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Auto selection of RX antenna

AH0U
AH0U Member ✭✭
edited May 2020 in FLEX-6000 Signature Series

On 160 and 80 meters I use an RX ant in A port is there a way to set my 6700 so when I go to there bands I do not have to manually set the RX antenna??  So that it automatically uses that antenna without my having to tell it..

tnx

Answers

  • Ian1
    Ian1 Member ✭
    edited May 2020
    You can create a 80m and 160M profile it will save antenna parameters as well as Mic and Transmitter I have many profile for many slices. Ian
  • Steve G1XOW
    Steve G1XOW Member ✭✭
    edited May 2020
    Bruce,

    Cannot do it in SSDR. This issue goes hand in glove with the ability to properly select multiple antenna options via the USB bit cable. It needs more flexibility for TX/RX antenna etc, but also must have on-screen visibility of which antenna is in use. Additionally the ATU also needs to recognise the fact than many ops do in fact have more than one antenna connected.

    Presently you can have antenna selections, but you can't see what/when, and you cannot specify TX/RX antenna choices, and the ATU will insist on re-matching the same antennas when swapping over (memory vs ant number needed). In my opinion this area of SSDR is sadly lacking.

  • Jim Gilliam
    Jim Gilliam Member ✭✭
    edited December 2017
    I found remoting the Palstar can be programmed to switch antenna according to the frequency plan you program. The tuner measures the frequency of the input and switches accordingly. Palstar has a very efficient tuner using a roller inductor and large variable capacitors, rather than switching in lumped components for the tuning solution.
  • K1UO - Larry
    K1UO - Larry Member ✭✭
    edited January 2018
    Bruce,       As mentioned by KM4CQG's response, just set up the slice and antenna parameters the way you want them for 160 (or any Band for that matter) and then in SSDR , or with a Maestro , go to profiles and save those settings.  For example, if you are setting up 160 cw parameters and antenna selection just save that profile as "160 CW".  The next time you want that same setup to come up just select profiles, choose 160 cw and press load.   This will set up your radio exactly as you saved it .
    I have profiles set up for All Bands and Modes    (example: 160 CW,  160 SSB, 160 TTY, 160 FT8)   I never use the SSDR "BAND" buttons, I just select the Band/Mode I wish to use from my profile list.  To each his own...  I am just used to this method.
    73 and HNY
  • EA4GLI
    EA4GLI Salvador Member ✭✭
    edited December 2017
    I use profiles quite a lot due to being the only way to manage several SATs and many different antenna permutations. I have to agree with Steven, profiles are very rudimentary.

    Everytime I select a profile I have to manually set all the display options, which panadapter takes preferences, which one is on top and which one is below, which waterfall darkness per band per antenna per gain, etc...... I cannot group profiles into folders i.e. FM Sats, SSB Sats, EME, Telemetry, etc... I cannot even sort the list in any way, I cannot move profiles up and down. I cannot hotlink to "most used" profiles, etc.... GUI is in dear need of some loving.

    I am not flaming anyone, I use my 6700 daily and enjoy it..... but the workflow, the GUI, the peculiarities can get to you everytime you use it for anything but ragchewing on 80m SSB.
  • Jerry NY2KW
    Jerry NY2KW Member
    edited December 2017
    Wow,  I have not gotten to this point but was planning to do so very soon.  I am really shocked that the current software profile doesn't provide this kind of flexibility particularly when mixing different antennas for different digital modes. 
  • EA4GLI
    EA4GLI Salvador Member ✭✭
    edited December 2017
    OK, So I am on Slice A on 40m and I want to open a second panadapter for Slice B on 80m, and that one should be on RxA. How do you do that with a profile?
  • EA4GLI
    EA4GLI Salvador Member ✭✭
    edited January 2018
    I will also give you another scenario.... and this is again, not flaming, just providing user input as to some of the things FRS might want to look at when working on improving Profiles.

    Lets say I am on my the AO-91 SAT, and at the same time AO-07 is crossing my airspace. I have these SATs selected as profiles. Ideally, given that I have a pontential for 8 slices/panadapters would be to allow me to ADD new panadapters instead of replacing the current ones. But I cannot do that, I have to come up with different profiles with all the possible permutations (mathematically impossible), or I have to manually open 2 new panadapters, select the band and antenna combo, input frequency, options such as CTSS if it is FM sat, etc... In most sats you have about 10min for a pass...

    I can add a Slice with a Memory and that will not replace the current Slices, but it will not select any of the other options, such as RX antenna.

  • EduardoCarvalho
    EduardoCarvalho Member ✭✭
    edited May 2020
    Does anybody know if DDUtil or another software is capable of managing antenna selections based on band? I have looked but have not been able to find anything. Eduardo, KC8R
  • Steve G1XOW
    Steve G1XOW Member ✭✭
    edited December 2017
    It does. However, the PSTrotator app does it much better. http://www.qsl.net/yo3dmu/index_Page346.htm
    You can actually see what antenna you have selected, what a revelation!

  • EduardoCarvalho
    EduardoCarvalho Member ✭✭
    edited December 2017
    Steven, 

    Thank you for the response. Where in DDUtil's settings is that capability?
  • Steve G1XOW
    Steve G1XOW Member ✭✭
    edited December 2017
    http://k5fr.com/DDUtilV3wiki/index.php?title=USB-8_Relay_Board

  • Ian1
    Ian1 Member ✭
    edited May 2020
    Hi Bruce

    This Thread took on a life of it's own and I am not sure what info you got that was relevant to your original question.

