Connecting a 2nd transceiver to Commander?
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w2eck
My main radio is a Flex 6600 and has worked fine for a long time with Commander. I have added a FTDX10 to the shack that I also want to control with Commander. I have read thru the "Controlling Multiple Radios" and Primary Cat Port Switching in the manual , but am hesitant to start some of those steps, not wanting to mess up the settings for the Flex. Also not sure if once setup, if I can have both radios running with CDR at the same time?
Can anyone who might be running two different radios share some of their experiences? 73 Paul w2eck |
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w0rx - David Willis
I use a Flex 6400M and an Icom 7610.
Just set up as per DXLab documentation and they both work
flawlessly. I also use a MicroHam u2R for the control lines.
Everything plays great together. I use the Flex for digital modes
(WSJT linked via Commander)and the Icom 7610 for CW. (Mostly!) My
next step is to improve my antenna switching as I cannot listen on
both rigs simultaneously yet.
vy 73, Dave, w0rx On 7/31/2022 11:50 AM, w2eck wrote: My main radio is a Flex 6600 and has worked fine for a long time with Commander. I have added a FTDX10 to the shack that I also want to control with Commander. I have read thru the "Controlling Multiple Radios" and Primary Cat Port Switching in the manual , but am hesitant to start some of those steps, not wanting to mess up the settings for the Flex. Also not sure if once setup, if I can have both radios running with CDR at the same time? -- vy 73, Dave, w0rx |
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Dave AA6YQ
+ AA6YQ comments below
My main radio is a Flex 6600 and has worked fine for a long time with Commander. I have added a FTDX10 to the shack that I also want to control with Commander. I have read thru the "Controlling Multiple Radios" and Primary Cat Port Switching in the manual , but am hesitant to start some of those steps, not wanting to mess up the settings for the Flex. Also not sure if once setup, if I can have both radios running with CDR at the same time? + As described in "Primary CAT Port switching" section of https://www.dxlabsuite.com/commander/Help/ControllingMultipleRadios.htm + Commander can rapidly switch among 4 primary transceivers, either manually or as a function of frequency. Commander only controls and tracks the selected primary transceiver. + You can connect a second transceiver to Commander's Secondary CAT port, in which case Commander will control and track the selected primary transceiver, and the secondary transceiver will follow the selected primary transceiver's frequency and mode; with appropriate RF input protection, this can be used for diversity reception with two antennas. Alternatively, the selected primary transceiver can follow the secondary transceiver's frequency and mode. See the "Secondary CAT Port" section of the above-cited article. 73, |
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Dave W0RX, >My
next step is to improve my antenna switching as I cannot listen on
both rigs simultaneously yet. {shameless plug follows} The latest version of the freeware FreqEZ Band Decoder supports DXLab's MultiRadio feature with SO2R Radio 1 and Radio 2 antenna switching. -larry (K8UT) ------ Original Message ------
From: "w0rx - David Willis" <w0rx@...>
To: DXLab@groups.io
Sent: 7/31/2022 1:14:53 PM
Subject: Re: [DXLab] Connecting a 2nd transceiver to Commander?
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w6de
If you implement a diversity or two receiver set-up as described in the documentation AA6YQ directed you to; be careful you can easily burn out the second receiver front-end when transmitting of the primary without some receiver protection on the secondary transceiver. Either implement an antenna disconnect when the primary transceiver PTT line is engaged (goes to ground in most transceivers) and or put a receiver protection device—e.g., https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/dxe-rg5000hdon-- on the receiver line of the secondary transceiver. Note this might mean operating on the radio to separate the receive line after the Transmit/Receive switch. Some higher cost transceivers already have this provision on the back panel. The potential for receiver harm increases if either transceiver can be the primary radio—you’ll have to implement protection for both transceivers. This becomes complicated if the transceivers do not already have separate receive antenna routing on their back panels.
73, Dave, w6de From: DXLab@groups.io <DXLab@groups.io> On Behalf Of
w2eck via groups.io
Sent: Sunday, July 31, 2022 16:50 To: DXLab@groups.io Subject: [DXLab] Connecting a 2nd transceiver to Commander?
My main radio is a Flex 6600 and has worked fine for a long time with Commander. I have added a FTDX10 to the shack that I also want to control with Commander. I have read thru the "Controlling Multiple Radios" and Primary Cat Port Switching
in the manual , but am hesitant to start some of those steps, not wanting to mess up the settings for the Flex. Also not sure if once setup, if I can have both radios running with CDR at the same time? |
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w2eck
Dave & David
Thanks for the guidance. How it working as advertised. Very neat functionality for DX Commander. David, I too plan on using the FTDX10 mostly for CW. 73 Paul w2eck |
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