It has been a few weeks since my last update about the IC-706 remote rig project so here is a new one.
transceiver
DIY remote kit for the IC-706 part 5: Power on / off sequences
In my previous post I described how I solved the power connections for the radio and the front panel when they are physically separated from each other. In this post I will explain the software part of the power on / off procedure.
DIY remote kit for the IC-706 part 3: Keep-alive emulation
Yesterday I have implemented emulation of keep-alive messages on server side. This means that the keep-alive messages sent by the front panel roughly every 100 ms are no longer sent over the network; instead, they are generated in the servers main loop with 150 ms interval.
DIY remote kit for the IC-706 part 2: A closer look at the protocol
In my first post about the IC-706 remote kit I wrote that we don’t really need to care about what data protocol is used between the radio and the front panel; all we need is to route the data between a serial port and a network socket. However, it turns out that taking a closer look at the protocol is not only a good idea but also necessary for efficient remote control.
My mcHF UI board is alive!
After completing the UI board I really wanted to see it work and test it one way or other without the RF board.
mcHF build status 2014.07.19
Last night I mounted the LEDs, the electrolytic capacitors and the LCD panel. I am using the HY28B which is why the display doesn’t align with the push buttons.
mcHF build status 2014.07.05
I forgot to post this update but I did make some progress since the last report in June. Finished mounting all connectors, buttons and encoders, see photos below.
mcHF build status 2014.06.23
Last night I finished mounting all the small parts on the UI board and today the board got cleaned of extra flux (there was a lot).
Ready to build
All parts have now arrived and I am soooo ready to build my mcHF 
Software Defined Radio the way it should be
I have been looking into various options for building my own radios again, this time taking advantage of software defined radio technologies. I’m not crazy about using a PC for running the SDR application. While a PC offers great performance and flexibility, it makes a clumsy radio setup not at all suitable for portable and mobile use.