Spots source question.

Rich McCabe

I have successfully used Spots since it was first introduced. I am curious from Flex standpoint if they are just listening on all local ports for UDP ?

The reason I ask is I am getting random spots on the panadapter and not sure where they are coming from. Its possible SmartSDR is picking up UPD from Log4OM where I am outputting on port 2242 for Gridtracker. That said its intermittent.

In researching this I saw someone showing two different spots sources in SmartSDR that were different colors.

The manual is not really clear on this. I think it just talks about turning on Spots and then how to customize the visual aspects of them.

I would like to figure out where these spots are coming from and then advance from there.

Rich

kd0zv

Rich McCabe

PS: I have no additional spot ports setup in SmartSDR CAT. So must be coming in on something default.

VE7ATJ_Don

Hi Rich...how are you picking up spots? I have to use FRStack which is configured to get them from VE7cc.net.

I'm not aware of any capability for the Flex to directly pick up Spots on its own, but I may be sorely out of touch with the latest changes.

Also, for others in the community, is there a way to specifically pick up SOTA and POTA spots?

Thanks

Rich McCabe

Hi Don,

That's the million dollar question. I have used FRstack and Slicemaster but neither of them are running. I just started using SDC connector recently but its not running either.

I know FRstack and SliceMaster can send spots the the Flex without adding any additional "Spots" ports to SmartSDR CAT so Flex must have something enabled by default.

And yes I agree, SmartSDR cant pick up spots on its own. Would be awesome if they would add that feature to the side panel with mode/band filtering !

I am assuming that I have something running in the background that did not shut down but would like to know if Flex is listening on certain ports by default.

Rich

KD0RC

I run ACLog by N3FJP. It feeds spots to my Flex 6400 using the Flex API. So if you have something running that uses the API (like N3FJP), then your spots could be coming in that way.

Martin_G4ENZ

Rich,

Just a thought. If you select the no-**** option in SDC, it will go and hide in your system tray.

Just check and see that it isn't in the tray and still sending spots to your panadapter.

73 Martin

Rich McCabe

Thanks Martin. Do not have that checked

It appears that SmartSDR can get spots via a port or the API.

Not sure where my rogue spots were coming from.

Rich

VE7ATJ_Don

Hi Rich... another thought..... I use Log4OM as well and have noticed lately that although I've identified OmniRig in Log4OM as the interface for CAT to the Flex, I'm not having to actually turn on OmniRig anymore to have Log4OM track with Flex.

Here's how Log4OM CAT interface is configured:

Notice it says Use Omnirig.

Now, I also have the TCI (TCPIP) interface configured, a la:

But, as shown before, Log4OM has been told to use OmniRig for CAT.

HOWEVER, now when I run Log4OM with my Flex, the two track each other, even tho OmniRig is not running!

So, I'm wondering if the CAT is picking up commands from the TCP port -- i.e. Log4OM is sending info via both.

If that's the case, it's possible that Log4OM might also send Spot info as well. I'll have to try configuring Log4OM for Spots and see what happens.

But, this could be the source of your Spots....

Erik Carling EI4KF

I did not see any answer to Don's request for a SOTA / POTA Spot source. Here in EU we use a DX Cluster, fed as always to the PAN via the API.

Hello EI4KF, this is N1RBD-2 in Duluth, GA

Welcome to the N1RBD-2 Global DX Spotting Network for POTA and SOTA running on DXSpider

The Cluster address is dxc.n1rbd.radio on port 7300

You will see raw text like this

DX de BD7JNA-#  24903.0 JJ2JQF/7   <CW> JP-1097 Abukuma Kogen Chu 1003Z

DX de DF1RL:   7005.7 M0NJW    <CW> G-0746 Kiveton Community 1003Z

DX de SA6JOF:  14187.0 OE3BIY    <SSB> AT-0176 Wienerwald Biosp 1003Z

DX de JG2HPG:   7063.0 JG2HPG/2   <SSB> JP-1426 Toki Mikuniyama 1003Z

DX de EA1BUL:  14334.0 LZ/DF9HC   <SSB> LZ-0016 Vitosha Nature P 1003Z

Depending on your API connected host you will be able to mouse over the Pan Spots and get the info.

