from the shack which was cool in 1985. Had a few problems with QRM from boneheads who wanted to break in on 2. After a while I lost interest and gave it up after a few months.

[ka5piu]

Hello.

The Alinco feature does allow the complete control of both radios, all functions, provided that both radios are digital control.
The dual band radio must stay on in both the Alinco and Kenwood systems, how else is the radio going to respond to commands?
The only real change that sky command brings is this 3 digit security code.
WIRES also uses tones, and can easily be reprogrammed to do the sky command program, but not the other way around.
The Alinco system is more universal, as the Alinco dual bands will support quite a few radios, brand is not the issue, and even most analog radios.
One can interface more than just on/off with the Alinco system.
There are 4 toggled outputs, and you can do what you want with them.