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How Do You Use Multiple Panadapters/Receivers?

Doug Wilson
Doug Wilson Member ✭✭
in SmartSDR+

I have a 6600M and rarely open a second panadapter. Mostly I use the second panadapter to monitor activity on a second band.

How do you use multiple panadapters/receivers?

How do you justify the expense of going to a X600 vs X400 radio with respect to the number of panadapters and slices?

Comments

  • KD0RC
    KD0RC Member, Super Elmer Moderator

    Hi Doug, one big reason is diversity mode. The ability to listen to a signal on two antennas is magical. As the new ESC functionality matures, it will get even better.

    Another reason is so that you can keep watch for band openings. For example, keep a panadapter open on 6 meters with the squelch set to keep it silent until a signal pops up.

    If you are interested in satellite operation, the dual SCUs allow full duplex with two transverters.

    SO2R and 2BSIQ contest operation are possible with one radio if it has two independent SCUs.

    I keep watch on my 2 meter club repeater using a transverter while hunting POTA contacts. A bit of a trivial benefit, but useful anyway.

    There are undoubtedly more cases, but this should give you some ideas.

  • Neil D Friedman N3DF
    Neil D Friedman N3DF Member ✭✭✭✭

    If you have a tribander and a dipole, a radio with 2 SCUs and 4 slices allows you to monitor all 4 bands on their native antennas.

  • Neil D Friedman N3DF
    Neil D Friedman N3DF Member ✭✭✭✭
  • Doug Wilson
    Doug Wilson Member ✭✭

    Len,

    I have two antennas however I have a 1x3 TGXL connected to a PGXL so I'm only using ANT1 out of my radio because there is only one input in the TGXL. I suppose I could connect my mostly resonant hexbeam straight to the amp with ANT2. The other antenna is a low band inverted V that definitely needs a tuner but it also overlaps some of the hex bands.

    The only other way I see to using diversity and ecl is to have an antenna genius, upgrading to an SO2R TGXL or installing a separate receive antenna coming into the 6600M. I was thinking of constructing a beverage antenna for this and other purposes.

    It would be nice to be able to select the second antenna from the TGXL and not the 6600M

    Any thoughts on this, anything I'm missing to use DIV?

  • Doug Wilson
    Doug Wilson Member ✭✭

    Thank you Neil. When I do have multiple panadapters it's for that purpose.

  • K9YK
    K9YK Member ✭✭

    I run 2m and 432 FT8 every day in two separate pan adapters against two different instances of WSJT-X. With full duplex I can monitor FT8 on both bands at the same time and transmit on whichever one I need to.
    I'll also sometimes rag chew on FM simplex with local friends in one pandapter and monitor HF in another.

  • KD0RC
    KD0RC Member, Super Elmer Moderator

    Hi Doug, I have a Loop On Ground antenna connected to my RXB port and use diversity reception with that. It is especially helpful on the lower bands where I use an end fed 205 ft wire. I also need to think about getting an Antenna Genius - my current antenna switching is sub-par and doesn't take advantage of the capabilities of my 8600.

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