[DXBase] Icom 746Pro VFO B

Sun, 9 Mar 2003 11:04:58 -0600

Dennis
Although I don't have a 746Pro to test, I have reviewed the programming
information in the 746Pro manual and believe I can answer your question.
The 766Pro, like the 756, 756Pro and 756ProII provide no way for the logging
program to get the radio to tell the program if the radio is currently in
split or in dual watch mode. This is a very surprising difference between
these radios and some other ICOM radios, such as the 781 which provide a
command '17' to retrieve information as to if the radio is in split and/or
dual watch. Look in your manual on pages 95 thru 99 and you will find an
amazingly long list of computer commands. Determining if the radio is in
split and/or dual watch is not among them! I could be on thin ice, but I
think many other brands of radios do provide a way for the logging program
to determine if the radio is currently in split mode.
Without first determining if the radio is currently in split and/or dual
watch mode, retrieving VFO B would be generally useless information. Lets
say that you are operating simplex on 28025.0 CW, thus this is the frequency
set in VFO A. VFO B on the other hand is 3.800 LSB from a previous Q.
What would you want DXBase to do? Should it recover information on VFO B
even though its highly unlikely you are working cross band? The propose of
recovering both frequencies is to permit DXBase to format a dx spot thus:
DX 28025.0 XX1XX QSX 3800.0. Such a spot would be obviously wrong. My
example is perhaps extreme, but what if both VFO's were on 20 CW, would you
then assume that all Q's you were making on 20 be split when in practice few
would be?
Instead the choice has had to be taken to not recover VFO B's frequency as
in practice it would generally be wrong.
I have contacted a number of people at Icom America, at the highest level I
could reach, regarding the incredible fact that a way to retrieve if the
radio is currently in split or dual watch mode is apparently not provided.
I had hoped that perhaps there was such a command, but that they had failed
to document it.
I was told, by the person in charge of amateur radio operations for Icom
America, that he understood my question, regarded it as important, and would
consult with Icom Japan. He contacted me about a month later and said that
he had gotten no satisfaction from Japan. I later met the gentlemen in
person and reviewed the issue. No progress was made, and in my view no
progress will ever be made!
I don't think this is what you wanted to hear.
Ron N5IN
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dennis Hall" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, March 09, 2003 9:49 AM
Subject: [DXBase] Icom 746Pro VFO B
> How can I have DXbase retrieve the information from VFO B on an
Icom-746PRO?
> If I do a QSY and the VFO B has a frequency it will change. Is there an
> updated radio.ini that includes the 746PRO?
>> 73, Dennis - KK7X
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