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How to Assign Each SCU to a Different Antenna

K1ESE
K1ESE Member ✭✭✭
in SmartSDR for Windows

We are having difficulties setting up for Multi-Flex.

Specifically, we need to lock in that Ant 1 goes to SCU A and Ant 2 goes to SCU B. This would include the RX-a loop and the RX-B loop. All the antenna assignments are in persistence and not Profiles.

If that can't be done in SmartSDR is there a third-party app that can do the job?

73 de K1ESE, John

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Best Answer

  • KD0RC
    KD0RC Member, Super Elmer Moderator
    edited October 2023 Answer ✓

    Hi John, I assume that you have a 6700 since you are discussing the RX loops. Steve Hicks, N5AC discussed in this thread that the SCU cannot be chosen, and that is by design:

    https://community.flexradio.com/discussion/7668002/how-do-you-know-what-slice-is-assigned-what-scu

    RX A and XVT A (6600) are always SCU 0 and RX B and XVT B (6600) are always SCU 1. On the 6700 the XVT A and B can go to either SCU. He doesn't mention the loop connections, so I don't know if RX Loop A is fixed to an SCU or if it follows ANT 1. If the latter, then you might be OK.

    I only have a 6400, so I can't do any experimentation on this, so you might want to submit a help desk ticket describing what you are trying to do (band pass filters, perhaps?) so that Flex support can give guidance.

Answers

  • K1ESE
    K1ESE Member ✭✭✭

    Thanks, Len for the answer. Looks like it can't be done.

    73, John K1ESE

  • KD0RC
    KD0RC Member, Super Elmer Moderator

    Hi John, what is the importance to your operation of controlling which SCU you are using as opposed to which antenna?

  • Bill AB7AA
    Bill AB7AA Member ✭✭✭

    Hi John,

    I also wish that it wasn't this way, but you have to use third party software RXAssistant to completely control the antennas to each SCU. It is freely downloadable but I'm sure that the author would appreciate some help.

    73,

    Bill AB7AA

  • K1ESE
    K1ESE Member ✭✭✭

    I can't find RXAssistant. Anyone have a link?

  • KD0RC
    KD0RC Member, Super Elmer Moderator

    Hi John, try this

    https://www.w9az.com/


  • KD0RC
    KD0RC Member, Super Elmer Moderator

    I just looked at the documentation and didn't see anything about selecting an SCU. It looks like it is an antenna selector program that lets you toggle easily between ANT 1 and RX A or between ANT 2 and RX B.

  • K1ESE
    K1ESE Member ✭✭✭

    Why do we want Operator A on SCU 1 and Operator B on SCU 2?  

    Our setup is a 6700 to 

    bandpass filters for Loop A and a second set of bandpass filters for Loop B to

    a TGXL 2x2 to 

    a PGXL to 

    an Antenna Genius to 

    two possible antennas for each band.

    We would like Operator A to always be on the Antenna 1 Loop A filters and Operator B to always be on the Antenna 2 Loop B filters. That way persistence doesn't change antennas for one operator when the other operator was the last one on a particular band.

    Scenario - Op A is running on 40m - Antenna 1. Op B is S&P on 20m - Antenna 2. Op A goes to 15m on antenna 1 and returns to 40m on antenna 1. Op B goes to 15m and, due to persistence, Op B is now on antenna 1 and on the filters for Loop A.  Now they are both on Antenna 1.

    We don't want antenna selection to have persistence.

  • KD0RC
    KD0RC Member, Super Elmer Moderator

    Ah, OK, now I understand. So, it is more about antenna persistence than which SCU you are on.

    The goal then, is that whatever antenna the first station chooses stays with that station, and the other antenna stays with the other station regardless of band changes, right?

    If I have that part right, it seems like a program could be written that would enforce that rule set. I haven't thought this all the way through yet, so maybe there is something that I am missing, but it feels fairly straightforward.

    Or maybe it is panadapter oriented so that Pan 0 always gets ANT 1 and Pan 1 always gets ANT 2. One way or the other, I think this is doable.

  • K1ESE
    K1ESE Member ✭✭✭

    Yes, Len, you have it right.

    The assumption in our thinking has been that there is no persistence across SCUs.

    It would be nice if persistence settings could be overridden by Profile settings and stay overridden.

    Oh well...

    We had hoped the solution was in SmartSDR

  • Alan
    Alan Member ✭✭✭✭

    Len

    Your description, to assign antennas to Panadapters, works with one Client.

    However, it sounds as if there are two clients, one for each of two operators?

    If so, then the antenna is locked into a client??

    Flex persists antennas by band.....so that does not work.

    So, we write an instruction that looks at TX slice frequency, and Client Handle, and assigns the desired antenna?

    Alan. WA9WUD

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