DC power to FLEX-6000 continuously?

Mike_N1MD

Is there any reason a FLEX-6000 radio should not have DC power continuously supplied to it? Keeping the power on certainly facilitates keeping the GPSDO unit updated and ready for use when the radio is turned on.

Mack

Mike, It won't hurt to leave DC power on the radio. I personally turn the DC power after after use. Using an external (aftermarket weather proof) antenna I find the GPS syncs in just a few minutes. I've been operating using this method for about the past five months. Mack W4AX

Tim - W4TME

Mike, As you noted, if you have a GPSDO installed, leaving the DC power on the radio significantly shortens the time it takes for the GPS to discipline the XO. However if you do not have a GPSDO installed, when the radio powers up, it will take a little time for the OCXO (FLEX-6700) or the TCXO (FLEX-6500) to reach a stable temperature, so before that happens the radio will be slightly off frequency and the frequency will vary. This is true of all radios.

Al_NN4ZZ

Tim, Can you confirm my understanding of the recommended procedure for a 6700 that does not have the GPSDO option and relies on the OXCO? If the DC power is supplied continuously but the front power switch is OFF, does the OXCO remain active and stable? I think this is what you implied but I want to confirm that the OXCO runs regardless of the front panel power switch state. As you noted this is how my Yaesu FTDX9000 works and what they recommend to keep the frequency accurate and stable. Regards, Al / NN4ZZ

K1UO Larry

Hi Al, Tim posted this info in another part of the Community that I think answers your question. It appears unless DC power is completely removed from the radio that the GPDSO and or OXCO is powered regardless of the position of the front panel on/off switch. Tim - W4TME (Site Admin) 17 days ago What are the FLEX-6000 Front Panel LED Indications? The Power LED color and blink state indicate the operational state of the radio hardware SOLID BRIGHT RED = Transmitting on PA SOLID ORANGE = Transmitting on XVTR port with low power SOLID DIM RED = Transmit engaged, interlocks not resolved (will not emit RF) SOLID PURPLE = Updating software FLASHING YELLOW = GPS in warmup SOLID YELLOW = GPS in holdover (lost satellites) SHORT FLASH BLUE = GPS locking LONG FLASH BLUE = GPS in hold phase mode SOLID BLUE = GPS locked SOLID GREEN = Receive SOLID AMBER = Radio off, GPS or OCXO powered for stability FLASHING RED "S" = Flashing a Morse "S" in Red indicates boot failure OFF = Radio off, oscillators off NOTE: The FLEX-6700R does not have the Transmit Indicator (Solid RED) Regards, Larry - K1UO

Al_NN4ZZ

Larry, thanks. That is what I hoped but it was not clear. 73,Al

James Kennedy-WU5E

in your testing , want is the time. 2.5 minutes or what? Jim WU5E

Tim - W4TME

It depends on how well your GPS antenna is receiving satellite signals. From a cold start and my compromise antenna location, it has taken as long as 13 minutes before the XO is locked and stabilized.

Steve-N5AC

The OCXO and TCXO will not be powered while the radio is powered-off. It was determined that both of these quickly return to their frequency and that it is unnecessary to leave these powered. The GPSDO may be optionally powered while the radio is off. Other than for this purpose, there is no other reason to leave DC power on the radio -- it is entirely your choice whether to do so. Steve

W5XZ - dan

so, i can 'go green' and shut off all power...a la T-storm, unplugged from EVERYTHING config...kewl...shoot, i may save ten cents over the next year, right?

Al_NN4ZZ

There was some conflicting information about the OCXO and TCXO ovens in some of the posts about the LED status, and pros and cons of leaving the power on. Steve confirmed my summary so I captured it in an image for my reference. It's is also dated since the documentation on the LED status will likely be updated at some point. Here it is in case anyone would like a copy..... Regards, Al / NN4ZZ

Andrew VK5CV

Al, So how do I switch to solid amber? I would like the GPSDO to run while the radio is off. Andrew

Al_NN4ZZ

Andrew, I don't have a radio yet (so someone else can confirm this) but if you leave the 12V DC power applied to the radio and turn off the front panel switch, the GPSDO should still be powered and the LED should be AMBER. Regards, Al / NN4ZZ

Andrew VK5CV

Ok will keep playing, Am using the GPSDO to check some old 10MHz OCXOs and adjust them close. Also using it with F1500 as reference but as antennas are very close there is lots of interaction. One OCXO runs fast one way and slow another at least for the effect of gravity on the Xtal. Andrew

Mike_N1MD

I thought I replied to Andrew's query an hour ago but maybe not . . . (getting old). Anyway . . . Andrew, I have the 6700 with GPSDO. I keep the radio powered with 12V DC all the time. When not operating, I turn the radio off via the front panel switch (get the "shutting down" message). This condition will be indicated by the solid amber light. Hope this helps. Mike, N1MD

Andrew VK5CV

Thank you Mike, My behavior on the 6500 is not the same. Powered from 13.8v 100%. GPSDO locked, solid blue. Touch on off, screen goes dark, and sometime later "shutting down". Then no light at all. There must be some optional setting in there somewhere. Andrew

Al_NN4ZZ

Andrew, Maybe Steve can comment on this but I wonder if there is a difference in the behavior since the 6500 has a TCXO (temp compensated crystal oscillator) and the 6700 has an OCXO (oven controlled crystal oscillator). Below is a partial snapshot from a document I compiled about the stability differences. It's a summary based on what I've been able to gather about the 6000 series but it has not been validated by Steve. The full document has some additional examples and notes. Let me know if you would like a copy. The link below is to a good article that discusses the differences between TCXO and OCXO devices if you would like some additional details about the benefits of each. http://www.radio-electronics.com/info/data/crystals/tcxo.php Regards, Al / NN4ZZ

Al_NN4ZZ

Please note: the plus or minus numbers in the examples above are based on a frequency of 14.010 which is defined in the full document.

Tim - W4TME

The info in the community tops regarding this OCXO reference has been corrected.

Tim - W4TME

This capability has not been implemented in the software. But a feature request has been entered for it.

Tim - W4TME

This is a great conversation that's separate from the main topic, so I created a new topic to continue the discussion. Please reference the new topic here: TCXO / OCXO behavior differences

Andrew VK5CV

Thanks Tim, The different radios and options does lead to some different behaviour with the current software. Andrew