I am trying to use my transceiver frequency that is captured by DxCommander with the Frequency Dependent Device to generate a Ascii string to output to a serial port.? I can get all the way to string generation, but cannot figure out how to direct it to a different serial port than the transceiver.? I see how to do it with the parallel port but want it to go out to serial port controlled antenna switch.

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Thanks,

?

Brian

KC4KK

+ AA6YQ comments below

I am trying to use my transceiver frequency that is captured by DxCommander with the Frequency Dependent Device to generate a Ascii string to output to a serial port.? I can get all the way to string generation, but cannot figure out how to direct it to a different serial port than the transceiver

+ Sending Frequency-dependent device data to a serial port is not supported.?

+ What make and model antenna switch are you seeking to control?

? ? ? 73,

? ? ? ? ? ?Dave, AA6YQ

Its the antenna switch in my Palstar 1k-la RF Amp.

+ AA6YQ comments below

Its the antenna switch in my Palstar 1k-la RF Amp.

+ The user manual for that amp

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+ is confusing, as it describes different External Data Connectors on page 10 and page 11.

?

+ I don't see any mention of an "antenna switch".

+ Likely, you can enable the amp to follow your transceiver's frequency by using Commander's Secondary CAT Port configured to use the Kenwood protocol. I'm basing this on the "RS-232 Band Control (Kenwood) pinout" table shown on page 10 of the user manual.

https://www.dxlabsuite.com/dxlabwiki/ControlDeviceViaSecondaryCATPort

+ I once asked the owner of Palstar for documentation describing his automatic tuner's control protocol so that I could extend Commander to support it, and was told to pound sand. Not my favorite company...

? ? ? ? ?73,

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Dave, AA6YQ

Dave.

?

I talked to Palstar for same information and received the following info below. I can see the data and figured out how to send the command to turn the Remote Status Info on with my serial terminal.? I am connected to the RS-232/Kenwood Band Data Port.

?

Brian, KC4KK

?

Dave,

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I am trying to set the antenna switch on the amp to overcome the auto-band select limitation.? The problem is that amp has band definitions of 20-15 and 12-10.? If the amp selects the antenna based on its frequency detection, only 1 antenna is assigned to a band.? So, you cannot auto select a 17 or 12 m antenna seperate from 20 or 15.? My case is,

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Ant 1? ?6 m beam

Ant 2? ?Tribander (10/15/20 m)

Ant 3? ?Multiband Dipole (40/17/12 m)

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The frequency detect/band definition select works, but here is what happens since they did not provide seperate bands for 12 and 17 m.

If I assign 10 m to Ant 2, frequency detect of 12 m goes to Ant2. ?

If assign 15 and 20 m to Ant2,? frequency detect of 17 m goes to Ant2.

If I assign 40 m to Ant3,? frequency detect of 40 m goes to Ant3.? And only can get 12 and 17 m on Ant3 with manual front panel select or remote command (I have check that out with my terminal program).

?

Hope this helps.? Also, thanks for working with you in the past on the JST-245 capability.? I use every day.

?

Brian, KC4KK

+ AA6YQ comments below

I talked to Palstar for same information and received the following info below. I can see the data and figured out how to send the command to turn the Remote Status Info on with my serial terminal.? I am connected to the RS-232/Kenwood Band Data Port.

+ Thanks, Brian. The description you sent is not the Kenwood CAT protocol, nor is it OTRSP; it's not a protocol that Commander supports.

+ If there's a way to configure your amp to utilize the Kenwood CAT protocol, then Commander's Secondary CAT port will enable it to follow your transceiver's frequency.

? ? ? 73,

? ? ? ? ? ? Dave, AA6YQ

?

?

+ AA6YQ comments below

I am trying to set the antenna switch on the amp to overcome the auto-band select limitation.? The problem is that amp has band definitions of 20-15 and 12-10.? If the amp selects the antenna based on its frequency detection, only 1 antenna is assigned to a band.? So, you cannot auto select a 17 or 12 m antenna seperate from 20 or 15.? My case is,

?

Ant 1? ?6 m beam

Ant 2? ?Tribander (10/15/20 m)

Ant 3? ?Multiband Dipole (40/17/12 m)

?

The frequency detect/band definition select works, but here is what happens since they did not provide seperate bands for 12 and 17 m.

If I assign 10 m to Ant 2, frequency detect of 12 m goes to Ant2. ?

If assign 15 and 20 m to Ant2,? frequency detect of 17 m goes to Ant2.

If I assign 40 m to Ant3,? frequency detect of 40 m goes to Ant3.? And only can get 12 and 17 m on Ant3 with manual front panel select or remote command (I have check that out with my terminal program).

+ Since your focus is on antenna selection rather than transceiver frequency tracking, you would need to develop an small application that tracks the transceiver frequency via Commander (using DDE, TCP, or UDP) and issues the appropriate commands to a serial port connected to your amplifier. Commander supports the UDP protocol defined by N1MM, so it's possible that someone has already developed the application you need; if so, Palstar would probably be aware of it.

?

Hope this helps.? Also, thanks for working with you in the past on the JST-245 capability.? I use every day.

+ Glad to hear it!

? ? ?Dave

+ KC4KK

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I am trying to use the frequency data in Commander to select the antenna.? ?Using the Frequency Dependent Device definitions and a Slider I am able to do this with the JST-245.? My approach here is the same, but send message to the Amp.? I agree a separate app could do this and so far this is none out there.? I was trying this way before take on the adventure to get an app to work off of the UDP data you described.

?

Brian

+ AA6YQ comments below

I am trying to use the frequency data in Commander to select the antenna.? ?Using the Frequency Dependent Device definitions and a Slider I am able to do this with the JST-245.?

+ You can do that because Commander can be configured to link frequency-dependent device codes to a user-defined slider, which in turn generates CAT commands sent to your JST-245 via the Primary CAT port.

+ In your scenario, you must include frequency-dependent device codes in messages sent to a CAT port that is not the Primary CAT port connected to your transceiver. Extending Commander to have the ability to assemble the required message(s) would require the creation of a programming language and supportive tools - like a debugger. That would be re-inventing an existing wheel.

? ? ?73,

? ? ? ? ? ? Dave, AA6YQ