HRD CW mode issue with Flex 6600M

Mike Peron

I’ve been using HRD since the free
Simon v5.24 days and then the paid version since 2014 so I’m very familiar with its many fine features. I bought a new Flex Radio 6600M in November and desired to keep using HRD. I decided to migrate away from my old Dell Win 7 laptop and upgraded to a newer solid state memory HP Spectre laptop using Win 10. I am currently running HRD v6.4.0.902 (Flex users report problems using the current v6.5.0.183 so I’m holding off for the next release). The good news is that DM780 works like a charm on PSK and RTTY modes.

 

My issue is getting it to work properly on CW. So far, I have had two online sessions with the same HRD representative via TeamViewer and he has solved many problems. Yesterday, he got it sending CW from my DM780 Macro list using the CW(SSB) mode without any obvious issues. The Rep told me yesterday that this is the only CW mode of the four that is a viable option for the Flex. Prior attempts to use the CW (KY CMD) option were not successful first due to a huge 2-3 second Tx latency with run-on macros and then more recently, causing DM780 to “hang”. I am using SliceMaster (recommended by both Flex and HRD to properly connect to third-party apps) so HRD Rig Control is not being used. HRD Logbook needs to be started manually from the DM780 screen which is fine. Being used in an CW(SSB) mode means the Flex must be used exclusively in the DIGU (digital USB) mode. I can narrow the bandpass filters down to ~300 Hz centered around 650 Hz for pleasant listening so I can nicely emulate a normal CW filter. So far, so good.

Trying to make a QSO, I quickly discovered that the Tx and Rx frequency shown on the Flex (and third-party application CWSkimmer) is indicating a carrier frequency 650 Hz below where the received signal is actually located and where the radio actually transmits. Thinking about this some more, that’s exactly what one would expect using an SSB mode as opposed to a normal CW mode where these is no frequency offset and the Rx and TX bandwidths are exactly centered around the indicated carrier frequency. This explains why there is no issue with PSK since everything above 14.070 for the next 3 kHz is PSK. Same with RTTY since you are covering a similar 3 kHz swath.

Question: Is there something fundamental I and the HRD Rep are missing here? Perhaps an errant setting? If not, is there any way to reliably key the Flex using an HRD CW mode other than CW(SSB)? If not, would FRStacker be my ultimate solution for CW?

Attached some screen shots showing this issue

Thanks in advance and best 73,

 

Mike

WB6UTW

K1DBO

Mike,

I'm happy to consider this a defect in Slice Master.  I've poked around a bit and feel comfortable that I can get the KY command mechanism to work.  It's on the TO-DO list.

--Don

Duane_AC5AA

Why doesn't HRD work with WinKeyer mode like other loggers (N1MM+ or WriteLog, for a couple of examples)?  Or, maybe I'm missing something fundamental in your question.

Mike Peron

Thanks for your response. Win keyer was the mode I used exclusively with my Kenwood TS590 and my Navigator since the latter had the K1EL chip in its interface box. Win Key is greyed out when I try to select it after connecting with the Flex. I guess the better question would have been....does Flex Radio support Win Keyer by itself?

Mike Peron

Don, appreciate your response. I really wasn’t poking any fun at SliceMaster but you would be my hero if you get KY CMD to work. I know...I’m in the minority. Your dedication to our hobby is truly amazing and a breath of fresh air

Duane_AC5AA

Flex/SmartSDR has WinKeyer emulation built in.  

Craig_KØCF

However, you must enable a WinKeyer port in Smart SDR CAT, then select that as the WinKeyer in your logger.

Mike Peron

Craig and Duane. You guys are brilliant!! I created a new Winkey COM port in SmartSDT CAT and then set up the same port in HRD's DM780. Instant success!! CW(Winkey) mode in DM780 works just like it had with my Navigator with its K1EL chip fro 5 years. I searched the 210 page SmartSDR User Guide today and couldn't find one mention of this Winkeyer emulation (only saw a small paragraph on how to hook up an external Winkey device). Life is again grand and just time for the CW Contest this weekend!! Many thanks to all on this fine Forum for the great (and timely) Elmer'ing. Wait until I tell the HRD folks how you fixed in hours what they couldn't in weeks (hi, hi). Best 73, Mike WB6UTW

Mike Peron

Don, based on the success of the WinKeyer solution described in this post, I wouldn’t consider implementing KY CMD a high priority unless you’ve had other requests. 73, Mike

K1DBO

Mike, Im happy to hear that the WinKeyer solution is working. I’d tried using it myself with older versions of HRD (a year ago or so) but could never get it to work right. N1MM+ had some initial trouble too but that was quickly corrected. I gave up on HRD. Slice Master came later and it never occurred to me that it could support KY commands until your post here. I’m at the point of it mostly working now. The documentation is pretty light for both the Flex cwx api and the HRD rig control api. But I’m piecing it together. I like the KY approach over the WinKeyer approach because unlike the WinKeyer approach, zero additional configuration will be needed. If you (or anyone else) are interested in testing, drop me an email.

Craig_KØCF

There is a separate SmartSDR CAT manual that you can download that tells a little more about the port types and how they work. Highly recommended!