FLRig + QLog + antenna

[PY2AD]

I'm having an issue I can't seem to resolve:

• My radio has two antenna inputs and stores the last antenna used for each band in its memory.

For example:

If I'm using antenna 2 on the 40m band and antenna 1 on the 20m band, the radio respects this memory setting whenever I switch to those bands.

I use FLRig, and the same behavior occurs when I change bands using that software.

However, when I use the QLog cluster, it carries the antenna setting from the current band over to the new band.

For instance, if I'm on 40m using antenna 2, QLog switches to 20m while keeping antenna 2 selected, forcing me to manually switch to antenna 1.

How can I fix this?

Windows 11
QLog
FLRig
Yaesu FT-950

[foldynl]

I have to say that the FT-950 is becoming a nightmare for me when it comes to controlling it through Hamlib. The background to all of this is that whenever you fix something for user A, you end up breaking something for user B.

More specifically, one user complained that when changing frequency, the VFO was being switched from A to B and then back to A again (#1017). After some searching, I found that this could be avoided by disabling Band Select in Hamlib. I therefore added a special exception that disables Band Select for the FT-950 (QLog v 0.51.0)

However, based on the quick research I have found, your problem is caused by exactly this change. Band Select apparently also selects the correct antenna input, so in your case the workaround for #1017 would need to be disabled.

So now the question is: how should this be solved? Definitely not by adding another option. Introducing yet another special setting for one specific rig is not the right approach.

Since you are using Windows, I would suggest trying OmniRig or controlling the rig through FLRig. Hamlib does not seem to be a particularly suitable backend for the FT-950.

[PY2AD]

So, the issue you mentioned regarding Hamlib—that was something I experienced... which is why I decided to use FLrig.

The antenna issue I'm dealing with now is specifically with FLrig. However, I tested changing bands via FLrig, and everything works exactly as it should. It’s only when the command originates from QLog that the antenna settings get messed up.

[foldynl]

I have traced the FT-950 control path in both QLog and FLRig.

When QLog tunes a cluster spot through FLRig, it calls rig.set_vfo. For the FT-950, FLRig translates this directly into an FA...; frequency command. It does not perform band selection, so the radio does not restore its band-specific antenna setting.

FLRig sends BSxx; only when its own Band buttons are used. Its current XML-RPC interface does not provide an equivalent band-selection operation, so QLog has no clean way to request the same behaviour.

QLog could send a raw BSxx; command and later set the exact frequency, but this would be an FT-950-specific timing workaround. It could also reproduce the VFO switching behaviour described in #1017.

A proper solution would require a band-aware operation implemented by FLRig itself, performing band selection and setting the requested frequency as one coordinated operation. However, if switching through VFO-A -> VFO-B -> VFO-A is an inherent consequence of the FT-950 band-selection procedure, even such an operation cannot avoid that behaviour.

Separately, we can discuss removing QLog’s Hamlib workaround introduced for #1017. That would restore Hamlib’s normal band-selection behaviour, including antenna recall, while accepting the possible VFO-A -> VFO-B -> VFO-A transition. The workaround was marked as tentative and untested, and I am not aware of any confirmation that it actually resolved the reported problem.

Therefore, the current interfaces do not allow QLog to guarantee both antenna recall and avoidance of the VFO transition. I do not consider sending a delayed raw BS command through FLRig a safe solution. For Hamlib, removing the tentative #1017 workaround may be the more reasonable choice if restoring the radio’s normal band-selection behaviour is considered more important than the temporary VFO transition.

[PY2AD]

Thanks a lot for the technical explanation... great job.

[foldynl]

@PY2AD : any idea how to solve it ? So either there will be an issue with the VFO switching, or the antenna input will not switch correctly. Which option is better? As far as I know, this issue affects only the FT-950.

[PY2AD]

Unfortunately, I don't have the technical knowledge to offer an opinion. If the radio doesn't help, I don't think there's much that can be done via qlog.

[foldynl]

Unfortunately, I don't have the technical knowledge to offer an opinion.

I do not think this is about technical knowledge of programming, Hamlib, or anything else. The question is whether the change intended to prevent the VFOs from switching when changing frequencies helped you, and which behaviour is better: smooth frequency switching with the wrong antenna input, or correct antenna input selection with the VFO switching issue.

From a technical point of view, I do not see a way to make both work at the same time. However, I may be missing something, and perhaps someone will find a proper solution in the future.

For now, we need to decide which option is the lesser evil. Since I do not own an FT-950, I will leave that decision to you.