开云体育

Hi folks - this is a bit off-thread, but I wanted to share this with those of you who've used a "big rig" with a pan adapter / band display and miss it when using your QMX, QCX, etc. at home. I was in that boat and after having several rigs with pan adapters then going to a QCX+, QCX Mini, and now a couple QMX rigs - I felt like I was back in my novice days - basically being "blind" when using the rig. Don't get me wrong - nothing wrong with using a rig bare bones, but still, I missed being able to see where there were available open places on the band or a signal which perhaps might be someone calling CQ.?

?Last year I had picked up an RSPdx SDR receiver from the folks at SDRPLAY in the UK. Really cool little SDR receiver and when combined with any one of many free software packages, provides a nice visual display of just about any frequency range you want. I had used SDRuno software for a while but it is a Windows-only application. So, I replaced it with SDR++ which is multi-platform, and again - FREE. Well, I was on a mission to use that SDR receiver and its cool band display with my QMX. I wanted to share my antenna between the QMX and the SDR. At first I used a manual coax switch. Worked OK, but got annoying after a while. I bought an MFJ -1708B-SDR unit to automatically do it. Didn't like the RF-sensing switching method it uses, so I went with the PTT method. This works great! I can listen to either QMX or SDR at the same time. When I transmit on the QMX, the antenna automatically switches over to the QMX. Stop sending and it's back to the SDR. I occasionally tripped the QMX SWR protection so I've disabled it and am very careful about keeping the QMX protected by using a good manual tuner.?

?The next thing I wanted to do was to be able to do a "point & shoot" on the SDR display and have the QMX follow. Or, change frequency on the QMX and have the SDR follow. But wait - I also use computer logging, and I wanted to have my logging application play with the SDR and QMX as far as band and frequency. Some research revealed a free application called CAT-RELAY from N2IW, Ming Ying. Took a bit of fiddling around, but with a lot of help from Ming I finally had it all working together. Point to a signal or empty frequency on the SDR++ display and both the QMX and my loggiing program jump there - wahoo!!

?The logging program I use on my Mac is RumLogNG and works fine with CAT-RELAY. MacLoggerDX "almost" works but QMX sends a bad "radio mode" setting to it and that causes CAT-RELAY to trip up. Once that issue is resolved I suspect that MLDX will also be able to join in the fun.

?Anyway, just thought I'd share this with you, should you want to have a band display option for your QMX. Along those lines, any rig that (1) has PTT output, and (2) can connect to a logging application should be able to work. I no longer have my QCX+ or QCX mini, so I don't recall if they have a PTT out. If they do, then they should also work with this environment.?

?Lastly, I don't support any of those software applications or have any financial interest in SDRPAY or MFJ. I can try to answer any questions, but no guarantees on a viable answer!! :-)
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Jim / K7TXA
Eagle, ID

SKCC 10447T
BUG 301

Side-by-side QMX + QPN (self-contained panadapter in same enclosure as QMX)

A bit like the KX3 + PX3 combo. That would be cool!
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73 Jim K1IR

I think Hans should create a little panadapter that is the same form factor as QMX/QDX/QCX mini. All plug and play! ?Sign me up!

Scott

There is an I/Q out in the QMX. It is a much smaller band than a SDR but it eliminates a power hungry component. I do remember Hans talking about making a narrow band scope on the QMX screen as a reach goal. It would tell you if signals were near by.?
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Colin - K6JTH?