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

Sun Feb 13 13:26:21 EST 2011

Absolutely not!!! The software must never switch active VFO's as it 
could be disastrous with amplifiers, tuners and antenna switches 
monitoring the CI-V bus especially if the second VFO is on a separate band.

It possibly might work with Main/Sub radios such as IC910, IC775, 
IC7800, IC7600 etc. I'm not sure if switching to the sub reciever 
actually shifts the "active" VFO.

On 2011-02-13 12:22, Dick Flanagan wrote:
> 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
>
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