Things that fake me out in SmartSDR

Steve W6SDM

Okay, I know I am a noob with less than a month under my Flex 6300 belt.  However, two things continue to fake me out and make me look all over the place thinking that I broke my radio.  Those are:

1. not having an active transmit slice selected so I can't key the radio, and
2. not having VOX on when using DIGU, which won't key the radio.

After restarting software a few times, rebooting the computer and radio, and cussing a little, I finally remember to check those things. 

Has anyone else had that problem or am I just starting to lose it?

Steve - M3SXA

Hahahaha done exactly the same "why no tx? It was alrite just now" then realise TX is not selected and then notice the pop up telling me so duh!!

Dale KB5VE

Hey own # 50 made but I do the same thing sometimes. Just click on the faded tx make it active. Done several times myself.

k0eoo

No, you're not loosing it Steve....  With a new air plane you get a new flight check list, that's all it is....   Have fun and welcome to the group!!  Dennis, k0eoo

WX7Y

DIGIU Requires VOX?  I don't have to have VOX enabled for the TX to work here, maybe you need to set up your PTT in SmartSDR CAT. 

and YES the "TX" has caught me as well but being one of the early buyers I finally know the TX button  for the slice isn't enabled.

73's
Bret
WX7Y

Steve K9ZW

Dennis K0EOO - you hit the nail on the head on what I've been felling is lacking - Checklists by Mode Setup.  How simple and effective. 

Have to think a bit more and perhaps will make the suggestion to FRS.

73

Steve

K9ZW

Ken - NM9P

I don't use VOX on Digi when using DAX.  I have the digital software key the rig either via the Virtual Serial PTT line, or via CAT commands.  No VOX needed.

Al K0VM

I too use PTT via CAT, but it may be one less set up step ..IF.. you can remember  to enable VOX each time.

AL, K0VM

Steve W6SDM

Yes, I having trouble getting PTT to key the rig so I settled for VOX.  It seems to work okay and I get good signal reports... I agree that with would probably be cleaner to have PTT do a hardware key.

Steve-N5AC

When the radio first comes up, the first slice is selected as transmit.  Once that is done, you must manually tell the radio where you want to transmit.  For example, if you have three slices and you close one which happens to be the transmit slice, we do not "pick" one of the remaining slices to be the transmitter.  The philosophy is that we believe you should take an overt action to transmit in a specific place.  The same goes for two slices.  If you have two slices and close the transmit slice, we do not move the transmitter to the other slice.  

This is clearly different that most radios (which have one or two receivers and only VFO A can transmit so you always know which VFO will transmit).  We thought about forcing this, but it seemed inflexible.  We would end up with a barrage of buttons to make each slice the "A" slice to transmit and you would still need to press a button to switch where you would transmit.  This didn't seem as friendly/useful as what we decided on.

k0eoo

Thanks Steve, doing the TX selection that way has saved me from TXing on the wrong band several times....  Given the 6000 series awesome, flexibility I like the way you're doing it....

Ken - NM9P

This behavior confused me at first, also.  But now that I have gotten used to it, I like it.  As others have reported, it has kept me from accidentally transmitting on the wrong frequency on multiple occasions.  (It has also kept me from transmitting where I THOUGHT I was going to also, but that is preferable to causing QRM to others.)

Steve W6SDM

I agree, Steve, the TX process makes sense.  It makes more sense on the 65 and 6700 radios where, unlike the 6300, if one slice is eliminated the only other one is the likely candidate to transmit.  It's just one of those things, like turning out the light when leaving a room, that I will have to get used to doing.  

It also makes sense when you're running an array of antennas.  I don't want to key up a 7 MHz signal on my tri-bander. 

So, the first thing I check now when I don't key the radio is if I have an active TX slice.