connecting flex to steppir

Larry

I notice that a number of people have their Steppir antenna connected to their Flex 6xxx. I have a flex 6300 and a four element steppir. Can someone just provide a step by step process to make the connection. I use HRD software and have it set to control My VL 1000 amp and ft 9000d which works fine. But I cannot figure out how to make the steppir work with the flex (or the vl 1000 for that matter) Any help would be greatly appreciated. I do have a serial to usb adapter and a null modem cable.

Jim Gilliam

I don't know if other people are doing it differently, but I control my SteppIR with Dtutil running on a side-kick computer. I use a USB to RS232 cable from the computer to the input of the control box for the Stepper.

Jim, K6QE

Larry

Thanks for that. but can you go a little more basic? What is a side-kick computer? I tried the LP step link it read the frequency from HRD but did not pass it to the Steppir controller. Di d you plug into the back of the 6300 usb port or where did you pick up the information?

KY6LA_Howard

You connect everything (Amp, Rotor, SteppIR) through the computer controlling the Flex and NOT the Flex Directly

You can then control all your CAT devices (Amp, Rotor, SteppIR) via DDUTIL which acts as a traffic cop to sort out all your control information...

I would definitely NOT use HRD to control anything as it adds huge useless overhead.  HRD Logbook is OK and their Rotor Control is OK but they all interface through DDUTIL

Time to start reading the fine manuals...

http://k5fr.com/DDUtilV3wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page 

Larry

ok i have a serial on the computer connected on com 9. On the dd utility I set the first rcp to the upper right to com port 9. It did accept that. I don't see anything else to do on that page. On the features page I see it has found the radio. I have checked band data/macro by radio. It still doesn't work. What did I leave out? I tried both a regular and null modem cable. Neither worked. I set the steppir controller to kenwood and went through all the speeds but still no connection.

LarryF

Hi Larry,

you will need the cable from the data out on the steppir controller to the computer connected to usb too serial cable

Hope it helps

Larry KE2YC

KY6LA_Howard

Larry. There are 100's of posts here on how to do it Here is one you should read https://community.flexradio.com/flexradio/topics/steppir-transceiver-interface-with-6500-ddutil-mandatory

Larry

I read though all those. What I must be doing wrong is either setting the ddutility wrong or the steppir control. My com port shows up in the device manager and seems to be set correctly. But still i get no interface with the transceiver interface. I have the steppir controller set to kenwood and used different speeds and still nothing.

KY6LA_Howard

Here is my setup

KY6LA_Howard

Are you using a null modem cable /

Larry

I have it set up like yours shown above but on com 9 which is what I am using. I am not using the rotor so I dont have that checked. The panel on DDUtility shows information about the radio. But the antenna does not change. I checked again to see if it worked with my yaseu and it does so the box is okay. When I click on home a notice comes at the bottom of the screen saying that the elements are retracting but they dont if i click on calibrate a similar message comes up saying that they are calibrating when i click on restart there is no message and nothing happens. I have used both a null modem cable and a regular cable. Is there something I am missing. Thanks so much for your help with this.

KY6LA_Howard

Is COM9 a physical port ? The SreppIR needs a physical port

Larry

No this computer does not have a serial port output. it is a usb to serial adapter. It is the same adapter that does work with the FT 9000d and the steppir and works fine there. Is it different with the flex. I deliberately used the same adapter and com port that is working with the 9000 so I could eliminate the problem. The 9000 uses the Y cable from steppir for the 9000 that runs to the radio, to the steppir and to the computer. The 9000 also requires HRD to make it all work. Possibly that is the problem that the flex needs that actual serial port which would mean a new machine

KY6LA_Howard

Usb to serial port diecrtly to Steppir via null modem cable.should work. Not sure I understand the rest of your wiring diagram

Larry

that is what i have now. I have the usb to serial adapter plugged directly to a null modem cable and then to the back of the steppir. Is there something I have to do to the DDUtility to turn it on?

Larry

I should set the steppir box to 19200 19200 and kenwood right?

Larry

also when i change frequencies on the flex i get a pop up at the bottom of the screen that says CAT Server send Error It appears the server is not connected please correct the error and try again I looked it up and in DDUtil it sadys to open the sscat test tab I don't find such a tab.

KY6LA_Howard

Correct