Ham Radio Deluxe / CAT Commands

Norm - W7CK

I'm still using the free version of Ham Radio Deluxe. Actually, I'm only using the Logbook and DM780 modules and access HRD via the HRD Emulator found in DDUtil.  This way the HRD core program doesn't have to be running.  This combination has been working quite well for over 2 years now, but there is always room for improvement and like everyone else, I'm always wanting just a little more!

Since HRD was written prior to SmartSDR, I told HRD that the radio it was connecting to was a Flex running PowerSDR.  This provides some very basic CAT commands to the 6700.  I thought I read somewhere that the 6000 series uses the same CAT commands as the Kenwood TS-2000, so today I went into HRD and selected the Kenwood TS-2000.   Everything went well and up came the radio.

The problem is that very few of the CAT commands available for the TS-2000 actually work on the 6x00.  I was really hoping to be able to use A <> B function or to be able to select either A or B as the active VFO, but this just doesn't work.   Actually the frequency on VFO B doesn't even show up in any of the HRD programs while using the TS-2000 emulation.

So I went back into HRD and selected Flex PowerSDR and put everything back the way it has been for the past 2 years.

Does anyone know how to tell HRD to swap A / B VFO or to make VFO B the active VFO?  I often have 2 Panadapters open each with its own VFO.  When I make a contact on VFO B, I'd really like to have VFO B be the active VFO so that the proper information gets entered in the Logbook.  I'm not even sure if there is a CAT command for the 6000 that will swap A <> B.

Norm - W7CK

Ernest

I think the answer to your problem is .. buy the pay version .. and HRD may give you the answer that you are looking forth.
I am using the pay version and happily satisfied with the functionality.

WA2SQQ

Use LOG4OM, it works and it's free! Switched a year ago and never regretted it

Ian1

Norm

You should be using Mini Deluxe interface between HRD and the Flex 6xxx radio.
This will solve your command problem however since about release 1.6 there has been no way that I know of to capture VFO B for the logging program.

Ian

Stewart, GM0GTU

Ian,
        I haven't been able to get Minideluxe to work with SmartSDR. It worked fine with PSDR and my F5000.

Steve G1XOW

I've been paying for HRD since they switched from Simon Brown. Finally kicked it in the head last week. The product has not been significantly improved in any material way for years - so they don't deserve my money.

I am testing Log4OM now, which so far is pretty impressive. Don't need any fudge-factor middle-ware and even DDUTIL is now redundant.

The entire software arena is shifting to pay-as-you-go which should be a good thing, so long as they deliver on their promises. However, that doesn't mean you have to pay regardless - simply to watch old cheese turn green!

Lee Maisel

"The entire software arena is shifting to pay-as-you-go "

Working in IT from the beginning, I saw this come and go, and end up dying, and it will die again.
Most everything was a subscription model, and everyone hated it.

I can see people paying for actual upgraded versions of software to get new features.  But to have a piece of software that you are perfectly happy with cease to function because of an annual contract is ridiculous.

John-K3MA

Steve - G1XOW I am the same as you and with the recent updates I am getting fed up with the things that get broken.  I now have the log book closing with MFC errors whenever it feels like it.  I have cluster spots showing as being worked and in the same window showing as not being worked.  They do not even respond to trouble tickets when you ask additional questions asking getting the "defer it to others answer" and then I find you can only have one trouble ticket at a time and if you try to log an second problem they will not take it.  Enough breaking of the camels back that now I am going to go thru the pain of the change and save my money in the future.

Steve G1XOW

Lee, I too have been in IT for 34 years, and have seen numerous trends come and go, but I feel this one is here to stay. Even domestic end users who would previously have purchased an MS Office upgrade every 5-7 years are now signing up to the Office 365 annual rental plan. Crazy!

All the big firms, Sage, Adobe, AutoCAD, SolidWorks, MS, Intuit etc. etc. are all switching to subs. Some of still carrying an outright purchase model too but I see that ending in the next few years.

There is one big upside though. Buyer power! If the software house does not delivery on the goods, features, A1 support etc being demanded of them, then now we can hit back and hurt them by using a competitor product. Competition is good for the end user.