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Set Power Level By Antenna or Slice Rather Than Band on 6600M

Al Dewey
Al Dewey Member ✭✭
edited February 2020 in New Ideas

Please, please add a feature in a future release that allows you to set power level by Antenna or Slice rather than by band on the 6600M.  I am an SO2R operator and sometimes use a 500 Watt Elecraft amp on ONE slice and no amp on the other slice.   So ANT1 from FLEX goes thru the amp to one side of the WXOB Six Pack switch.  ANT2 goes directly to the other side of the Six Pack with no amp. 

I typically run on one band and S&P on the other.  There are times, for example, when I may want to run on 20M with the amp (on ANT 1)  and S&P with low power on 40M on ANT2.  So I would have the power for 20M set to 35W (to drive the amp) and the power for 40M set to 100W for ANT2.  If later on, I want to run on 40M with high power and S&P on 20M with low power (for example), I have to manually turn the power down on 40M AND turn the power up on 20M.  If you change band combinations a lot during a contest (which I do), it is easy to forget to keep adjusting the power up and down.  The result is that you either overdrive your amp (causing it to trip) or you end up outputting 30W or so on a band that rather than the full 100W.

If you could simply assign power level to either the ANT (1 or 2) or Slice (A or B) and save it with your profile, it would solve this problem.  I just finished the CQWWRTTY contest and I can’t tell you how many times I either tripped the amp  because the input power was too high or discovered I was calling guys with only 30W. Frustrating.

73,

Al, K0AD


Comments

  • Robert Lonn
    Robert Lonn Member ✭✭
    edited October 2018
    I wanted to chime in about adding more and More features... Your request makes sense and in some cases the Flex Software team may be able to do this relatively quick, or it could be something that will come in software version 3.****.****.. However my only concern is with the ability **** things up.. Their is a valid reason that Icom, Yaesu and Kenwood keep their software somewhat basic,, things can get so complicated, only a total factor Reset could  return the radio to normal operation...

    For me the two things that can mess up a radio, is using the incorrect power settings for a particular mode of operation and Bad SWR on an antenna... So your request Al falls into my concern category...

    One way this might be taken care of is how many software programs operate, like Windows.. They have the Basic things you can do when looking at Settings,, But then they have that ADVANCED menu option...

    So when you open Smart SDR you have the Basic configuration available, but by clicking on Advanced Icon, it gives you another set of options, rather then giving you everything all at once... On my Menu Options on my 6600M, they do have some of this already present,, but on Smart SDR it could be set up differently..

    My HRD software gives you access to everything, all at once, and it can be overwhelming at times how the heck do you set up something as simple as RTTY??? That is why I love to simply turn on my Universal M-8000 decoder and away I go...

    Like my AOR AR7030 receiver or my Fairhaven RD500vx receiver,,, better have a degree in Astro Physics before turning on the power button,,, LOL

    Robert
  • Rick N4RZ
    Rick N4RZ Member ✭✭✭
    edited February 2020
    This is a great idea and would be a change I could benefit from!
  • Bill -VA3WTB
    Bill -VA3WTB Member ✭✭✭
    edited October 2018
    I think power settings by slice would be a good thing.

    Robert, I believe the reason why icom and the other companys mentioned in your comment have very basic software is about cost. 
    Why has icom not created a software like SSDR? Considering many of their customers are trying to use HPSDR so they can have a radio like we enjoy.
    Software like SSDR is very expensive to creat, then there is the cost of customer support for that saftware witch is huge.
    Flex being a software comany sure understands this. And it is costly.
  • Robert Lonn
    Robert Lonn Member ✭✭
    edited October 2018
    Agree!! That is why I went with Flex!! Software Rules!! Robert
  • K5XH
    K5XH Member ✭✭
    edited October 2018

    Robert,

    I hope I understand what you would like to do. If not, please disregard my post.

    I believe you can do this now by setting up suitable transmit profiles and global profiles. That's what I did for doing SO2R in the CQWW RTTY 'test. For instance I had global  profile named "SO2R-20-40" and another named "SO2R-40-20". The first ran HP on 20 and LP on 40. The second one ran HP on 40 and LP on 20. All that was required to switch was to load the correct profile.  This required two separate transmit profiles - SO2R-TX1 and SO2R-TX2. TX1 is always connected to the HP path, TX2 is the LP path. Each must be set to the proper power level on each band you intend to use.
     I did have to manually switch the actual antennas around but the power levels took care of themselves once I have the TX profiles set correctly.

    73, Mark K5XH
  • Joe N3HEE
    Joe N3HEE Member ✭✭
    edited February 2019
    Al,

    It might be a little clunky but I think you could do what you want by creating and using global and transmit profiles for each pair of bands you want to use for S&P and Run.  For example create a transmit profile for 20S&P/40Run  This would set correct power levels.  Then create a global profile called 20S&P/40Run that uses ANT1 (slice A) for 40 meters and ANT2 (slice B) for 20 meters.  Make sure the TX profile (20S&P/40Run) is selected when you save the global profile so it will use that TX profile. 

    Now you can repeat these steps for all combos of bands you want.  The Run band will always use ANT1 and be set to low power via the appropriate TX profile.  The S&P band will always use ANT2 and be set to 100 watts via the appropriate TX profile.  When you want to swap Run and S&P bands you simply select the appropriate global profile.

    I have done this for QRP operations on different band pairs and it works.  In your case you will have to create quite a few profiles to make this work.  I also have many profiles for changing bands in the weekly CWT tests.  Works great !

    In my SO2R setup I always assign ANT1 to slice A and ANT2 to slice B no matter what band.  I also have an amp connected to ANT1.  I use a Six Pak antenna switch in which Radio A and Radio B relate to slice A and slice B.  That's how I keep it all straight in my mind !  

    Joe
    N3HEE
  • Al Dewey
    Al Dewey Member ✭✭
    edited October 2018
    Joe and Mark;

    Yes - I agree I could do it with profiles but it would be clunky as you say. There are quite a few combinations considering all the bands between  160 and 10.  Of course, certain combinations like 80 / 10, 160/15, etc could probably be ruled out.  Still, I could easily come up with at least a dozen combinations that would be viable during a contest.

    I would like to be able to keep running on one band (e.g. 20M on  ANT 1)  while moving around between other bands on ANT 2).  If my solution was to load another dual slice profile, it would mean my run frequency would change on 20M when I load the profile and I would have to quickly QSY back there hopefully without losing a beat.  

    When contesting, I do not use the SDR software on the PC.  I use the front panel on the 6600M.  It would take a number of finger operations on the front panel to change profiles.  Then I would have to return to my run frequency.  When contesting with the 6600M, I usually change bands by clicking on the band list in the N1MM entry window.  Quick and easy.


    Using multiple profiles to do this would certainly work but it would not be very convenient..


    73,

    Al, K0AD

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