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Easier fine tuning with mouse! Comments requested

Bob - W7KWS -
Bob - W7KWS - Member ✭✭
edited April 2019 in New Ideas

I like my 6300 but I've never gotten over lack of a front panel, particularly for fine tuning & volume control.  I've purchased a Tmate 2 and it is an interesting experiment but it still makes me move my hand off the mouse and then back.  I presume that the Flex Control will require the same, extra "back-and-forth".  In a rapid fire contest, this slows things down quite a bit.

I have set the step control for my mouse wheel to 500 Hz. and this works well for landing on top of most signals up and down a band but I still need fine tuning for some signals.

Since I have a five button mouse, it occurred to me that a second step size would be extremely useful.  When holding the third mouse "thumb" button and moving the wheel, the second step selection would be used.  I would set this for 10 Hz. in SSB mode and 1 Hz. in CW mode.

73,

Bob, W7KWS

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  • Kevin LaFata
    Kevin LaFata Member ✭✭
    edited January 2015
    Bob,  I'm working on a "midi" controller interface for exactly that. I'm using an Akai APC40 (usually meant for music production) that seems like a good fit, plenty of buttons and knobs.  One knob in particular is speed sensitive so I can have it go in smaller steps when turned slow and increase the step size when its turned faster.    I know there's a "flexcontrol" that does something similar, but that's only one knob and a few buttons.  The midi interface can be used to control everything from RF power to bandwidth and volume/balance. I'm not a contester , but I could see that being useful possibly.

    I have another message somewhere (I need to find it) that points to a video of it working. I'll see if I can dig that up when I get home later.


  • Gerald-K5SDR
    Gerald-K5SDR FlexRadio Employee ✭✭
    edited April 2019
    Bob, you can program the buttons on the FlexControl to change the function of the main knob.  I have mine set up so that the buttons change the knob from tuning to AF, AGC-T, and RIT respectively.  I can clear each one by pressing the main knob to return to tuning.
  • Bob - W7KWS -
    Bob - W7KWS - Member ✭✭
    edited February 2018

    Hi Gerald,

    Good to hear from the top.  It's just about as nice as the in depth conversation you, K2XT and I had at Dayton last year.  The FlexRadio support is A1+.

    Regarding the Flex Control, I haven't tried one since the functionality you mention in your reply is also programmable on my Tmate 2.  I've found it useful but it slows me down when shifting between point & click and dial control of the radio.

    The mouse button in my feature request would make tuning a one hand and a one device operation.  My left foot will be on the foot switch PTT and eyes on the spectrum display.

    I guess the left hand could do the logging but I suppose a friend would be better for that.

    Thanks for the input, Gerald, and I hope that you find my mouse request worth consideration.  See you in Dayton.

    Best Regards,

    Bob, W7KWS

  • DrTeeth
    DrTeeth Member ✭✭
    edited December 2018
    The tuning step box also accepts text inputs so you can define your own steps.
  • Roy Laufer
    Roy Laufer Member ✭✭
    edited January 2015
    Bob, Any chance you can describe how you are interfacing your Tmate2 to SmartSDR? Or are you using another third party control software. I sent the people involved in selling the Tmate2, if they were still working on a driver for direct SSDR control, but no one ever emailed me back. 73, Roy, AC2GS
  • Bob - W7KWS -
    Bob - W7KWS - Member ✭✭
    edited December 2016
    Roy,

    I'm using N4PY Pegasus which connects directly to SmartSDR. I don't believe it uses any COM ports or the CAT interface, but I've forgotten the details. You can read the documentation at N4PY.

    Bob, W7KWS
  • Bob - W7KWS -
    Bob - W7KWS - Member ✭✭
    edited December 2016
    Hi Gerald,

    It's been five months since I suggested this. Since then you have announced the Maestro & I entered my order within a few minutes of you showing it in Dayton.

    Despite this, I want to reiterate the third mouse button idea for fine tuning.

    The Flex Control & Maestro are fine but I use a Mouse with my Windows tablet in remote mode when I'm away from the radio.  The Bluetooth mouse is still my best solution for the tablet.  The third, fine-tune-mouse-button, would be a great addition in this "most used" situation.

    Thanks!

    image

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