Felx-6700 with Maestro and SO2R antenna switching

Niko Halminen

I'm trying to figure out how to use 6700 and maestro as SO2R. In old fashioned way you have 2 radios with one antenna connector per radio. Those antenna ports are connected to antenna matrix where you can do any combinations betweeen antennas etc. 
If i understand right, idea in flex is that slice A is like radio 1 and slice B is radio 2. I set up two USB FTDI cat ports to communicate with station automation. Firs from slice A and second from Slice B. Now the automation and antenna matrix is working like "old times".

My problem seems to be that antenna selection between ANT1&2 in flex is following bands but no slices.

Q:Is there any way to force slice A to use ANT1 on all bands and slice B to use ANT2  in all bands.
For sure I can just click slice 2 to ANT2 but next time it's something else. Tired contest operator will have fail in this point...

-Niko oh2gek

Ria

Set up two panadapters (tap the arrow in the bottom of maestro screen)and assign a slice to each panadapter. In the slice settings select the antenna. You may have to do this for each band. I do this and it works. I run SO2R with my 6700 and I’ll be running it this way this weekend.

You also need to enable full duplex.

Also follow this guide, which is a how to guide based on input from Craig Thompson, K9CT. I gather he knows a few things about contesting.

http://www.flexradio.com/downloads/so2r-mode-with-n1mm-for-the-flex-6700-how-to-guide-pdf/

The radio has support for OTRSP and will communicate with N1MM+ to switch the active window. 

As far as amplifiers go - if you're running two amps or a SO2R amp like an SPE 2K-FA or 1.3/1.5K-FA, you should set up two TRANSMIT profiles and enable the proper key line for each. Then assign one to each slice. When you switch panadapters it will key the right amp. I did this with my SPE 1.3K-FA and ran it this way for CQWW last year. 

Power Genius XL will eliminate the need for this (amp key lines transmit profiles) but it's not in the wild yet. I plan on writing up a few tips and tricks for effective use of it in contesting. 

Your 6700 is a very powerful and highly configurable machine. I am amazed every day by things it can do to improve workflow.

GL in the test, see you this weekend...

88
Ria

Bill Axelrod

Niko,

     Ria has it right.  Let me expand on it.  This setup is easy.  One key is your profiles.  You should have a Global Profile called "SO2RDefault".  Select that.  You should also have two TX profiles - one labeled "SO2R_TX1" and another "SO2R_TX2".  SO2R_TX1 use for Slice A.  SO2R_TX2 use for slice B.

     As Ria said, you will have to set each and save it band by band. 

     Assuming you do all bands 160 theu 10 meters.  Start with Slice A and TX Profile SO2R_TX1, set your desired TX and RX antennas, set the power level for that band for amplifier drive, enable the appropriate key line for your Slice A amplifier,  and any other parameters you want.  SAVE the TX Profile and move to the next band.  Go band by band, set the parameters and save the profile, and move to the next band.  SAVE the TX profile on each band as you go.

     Then do the same for Slice B and the SO2R_TX2 profile.  That should take care of it for you.

     FWIW, I find it easier to do these settings using the SSDR software rather than the Maestro.  But that's just me.

73 and good luck...   Bill K3WA

Niko Halminen

Thanks for advice now it works from DXlog and maestro. Still if i change band from SSDR it goes crazy. Have to read little more manuals..

Next problem I have is with Winkeyer emulator and DXlog.net. N1MM+ works great with it but DXlog just sends first character. But that's different story and probably bug in DXlog.

-Niko

Kari Gustafsson SM0HRP

Hi Niko, Dx Log will work SO2R with an external Winkeyer but not advanced mode. Writelog does rapid SO2R very well or even better than N1MM. I havet tested it. See my blog at SM0HRP and remotecontesting...

Les Brown

This is the closest thread I could find for my question. I have a Flex-6500 and Maestro and Expert 2K-FA that I work remotely. I would like to get into SO2V with it. I haven't found any write-up to guide me. Is the setup with a 6500 the same as with the 6700? If not, what is different? Any help to get me started would be greatly appreciated.

Les, VE3NNT

W2PP

I just found this thread.  I want to use the Array Solutions Bandpasser, basically their automatic band pass filter box.  One on Ant 1 and one on Ant 2.  I'd like each bandpasser to receive unique band data from its assigned slice.  I do not want them to follow each other.  If I setup a CAT virtual serial port for slice B, and hook that to one bandpasser and the Cat port I already have for my slice A will they each receive unique band data from EACH slice.  So, if slice A is on 20 meters and Slice B is on 15 meters will each Bandpasser receive the correct band data in SO2R mode??

Thanks I read the above link but this unique question wasn't directly answered.

Peter

Kari Gustafsson SM0HRP

Hi Peter, no problem if you use the "USB to BCD-cable" for the Flex-6000.  This is how I do it with SO2R and my Maestro, Bandpass filters and Power amplifiers.
Each slice has its own VSP and then you define in the SDR  or Maestro under "USB cables" option the rules for controlling the equipment whether it is the Bandpasser or the Power amplifier for that sake. Works very well also with the USB to RS-232 cable.
There is a Flex paper for the USB cables that you can find by doing search on the web.  GL!