6600M and 3rd and 4th receiver

Rich McCabe

I have not operated a Maestro so honestly know little about them.  I just noticed a video in Germany where Gerald was showing off the 6600m. This video had 3 slices on the screen and he mentioned you could have up to 4.

I guess I misunderstood the specs on the radio as I thought it would only display two slices on the front panel and required SmartSDR operation to use all four.

So can someone explain how this works?  How do you switch to Slice C and D and what are the limitations (if any)

73,
Rich
kd0zv

AH0U

Mine will only display 2

Ken - NM9P

The displays on the Maestro, and even the enhanced display that will be used for the "M" series of the 6400/6600 line, are still fairly small compared to a full sized computer screen.  Opening three or four panadapters on such a small screen likely would be very difficult to read, and possibly more difficult to control with a small touch screen.  There just wouldn't be much real estate on the screen for each panadapter or slice.

Most of the demonstrations I have seen of Maestro and M series have only tried to put 2 panadapters/slides on the small screen.  But I have no idea whether or not FRS has plans to allow more than 2 on the Maestro / M Series screens for the 6600.

I DO know that the 6600 will allow full use of four panadapters and four slices when accessed with an external computer with SSDR/Win (I think Dogpark for iMAC may also do this?)

Rich McCabe

Your what?  I assume you are talking about Maestro and not 6600M

Rich McCabe

Here is the video I am talking about.  First time I have ever seen more than two. I thought Flex limited it to 2 slices for the reasons you mentioned Ken.

https://vimeo.com/225722317

AH0U

That is correct

AH0U

I only see two .... where are the other displays you mentioned???

Rich McCabe

Listen to the video. Gerald talks about it.

K3SF

Gerald was very careful when talk about 3rd and 4th VFO's...NOT panafall Diplays....

On the top panafall display he shows TWO VFO's being operated...hence two receivers in the top panafall and one on the bottom panafall display...so inthat instnce he was showing three receiver being operated

Look very closely and you will see him move the second vfo onthe top panafall display when he is talking about them

Paul K3SF

Ken - NM9P

Thanks, Paul.  With your prodding, now I remember that I did see a demo with two Panadapters and two Slices on one of the panadapters.  But I don't remember ever seeing a demonstration with three or four panadapters on a Maestro or 6000M Series.  THAT would really clutter the small display...

Ria

The pre production models I’ve seen at various public venues only support 2 panadapters. Things can always change but from what I gather it’s unlikely since the typical use case for the traditional radio user is a main and sub receiver.

Rich McCabe

Well as I mentioned I was just surprised.  Gerald was pretty clear you could run 4 slices on the "M" front panel. This just wasn't what I had envisioned and the video does show 3 slices with no flag  on the lower slice C.

It's not a big deal to me as I think everyone will agree there is just not enough room to make that work well. Two panafalls and two slices is fine for the front panel.  Since I am in the extended wait mode for my 6600m to ship I am back to looking at videos to see what I bought

k0eoo

Yes, only 2 panadapters but Gerald is showing 3 slice receivers in the demo.  2 on the upper panadapter and 1 on the lower panadapter.

Ria

I can see four slices happening. I don't see 4 panadapters. But I could be wrong about that.

Ria

Correct. 

Rich McCabe

Marv

It is my understanding that the 6400/6400M and Maestro are only capable of two slices.  The 6600/600M are capable of four slices, and the 6700 capable of 8.  The 6500 is also capable of 4 slices.

Marv W0ZK

Ken - NM9P

I think some people are confusing panadapters and slices in this discussion.
The Maestro has consistently supported two panadapters and two slices.
It is probably capable of supporting up to two panadapters with two slices on each panadapter (with a compatible radio) as Gerald demonstrated in the video referenced above.

I CAN, however envision a way to support FOUR panadapters, but it would involve using some sort of "screen switching" system -- hit the screen toggle button to put panadapters 3 & 4 up front -- hit the toggle button again and return to panadapters 1 & 2.

This format could be helpful if a user was using pan 3 & 4 and Slice 3 & 4 in the background for Digi modes, such as with WSJT-X, et.al. where it isn't necessary to see the pan/slice display on the screen at all times.  The unknown info is whether or not the processor on the Maestro or the display module on the 6600M is capable of handling it...

Ken - NM9P

Rich McCabe

"I think some people are confusing panadapters and slices in this discussion."

I agree.

Gerald-K5SDR

There is definitely confusion about the difference between panadapters and slice receivers.  Slices are the equivalent of independent receivers that show up as the vertical bar with the frequency flag.  The panadapter is the spectrum display with waterfall.  Both Maestro and the FLEX-6600M support two panadapters and two slice receivers on their 8-inch displays.  

You will also have the option log into the FLEX-6600M using SmartSDR over the LAN to get up to four panadapters and four slice receivers.  We are committed to providing multi-client support in a future release of SmartSDR that will allow multiple clients on one radio.  That means you will be able to use the FLEX-6400M front panel with up to two panadapters and two slice receivers plus external clients (e.g. Maestro, PC/laptop, iPad, or Mac) using the remaining panadapters/slice receivers.  While I won't commit to a date for multi-client, we consider it a high priority for development soon.

73,
Gerald

Rich McCabe

Thanks for the response Gerald.

Unless I am misunderstanding something this contradicts what you said in the video.  A slice and a VFO for all practical purposes are the same thing correct?

You show three VFO's (slices) in the video.  The M radios and Maestros really dont have an actual flag do they?  The information is just at the top of the display?

Rich

KS0CW

I understand it as two slice receivers per panadadpter on the M and Maestro.

Gerald-K5SDR

I had a typo in this text where I said FLEX-6400M.  It should have said, "That means you will be able to use the FLEX-6600M front panel with up to two panadapters and two slice receivers plus external clients (e.g. Maestro, PC/laptop, iPad, or Mac) using the remaining panadapters/slice receivers."

Gerald-K5SDR

A slice and VFO are the same thing.  There are only two physical VFO (A & controls on Maestro and the M model radios.  You are correct that Maestro and M models do not have flags like in SmartSDR.  I misspoke.

That was early software in the video that showed the third slice.  We have not worked out how you would use two knobs with four slices.  We are committed to multi-client for four slice/panadpater capability.

Gerald-K5SDR

For the front panel display a total of two slices and two panadapters.  You can put the two slices both on one panadapter or split them across two panadapters.

Rich McCabe

Thanks Gerald.  It really doesn't matter to me as I think two slices on the "M" display is enough.  I plan to use SmartSDR most the time anyway.

Appreciate Flex's efforts and looking forward to my 6600M.

73
Rich
kd0zv

KS0CW

got it... slices are limited to the physical number of VFO knobs.

James Whiteway

What the video shows, and I've seen in person, is the two panadapters on the 6600M front panel being mirrored on the larger display behind it, via the HDMI port on the rear of the radio. I think that is part of the confusion as well. James WD5GWY

Rich McCabe

The video shows 3 VFOs which Gerald just told us was early software and not what is going to ship with radio. At least initially.   You can see Slice A,B and C on both displays.