multiFLEX Dashboard overview¶
The multiFLEX Dashboard shows every client station currently sharing your FLEX-8600 and lets you manage PTT authority across those stations. Use it when you are operating in a multi-operator or multi-software environment and need to see who is transmitting, on what antenna, and at what frequency.
Before you start¶
- AetherSDR must be connected to the radio. The multiFLEX Dashboard is not available without an active radio connection.
- Your FLEX-8600 firmware must support the SmartSDR multiFLEX feature.
How it works¶
Open the dashboard from Settings > multiFLEX.... The dialog displays the heading multiFLEX Stations and refreshes automatically whenever a client connects or disconnects, or when slice status changes on the radio. The dialog remembers its size and position between sessions.
At the top of the dialog, the Enable button reflects the current multiFLEX state on the radio. Clicking it toggles multiFLEX on or off and the button label updates immediately to reflect the new state.
The Stations table lists every connected multiFLEX client in five columns:
| Column | Content |
|---|---|
| LOCAL PTT | A check mark (✔) appears in green when that station currently holds local PTT authority. |
| STATION | Displays the client program name and station name. If both are present and different, shows program: station. If only station is present, shows the station name. If neither is available, shows the client handle as client 0xHHHHHHHH. Your own station is highlighted in blue. |
| TX ANT | The transmit antenna assigned to that station's TX slice. Shows ---- if not available. |
| TX FREQ (MHz) | The transmit frequency of that station's TX slice in MHz to three decimal places. Shows ---- if not available. |
| (empty) | Contains a Disconnect button for each remote client. This button is disabled for your own station. |
Each station row has a Disconnect button with a red background. Click Disconnect to forcibly evict a remote multiFLEX client from the radio. The button becomes disabled while the disconnect request is pending, and the client handle is tracked until the radio confirms the eviction. Once the client is fully disconnected, its entry disappears from the table. The Disconnect button is disabled for your own client entry.
Below the table, the Local PTT label and the Enable (PTT) button appear only when more than one client is connected. Their content depends on the current PTT state:
- If your station does not hold PTT, the label reads Enable Local PTT for this station (station name): and the Enable (PTT) button is shown. Clicking Enable (PTT) requests local PTT authority for your station.
- If your station already holds PTT and you select another station's row, the label informs you that the selected station must claim PTT from their own client. The Enable (PTT) button is hidden in this state.
- If only one client is connected, both the label and the Enable (PTT) button are hidden.
Clicking Close dismisses the dialog.
What each control does¶
| Control | Kind | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Enable | Button | Toggles multiFLEX on or off on the radio. Shows Enabled (green) when multiFLEX is active, Disabled (red) when inactive. |
| Stations table | List | Shows all connected multiFLEX clients. Columns: LOCAL PTT, STATION, TX ANT, TX FREQ (MHz), and a Disconnect action column. Selecting a row updates the PTT section below. |
| Disconnect | Button | Appears in the last column of each remote client row. Forcibly disconnects that client from the radio. Disabled for your own station. Disabled while the disconnect request is pending. |
| Enable (PTT) | Button | Requests local PTT authority for your station. Visible only when your station does not currently hold PTT and more than one client is connected. |
| Local PTT label | Indicator | Shows context-dependent text about PTT state for the selected station. Hidden when only one client is connected. |
| Close | Button | Closes the multiFLEX Dashboard dialog. |
Tips¶
- The dialog remembers its size and position between sessions.
- Your own station's row in the Stations table is highlighted in blue, making it easy to identify your entry among multiple clients.
- TX antenna and frequency data for your own station is drawn directly from your active TX slice, so it reflects the current state even if the client info from the radio has not yet been updated.
- The table refreshes automatically; you do not need to close and reopen the dialog to see new clients.
- To disconnect a remote client, click the Disconnect button in their row. The button disables while the request is pending; once the radio confirms the eviction, the client's row is removed from the table.
Related¶
- Enable multiFLEX on the radio
- Grant or revoke local PTT
- Check which antenna and frequency each TX station is using
- See all stations connected to this FLEX
- Disconnect a remote multiFLEX client