In SmartSDR for Windows, how about a one-press button to swap slices?

Wheelin Rev

How about adding the ability, like the Maestro already has, to be able to swap slices? For example. Swap the Slice A and Slice B frequencies or even the Slice B and Slice D frequencies (in a FLEX-6500). Please... Thanks for the consideration! 73, Dave K4EET

Larry Loen WO7R

I have asked for a slightly more elaborate version for years. I call it vfo emulation. Assign a pair of slices to vfo a and b. No assignment, no change. If assigned, all CAT function now usses assigned vfos. That is, maps to slices. Then add vfo swap, vfo a to b vfo b to a as per usual to the side menu with cwx and band, etc. Also do a "move slice for DX" that instead of dumping the moved slice to some always wrong nearby location, move it up one or five kHz (mode dependent) above the slice already in view.

Wheelin Rev

For a top-end radio to not have a swap feature is pathetic since all other high-end (and low-end with dual VFOs) transceivers come with this feature...

VK7WH Winston

You may have reason to say this, however there are a huge number of features that the Flex 6xxx radio have that current top end radios don't have, and will NEVER have.

Rick Hadley - W0FG

That ability is right there in the Flex control settings. That's what my "A" button does.

Wheelin Rev

Rick, I'm not sure what you mean by your comment. Could you elaborate on that in case I am missing something. Thanks! 73, Dave K4EET

Wheelin Rev

Winston, I fully agree with your comment. I'm used to swapping the A ---> B VFO frequencies from other rigs I just expected to be able to do that on the FLEX-6xxx. 73, Dave K4EET

Rick Hadley - W0FG

I have a FlexContol knob.  The 3  buttons are programmable.  Aux1 is set to swap active slices between A & B, Aux2 adjusts the AGCT, and Aux3 enables XIT for split operation on RTTY,  as i have it configured.  There are many other options of course, that's just the way I have mine set up.

VK7WH Winston

I do understand David. My previous rig was an Icom 756 PROIII, with dual VFOs. It took me a while to learn how to use two slices and the Flex Control to best advantage for the task at hand. The game changer for me is the high resolution panafall display and the ability to see the dx and pounce on the tail of the last station worked. The result, VK0EK on first call. Best 73 Winston

Larry Loen WO7R

Xit does not really cut it for big time DXpeditions. But at least it is something. Anyway, if we use aftermarket as our answer, then all progress will stop. Besides, every other rig has the vfo stuff standard for at least 30 years. This could conceivably be costing a few sales.

W5XZ - dan

DxLab Commander has a " A x B "  box to click...among other cool things...

73, w5xz, dan

Bob - W7KWS -

Rick, Does the Flex Control toggle both the audio & TX or just the TX? I tried writing a script to respond to the volume up key & send CAT commands to toggle audio but the dual function nature of the ZZSW1/0 commands for spawning another slice & for enabeling/disabeling commands to the new slice, complicated sending audio mute/unmute commands. It became more trouble than it was worth. Maybe controlling the radio directly via Ethernet allows more versitility but I haven't gotten into that.

Rick Hadley - W0FG

Just toggles the TX, but you can run FRStack or SDR-Bridge and have one of them mute the inactive slice.

Wheelin Rev

Tim Ellison, can you comment as to whether or not this suggestion (idea) has been added to the potential "wish list" for the FLEX-6xxx Series Radios? 73, Dave Hamm K4EET

Tim - W4TME

This will be challenging to implement due to of the number of perturbations for an 8 receiver radio. 

Wheelin Rev

Thanks for responding Tim. I confess that I have no idea what would be involved in the various software modules to pull this off. Perhaps it could be scaled back to be just Slice A and Slice B which would then apply to the FLEX-6300 and up. In any event, whatever the decision, thanks for your consideration. 73, Dave Hamm K4EET

Jon_KF2E

per·tur·ba·tionˌpərdərˈbāSH(ə)n/
noun

1. anxiety; mental uneasiness.
   "she sensed her friend's perturbation

Does the 6700 have more anxiety than the 6500? 

Probably not, maybe you could explain this so the laymen here can understand.

Jon...kf2e

Jd Dupuy

"Does the 6700 have more anxiety than the 6500?"

I'm sorry but I busted out laughing when I saw this. Now my side hurts...thanks!

Jay -- N0FB

Jon, in layman's terms, it would be a huge PIA to program.

Tim - W4TME

That should have been "permutations".  Auto correct strikes again!  :-P

Jd Dupuy

It's okay Tim, you're still #1 in my book of who knows more than me!

Tim - W4TME

But to answer your question, Jd, the 6700 has no anxiety.  It is the Walkin' in Tall Cotton, Big Dog, King Daddy of radios.

Dave Dave

Agreeded ..... one would think a basic control like Squelch would have been included even before.

Larry Loen WO7R

Tim, skip the permutations. All we need is VFO emulation. So, two virtual vfos that answer to CAT commands. Sensible default of slice a equal vfo a slice b. Theb do classic a swap b, a to b, b to a. All CAT follows virtual vfos for a and b. Should be compatible with existing function with default settings. If user wants other slices for VFO, drop down assigns. Most probably leave defaults as is. No need for more than two VFOs. Just provide expected function

Walt - KZ1F

It's less a function of pia or big doggie. What you're asking for makes perfect sense in the main/sub vfo-a/vfo-b world. When one has 2 things, yes they can be swapped as there are no choices. Maestro has 2 only two vfos, easy piezy. The 6500 has four and the 6700 has eight. A swap() function without two operands is nonsensical.

EA4GLI

In my opinion, this seems to be an issue on how loggers deal with VFOs more than a needed capability in SmartSDR. If my logger could use ACTIVE slice as the input slice for the logbook  then swapping A/B or A/C... etc... might not be necessary.

Unless I am missing something... is there any other scenario where swapping A and B is useful?

DrTeeth

Walt, so you mean somebody spends loads of money for all those VFOs and then spends even more to only be able to use two? Are you sure you have read things right? If that is the case the road of the 'no-knob' SDR must be a dead end.

Norm - W7CK

The problem is that loggers and many other interfacing applications do not follow the active slice.  Yes, I agree, the 6000 series, should have a way to swap slices and even more important for the 6700 with 8 slices, it is almost shameful that it does not have a working squelch. 

With that said, you can use FRStack to accomplish both of these tasks.  It's a pita to have to go to a 3rd party app and have another item on the desktop, but for now, it does work.

Norm

Walt - KZ1F

Well, yeah, actually that is one of the two take-aways from it's popularity.

Walt - KZ1F

If I recall my college statistics correctly, it's not permutations, a:b and b:a being two, it's combinations a:b and b:a being one. so it's C(8,2) which, in my recollection is 28 unique combinations of 8 vfos One can not say contest contact rate and 28 combinations to choose from in the same sentence.  Frankly I would think 99.999% of the time one only uses slice A and slice B so perhaps a swap function that swaps ONLY a and b? Does that work for folks. I do agree it is a shame so many 3rd party apps are required.


Larry Loen WO7R

Guy, that's exactly right. This is all about human and software expectations. Nobody needs more than two slices/vfos to operate in a pileup. But everyone expects to see them. Vfo emulation does not prevent you from (eg) running cw skimmer in slice c, but it does enable some very basic functionality without excessive complexity .