[Elecraft] W2 Interface Software

[W0SD Ed Gray]

Making the window on top optional would be the best of both worlds.  I 
have some very important reasons why I want to be able to
see the W2 window all the time.

Let me provide a little back ground here which I am sure will apply to a 
number of you. First of all can you see your amplifier meters when you 
operate? Can you see your power and SWR? Obviously I think all of us 
would like to but in some cases it is physically impossible to see the 
amplifier meters and it can really be a hassle to see the watt meter. I 
have one amplifier I have to turn around to see it. I can see it when I 
tune up but not when I operate unless I turn around.  Some people have 
amplifiers mounted a long ways away and just use them on one band so 
they don't have to tune them all the time and of course there are a few 
auto tune amplifiers. Actually with a lot of amplifiers once you know 
the setting you can just dial them up.  One can do remote metering but 
that can be a major project and require hacking into a unit. It is even 
quite an expense and project to remote a wattmeter until the W2 came along.

To try and keep track of what is going on with the amplifier and 
antenna's I found out early on I at least want to see a watt meter right 
where I operate. I have several Bird watt meters so I got things set up 
so I can remote one of them with the meter away from the thru-line.  
That works but then you are stuck with whatever slug you have in it and 
you are either forward or reverse. I end up running around to get at the 
thru-line and changing between the low and high power slugs and also 
turning it for forward and reflected.  Definitely not a good deal in a 
contest and a nuisance at other times.

There are dual line Birds where you can look at forward and reverse but 
now we are talking some $$$$. You also have to find room for two meters. 
I was going to do this and then I seen the W2 which is a much better 
solution as it is all right where you can see the remote unit. Now I 
have various power levels for the exciter or amplifier and at the same 
time reflected power, a peak reading watt meter and a number of other 
features.

Now add the W2 software and you greatly enhance the W2 of which I 
detailed some of the enhancements in another post. Anyway I need to 
monitor what is going on all the time so I need to keep the W2 window 
up. As I said making it optional would be the best of both worlds so 
people who don't want it up all the time do not have to.


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