    Ian
    KM4CQG

    14.2 TRANSMIT PROFILES
    Transmit profiles manage the transmitter power and interlock settings. The power settings are saved by band, while the interlock settings apply to all bands. The power settings include the transmitter power level, tune power level, ALC, and transverter tune and power levels. The interlock settings include the TX Delay, PTT Timeout, and the controls for the various transmitter engaged signals. A complete list of the settings is provided in section 15.
    NOTE: Power settings are saved for every band in a Transmit profile. To save the appropriate power settings set a slice as the TX Slice. Tune to every band you want to save a power setting for and change the setting. After this is done save the Transmit profile.
    The Transmit profile can be selected with the Profile Manager, or by selecting it from the drop-down menu which is located just above the TUNE and MOX buttons in the TX panel.
    Transmit profiles are linked to the TX Antenna setting in the transmit slice. When the antenna used by the transmit slice is changed, the Transmit profile associated with the new antenna selection is invoked. For example:
    1. Slice A is the transmit slice. TX ANT is ANT1
    2. Slice B is NOT the transmit slice. TX ANT is ANT2
    3. Load SO2R_TX1 Transmit profile. (This Transmit profile is now automatically linked to ANT1)
    4. Set Slice B as the transmit slice.
    5. Load SO2R_TX2 Transmit profile. (This Transmit profile is now automatically linked to ANT2)
    6. Set Slice A as the transmit slice. (This loads the SO2R_TX1 Transmit profile)
    7. Change Slice A TX ANT to ANT2. (This loads the SO2R_TX2 Transmit profile)
    To associate a Transmit profile with a TX antenna, select the TX Antenna you wish to associate in the transmit slice, then load or save a Transmit profile using the Profile Manager, or select an existing Transmit profile using the drop-down menu.
  • EA4GLI
    EA4GLI Salvador Member ✭✭
    edited December 2017
    The quick answer about the question of Auto Selection of rX antenna is that IT CANNOT BE DONE,, because profiles are rudimentary and band stacking doesn't work properly, which is what was brought forth by many. The copy/pasted text from the manual only refers to TX antenna and not RX antenna.
  • Steve G1XOW
    Steve G1XOW Member ✭✭
    edited December 2017
    your solution does not deal with RX antenna, and is also not automatic, which is what the original poster was asking for.

    A global profile would allow a profile with split of RX and TX antennas, however still not automatic, nor are global profiles available from pull-down menus, you have to go in to profile manager.
  • Mike VE3CKO
    Mike VE3CKO Member ✭✭✭
    edited April 2019
    Bruce,
    I am doing exactly what you are asking about and it works every time. I have a receive antenna for 160m on RXA on my 6700, each and everytime I switch to 160m or for that matter any band, the RX antenna is set to whatever it was at last time.
  • K1UO - Larry
    K1UO - Larry Member ✭✭
    edited December 2017
    Yes Bruce..  mine does also but I ONLY if I use profiles to change Bands as my post above says.  I wonder if some are referring to using the Band buttons on SSDR instead of using a profile built for the Band and Mode you want to operate on?     My RX antenna selection comes up AUTOMATICALLY from the Band profile I have it associated with.  Not via the Band Buttons in SSDR however.    HNY all.
  • Ian1
    Ian1 Member ✭
    edited May 2020
    Steve

    Your mistaken it works for RX with no issue been using it for a long time this way.
    As long as you save it in Profiles for the desired band.

    Ian

    Ian
  • Mike VE3CKO
    Mike VE3CKO Member ✭✭✭
    edited January 2018
    Antenna Genius of course does very nicely. There are several modes it has, for more details please refer to https://community.flexradio.com/flexradio/topics/antenna-genuis-band-changing-tutorial-lan-bcd-pin-t...   

    The USB to parallel adapter and it's BCD output could be adapted to work with any antenna switcher that has relays. It may take an Arduino that takes the BCD and converts it to whatever output the your antenna switcher to engage antenna relays. Someone must have done this already, it's simple enough.



  • Mike VE3CKO
    Mike VE3CKO Member ✭✭✭
    edited April 2019
    Steve:
    As others have indicated when band changing the RX antenna does indeed stay on the antenna it was last time you were on the band, and doesn't get anymore automatic than that. If this does not work for you Steve it sounds like your database may be corruptm particularly persistence. Unless you have been told this is a known problem with your model radio, you may be giving out bad advice. I was having an issue where I lost two bands, 40m and GEN so I created a help desk ticket and 61 minutes later got a response with confirmation they have seen this before and a suggested a procedure that should fix my issue. I followed that procedure and if fixed the problem. I have re-posted this before in the community so it should be searchable. For convenience I'll post it again below: 
    Follow this procedure for resetting the database of the radio..

    First you should Export your current profiles,  so use the the Profile manager to Export your profiles to your computer.   Then power the radio down.    Then on the next power up of the radio ,  hold the "OK"  button first and while HOLDING the OK,  press the power button to start the power up sequence.   Keep holding the OK button until the count down in the OLED goes to zero and the power LED turns white,  then release the OK button ..    The radio will complete the calibration and once you start SmartSDR,  you should only have one panadapter with one slice at 14.100 MHz.   

    When you do Import your previous saved Profiles back into the radio,   please uncheck the "Preferences" button in the Import drop down before actually Importing.   This is the persistence data,  or placement and previous settings from last using the radio..
    Hope this helps.

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