Problem with TX profiles for my SO2R setup

Les Brown

I have replaced my 6500 with a 6600M and I'm trying to get SO2R set up. I'm using the same connection cable for PTT (ACC TX). I'm running SSDR 2.4.9. I'm using a 4O3A 2x8 Antenna Genius that allows me to connect either ANT1 or ANT2 to any of 8 antennas. I have set up 2 slices, A and B and I want slice A to always be associated with the SO2R_TX1 profile and slice B to always be associated with the SO2R_TX2 profile, but this doesn't work. It seems that these TX profiles are associated with the band selection. So, if slice A is on 20m using ANT1 for both TX and RX and slice B is on 40m using ANT2 for both TX and RX, then I move slice A to another band, say 80m and move slice B to 20m where slice A was previously, slice B defaults to ANT1 for both TX and RX. I want it to retain its association with ANT2. This way, I can set either slice to any band and keep the slice associated with a fixed antenna selection (ANT1 or ANT2 for both TX and RX). Is this possible? 


73, Les VE3NNT

Niko Halminen

Have you got any answer to this question. I'm facing same issue. Like to know if it's even possible. What i like to have is that Slice A is always locked to ant 1 and Slice B to ant 2 in both TX and RX.

-Niko

Les Brown

Hi Niko,

I didn't get an answer to this question. In the end, I gave up trying to do this and settled for the next best thing. I use Slice A with ANT1 TX and RX for 80m, 20m and 10m, and I use Slice B with ANT2 for TX and RX for 160m, 40m and 15m.

73, Les VE3NNT

Niko Halminen

OK. Thanks Les,

Maybe it's then not possible to do that way. For me it means that radio is not good for SO2R. I need to stick on dual Yaesu radios then. I found out that if I switch band from logging software like DXlog then it wont mess up antenna setup but if band change is made from Maestro or SSDR then it will go wrong. Way you do it now will work in many cases. But like you know it won't work in contest. One example if you want to move multiplier to another band you must have all options also on second radio. In your case you need to stop CQ run on 20m if you want to move multi to 10m. All combinations have to be available to both radios (Slices). Hope this is added to future updates.

I think you know this things very well. I just say it in loud that guys on RX side can see the problem too.

-Niko OH2GEK

Les Brown

Niko,

It's not a perfect solution, but I still find it is ok for SO2R. You still have the 2 radios that can receive on 2 different bands at the same time, Slice A always on ANT1 and Slice B always on ANT2. It's just that I couldn't arrange to be able to have Slice A or Slice B set up to be able to select any band. I had to pick which bands I wanted to use Slice A with and which bands I wanted to use Slice B with.

73, Les VE3NNT

Bill AB7AA

Hi Niko,

There are a number of us who have complained about this and Flex refuses to acknowledge it. Seems like it will be to difficult for them to correct it and manage the two SCR's in the 6700. The work around's that I've seen don't work for me because I like to see diversity reception with two same band antennas on two panadapters arranged over each other. This way I can see the diversity as well as hear it. This works well beyond just hearing, particularly if you use antennas with different characteristics.

This is in addition to the SO2R problem.

73,

Bill AB7AA

Ty K3MM

I've had all sorts of problems with this issue. Using the Maestro menu, if you change a band on a slice, it uses that TX last profile that was on that band rather than sticking with the TX profile for that slice.

Using N1MM, the only way I've been able to get it to work correctly is by typing a frequency in the callsign window. (I use two keyboards with one N1MM computer for SO2R)

You can also use the Ctrl-PGup/down to scroll to a new band IF you are not transmitting on the other slice at the time. If you do that, it immediately tries to switch the TXer to that slice which can cause a minor lockup or worse.

Clicking on the band/mode in the callsign entry window also works sometimes but causes that same problem as above.

73, Ty K3MM

np4zulu

Yeah this issue is aggravating, I got it once to work like that in which slice A had tx1/rx1 and slice b has tx2/rx2 it worked for a while and suddenly went back to this pain.. I blame it on my little knowledge of the radio or bad instructions on the manual. with so many of the die hard contesters moving into flex this season
this issue is going to leave a bad taste on most.

