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Help › Your radios

Connecting a FlexRadio

FlexRadio FLEX-6000, FLEX-8000 and Aurora radios are controlled over your network with SmartSDR's own interface. The agent connects to the radio as one more SmartSDR client, with its own slice and panadapter. Whatever you have open in SmartSDR on another computer stays as it is.

Check the supported radios list for the models.

What you need

  • The radio and the shack computer on the same network. The agent finds the radio from the announcement it broadcasts on your network.
  • A free slice and a free panadapter on the radio. A FLEX-6600 has four of each, and a FLEX-6400 has two.
  • A free client place on the radio. If two other computers already have SmartSDR open, the radio may refuse a third client.

You don't need to install SmartSDR on the shack computer, and you don't need a SmartLink account.

Add the radio

  1. On the shack computer, open the agent's setup page and choose + Add another radio (or Add your radio the first time).
  2. Your FlexRadio is listed under Radios on this network, with its model and nickname. Select it. The form switches to FlexRadio.
  3. If it isn't listed, choose FlexRadio and type the radio's IP address.
  4. Choose Save & connect.

You can also add a radio from your account page at remotemyshack.com, under your station's radios.

In the console

These controls work the same way as on an Icom:

  • Tuning, band and mode. DATA mode uses SmartSDR's DIGU and DIGL modes.
  • Filters. FIL1, FIL2 and FIL3 set common widths for each mode: 3.0, 2.4 and 1.8 kHz on SSB, and 1200, 500 and 250 Hz on CW.
  • Filter and DSP: the filter width (from the same low edge in USB and high edge in LSB, so the passband stays clear of the carrier), the automatic notch (SmartSDR's ANF), APF in CW, RIT, the NB and NR levels, squelch and the speech compressor. SmartSDR has no twin PBT, filter shape or manual notch, so those don't show.
  • The spectrum scope, from your panadapter, with the span buttons.
  • TX power, preamp, AGC, noise blanker and noise reduction.
  • When the agent connects it turns the radio's line out and headphones down to 0, so the shack stays quiet, and sets the slice's AF gain to 50, SmartSDR's usual level, because the audio sent to your console follows it.
  • The S-meter, plus power and SWR while you transmit.

A few controls work differently on a FlexRadio:

  • The RF gain slider is labeled AGC threshold, because that is SmartSDR's closest control.
  • There is no attenuator button.
  • There is no power button. SmartSDR can't switch a radio on or off over the network. Use the radio's power button, or its remote-on input with a switch you can reach.

Transmitting

While you transmit, RemoteMyShack sends your microphone audio to the radio over DAX. It switches the radio's transmit audio source to DAX when you key, and switches it back when you unkey. The transmit safety rules apply as on any radio: the radio unkeys if your connection drops, and at the time limit.

As a second safeguard, set a transmit timeout in SmartSDR: open Settings › Radio Setup › TX and set the interlock Timeout. RemoteMyShack's own time limit works without it.

FlexRadio Aurora

The Aurora AU-510, AU-510M, AU-520 and AU-520M connect the same way: they run SmartSDR like the FLEX-8000 radios. They show up on the setup page as AURORA-510, AURORA-520 and so on, which is how they announce themselves. A few things differ:

  • 500 W. An Aurora puts out 500 W on 160 to 10 m and 200 W on 6 m. The console's TX power slider shows about how many watts a setting is, and the power meter reads up to 500 W. 10% is already about 50 W, so check the slider before you transmit, especially for FT8 and RTTY.
  • No amplifier. FlexRadio says not to drive an amplifier with an Aurora: 500 W would damage most of them. RemoteMyShack won't pair a PowerGenius XL with an Aurora, or put one already paired in Operate. A Tuner Genius XL is fine; FlexRadio suggests a TUNE power of 3% or less with an external tuner.
  • PA faults. If the Aurora's transmitter reports a fault (overcurrent, low load resistance, high SWR, overheating, a modulator or return-loss fault), the radio stops transmitting, the console shows FAULT with the reason, and RemoteMyShack ends the transmission. The Aurora cuts power back from an SWR of 1.7:1 and stops at 2.5:1, so use its built-in tuner or a good match.

RemoteMyShack hasn't been run against an Aurora yet. If something doesn't work, contact support.

Troubleshooting

  • The radio isn't listed. Check that it is switched on and on the same network as the shack computer. Then type its IP address instead.
  • "the radio didn't create a slice" or "a panadapter". Every slice or panadapter is in use. Close one in SmartSDR.
  • "the radio closed our slice". Someone closed RemoteMyShack's slice from SmartSDR. The agent opens a new one by itself.