Have one panadapter track the frequency of another

Ron K2RAS

Is it possible to have one panadapter frequency track another panadapter frequency? The use case is tracking the resonance point when tuning an antenna. The first panadapter is zoomed into the operating band while the second is set much wider to see the relative resonance point while tuning.

Thanks, Ron K2RAS

Bill NE1B

Unfortunately, not in the 6500. It is a standard feature in the 6600 when you press the DIV (Diversity) button, the 2nd receiver tracks the 1st receiver frequency.

73,

Bill, NE1B

Mike VE3CKO

FRStack has a new feature that does just this. It syncs slice B to Slice A. So if you have Slice A at say 3.800, set Slice B to whatever frequency, whatever band, slice B will follow up/down changes in Slice A frequency. Also has a reverse direction option so if you go up 100hz and Slice A, Slice B will go down 100hz.

It's under the Radios tab in the latest FRStack version 3.1.27.56

KD0RC

Hi Ron, not sure what radio you are running, but assuming a 6000 series with SmartSDR, I don't know of a way to directly tune both panadapters at the same time. @Alan and @David Decoons, wo2x have done some amazing things with Node Red, and I suspect that a Node Red flow could be created to cause one slice to track the other. Maybe they can weigh in on the possibility (or better, the practicality) of doing this.

Ron K2RAS

Yes, I am running a 6500 and running NodeRED. Setting up the flow is a little beyond my expertise, I was hoping I had missed some option in SmartSDR.

Thanks, Ron

Al_NN4ZZ

Hi Ron,

Here is a link to an idea I submitted that may do what you are looking for.

https://community.flexradio.com/discussion/6286595/****-slices-idea-to-synch-up-2-slices#latest

Regards Al / NN4ZZ

Al_NN4ZZ

Hi Ron,

Locking two panadapters was an idea I submitted 7 years ago. It was (maybe still is) under consideration. It got some positive feedback at the time. Would this do what you are looking for? Here is a link:

https://community.flexradio.com/discussion/6286595/****-slices-idea-to-synch-up-2-slices#latest

https://community.flexradio.com/discussion/6286595/****-slices-idea-to-synch-up-2-slices

Regards Al / NN4ZZ

Ron K2RAS

Perfect, thanks!

Ron

Mike-VA3MW

@Ron K2RAS For a 2 SCU radio, you could use DIV mode.

KD0RC

Hi Ron, I just coded up my TeensyMaestro (see thread on this forum for more info) to have the two slices track each other. I now have the full band segment on the upper panadapter and zoomed almost all the way in on the lower. I can set my step size on one slice to be 500 or 1000 Hz and the other to be 10 or 100 Hz. When I turn one VFO knob, I can scoot across the band very quickly, and then grab the other knob to tune the desired station in with a more reasonable step size. Both slices stay in lock step across the band. The tuning step used for both is determined by the knob being turned.

If I only have one slice in use, I can still use both knobs at different step sizes, so I got a bonus that I wasn't expecting when I wrote the code. Now I will add a menu option to turn this on and off, and then I will put this new version out on GitHub.

If you wanted this functionality, but didn't want to build the whole TeensyMaestro, you could do it using just the Teensy 4.1 with the ethernet kit ($30) and two optical encoders ($18 each). Without the display, you would not really be able to use the menu system, but for under $70, you would have a very usable set of VFO knobs.

Ron K2RAS

Since FRStack solves the problem I don't want to go all the way of using a Teensy processor. But it looks like you have created a nice solution.

Thanks, Ron

KD0RC

Sounds good Ron. I'm glad you got it solved without having to go to extremes. I am glad you asked the question, it got me to think about a solution for my setup!