Tuner overview¶
The Tuner applet gives you real-time control over a 4O3A Tuner Genius XL (TGXL) external antenna tuner directly from AetherSDR. From a single panel you can read forward power and SWR, trigger an autotune, adjust relay banks, set the tuner operating state, and — when a TGXL 3x1 antenna switch is connected — select between three antenna ports.
Before you start¶
- A Tuner Genius XL must be detected by AetherSDR. The applet is hidden until the TGXL is found.
- AetherSDR must be connected to the radio.
How it works¶
The Tuner applet appears in the right-side applet panel once a TGXL is detected. Toggle its visibility with the TUN tray button on the right sidebar.
The applet is divided into three areas:
Meters (top) — Two horizontal gauges report live readings from the TGXL.
Relay bars and buttons (middle) — Three relay-position bars (C1, L, C2) sit to the left; TUNE and OPERATE/BYPASS/STANDBY buttons sit to the right.
Antenna switch row (bottom) — Three antenna selection buttons appear only when a direct TGXL connection is active and the TGXL reports that an antenna switch is present. The row is hidden otherwise.
What each control does¶
| Control | Kind | Behavior | Valid range / states |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fwd Pwr | Meter | Displays TGXL-reported forward power. Scale adjusts automatically based on whether a PGXL or Aurora amplifier is detected. | 0–200 W (barefoot); 0–600 W (Aurora); 0–2000 W (with PGXL) |
| SWR | Meter | Displays TGXL-reported SWR. Gauge turns red above 2.5. | 1.0–3.0 |
| C1 | Relay bar | Shows the C1 relay bank position. Mousewheel scroll adjusts the relay when a direct TGXL connection is active. | 0–255 |
| L | Relay bar | Shows the L relay bank position. Mousewheel scroll adjusts the relay when a direct TGXL connection is active. | 0–255 |
| C2 | Relay bar | Shows the C2 relay bank position. Mousewheel scroll adjusts the relay when a direct TGXL connection is active. | 0–255 |
| TUNE | Button | Triggers an autotune. The button turns red and reads TUNING... while tuning is in progress. When tuning completes, the button briefly displays SWR x.xx (the settled post-tune SWR) for 2.5 seconds, then returns to TUNE. | — |
| OPERATE / BYPASS / STANDBY | Button | Cycles the TGXL relay state: OPERATE → BYPASS → STANDBY → OPERATE. Label and color reflect the current state: OPERATE (green), BYPASS (orange), STANDBY (default). | — |
| ANT 1 | Button | Selects antenna port 1 on the TGXL 3x1 switch. Visible only when a direct TGXL connection is active and an antenna switch is present. | — |
| ANT 2 | Button | Selects antenna port 2 on the TGXL 3x1 switch. | — |
| ANT 3 | Button | Selects antenna port 3 on the TGXL 3x1 switch. | — |
Tips¶
- Mousewheel scrolling on C1, L, and C2 is only enabled when a direct TGXL connection is active. If scrolling has no effect, check the connection state.
- The post-tune SWR displayed on the TUNE button reflects the final settled value after a short capture window, not the SWR measured mid-sweep.
- The forward power gauge scale is set automatically. No manual configuration is required when switching between barefoot, Aurora, and PGXL setups.