FTDX10/FT991 YAESU CAT question

[SO9W]

Hi DL2RUM.

What CAT command is used in FTDX10 to tune info a frequency once DX cluster entry is clicked or once built in DxLab Server gets a QSY request (eg. from WSJT-X)?

I think it's FA xxxxxxxx - isn't it?

Did you consider to change that behavior to run a BS xx (band select command) first and then FA xxxxxxxx?

Yaesu store many settings like ATT, AMP, etc per band. If QSY is done without band change it just moves frequency for current band. In that case when I'm ie. on 10m and have AMP on, and then move to 40m, AMP remains on. But when I will change band from 10m to 40m AMP settings are restored (to off).

[DL2RUM]

I don't use any Yaesu, so tnx for the hint. Try this and report: https://dl2rum.de/RUMlogNG/RUMlogNG_Test.zip

[SO9W]

Wow, you're quick

Change looks great. When I'm switching from band to band, ie. choosing FT8 frequency, or clicking DX cluster spots from different bands it's working perfectly. But when I'm clicking callsigns on band map (single band), unnecessary band switch is performed.

So I think, it needs "if" before BS to check what band is currently active. If current band differs from band I'm switching to, perform BS and FA, if it's the same band perform only FA.

[DL2RUM]

Next try: https://dl2rum.de/RUMlogNG/RUMlogNG_Test.zip

BTW, this change affects the FT-991, FTdx-10 and FT-710 only. So other Yaesu users may kick in here.

[SO9W]

Nice one. Works great. I've tested in on FT-991A and FTdx10. Definitely other Yeasu users should test it as well.

I'm observing additional, single glitch with WSJT-X. This might be a WSJT-X issue, but maybe worth checking.

WSJT-X is aware about 40, 80, 160m modulation - voice via LSB but FT8/4 via USB, so in "Radio" settings you can find "Mode: none, USB, Data/Pkt". I suppose the purpose of "USB" option is to force switch from LSB to USB on lower bands.

This switch, also in current version of RUMLOG, is working in some strange way - probably order of CAT commands is reverted, frequency is set first, than modulation is changed. In Yeasu it results frequency moved by 1.4kHz (ie 1838.600 instead of 1840.000). This is standard Yeasu behavior. On modulation change it move frequency to opposite side of SSB. Proper CAT commands order is to update modulation (MD xx) before QSY (FA xxxxxxxx).

In test RUMOG version sometimes modulation is changing, sometimes change is ignored at all. For that version, order commands order should be BS xx (if band is changing), MD xx (if required by DXLab command input), finally FA xxxxxxxx

If this order of commands is sent by WSTJ-X via DXLab server probably it's difficult to change and it's something for WSTJ-X bugtrack.

[DL2RUM]

Next try: https://dl2rum.de/RUMlogNG/RUMlogNG_Test.zip

[SO9W]

Now it works absolutely perfect for me. But you need to be aware about one case.

In one of my previous posts I've mentioned that sometimes, when performing QSY via WSJT-X modulation doesn't change. I've dig deeper, with Wireshark and found a reason.

Let's assume initial state, when TRX was used to voice operations. 80m, 40m bands are on LSB, 20m is on USB and 20m is active band.

WSJT-X is launched. It's polling RUMLOG about mode and frequency with commands CmdSendMode, CmdGetFreq. Current mode is USB. I'm choosing in WSJT-X 40m. It performs command: "<command:10>CmdSetFreq<parameters:23><xcvrfreq:10>7074,000"

Now I'm on 40m, but because Yeasu "BS xx" was executed, mode is also restored, and it's LSB.

After that, mode and frequency are still pulled. WSJT-X gets LSB, but is doing nothing with it.

Next I'm switching to 80m. WSJT-X sends
"<command:14>CmdSetFreqMode<parameters:63><xcvrfreq:10> 3573,000<xcvrmode:3>USB<preservesplitanddual:1>Y". This time, once 80m is activated mode changes to USB.

In summary. I think original DXLab Suite do not sends "BS xx" to Yeasu TRX as well. WSJT-X is using this "bug" as a feature and assume that current settings, including mode are persistent, so it checks mode before frequency is set, not once frequency has being set. That will works when no "BS xx" is done and no band settings are restored.

IMO new behaviour, with "BS xx", from operator perspective is more correct, because I don't need to dig into Yeasu menus to set amp, attenuator, etc each time I change band by clicking on DX spot in RUMLOG.

WSJT-X workaround to get USB when switching from 20 to 40m in above scenario is just select 40m one more time. It's not perfect, but less annoying than digging in touch screen menu.

I'll try to ask on WSJT-X developers list about it. Maybe they'll consider this as a bug.

Wireshark log attached (remove .txt extension).
Interesting packets numbers are:

- 133, 135, 137 - switch from 20 to 40m, mode is not updated
- 199, 201, 203 - switch from 40 to 80m, mode is updated
- 289, 291, 293 - switch from 80 to 160m, mode is not updated
- 343, 345, 347 - 160m is clicked one more time, mode is updating

[SO9W]

There is a patch proposal on WSJT-X developers list. Let's see how it will progress: https://sourceforge.net/p/wsjt/mailman/ ... gmail.com/