V3 with DDutil and KPA500/KAT500 Problem

Cal N3CAL

What changed in V3 with regards to DDUtil?  I've updated my 6600 to V3 yesterday and immediately noticed my Elecraft KPA500 and KAT500 no longer follows the 6600 band changes.  I'm using DDUtil which shows the amp and tuner stuck on 20 meters (the KAT500 tuner used to follow/auto switch it's antenna ports based on band selection)  I can still control the amp and tuner through DDUtil with manual mouse clicks but it no longer follows the radio automatically?  Anyone else seeing this?  DDUtil V3.2.6.05  

Greg N8GD

Try upgrading DDUtil to V3.2.7.0.5, the latest version.

Cal N3CAL

No Joy!  Updated DDUtil to V3.2.7.0.5 and still have the issue?? 

Cal/N3CAL

Burch - K4QXX

Darn.  Not being able to use DDUtil is a show stopper to me.  I will definitely be staying on version 2 until DDUtil is updated.  I rely on it too much with my station setup.

Cal N3CAL

Everything has been great on V2 with DDUtil running on my shack computer!   Now the auto settings by band don't work and everything is AFU!  I'm pressed for time so unless the Alpha testers can comment on this issue I'm going back to V2.  Seems I just wasted $199.00. 

Only a hunch but I wonder if this new "TX Band Settings " are effecting DDutil? 

Hey Flex!!!   Any comment????

Cal/N3CAL

John - K3MA

I posted the question yesterday as I was seeing the same behavior and it got exactly NO Replies from any of the Alpha testers or Flex employees.

https://community.flexradio.com/flexradio/topics/ddutil-and-smartsdr-v3

Cal N3CAL

Thanks for the reply John.  I wish this community search would list threads by age/date.  Your thread didn't show up when I started this thread.  I guess all the Alphas are silent because they have signed non-disclosures?  Nothing negative.   FWIW I posted this problem on the DDUtil group and response was DDutil is not compatible with SSDR V3.0 yet.   Will have to revert back to V2 and wait and see how all this comes out.  I'm very disappointed. 

To me issues like this should have made the release notes.  I'm sure there were testers out there that knew about this!  :-(

Cal/N3CAL

Dan Trainor

Before releasing any major SW release a manufactures coordinates with all their major partner 3rd party SW suppliers to ensure when the release happens, all the other 3rd party SW packages have been updated and work. Standard practice. In this sense the 3rd party SW suppliers are both Alpha testers and development partners in terms of updating thier own SW for interoperability with Flex radio.  They work closely together as with an external interface such as FlexAPI, the environment is a multi-vendor eco-system. It is that "system" that we actually use. dan

John - K3MA

Cal sorry you wasted your money at this time when my post might have saved you the trouble.  I won't say anything more negative than that as experience shows it is not worth the time I would invest to post it.

David Decoons, wo2x

I used to use DDUtil to have the KPA1500 follow frequency but I switched to the KXUSB from amp serial port to USB port on the radio. I have it set to follow active TX slice. Reason I switched was ability to run remote without depending on a PC on in the shack.

Does the KPA500/KAT500 combo allow connection to radio USB directly?

Dave wo2x

Burch - K4QXX

DDUtil does more than just control amps.  It controls my StepIR antenna and also provides rig control to HRD without having to use the HRD rig control software.  Not being able to use DDUtil is a show stopper for me regarding V3.  I won't be purchasing V3 until DDUtil has been updated. I know there are other ways and other software to accomplish the same thing but the nice thing about DDUtil is everything is built into one piece of software instead of having to use multiple programs to accomplish the same thing.

Cal N3CAL

I also forgot to mention HRD Logbook no longer tracks the band/freq with V3.  I had it setup through DDUtil as well. 

Cal/N3CAL

David Decoons, wo2x

Until DDUtil is updated I reverted to Mini Deluxe

Mike-VA3MW

Hi Burch

You do know that you can have the radio send band data directly to your Steppir and you don't need a PC involved at all?  The same with most amplifiers.

Mike

Burch - K4QXX

Have tried many times to do this and I can't get the Steppir to work with the USB connection to the radio.  You do lose some functionality doing it this way as it will only follow the frequency.  Can not reverse or change to 3/4 wave on the vertical.

ctate243

Why yes it does.  the KPA/KAT portions of the K-line can track band data via CAT cables just great.  They also support autosensing (no the best solution) and they both provide computer based utilities..  Until I got my PGXL, I was using a combined solution to make all this work in my shack.  

Burch - K4QXX

Does using the USB connection on the back of the radio require a different serial cable (null modem)?  Whenever I try and use the USB to serial connection, I see it show up in SSDR but it won't control the StepIR.  I use the same serial cable as I use for DDUtil from a serial port on my computer to the serial port on the StepIR control box.

DH2ID

The latest version is 3.2.7.0.9. You can get it here: http://k5fr.com/binary/
You can try if it works with V3, but don't forget that it is freeware and
dependent on Steven, who does the programming in his free time.
I am using 2.4.9 and MiniDeluxe. No problem there...

Cal N3CAL

Alex,  I did download and try the 3.2.7.0.9 beta but it does not work with SSDR V3.  Steven has confirmed DDUtil is not yet compatible with SSDR V3. 

Cal/N3CAL

Reggie

When you connect the KPA500 and KAT500 to the Flex USB ports directly, you have to manage the max input power to the amp.  In the past I ran with this setup and set the Flex max output power to 30 watts. When I wanted to run barefoot, I had to change the Flex max output power to 100 watts. With DDutil, it automatically reduces the input power based on the power configuration I set in the program. 


Reggie N3OP 

KM0T

I too have the same issue, all works fine with new DDUtil for power settings for Autodrive, but wont follow my Expert 1.3K.  Tested all good on 2.49 right before update.  The new version update of DDUtil did not populate the checkbox for "Follow Radio" or "Kenwood", so I got those back in there, but it wont follow band changes.

Harold Rosee

Cal,

I have the same problem with my 6600M and my KPA500.  I did find what's happening.  It doesn't work when you change bands but if you tune manually from say 7 mhz to 14 mhx the amp follows just find.  If you look at the main DDUTIL form it shows the radio frequency it sees at the top of the form.  On band switches using the band buttons in SmartSDR it does not update.  Tuning manually the frequency follows just fine.  I reported this directly to Steve so will have to wait and see what happens.

Are you saying it works find in V2 of SmartSDR?  If so I'll just downgrade until it's fixed in V4 of ddutil.

Harold

Cal N3CAL

Harold,  DDUTIL V4 has been released and works with SSDR V3 now.  Here is the link for download: http://www.k5fr.com/binary/DDUtil40109_Setup.zip

Ca l/ N3CAL

Harold Rosee

Thanks Cal.  Got it and it solved my problem.

Harold
W5ZZT