[WT-support] Strange problem switching bands with TRX connected by Omnirig and same IF

Tue Mar 26 19:17:42 CET 2019

"Don't poll" means "Don't send any commands to the radio to get frequency
data," which can only work (normally) if you set set CI-V Transceive ON in
the radio.  But OmniRig ALWAYS POLLS the radio for frequency data, and
expects to read a reply.  It must always set CI-V Transceive OFF, because
OmniRig does not work well with CI-V Transceive ON (it gets too many
unexpected messages from the radio).  OmniRig does not and cannot turn CI-V
Transceive back ON when it terminates.

Win-Test's built-in IC-7100 support can work in a "one way" direction (from
Win-Test to Radio only), if you select "Don't Poll" and CI-V Transceive is
OFF in the radio.  If you turn the knob, Win-Test will not track.  But if
you enter a frequency, it will work OK.

As you can see from the Frequency Offsets dialog in Win-Test, one can
program a fixed offset for every band supported *by the radio*.  If you're
using the *same* radio band for two different transverter bands, Win-Test
has no way of knowing which offset you want to use *unless* you change
bands only from Win-Test.  As soon as Win-Test sees the radio on 2m (via a
poll or CI-V Transceive message), it's going to start using the 146 MHz
offset no matter what you've programmed for the 10 and 24 GHz offsets.

Now, if polling is OFF and CI-V Transceive is OFF, communication will be
only one way, from Win-Test to the Radio.  In this case, Win-Test will
subtract the proper offset from whatever frequency value you type in the
logging window and send it to the radio, so it "works."  But, when you do
this through OmniRig, it's immediately going to start polling the radio
again, so it's going to switch back to using the offset programmed for 2m,
because that's where it finds the radio.

Now, you may want to reprogram the .INI files in OmniRig to add or subtract
a fixed offset value from the frequency returned by (or sent to) the
radio.  See

http://dxatlas.com/omnirig/IniStru.txt

See sections 5.4 and 5.5.  However, that's a fixed value, so you would have
to use two different OmniRig files, one fro 10 GHz and a different one for
24 GHz, and you would have to select each one whenever you changes bands
(right click on Win-Test Band Map, then click on OmniRig Settings, then
pick a different INI file and click OK).  But you may find that to be too
impractical, however, I see no other alternative.

73,
Bob, N6TV

On Tue, Mar 26, 2019 at 7:17 AM Alexander Kurpiers <a.kurpiers at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Hi Bob,
>
> I'm unfortunately not in front of the setup... but the software is about 2
> years old (Omnirig). Need to check, if it is related to the VFO B.
>
> I will try native IC7100 instead of OmniRig - but I'm fairly sure that it
> works (as a similar setup works with IC7400). And I need Omnirig in the end
> (as I need to control the radio from Win-Test and HPSDR at the same time)
>
> I agree that having 2 bands mapped to the same IF is problematic. But as I
> wrote this works for the setup with IC7400 (native support, not through
> Omnirig). That setup runs with "Don't Poll", I guess the problem is there.
>
> And I don't agree that Win-Test can't decide on the right frequency - if
> in doubt and the current frequency "fits", why switch bands?
>
> Just to confirm: there is only one IC7100 connected and I switch between
> 10 and 24 GHz by switching the transverters on the transceiver input. Then
> I switch bands (manually) with the blue arrows in the UI. I see the band
> change in the UI, but it changes back immediately. It stays on the right
> band only if I set the "Don't poll" option.
>
> (It is not a huge deal - if I'm very lucky, I'll do 10 QSOs on 24GHz... in
> 24h)
>
> 73' Alexander
>
>
> On 3/25/19 7:18 PM, Bob Wilson, N6TV wrote:
>
> I am currently updating the .INI files used by OmniRig for most modern
> Icom radios, including the IC-7100.
>
> Are you selecting IC-7100e4.ini?  There may be a problem in that it is
> returning both VFO A and VFO B and "Operating Freq", and it's not clear
> which one Win-Test will use.  If you press A=B does it make any difference?
>
> Do you see the same problem if you set Radio type to IC-7100 instead of to
> OmniRig?
>
> What values are you entering in the Frequency Offsets dialog?  If you are
> using the the 2m band on the radio for both 10 and 24 GHz, and switching
> back and forth between 10 and 24 GHz, then I don't see any way for Win-Test
> to display the proper frequency.  Win-Test is designed to mapping one band
> on one band (2m in your case) to one other band, not one band to two other
> bands.  Or are you you using TWO IC-7100s?  Are you using SO2R mode in
> Win-Test?
>
> 73,
> Bob, N6TV
>
>
> On Mon, Mar 25, 2019 at 7:18 AM Alexander Kurpiers <a.kurpiers at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I have a strange problem... my transceiver is connected to Win-Test
>> using Omnirig (it is a IC7100 - but should not matter).
>>
>> If I change bands in Win-Test, the new band is displayed for a very
>> short time, then Win-Test switches back to the previous (lower) band.
>>
>>
>> I'm sure the problem is due to using the same transceiver frequency for
>> both bands - in my case 146 MHz for 10 and 24 GHz. The frequency offset
>> is set, so both bands for Win-Test both yield the same frequency
>> received from Omnirig.
>>
>> I know it is a corner case, but I want to report nevertheless, maybe
>> there is a solution.
>>
>> Obviously it is some kind of race between Omnirig polling and the code
>> that switches bands and tries to figure out the band based on the
>> frequency reported by the transceiver.
>>
>> To add to the confusion: on another band (13/6cm) I have a very similar
>> setup, but there I use CIV directly (to a IC7400). And there it works...
>>
>> Currently, the only way to switch to 24 GHz is to turn off polling in
>> the Win-Test setup. Then the frequency of course is not displayed
>> anymore in the radio window. Not a huge deal.
>>
>>
>> 73' Alexander DL8AAU
>>
>>
>>
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