Adding 4o3a Antenna Genius and Station Genius

Steve K9ZW

Just before Christmas the 4o3a Antenna Genius 8x2 Antenna Switches arrived. 

The 4o3a Station Genius has been here for a couple months, but had been waiting on the version 2.0 software/firmware upgrade, which seems to still be a bit down the road.

Working through the logistics of swapping out an Array Solutions RatPAK 6N and installing the first o the 4o3a Antenna Genius switches.  As my tower has a remote switch box at its base, the only issue outstanding is physically fitting the larger 4o3a unit in the cabinet.

It is now "Perfect Antenna Work Weather" as the first winter storm is closing in tomorrow.  Murphy does write project schedules too, it seems!

More at the blog as the install progresses.

Expecting great things from FRS and 4o3a down the road in terms of seamlessly integrating products, so very pleased to get the first gear up and going.

73

Steve K9ZW

BLOG:  With Varying Frequency  http://k9zw.wordpress.com  

Glenn Johnson

The AntennaGenius arrived last week and got it set up and working...right out of the box!   I have the AG control panel "stays on top" under the SmartSDR radio controls on the right.   It seems too easy to be true.....just a LAN cable to the router and radio & AG talk!   Way too cool!!!!!!   (I have a couple pictures on my QRZ.com page.)

73
Glenn W0GJ

Steve Gw0gei

Nice station Glenn. Do you have the ant 1 and ant 2 on the radio going to each amp and then on to input 1 or 2 of the antenna genius? Presumably the antenna per band choice is set up in the antenna genius software? And then when you select a band on the radio in ssdr the antenna genius selects the chosen antenna for that band? I presume that your receive antennas go direct to rxA and rxB on the radio. I have a buyer lined up for my 6500 and am planning on a further upgrade to 6700 in the near future - rather than wait for the so2r plug in box. Is it possible to manually override the auto selection and manually select another antenna for a band? 73 Steve gw0gei

Steve K9ZW

Very glad to see the 4o3a officially a team member of the FRS family of products.

Just updated an Antenna Genius to v2.0.1 software and does it play well with my 6700!!

Very slick!

73

Steve

K9ZW

Ken - NM9P

Steve. Are you mounting the 4O3A at the tower to make it double as a remote antenna switch? I hadn't thought about doing that. It makes the price of the 4O3A even more reasonable. My 4-port Ameritron remote switch was about $300 all by itself. Hmmmmm. 2 coax runs and a CAT5 to switch 8 antennas and give SO2R isolation at the same time...... Not bad.

Richard McClelland, AA5S

I like the idea of remote transmit/receive modules which mount near the antenna feed-point and connect to the Flex 7700 Mothership via fiber runs. 

Gerald-K5SDR

@Ken Yes, Ranko says you can mount it at the tower so long as you put it in a NEMA weatherproof enclosure to protect the device.  You will need to put week holes in the bottom of the enclosure to allow condensation to drain.  I am planning to do this at my shack.

Ken - NM9P

That just added value to the unit. I will be putting one on my "wish list" eventually. But it may be a bit of a wait....

Steve K9ZW

I am really rethinking how to configure the second QTH, considering placing not only the Antenna Genuis at the tower, but placing the amp and possibly radio there as well. Would run Ethernet fiber back to the house, and to the workshop. This will require a equipment shed at the tower, but as I need 240v and 115v there for the tower motors, perhaps I should remote everything possible to remote? Interesting possibilities previously not possible..... Hmmm..... 73 Steve K9ZW

James Kennedy-WU5E

Just ordered the 8x1 Antenna Genius

Sergey R5AU

me too 5 min ago

Bill WW5M

What about grounding , hey guys wouldn't you want to hit lightening arrestors first? Hows it been working out for you on this. I have boxes with ICE lightening arrestors for my antennas. My AG -2 is located in my shop on the wall. My question is should I be ground the antenna switch?

WX7Y

I have the Tuner Genius, going to the Antenna genius, then the Coax cables go outside through the wall to the Morgan Lightning arrestors then to the induvial antenna's. Of course the Lightning Arrestors are grounded very well in the Ground panel and to the station ground and they bleed off Static DC in the Morgan arrestors before that even gets to the Antenna Genius. (The Morgan arrestors are the exact same devices as the ICE units just different label)

When you shut down SmartSDR it causes the Antenna Genius to shut all Antenna port running through it off and grounds them with no other action required by the user UNLES you are running the Antenna Genius in Manual mode of course.

WORKS WONDERFUL

Pretty expensive to do a Station correctly BUT so are the expensive Radio's and equipment your wanting to protect so it is worth it.