Getting Started with TenTec Transceiver Control

  1. connect your TenTec transceiver to your PC; if you use one of your PC's USB ports, configure Windows to not automatically power down this port.

  2. run Commander, and click the Config button on its Main window to open its Configuration window

  3. in Commander's Configuration window, select the General tab and then in the Radio panel

    1. set the Model selector

    2. if your transceiver is an Omni V.9 or Omni VI

      • choose hexadecimal radix

      • enter the radio's CI-V Address (specified in its user's manual)

      • set the radio's CI-V Transceive parameter off (using its menu system)

    3. if your transceiver is a Pegasus, select the Control Folder containing your Pegasus control software; this folder should contain a file named PEGASUS.OUT

  4. if your transceiver isn't a Pegasus, then in Commander's Configuration window select the Ports tab and in the Primary CAT Serial Port panel

    1. designate the Port# that is connected to your radio interface

    2. if your transceiver is an Omni V.9 or Omni VI,

      • select the Baud rate, Word length, Parity, and Stop bits that match your radio's settings

      • set the DTR selector to Off unless it serves as a power supply for an external interface, in which case set it to to On

      • set the RTS selector to Off unless it serves as a power supply for an external interface, in which case set it to On

    3. if your transceiver is an Argonaut, Jupiter, Omni VII, or Orion, select the Baud rate, Word length, Parity, Stop bits, DTR, and RTS as shown in this table:

      • Model

        Baud

        Word

        Parity

        Stop

        DTR

        RTS

        Argonaut

        1200

        8

        None

        1

        Off

        Off

        Eagle

        57600

        8

        None

        1

        On

        Flow

        Jupiter

        57600

        8

        None

        1

        On

        Flow

        Omni VII

        57600

        8

        None

        1

        Off

        Flow

        Orion

        57600 (see note)

        8

        None

        1

        Off

        Flow

        Orion II

        57600

        8

        None

        1

        Off

        Flow

      • note: early Orion units require a baud rate of 56000

  5. in the Radio panel on the Configuration window's General tab,

    1. check the Interrogation box

    2. set the Command interval (ms) to 200 (note: the microprocessors in modern TenTec transceivers can handle command intervals much shorter than 200 ms, allowing Commander to more smoothly track frequency, mode, and meter changes; after everything is working correctly, try reducing the Command interval to 100 ms, and then to 50 ms; this is particularly important when interoperating with WSJT-X)

  6. On Commander's Main window
    1. the VFO panel should reflect changes you make to your radio's frequency via its front panel

    2. the Mode panel should reflect changes you make to your radio's mode via its front panel

    3. Modifying the VFO panel's frequency display contents and striking the Enter key will radio's primary VFO to the specified frequency; see Changing Frequency for information about the other ways you can change transceiver frequency from the VFO panel

    4. Clicking the Mode panel's buttons should change your transceiver's mode; see Changing Mode for additional information

    5. Clicking the Bandspread button will display a Bandspread window; see Bandspread Window for additional information.

Additional Topics


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Getting Started with DXLab

TranceiverControlTenTec (last edited 2024-10-19 22:04:42 by AA6YQ)