[TenTec] Future Radios - Knobs!

[Lee WA3FIY]

Carl and Ten-Tec already provide much of what you want Rick.  It's not exactly what you are 
looking for but close and available today.  There are some limitations but those can be 
overcome.

Layer 1 - User interface.....TT 602 POD.  1 nice big knob and 15 programmable buttons....

Layer 2 - N4PY control program giving you a graphic interface of common functions and 
settings.....a button on the task bar showing operating frequency (to 1Khz resolution) and 
providing instant recall of the graphic panel.....

Layer 3 - N4PY control program in "Settings" mode for the deep layer menus....

I've been using this set-up for over ten years with very good success.  You can run Level 1 
with the control program minimized but bring it back with the touch of one icon on the task 
bar to access Layer 2.

I have a TT 602 POD connected to my Pegasus and run Carl's N4PY software.  I have the 
pod programmed as follows:

Big knob usually VFO A....but it can be assigned to other functions at the push of various 
keypad buttons.

Decimal - tune DSP filter.
"0" - RIT
"1" - VFO A
"2" - volume
"4" - VFO B (successive button push yields many other functions)
"5" - A/B

Note:  I set the pod to my left and use my left hand for operation of pod functions.  The above 
listed buttons can be pushed with my thumb without removing my hand from the knob.  The 
remaining buttons require me to move my hand slightly.

"3" - RFG
"6" - Split
"7" - A=B
"8" - Mic level
"9" - Power level (ALC)

I use the function keys to change the tuning step size and lock/unlock the active VFO.

It took a little while to arrive at this configuration and to get used to it but I now find it very 
comfortable and I'm a 71 year old goat!   :-)

This can be developed in various directions but it works very nicely as it is now.

One limitation is that you need a Pegasus, Jupiter, OmniVII or Orion to do this directly.  You 
can access many (maybe most) of the radios Carl supports if you have a Pegasus or Jupiter 
as an interface between the POD and N4PY control program.  If I understand correctly how 
that works it seems to me that it would be a small matter to program a Arduino or ChipKIT 32 
to act as the interface, therefore not needing the Pegasus or Jupiter.  I have the ChipKIT 32 
but since I also have several Pegasus transceivers I have no need of a specialized interface.  
I plan on setting this up with my coming ArgonautVI so it will act mostly like what I am already 
used to.  The Argonaut does not have full computer control (hence POD) control though so I 
will have to adjust a few knobs on the radio panel once-in-a-while.

73,

-Lee-




On 3 Nov 2014 at 17:48, Rick - DJ0IP / NJ0IP wrote:

> My dream includes what Barry just described but goes beyond that.
> 
> Obviously not every feature will be assigned a knob because in the
> meantime there are a hundred features or functions.
> 
> The critical and most often used ones get assigned to dedicated knobs
> and buttons on the interface of choice. What next?
> 
> What if you need to adjust something else?  Revert to a complex screen
> with a hundred features? NOPE.
> 
> I want to have a layered approach to the software behind the user
> interface. At least two software layers - so 3 layers including the
> Wood Box (Tmate2)-like user interface.
> 
> ..The first layer is the physical interface with knobs and buttons.
> 
> ..The second layer which I fall back on for common features that are
> not assigned dedicated knobs, will be a simple interface with perhaps
> 5 or 10 more common features.  KEEP IT SIMPLE.  
> 
> ..THEN if I still need to adjust something more rare, I fall back on
> the third layer which is a complex menu containing everything.
> 
> Of course the features and functions assigned to layers one and two
> are completely user-definable.
> 
> The entrance to the second layer (first software layer) will be an
> icon in the task bar at the bottom of the screen, but must (as an
> option) also be a small Icon, with user definable screen, and if
> desired, enabled for "always on top".  That way it will always show,
> no matter what other screen I'm looking at.  I would make mine the
> size of a postage stamp.  Likewise, the entrance to the third level
> would be a clickable link which appears within the second layer.
> 
> This approach keeps things totally simple and easy to use.
> We can even define different user profiles for different modes or
> styles of operation. There can be one for CW, one for SSB, another for
> PSK, and yet another for short wave listening.
> 
> Now that would be the berries!
> 
> 73 - Rick, DJ0IP
> (Nr. Frankfurt am Main)
> 
> 

---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active.
http://www.avast.com