Flex 6K, 2KFA and Antenna Genius combo. Looking for some input.

Clay N9IO

Currently running a Flex 6600.
Just purchased Antenna Genius 8x2 (not in line yet)
SPE 2KFA coming next month.

Mainly asking those who own the 2KFA does this workflow make sense to you.
I don't plan to use the 6 outputs of the 2KFA I think the AG makes more sense.
Am I on the right path?

Mark_WS7M

KF4HR

W5AP

I've used the two 2KFA inputs from two K3's and set up the antenna switching to appropriate antennas within the 2KFA for SO2R and it worked perfectly.   I didn't use the SO2R input however and am also curious about issues there. But now that I think about it, I'm not sure about any bleed over from one radio to the receive of the other. I tried to solve it with bandpass filters and antenna separation.  So I guess if your saying that if you have the 2KFA set up as I do for 2 inputs to any possible 6 outputs, you're not really receiving on Ant 2 if transmitting on Ant 1.  I didn't know that.

Rick N4RZ

ctate243

I have both an Expert 2k and a PGXL.  PGXL Is the only amp that can do this without using an external listenting antenna as a full duplex solution.

Lee - N2LEE

Clay N9IO

Lee you are heading down the same road but you are much further into this.
Please keep posting to this thread as you progress.
I have been trying to figure how the logic would work switching between pans as well as the Antenna Genius.
I am very interested in your idea of the TX-IHB. Many failsafes built in to the 2K-FA also well thought out on the Flex.
This all for SO2R. On another note my reasoning for the Antenna Genius instead of using the 6 outputs on the 2K is that I use all of my antennas for receive chasing DX when using just one slice and pan as well as the RX Ant ports with pennants. So thinking the logic throughout each process is important. Sorry doing a little editing here as I go between my xyl's different Dr's appointments.

Clay N9IO

Thanks Mark, there is always the possibility of Ant 2 going straight to the AG port 2 input bypassing the 2K Radio 2 input if need be. It likely wouldn't change any of my plans only the logic would change slightly perhaps. The timing on the AG availability is the factor for me. I'm sure when the backlog clears there will be some happy campers out there but I think I will be able to cope with my decision. Ha☺️ Mark I remember the network antenna switch project you helped W9IE with the coding on that project. You're very good and now the WS7M Logger.

Lee - N2LEE

Clay I have to admit this has taken me some time to get my head around this topic. I actually sat down with a good ham buddy who is also a very smart engineer, to lay this out on paper. Its not that difficult but I was having a hard time making sure I understood how this should work.

I will give your RX only antenna situation some thought but this does add another level of complexity. But obviously Big Gun stations work exactly the same way and listen on beverages or four squares, so this can be done.

My main issue is I did not want to be limited to receiving on a multiband antenna while transmitting the main antenna. I believe my test show with a simple 6x2 antenna switch driven by a band decoder that this is not that hard. And I am not using the4 antenna ports on the SPE either. 

I actually think the SPE (while not perfect) does a very good job of eliminating a lot of the gear necessary to do SO2R.