ANT1 and ANT2 Problem

Ralph Fedor · January 2021

Hello all ---

Still no joy from Flex on the USB Cables issue with SLICE as a source.

Meanwhile, my Maestro on-off switch has failed. I cannot turn the Maestro on using the switch. I have to unplug the 12 VDC and then plug it in again to start the Maestro. This is the third time this switch has failed (been repaired two times before). My Maestro has been back and forth to Flex so much that they had to give me a new shipping carton. The old one wore out in the UPS trucks.

Ralph - K0IR

Rich M5RIC · February 2021

Hi Ralph

I have put a new topic up for this problem as I couldn't find this thread after reading it some time ago.

I'm in the same position too that I want the ant to stay with the slice and be fixed.

Assume you have had no feedback about a fix?

Thanks

Rich

Bill AB7AA · February 2021

Ralph,

I would hope that they would at least acknowledge it.

Bill AB7AA

Rich M5RIC · February 2021

I raised a ticket and this was the base of the reply:

"Due to the variations in means and methods, and because the software must be compatible with all models of the 6000 series, whether they have 1 or 2 SCU's and 2, 4 or 8 panadapters, there is currently not a way implemented in SmartSDR to guarantee that a particular band ALWAYS uses the same antenna, no matter which panadapter or slice it is tuned in."

So tonight I have been playing around in FR Stack and have a working solution for now. Each memory can be tailored to have the TX and RX antenna port set to 1 or 2 and use a DAX port plus you can link a TX profile too - plus lots of other options.

You just click on the button and it will go to that frequency. Seeing as I'll be running FR Stack anyway this can just stay on the desktop below to the meter window as below.

73

Rich M5RIC

John KB4DU · February 2021

Good it works. Not an ideal solution, but the best for now.

Les Brown · November 2021

I have tried to set this up for myself in FRStack. Unless I'm missing something, the slice is not associated with the memory itself and you have to press potentially 2 buttons to make a change: first you have to select A(0) or (B(1) and then you press a memory button. If this is the case, your image above, which shows 10 different memories, 5 for slice A and 5 for slice B, in fact only needs 5 memories, one for each band.

For example, if A(0) is selected and you press on one of your Slice B buttons, it will be slice A that changes, not slice B.

Am I missing something here?

I am thinking that I could implement a flow in Node Red that actually ties the slice to the rest of the band/antenna parameters to do what we want with a single button push.

73, Les VE3NNT

Rich M5RIC · November 2021

Hi Les

Yes I always had to press A or B first then the memory, maybe that was incorrect if you say it doesn't need 10 memories. I did wonder why you set the slice on the memory too.

I now use streamdeck so have done away with using memories on the screen like this and have assigned buttons per band.

73

Rich

John KB4DU · November 2021

Frstack applies the memory data to the active slice. So if the memory has a 20M frequency, it the active slice is 40M, the band will be set to 20M frequency.

for this reason, I set up my memories ( favorites) by band. So when I’m working 20M stations (active slice), I use the 20M memories.

Les Brown · November 2021

The problem that I think some of us are trying to solve is for SO2R when running on one slice we want to be able to switch the inactive slice to any other band on the other slice on the fly without affecting the operation on the run slice. This is why with FRStack you have to first select the inactive slice and then select the band.

I'm experimenting with Node Red and see that it is trivial to implement this with a single button push that implements the "slice n tune <freq>" command. I'm sorting out now how to switch not to a given fixed frequency on a band but to the last used frequency on that band.

73, Les VE3NNT

KD0RC · November 2021

Hi Les, from the API Wiki:

C[D]<seq_number>|display pan s <stream_id> <param=value> [<param=value>...]

<stream_id>    =  the panadapter stream ID returned in the prior create command
<param=value>  =  a parameter and new value to be changed (one or more of these)

So it would be "C1 | display pan set <stream_id> band=<band>"

stream_id would be the panId + 40000000.

For example, to change the band to 20 on panadapter 1:

"C1 | display pan set 40000001 band=20"

Les Brown · November 2021

I posted a node red flow on io.groups to solve the problem in SmartSDR for SO2R operation of not being able to switch to any band on the inactive slice/panadapter while transmitting on the active slice/panadapter.

In my case, I use ANT1 (both TX and RX) and DAX 1 for slice A on panadapter 0, and ANT2 (both TX and RX) and DAX 2 for slice B on panadapter 1.

73, Les VE3NNT

Ralph Fedor · January 8

Well, it's been a long time since the series of posts above.

Flex did fix the issue in the USB Cables module. You can now use "Slice" as a source and select either A or B. That solved my antenna switching problem -- sort of. I still had the issue of the selected antenna set (TX1-RX1, TX2-RX2) not sticking with a slice. However, if you do your band changes through N1MM the antennas "stick." I was a happy camper for a little while.

But venturing back into the world of SO2R uncovered another problem. I'm wondering if it's unique to my Maestro and 6700.

I can't get by this issue when trying to set up for the RTTY Roundup tomorrow.

Slice B (the bottom one) behaves as I expect it to.

Slice A (the top one) is being a problem child. If its RX and TX lights are both lit, it behaves as it should. However, if you shift the TX focus to Slice B, the received signals on Slice A drop out. Both the signals and the level of the noise floor.

If you push the TX button for Slice A to restore it, signals are back to normal.

So, using N1MM, the sequence goes something like this:

Slice A has the TX and RX focus. You call CQ, have a QSO, and all is well.

You switch the RX focus to Slice B and send your call while S&Ping.

The TX focus jumps to Slice B and you complete your QSO.

As soon as the TX focus changes from A to B (the red LED moves to the right on the Maestro) that band goes dead --- no received signals. Slice B continues to behave normally.

The only way to get signals back on Slice A is to manually push the TX button for Slice A and light it up. This isn't very smooth contest operation.

Everything distal to the SO-239 on the amp behaves as expected. No antenna switching issues or connection issues.

I am very capable of making errors, but I just can't find anything wrong in my configurations. Suggestions? Advice?

Thanks for any help.

Ralph - K0IR

ANT1 and ANT2 Problem

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