[WT-support] WT, MK2R and the SWAP command

[Olivier F5MZN]

Jim Martin wrotte:
> As I could not resolve the 'Swap' radio problems and the Icom comms failures 
> I reverted back to N1MM for the IOTA contest. It worked perfectly but sadly 
> does not have the 'mult' support which is excellent in WT!
> I am now back home and have the two rigs on the bench all connected up to 
> the MK2R and using v14 of WT. Problems are reproducible on the laptop and 
> the desk PC.
> 
> SWAP function.  Intermittent and unpredictable results with frequency 
> display.  Most often happens after using the 'SWAP' command for the first 
> time. Thereafter VFOs A and B swap okay 19 times out of 20.
> example same mode
> Radio1(MP) VFOA 28500  Radio2(IC) VFOA 3780
> SWAP
> Radio1 3500 radio2 28500
> SWAP
> radio1 28500 radio2 3500

In short: VFOA of the MP is programmed to an unexpected frequency. Right?

Question: what is the freq on VFO B in the Icom before entering SWAP 
command?

> (During the swap process the Icom displays VFOB very briefly before 
> displaying VFOA)

Not an issue: it is necessary to switch to the VFO B of an Icom radio in 
order to program its frequency.

> example different modes radio1 cw  radio2 ssb
> Radio1 (MP) 3520 CW Radio2 (IC) 28500 USB
> SWAP
> Radio1 28500 CW Radio2 3520 LSB
> SWAP
> Radio1 3520 LSB Radio2 28500 CW
> SWAP
> Radio1 28500 USB Radio2 3520 CW

Is that one always reproductible? I must confess that SO2R in multimode 
contests have not been hugly tested yet.



Anyway, most of the time when there is some troubles reading or writting 
datas with a radio, this is because the serial communication is not 
properly configurated (bad parity, start or stop bits). Please check 
this very carefully according to the manual of your rigs. Don't trust 
anything else!

> Couple of other issues still present are,
> 1.  WT loses all configuration data.  All the ports are cleared and 
> interface info has to be re-entered.

The only way I know to get all configuration lost is to start more than 
one instance of WT at once. Don't you never start WT twice or more?

> 2.  Icom loses comms with WT.  Frequency and mode are okay in 'Router' 
> window and change with radio dial or mode button.  The bandmap in WT is 
> frozen and does not show any change.

This SWAP problem can be related to that communication problem. After 
some exchanges with Jozef, it appears that if the CI-V transceive mode 
is activated in WT, Router will poll the radio. You should try to 
disable that in Router in order to see if there is any difference 
(Jozef: it is possible with the current version of USB Router to force a 
disabled polling?).

Note: I'll be on vacation for a couple of days. I'll try to set up a 
similar configuration here with my IC706 and a Kenwood TS850 (sri, I 
don't have an FT-1000MP) when I'll back.

73,
-- 
Olivier / f5mzn