New PGXL NOW WHAT DO I DO TO MAKE IT OPERATE?

Steve Sterling

Gee, I know Flex is a cottage industry with very few employees, certainly not an Icom or Yaesu, but after spending $7K on something, at least it should have a manual or instructions beyond a single sheet that shows where the input, output and antenna goes, and nothing more. On line is the control software, a firmware update, but no manual or instructions to download that I could find. I guess Flex expects early adopters to teach newbies instead of providing even the basic of instructions.

Trying to get the new amp operational with my Flex 6700. Was planning to just use LAN connection for control-- do we really need to use the PTT line?  Yes, the LAN is working, and the amp sees the Flex 6700, has the serial numbers and all that good stuff on the "radio" page, but it says it doesn't have band data. I can manually set the band using the amp control software, but it the amp won't go into transmit.  Yes, it is in Operate.

Do I need to attach it somehow to the CAT interface to get it band data and the ability to go into transmit?

I feel like the blind man feeling the foot of an elephant! There must be something more with setup, but I can't find anything more to set up other than treat the amp like it was connected to a non-flex radio.  I could have bought an SPE 2 years ago if I wanted to do that.

Steve WA7DUH

Craig_KØCF

Wayne Schonfeld

Make sure you install the Power Genius XL Utility and under flex, establish the radio, antenna and output.  Then push save and your PG will restart.  Hopes this helps.

Erika - KØDD

Erika - KØDD

See there you go.

David-N5PSM

Steve,  I just sent you an e-mail to your QRZ address with my phone number.   I have time and I am available now if you are stuck. 73 de N5PSM

Mike-VA3MW

Jim Gilliam

Erika - KØDD

I have had a manual since it was posted on the website...  I don't even have a PGXL...  EVEN had the Latest PGXL application on my computer for quite a while.  DD

Mark_WS7M

Steve, if you want I'll take your PGXL in trade for my SPE 2K-FA and send you full printed manuals in color!   <grin>

Mike-VA3MW

I gather Steve has it functional now as he doesn't have time to update us!    He must be on the air.  LOL

Steve, if not, this video might help as well.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5bR79Ef7Aw

Steve Sterling

Thanks Craig-- for whatever reason when I originally went looking, following a link on a add-on sticker to the quick guide, all I could find was the firmware upgrade.

Steve Sterling

Doug

Mike-VA3MW

Hi Doug

There is no AC plug since there is no 1 240VAC unique connector.   

Pigtails are bare wires.  You have to add your own 120VAC plug, if for 120 or the 220 plug you might have in your shack.

Mike va3mw

Wayne Schonfeld

The socket on the PG XL has 3 leads.  A ground and 2 hots.  It works with either 120 or 240VAC.  The amplifier self adjusts.  This is my undertanding and how I installed mine.  Any Elmer out there can confirm or correct.

Dan-N7HQ

The subnet and gateway values are blank in the PGXL Windows Utility when the amplifier is set to DHCP because a bug in the utility attempts to save any changes to those values back to the NVRAM in the amplifier, which can create problems difficult to recover from without performing a factory reset.   They are not blank or missing, just not displayed.  If the amplifier is picking up a valid IP address and the radio or the PGXL utility can connect to the amp, then all is well. 

Once the PGXL Windows Utility is updated, the values will be displayed again and the text boxes that hold them will be properly greyed out to prevent editing them. 

Dan

Steve Sterling

Mike-VA3MW

Wayne, if you are not comfortable with house wiring, we highly recommend involving an Electrician.   The PGXL is a high current device and needs to be treated like a stove or dryer.  (sorry for the lecture)

Should something go very wrong and a fire happened, it would not be good.   If you do not follow the Electrical code for your area and your insurance company found it, your insurance would be null and void.

Case in point, here in Ontario about all you can do with house wiring is change an bulb and a light switch.  You can't add a socket anymore!    You have to involve an electrician.  

Mike

Doug

Ah OK Mike, tnx got it no problem I will pick up the plug I am now running a Ten Tec Centurion I wired up for my 220 outlet. Without seeing the cord it was hard to visualize.. Good heath and keep safe 

Erika - KØDD

Steve Sterling

Oh but I got BIT big time doing that last fall that cost me the 2019-2020 contest and DXing season. Had the DHCP server looking at the MAC address of the 6700 when it asked for a lease and then assigning it to a specific IP address. Except about 2 weeks after we escaped the winter for 5 months, intending to run remote for that time as we have done successfully for the last 7 years, the 6700 on it's own UPDATED it's microsoft engine (it was already running SSDR 3.1.8 when we left) and changed it's MAC address. Now why the 6700 decided to change it's MAC address has never been figured out, but the DHCP server saw it as a different device and assigned it a different IP of course. So now the port forwarding set up was trying to forward to the old static IP. Had to fly home to figure it out and fix it last December.

Ah but still no remote. After I flew back to Arizona, because in all the updating, factory resetting of the database performed on the 6700, it lost all it's SmarkLink info to connect to the Maestro that I had left in Arizona, I still could not connect to it. They have to be INITIALIZED on the same physical LAN before taking the Maestro remote.

Erika - KØDD

Dan-N7HQ