[Dx4win] ICOM 7600-7700-7800 and there so called VFO-B SPLIT function

[Dick Flanagan]

It is possible to read the second VFO "on demand" 
instead of only when polling?  I think it would 
be safe to bounce the VFOs like you are doing at 
the point of writing a log entry and when 
processing an ALT-A command.  At least I would like to try such a system.

Dick

At 09:13 AM 2/13/2011, ON4AOI wrote:
 >Hi All with Icom tranceivers,
 >
 >With ICOM announcing that the split status can be read from some of their
 >radios,
 >we had hope that support for obtaining the split frequency was finally
 >possible in DX4WIN.
 >The way we tried to read the VFO-B frequency is not working as we hoped and
 >SHOULD NOT BE USED. I have asked Jim to remove the rig files for the IC7600
 >and IC7700.
 >
 >Here my comments about the new firmware where it all should have been fixed
 >and working now!!!!!!!!!!!
 >
 >This is not TRUE and probably never will be
 >UNLESS WE STOP TO BUY THERE TRANCEIVERS.
 >MAYBE THEN THEY WILL LISTEN TO RADIOAMATEURS.
 >
 >WHY?
 >
 >This is an email (answer) I got in 2009 when I had talked to a Staff member
 >of ICOM in Friedrichshafen.
 >I left out the name of the sender because it was forwarded.
 >
 >****************************************************************************
 >*********
 >Dear Mr. Guy,
 >
 >I’ve just got an answer regarding "readout of the VFO B via PC / CI-V" .
 >
 >Unfortunately, it’s a negative response.
 >For reasons of compatibility with other devices without a second VFO, ICOM
 >Inc did not (and will not) include this function.
 >We are sorry, but we cannot give you any other information.
 >
 >****************************************************************************
 >********
 >
 >This is crap , because older transceivers can´t be updated via software
 >new transceivers should not have this possibility?
 >It's like driving a Ferrari with bicycle wheels.
 >
 >B4 the latest firmware you could only SET SPLIT ON/OFF,
 >now you can also READ if SPLIT is ON/OFF.
 >There is still NO READ VFO-B or should I say SUB VFO in ICOM language.
 >
 >How Paul implemented it in DX4WIN is in short like this
 >Check split status
 >Change to SUB-VFO (in our terms VFO-B)
 >Read the freq and mode of SUB-VFO
 >Change to MAIN-VFO (in our terms VFO-A)
 >Read the freq and mode of MAIN-VFO
 >Set SPLIT ON/OFF if needed
 >
 >This is the reason why you see the switching between MAIN/SUB
 >
 >Is it safe?
 >I tested this out for many hours on my IC-7800 and had no problems even with
 >dualwatch,
 >but I have a second receiver in the radio and that is a big difference
 >compared
 >to the IC7600 and IC7700. My polling rate is at 2500 or even higher so the
 >switching is not that often.
 >Also because my antennas and other stuff are controlled from a station
 >master where I can select the frequency he needs to use
 >For switching between my antennas.
 >I thought it was SAFE.................................
 >
 >But Friday night Dick,K7VC send me an email about the tests he did with his
 >IC7700 and the new (v2 not available) rigfile.
 >Freq and mode are readout ok for both Main and Sub VFO BUT He was testing
 >with following settings
 >(probably for the wpx-rtty contest SO2R)
 >MAIN VFO 14090 FSK
 >SUB VFO 28090 FSK
 >
 >With short pollings he had strange effects in  TX with his tuner because the
 >radio
 >was going shortly from 20m fsk to 10m fsk.
 >I never tried this since I had it running only in same band.
 >
 >SO IT IS NOT SAFE AND THIS IS THE REASON WHY I ASKED JIM TO WITHDRAW THE
 >RIGFILES FOR DOWNLOAD BECAUSE YOU CAN IMAGINE
 >WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF THERE IS AN AMPLIFIER CONNECTED AND YOU ARE RUNNING ON
 >DIFFERENT BANDS.
 >
 >I will check with Paul if it can be solved but I guess NOT
 >The following command 1C0200FD or 1C0201FD could maybe help but never got
 >any reaction from the transceiver when I tried out.
 >Cmd 1C, Sub Cmd 02, Data 00,01 ===> Send Read transmit frequency monitor
 >setting, (00=OFF, 01=ON)
 >
 >In worst case the support for SPLIT will be removed for ICOM radios until
 >they come with a descent command for VFO-B
 >
 >There are other programs I tested out and they are acting the same or have
 >other effects.
 >
 >
 >The RS-BA1 that I own also does not do what we hoped for,
 >It only read onetime but when retuning the sub-vfo you have
 >to manually switch between Main and Sub to get it on screen.
 >
 >
 >Guy ON4AOI
 >
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--
Dick Flanagan K7VC
dick at k7vc.com