Demoing the wonderful new SmartControl feature in v3.1.7

ctate243

Jim Gilliam

ctate243

Rick- K2RB

I want to thank the team for a great upgrade.  The installation went smooth, but what counts is the many ramifications of this upgrade.  Great to be able to use the controls on the m version, but what really takes it to the next level is with a separate Maestro.  Now with my IPAD pro I can use my Maestro to control many functions.  For example, I now can use my keyer to send cw.  Then a really cool function is the benefit of the digital voice recorder on the ipad works flawlessly,  plus this gives the opportunity to use a larger screen and extra features while traveling or even on my deck or relaxing in the kitchen.   With a laptop and the maestro controls keying is now possible.   I find the extra maestro to be a real winner.  At home the ability to control the pandapter also just adds to flexibility and the ability to decide what ergonomics are import to the individual operator.  Great upgrade and thanks again for all the effort to get it done.  Rick, K2RB

Rick Hadley - W0FG

SmartControl is wonderful, and I've been surprised about the relative lack of excitement shown here on the community.  To me, it's the greatest thing since remote control was added in V2...more important to me than MultiFlex.  The Maestro is now getting regular useage and I've been able to retire my 2nd Flex Control knob.  I just keep the first one as a volume control when the Maestro is connected to the 2nd radio as a primary control surface.

ctate243

I totally agree.. its the killer v3 app for me..

Gene Duprey

I agree, one of the big additions. I can now run 2 slices on the Maestro and a 3rd or 4th on my iPad. Gene, K1GD

Brian Denley KB1VBF

Same here! Upgrade of my Flex 6400 was smooth and using my Maestro and SmartControl is a very nice feature.

Asher - K0AU

Is there any documentation for the SmartControl feature? If I'm running SmartSDR for Windows and connect a Maestro do all the buttons just work? What does the Maestro screen do? Local iambic keying works? Is CW sidetone conveyed for local keying, CWX keying, remote Winkeying, keying at the radio's key port? I've been waiting for this feature for a couple years, but would like a bit of documentation to understand if the Maestro can replace my RemoteRig LAN setup that I use to carry audio, PTT and keying. Or should I just think of it as a bigger control surface to replace my FlexControl?

Rick- K2RB

New Maestro PDF as of September 16 2019.   I found info there.  Rick, K2RB

Asher - K0AU

ctate243

Asher I current think your understanding is correct.  but it is a pretty robust control surface with buttons, tuning and function knobs all operational. Remote side tone remains an issue.

Asher - K0AU

Chris - thanks. Still hopeful for a release someday that combines the Maestro audio/ptt/keying capabilities with the remote control surface. And resolves the remote sidetone issues.

You're on the Alpha team. Does anyone in product management look at config block diagrams? I have a whole rack worth of stuff wrapping around a 6700 and a PGXL to support LAN remote control for little pistol contesting and DXing.

ctate243

We have several team members on alpha, myself included who have pretty extensive specialized contest stations and diagrams thereof and some have been shared with the team. I cant talk about future product enhancements, but the remote cw/dig sidetone issue is well documented with the team.   I would love to take a look at yours if you have something to share.

Asher - K0AU

sure. Will send some diagrams to your QRZ email

Asher - K0AU





Here's a simplified block diagram. RF connections are only in the garage. Only connections to the rest of house are power and a MM fiber. I'd like to eliminate the RemoteRig (been my goal since I started this journey in August 2013). The serial converter (Moxa) is there because the RemoteRig serial support was way too fragile. The K1EL Winkeyer was originally there because of bugs in the V1 Flex Winkey support. Now it's there so I get contest sidetone. The various DLI boxes give me positive reset control over the radios and amps.

Ideally I'd eliminate the RemoteRig boxes in favor of a Maestro. I'd eliminate the Winkeyer in favor of native support. I'd eliminate the serial converters in favor of a "CAT serial pass-through mode" that I could fan out of the Flex using USB to EIA-232 adapters.

I'm also strongly anti-shim software on the client side. I find the shims like DDUtil, AG client, even the serial client for the Alpha Amp are unstable and unpredictable in contests.

Anyway, slightly off topic. Glad that Flex released the SmartControl feature and always looking for guidance if I'm missing a best-practice on LAN remote station-building. 

ctate243

I also am nervous about shim software.  I am not a fan of the AG client, and further not a fan that if its shut down, it shorts all the ports.  The contest station is sophisticated enough with 6 op positions that the software is necessary.. so Im kind of stuck using it.

ctate243

why do you need the K1EL for contest sidetone with the RRC?  why not just use the cw keyer with RRC?

Asher - K0AU