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Support to tx proper cat signal to get the acom 04at tuner to tune when request cat comes to tx cat

mnewbill
mnewbill Member ✭✭

I "think" all we need here is ability for the cat requested tx from set 5 to be "fm" or even better to activate the tune button instead of RTTY or SSB from DAX audio, which when the amp requests a tune, will be silent and not make an output. (selectable somewhere so the digital mode folks can also still use the cat request to tx.)

can this cat tx request be a selectable item in a menu somewhere what mode is triggered when incoming cat tx request for tune comes on kenwood set 5 type command set?

thanks,

MN

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  • mnewbill
    mnewbill Member ✭✭

    update

    i found i can tune ok by pressing tune on the amplifier acom 1200s with 04at on it and then immediately press tune on smartsdr. this works ok most of the time. there is still some glitch where when tuning completes smart sdr resets to a frequency of zero. i have to then go back to the band i just tuned on. i think this is the larger problem.

  • mnewbill
    mnewbill Member ✭✭

    i beleve what happens is after the acom completed the tune it sends cat data back to smartsdr to turn off the transmitter and restore power level back to the previous level and somehow its misinterpreted as select band or frequency of zero or lowest possible frequency.

  • mnewbill
    mnewbill Member ✭✭

    wish i could upload a video, I captured the event. thanks, MN

  • Mike-VA3MW
    Mike-VA3MW Administrator, FlexRadio Employee, Community Manager, Super Elmer, Moderator admin

    Upload it to YouTube and then provide the link.

  • mnewbill
    mnewbill Member ✭✭

    I know in the video, I left out the comment, that why I press "tune" on smart sdr is to give it a carrier, as the requested tx by the cat cable apparently is afsk, which with no input tone is no carrier. so the amp is moving the power level up and down via cat, and then when I press smartsdr tune button, it will then quicly tune, and turn off the tx.

    sometimes it works ok, most of the time, it goes off frequency when it completes. if I lock the slice, it works ok other than having to manually press smartsdr tune, and manually raise the tune power.

    this can be closer to normal if you set up a dax channel and 2khz sine generator, but starting all of that up just to tune, is harder than manually pressing the tune and moving power, so not really a great work around there in my opinion, but it simulates a better working condition.

  • mnewbill
    mnewbill Member ✭✭
    edited January 13

    UPDATE:

    I found something interesting.

    If i press tune on the acom,

    it will first attempt a RTTY tune on the flex. with no signal, we know that will fail.

    BUT if I immediately turn off the MOX on the flex (taking over against the cat control), here is where it gets interesting.

    the ACOM will request a mode change to FM, and request a new MOX and tune properly, so long as I lock the slice so it don't go back to frequency 300khz.

    so, looks like the ACOM people are letting the amp / tuner hunt modes that will give power, it was just timing out before it could find it I guess.

    still the frequency jump to 300 khz in the video above is still present unless I lock the slice.

  • Flo
    Flo Member ✭✭


    use tone generator software to send audio signal to DAX TXAudio

    check DAX button on right side bottom in smartsdr
    now when tuning, afsk has output due to input signal from tone generator

  • mnewbill
    mnewbill Member ✭✭

    Flo,

    I did try this - using a signal generator like you suggested, but it doesn't affect the outcome to jump off frequency when complete, and you may want to look at my last comment - its even easier than that now, the tone generator isn't needed in the latest acom firmware 2.9, it will retry on "OPTION' mode, and tune with no tone generator. to try it, just press tune on the amp, and then turn off MOX immediately on the SDR, and wait on it, it will then request mode option, and try again with a carrier. it still has the frequency jump away for me, but tunes by itself this way.

  • mnewbill
    mnewbill Member ✭✭

    I also put in a ticket to ACOM for this one, maybe they will collaborate?

  • KlausP
    KlausP Member ✭✭
    edited January 26

    Hi
    i have for Autotune with Acom PAs with my 8600 describes here

    https://community.flexradio.com/discussion/8031993/acom-1200s-amplifier-and-the-acom-04at-antenna-tuner-autotune-with-flexradio#latest

    ACOM is working on a new Software so i have heard.


    73 Klaus, DF3RP

  • mnewbill
    mnewbill Member ✭✭
    edited January 31

    Klaus P,

    Thanks, this is a very nice write up of the problem, and a hardware solution as an interpreter, very nice. I also turned in a ticket for this along the same time to Acom. The Acom engineers said they was looking into it and my ticket is still open. hopefully they will notify us when a new version is available.

    I thought I also turned one into Flex, but I cant find any evidence of that ticket now, so maybe I didnt. I assume you must have also put in a ticket with them to see if working the problem from thier side was a thing?

    Your details are much more specific than mine were, I was only giving them videos of the issue and how to recreate it.

    my tiny work around that makes it slightly better is when you press tune on the amp, as soon as MOX becomes active, turn it back off and hands off.

    at that point, it will come back up in FM and tune properly.

    However, the Flex still doesn't understand the commands following the tuning you described and still resets the slice to "default" once tuning completes. (I can lock the slice, but it still resets my filters.) Then I just reload my profile and away I go.

    thanks,

    Mark.

  • KlausP
    KlausP Member ✭✭

    Hello Mark,
    Thank you for your feedback!

    I am also in contact with Acom Support since June 2025.
    They also have this document and my solution.
    Apparently, the people there are working on new firmware that should solve this and similar problems.

    The reset is probably caused by the values that Acom read incorrectly and later sent again.
    I doesn't have an Reset when i tune my AT04.

    My Arduino box eliminates the unsupported queries and returns from and to Acom.

    So after pressing the Tune button on the Acom, I only have to set the next frequency when the process is complete. Then I continue to turn the VFO to the range displayed on the Acom and press the Tune button again.

    73 Klaus

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