Antenna Genius PTT Hotswiching Protection with Flex 6600

Lawrence Libsch

I have recently received my Antenna Genius v2 plus. It has two pairs of PTT input and output RCA ports for hotswitching protection. The 6600 has only one PTT RCA port. I find no information in the user guide about using the PTT ports. Is there a way to configure this hardware for PTT port hotswitching protection when using the 6600 for SO2R?

Larry, K4KGG

Ron Koenig

PTT is for... PTT, like a foot switch.

You can configure the TX1, TX2, TX3 RCA Jacks to go low when you TX.

Connecting TX1 and TX2 on the 6600 to the PTT Inputs on the AG, then configuring them in Settings / Tx Band settings for the appropriate bands will give you your hot switch protection.

The PTT Out on the AG would be to send the same signal to another device.

Lawrence Libsch

Ron,

Town height restrictions preclude towers. My antennas are all wires in trees. I have a coupled resonator dipole for 10,12,15M and another for 17, 20, and 30M. I have a 40, 80M vertical and hope soon to have an inverted L for 160M as well as a magnetic loop for receive on 160, 80M. How do I get the AG to keep me from TX on 10M and RX on 15M on the same antenna at the same time. And same question for he 40, 80M antenna time? Do I need the HS protection?

I'm hoping to implement a hardware setup : 6600 - Low Band Systems Contester II bypass filters - PGXL - AG - antennas and am hoping to bring the AG and Low Band Systems Contester II bypass filters into operation before I open my wallet for the PGXL. I have worked SO2R with 100 watts with the 6600, but am concerned about damaging the 6600 receive with 1500 watts because my antennas are in close proximity.

Club Log search shows I've worked you 17 times, quite probably all contests. I envy your antenna farm.

Larry, K4KGG

Mr Radio

This site presents several configuration possiblilities:

https://4o3a.com/automation-diagrams

Lawrence Libsch

Ron,

Thanks for your advice. I need to study how to configure the Settings/ TX Band Settings and may come back to you for help with that. Would I want to connect the PTT out on the AG to the PGXL?

Mr. Radio,

Thanks for the link to the 4O3A configuration suggestions. None of them seem to apply to my proposed hardware setup : 6600 - Low Band Systems Contester II bypass filters - PGXL - AG - antennas with a single op working SO2R.

Larry, K4KGG

Ron Koenig

Larry,

Assuming the PGXL is keyed by Cat6 there would be no reason to send the PTT signal to it.

It could be sent to your BPF if they are the switching type, or anything with PTT Lockout / Hotswitch protection.

If you only have single antennas per band, and the AG is auto switched per band by the 6600, there is no need for hotswitch protection as the 6600 won't switch bands while TX. If you are using the AG App with multiple antennas per band, the HS protection would prevent you accidentally clicking an antenna while in TX.

FRS told us at Dayton in 2019 that AG Switching would be native in SSDR precluding the need for any of this. But that went the way of the dodo.

I would be nice if in future AG Firmware the switch could be Aware of TX state when used with Flex and put changes into a que until the the state changes to RX. This would protect the switch and delete the cabling.

Ron, WV4P

KD0RC

Hi Larry, Take a look at the Flex Full Duplex Power Calculation Worksheet. It will let you know if you can safely operate SO2R with your configuration.

It takes antenna proximity and power into account.

https://www.flexradio.com/documentation/flex-6000-fdx-power-calculation-worksheet/

Lawrence Libsch

Len,

Thanks. I have run the numbers in the past.

Larry, K4KGG

Mike-VA3MW

I have recently received my Antenna Genius v2 plus. It has two pairs of PTT input and output RCA ports for hotswitching protection. The 6600 has only one PTT RCA port. I find no information in the user guide about using the PTT ports. Is there a way to configure this hardware for PTT port hotswitching protection when using the 6600 for SO2R?

tldr; not required

If you use a 6600 with a AG all you need is a LAN cable and let the devices communicate via the LAN connection for logouts, etc.

If you want more under the cover details, you can contact 403A at their web site (403a.com) and they will get you the details. Make sure you clearly explain the setup you are working on. A diagram helps.

Many many contestors run a 6600, PGXL, TGXL and a 2x8 AG all via LAN switching control without issue. PTT / RCA connections are not required in an all Flex solution.