K5XH

Maybe I have been doing it all wrong but I have been using my 6600, PGXL, and 403A 8x2 antenna switch on SO2R RTTY operation for the past couple of years and it seems to work well. It has been some time since I struggled figuring it all out but here is what I did - as best as I can remember. Basically I always have slice A on antenna 1 and B on Ant 2. I made a series of global profiles for the various band combinations - "SO2R 40-80" for example. In this case 40 would be on slice A/Ant 1 and 80 on B/2. Another example would be SO2R 20-40. I also made a group of transmit profiles using the same format. I can't recall just how I set up the transmit profiles. Once I got it all working I haven't changed anything!

I also have global profiles like this: SO2R 40-80 and SO2R 80-40 (same two bands) so I can swap which band I want on the top half of the screen.

To operate on 20/40 I select global profile SO2R 20-40. When 20 dies I select SO2R 40-80. Maybe I got lucky or I don't understand the problem but my setup seems to work. I use N1MM.

I don't have a Maestro so I can't comment on how it works in SO2R. As to the 6600's ability to operate SO2R (at least for RTTY) I can say that it works quite well for me.

73, Mark K5XH

Ty K3MM

> @"Ty K3MM" said:
> I've had all sorts of problems with this issue. Using the Maestro menu, if you change a band on a slice, it uses that TX last profile that was on that band rather than sticking with the TX profile for that slice.
>
> Using N1MM, the only way I've been able to get it to work correctly is by typing a frequency in the callsign window. (I use two keyboards with one N1MM computer for SO2R)
>
> You can also use the Ctrl-PGup/down to scroll to a new band IF you are not transmitting on the other slice at the time. If you do that, it immediately tries to switch the TXer to that slice which can cause a minor lockup or worse.
>
> Clicking on the band/mode in the callsign entry window also works sometimes but causes that same problem as above.
>
> 73, Ty K3MM

Andy - KU7T

I have struggled with this before also. Its one of the things that make me do fewer SO2R operations than I would like. I think the key is to manually switch the antennas and then the correct SO2R profile is being used.

Example: If you switch slice A to ANT1, it will use SO2R_TX1 profile, if you use ANT2 for slice B, it will switch to SO2R_TX2 profile. This is what you want.

This should do it. I sometimes get into the place where I switch bands and the wrong antenna is selected but this can then be fixed manually. Not ideal in the contest, but its not too bad. I think its all related to profiles (which I do not use as I do not find them intuitive).

73

Andy

KU7T

Ty K3MM

Yeah, that’s not much of realistic strategy for a competitive SO2R entry in a contest where it pays to pass mults. For 5 grand I can buy a lot of equipment that will be more stable and therefore more competitive. They need to fix this and soon.

Mark Aaker K6UFO

After WAY too much work, I was once able to get SO2R working on my 6600. The Slices and Profiles seemed to be fighting me the whole time. Since I had to change back to other settings for "normal" daily use SO1R, I have been extremely reluctant to wade in and try getting SO2R working again. I was told by a Flex "Contest Champion" that is just the way they are, and better instructions will be "coming soon."

The difficulty of changing between configurations is a huge disappointment to me. Flex should either simplify the process, or provide clear and tested documentation how to do it. I know the capability it there - its just too hard to use.

Mark K6UFO

Niko Halminen

I think we all know what "coming soon" means. Sidetone for remote winkeying has been "coming soon" for the last four years. With Remoterig it has been working over 10 years...

It's hard to understand why it is so complicated to have some kind of lock option for antennas. I do hope it's "coming soon". Meanwhile Flex is good for DX hunt and net checkins..

I use DXlog and the same thing over there. Antenna behavior is ok if the band is changed from logging software.  From Maestro or SSDR it's a mess.

-Niko

Kari Gustafsson SM0HRP

Hi!

I have as Mark and Andy described been running SO2R with global profiles and tx profiles defined and I have not had any issues with regard to slice A with TX1 and slice B with TX2.

Sometimes it wont work till I discovered that OTRSP port was not correctly configured. That's about it.

With Nodered gurus I even got my "SO2R LED Tower light" helping out on the latest contests using N1MM. So SO2R works well as I see it. Not on pic is the LED light but the PC version.

73 Kari SM0HRP