how do I temporarily remove the CAT com ports?

Gary

Expert amp program needs to have ALL virtual com ports removed before it can 'see' the amp and get the USB chip ID... I know I know - seems really convoluted but it is what it is ... so can I remove the 2 FlexVSP com ports without uninstalling anything? I have set SMART CAT and DAX to be disabled and not start on startup, and that works - but the 2 com ports are still there. I tried disabling them - that won't work - the amp program still says there are more than 1 USB devices plugged in ... how can I get the 2 VSP com ports NOT to be there without having to jump through many hoops?

DH2ID

Gary, I had to remove all COM ports from SmartCAT when I had a similiar problem.
Recreating them was no problem at all.
If someone has found another solution I would also be glad to apply that :-)
73, Alex - DH2ID

Jim Gilliam

Have you tried disabling them directly from the Device Manager?

David Decoons, wo2x

Just write down what you have created and remove them. You can also use the Windows snipping tool to do a screenshot of the CAT window.

Once you remove them install any hardware or USB serial devices and then recreate the ports.

My system has a 4 port PCI-e serial card, USB from PowerMaster II wattmeter, then CAT ports. I always put the physical first, followed by USB, then virtual.

Larry _ NY8T

If your referring to the spe console amp control program, I have mine connected to an actual hardware serial port on my PC, not a usb to serial converter. Also you might try the mini console app that can be downloaded from the spe yahoo group it has simple amp control features but no configuration capabilities.

Al K0VM

I have found it benifical to have the virtual ports assigend to com port numbers greater  than the hardware/usb ports ( including Flex knob ).

Al, K0VM

Gary

already mentioned I disabled them - that didn't work... thanks

Gary

huh? The question is HOW do I remove them without uninstalling the programs. Since the programs are part and parcel of the whole (SSDR) I'm very reluctant to remove JUST them. Thus the question: how do I temporarily remove them.

Gary

already tried assigning the port that the amp comes up on to COM1 ... to no avail...

Gary

and do you remember how you removed them?!

k0eoo

Hmmm, all I did was physically unplug all my USB cables from the PC except the one going to the SPE 1.3k-FA and the SPE USB software program found Amp driver with no trouble.  Then I just plugged all the other USB cables back into the PC and all works just fine...  I did NOT remove any virtual or CAT ports!

Norm - W7CK

You could just uninstall SmartSDR and all associated software, install your Expert Amp software, then come back and do a fresh install of SmartSDR.

I have way too many COM ports in use by various devices to consider deleting all of them just to install Expert Amp software.  It seems to me they really need to fix the issue at Expert Amps.  I hope you called them an complained about it.....

Norm - W7CK

If you unplug all of your USB cables and try that method, Make sure you mark each USB cable so that you can put them back into the EXACT USB port that they were originally in.  

k0eoo

Yes, this method works as long as you make sure you put the USB cables back to their original ports, which is what I did...  Mine are all marked.

Gary

unfortunately not my experience here... the 2 flex VSP ports are there all the time and apparently the app for SPE 'connects' to one of them as it shows it is connected to something even though its obviously not the amp. You'd think they'd have written it so that it KNOWS its connected to THEIR product! Glad it worked out for you ... I guess I'm destined to uninstall everything.

Gary

indeed... I bought the radio used and at one point with a Windows update the program, SSDR, wouldn't work because of an issue with the VSP. I got immediate suggestions from Flex but when that proved fruitless the help went away ... I was hanging out on a limb by myself... after several weeks of waiting for help I finally found a way to fix it ... thus my reason for being very reluctant to uninstall everything. But I guess I've no choice.

Bob G W1GLV

I found the best way to get rid of the virtual ports is to uninstall FlexVSP. Reboot the computer and  the radio and do what I have to do and reinstall FlexVSP. Windows is not good at remunerating com ports. This should solve your problem.

Eric-KE5DTO

From the SmartSDR CAT User Guide:

The Remove button allows the user to remove a Port. Ctrl and Shift keys may be used to select multiple Ports for faster removal. Multiple selection does not apply to the Edit or Log buttons. Note that removing a FlexVSP Serial Port will result in those ports being removed from the system and may take several seconds to complete the device removal process. 

Gary

I am pretty sure I tried this and it didn't work, didn't remove the ports from DM - but perhaps I did it incorrectly... meanwhile I went and uninstalled SSDR, got the amp upgraded and running and am not about to reinstall version 1.10.8. Thanks

Eric-KE5DTO

If you had already uninstalled FlexVSP, that might explain this not working.  Let us know if you have trouble getting things back the way you want them.