[amsat-bb] Re: Doppler Tuning Convention Question (summary)

[Greg D.]

> Date: Wed, 2 Jun 2010 07:36:40 +1000
> To: mat_62 at netcommander.com; amsat-bb at amsat.org
> From: vk3jed at gmail.com
> Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Doppler Tuning Convention Question (summary)
> 
> At 05:53 AM 6/2/2010, Michael Tondee wrote:
> 
> >   When I can finally afford the V/U unit for my new Flex and get back on
> >linear birds it would be my hope that everyone who was in a base station
> >setup would be using full doppler control via computer. It baffles me
> >why anyone wouldn't, it makes life so much easier.
> 
> In my past, it was simply because I didn't have the right 
> radio(s).  Now I have an FT-736R, and the first accessory I bought 
> for it was a CAT cable! :)  I can even dedicate a computer to the job.
> 

One problem with the Yaesu 736R is that when the rig is under computer control you can't grab the tuning knob and hunt around the passband for someone to talk to.  "Tuning" directed by computer is agonizingly slow and tedious, taking about a second per change, so that's out.  And since the rig's frequency cannot be read by the computer, you can't hunt manually and then lock things in on the computer.  (I suppose I could re-write my CAT client to allow me to visually read the frequency off the display and type it in, but that would be tedious too...)

So, for me, SSB is full manual.  FM is full computer.  (and CW is wishful thinking)  Sometimes I'll use the computer to get my manual tuning started, picking mid-passband to get the VFOs close.  Then I disable the computer, send a few dits to verify, flip to REV to lock the VFOs, and go manual from there.  If you run full manual often enough, it becomes second nature.  I used to be able to find myself on RS-10 in just a few seconds, anywhere in the passband.  But that was a REAL "EasySat".

Greg  KO6TH

 		 	   		  
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