Out with Flex involvement, so far as I know, alternatives would be web based sources such as SOTA Watch and pota.app

Rich McCabe

Thanks for response Don,

Well as a FYI Omni Rig runs in the background. Log4OM does not start or stop that program but can use it for CAT. The TCI as shown in your screenshot above is for SUNSDR radios.

If you go back tot he first tab on your CAT management page, what does it say under CAT engine?

Typically its HamLib or OmniRig

Regardless, I am not using TCI spot management but its a good thought.

BTW, I am part of the Log4OM team.

Rich

VE7ATJ_Don

Hi Rich... great to hear you are part of the Log4OM team. I love the program!

On my Log4OM, the CAT mgmt page says OmniRig. Previously, yes, to get the Flex to talk to Log4OM, I would have to actually click on the OmniRig icon and then leave the settings window that came up running in the background. If I clicked on OK, then OmniRig would stop running and I'd lose connection to the Flex. Now, I don't need to run OmniRig at all. Or does CAT autostart flag mean that Log4OM is automagically starting up OmniRig whenever I start Log4OM?

I did some more checking and after configuring the Cluster Spots, I can now get spots showing up in Log4OM and clicking them causes the Flex to track properly. But I'm not actually seeing the spots in the Flex panadapter, as I would if I were using FRStack. Still looking....

Rich McCabe

Its a great program. I started using it from early days and Lele (Danielle) invited me to join the alpha team a few years ago.

Omni Rig is actually a program developed by someone else that we install during our install process to allow Cat Communication. As I said you have 2 options with the Flex. OmniRig and HamLib. Both have their advantages.

But clarification. What I meant to say above is we start OmniRig when we start the program but its another developers product. You can choose to install it during the regular Log4OM and if you look at your task manager you will see it fire up when Log4OM.

But sounds like you are still using OmniRig

I have sent spots to the Flex several ways including FRstack and Slice Master but was confused why I was getting them with all apps shut off.

I am leaning towards it being a quirk with SDC connector because the brackets from his 5NN function are remaining on the panafall even the next day

I am going to talk to Yurl at SDC about that.

Rick N0VT

You guys know you can connect your Flex to L4OM via hamlib instead of using COM ports/Omnirig, right?

This arrangement will track slice A and slice B simultaneously on the L4OM readout.

Rich McCabe

Yup. As I said above they both have advantages.

Hamlib will handle two slices so you can jump between slices and the active slice logs to log4om very nice. But I have found its finicky to startup in the right order. So if I have to close something I normally closed everything and restarted in the right order.

As a matter of fact, I introduced Don (SliceMaster) to Danielle at Log4om and those two worked together to tighten up the integration using SliceMaster and HamLib.

VE7ATJ_Don

Hi Rich... when I try to configure Log4OM to do this, everything on the Hamlib screen is greyed out. Once, it suddenly appeared again and I was able to setup the TCP port, but now everything is greyed out again, and the actual 'tracking' is very slow (1-2 second delay after changing frequency) and only one slice is showing.

Is there some 'sequence' required to get this working?

Rich McCabe

Don, drop me an email at R.mccabe@iowawebhosting.com and I will work through this with you. I have it on my list of to-do's to switch back to HamLib myself to do some test.

Rich

Rich McCabe

https://community.flexradio.com/discussion/comment/20610084#Comment_20610084

Rick for some reason your images did not appear earlier for me. Are you running slicemaster as well or have you added ports to SmartSDR CAT?

The only way I have had much success is using SliceMaster and turning on TCP CAT TX Listener which switches the TX slice to be logged.

If you are not using Slicemaster what is the rest of your setup for port 7820?

Thanks sir!

Rich