WriteLog FlexRadio Rig Driver with a Flex plus another rig (4 of 4)

WriteLog has long supported SO2R operation with two physical rigs. If your Flex is a ‘6500 or ‘6300, then you need a second rig in order to listen on one antenna while transmitting on another.
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The third rig should be configured as L, but otherwise the rest of the pictures are about the same as before. It just adds the normal WriteLog setup for the “other” rig.
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The other rig in this case is connected for rig control on COMM1, and connected into WriteLog’s sound routing using physical Recording device and Playback device sound cards. WriteLog has three Entry WIndows. All three are fully functional in the sense that any can be used for entering QSO information or initiating transmissions, and on any mode. I did not expand the number of digital modems in this configuration picture, but one more MMTTY is needed, and it is connected to the sound devices for the COMM1 radio.

This picture calls out the FlexRadio 6700, which makes this really an SO3R setup. The operator can transmit on any of three antennas, and receive on three simultaneously.

If a FlexRadio 6500/6300 is used instead, all the configuration settings show above are still valid, but the ‘6500/’6300 will use only one of its two ANT connections at a time. Without a ‘6700, then why configure WriteLog to have the Slice C&D Entry Window? Its true that while transmitting on either of those Entry Windows, both will be muted for receive. But while not transmitting, you can listen on two different frequencies at a time, one in each ear, or to multiple digital decoders. Initiating a transmission from either Entry Window, WriteLog will switch the Flex’s Transmit flag to the appropriate Slice and its frequency. If the antenna is multi-band, then the two Entry Windows can even be on different bands, although at the cost of forcing the ‘6500 into WIDE mode, reducing its ability to reject the transmit signal from the “other” radio. (The ‘6300, lacking those filters, always operates in WIDE mode, so it doesn’t benefit from filters rejecting the “other” radio’s TX.) Regardless of radio manufacturer, SO2R stations always benefit from isolation between the different antennas used for the one allowed transmitter and those used for the multiple R’s.

This series of posting is not intended to be exhaustive of the possibilities for configuring WriteLog to work with the Flex. The new full duplex capability, for example, enables the Flex-6500 to receive through its LoopA while transmitting on ANTB. It can be used, therefore, to listen, presumably on a different band, while transmitting. Another possible configuration is SO2R with a pair of ‘6500s.