Put the PGXL amplifier in OPERATE¶
This page explains how to switch a connected Power Genius XL amplifier from STANDBY to OPERATE using AetherSDR's Amplifier applet.
Before you start¶
- AetherSDR must be connected to the radio. The Amplifier applet is hidden until a Power Genius XL is detected by the radio.
- The PGXL must be powered on and communicating with the Flex radio so that state telemetry has arrived. The OPERATE button is hidden until the first state update is received.
Steps¶
- Locate the AMP tray button on the right sidebar of the applet panel.
- Click AMP to open the Amplifier applet.
- Confirm the button in the applet reads "STANDBY". This means the PGXL is currently in standby.
- Click STANDBY. The button label changes to "OPERATE" and turns green, indicating the amplifier is now in OPERATE.
What each control does¶
| Control | Behavior | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| OPERATE | Toggles the amplifier between OPERATE and STANDBY; emits operateToggled. | Hidden until setState arrives. Shows 'OPERATE' (green) for IDLE/OPERATE/TRANSMIT_* states, 'STANDBY' otherwise (kept in sync via RadioModel::ampStateChanged, #2437). |
| STANDBY | When the button reads "STANDBY" (default style), the PGXL is in STANDBY, POWERUP, or FAULT. Click it to send the amplifier to OPERATE. | Same button; label and color change with state. |
| PWR | Left-side label showing the current forward power value (e.g., "PWR 1148"), followed by a horizontal bar gauge showing forward power output. Range: 0–2000 W. Bar turns red above 1500 W. Gauge uses ballistic smoothing: rises quickly, decays over ~800 ms. Shows a white peak tick held for 2.5 s after the last new peak. The gauge has accessible name "Forward power". The numeric label only shows a value when power >= 5 W. | The gauge label was removed from the gauge interior; the live value appears in the PWR label to the left. Live value labels are updated at 10 Hz to avoid flicker. Introduced in v26.6.1. In v26.6.3, setAccessibleName was added for accessibility. |
| SWR | Shows PGXL SWR; the numeric label only appears when forward power >= 5 W. Range: 1.0–3.0 (red > 2.5). Gauge clears to 1.0 when power drops below 5 W (unmeasurable at idle) and restores the cached value when power resumes. | Live value labels are updated at 10 Hz to avoid flicker. |
| Id | Left-side label showing the current drain current value (e.g., "Id 12.5"), followed by a horizontal bar gauge showing PGXL drain current. Range: 0–70 A. Bar turns red above 60 A. The numeric label only appears when current >= 0.5 A. The gauge has accessible name "Drain current". | Replaces the former Temp gauge. The temperature readout now appears in the info stack below. Live value labels are updated at 10 Hz to avoid flicker. Introduced in v26.6.1. In v26.6.3, setAccessibleName was added for accessibility. |
| Vdd | Text label showing PGXL drain voltage (e.g., "Vdd 50 V"). Appears in the info stack. When drain voltage is below 1.0 V (indicating the drain supply is off in standby), the label shows "Vdd — V" instead of "0.0 V" to make it clear the supply is off. | Replaces the former "Volts / Amps" indicator. Introduced in v26.6.1. In v26.6.3, the display logic was improved to show a dash when voltage is below 1.0 V. Only updated on a direct connection; greyed out when proxied through the radio. |
| Vac | Text label showing PGXL mains voltage (e.g., "Vac 240 V"). Appears in the info stack. | New in v26.6.1. Only updated on a direct connection; greyed out when proxied through the radio. |
| Source | Text label showing the data source (e.g., "● RADIO" in gray). Appears in the info stack below Vac. | New in v26.6.1. Indicates whether telemetry is proxied through the radio (RADIO) or read directly from the PGXL (DIRECT). Vdd/Vac/fan mode are only available on the DIRECT path. |
| Fan Speed | Pull-down menu showing the current fan mode ("Fan: Std", "Fan: Contest", or "Fan: Bcast") with options STANDARD, CONTEST, and BROADCAST. Hidden until a direct PGXL connection delivers the first fan mode status. The pull-down has accessible name "Fan speed: [mode]" and accessible description "Selects STANDARD, CONTEST, or BROADCAST fan mode". Tooltip reads "Fan Speed\nSelect STANDARD / CONTEST / BROADCAST". Selecting a mode emits fanModeChanged with the uppercase mode. | Introduced in v26.6.3 as a cycle button; changed to a pull-down menu in v26.8.4 so you can see all three modes at once instead of clicking through them blind (#3905). Uses GuardedComboBox so accidental mouse-wheel scroll while hovering does not change fan mode when the dropdown is closed (#3905). Appears only when a direct PGXL connection provides fan mode telemetry. |
| Temp (C/F button) | Shows amp temperature (TEMP_A and TEMP_B if present) and toggles between Celsius and Fahrenheit on click. The choice persists to the 'AmpApplet' settings object (tempFahrenheit field). | Displays 'tempA/tempB °C' when both sensors report, or 'tempA °C' otherwise. Tooltip announces the unit clicking would switch to. |
| Vdd (drain voltage) | Shows drain voltage 'Vdd x.x V' on a direct PGXL connection; shows a dash when the drain supply is off (vdd < 1 V) or when connected via the radio proxy. | Only updated on a direct connection; greyed out when proxied through the radio. |
| Vac (mains voltage) | Shows mains voltage 'Vac N V' on a direct PGXL connection. | Only updated on a direct connection; greyed out when proxied through the radio. |
| Source label | Indicates whether telemetry is proxied through the radio (RADIO) or read directly from the PGXL (DIRECT). | Vdd/Vac/fan mode are only available on the DIRECT path. |
| Fan speed | Selects the PGXL fan mode; emits fanModeChanged with the uppercase mode. | Hidden until a direct PGXL connection delivers the first fanmode status. Uses GuardedComboBox so accidental mouse-wheel scroll while hovering does not change fan mode when the dropdown is closed (#3905). |
| ## Tips |
- If the applet panel is not visible, go to
View > Applet Panelto show it. - The OPERATE button reflects the PGXL's reported state, not a locally tracked toggle. If the amplifier enters FAULT or POWERUP, the button reverts to "STANDBY" automatically.
- The PWR gauge uses ballistic smoothing: it rises quickly when RF is present, but decays over ~800 ms so brief transmissions remain visible. This matches the S-meter peak-hold feel. The white peak tick holds for 2.5 s after the last new peak.
- The info stack (Temp, Vdd, Vac, source indicator) only appears after the first telemetry data arrives from the PGXL.
- The SWR gauge is cleared when forward power drops below 5 W because SWR is meaningless when no signal is present. The gauge restores the cached value when power resumes.
- When the PGXL drain supply is off (standby), the Vdd display shows "—" instead of "0.0 V".
- The Fan Speed pull-down only appears when AetherSDR has a direct connection to the PGXL that provides fan mode telemetry.
- The Fan Speed pull-down lets you see all three modes at once and select the one you want directly.
- The Temp button can be clicked to toggle between Celsius and Fahrenheit. The chosen unit is remembered across sessions.
Troubleshooting¶
- The AMP tray button does not appear — No Power Genius XL has been detected by the radio. Confirm the PGXL is powered on and correctly connected to the Flex radio.
- The OPERATE button is not visible inside the applet — The applet has opened but no state telemetry has arrived yet from the PGXL. Wait a moment; the button appears after the first state update.
- The button shows "STANDBY" immediately after clicking — The PGXL may be in FAULT or POWERUP and cannot enter OPERATE. Check the amplifier's front panel for fault indicators.
- The PWR or SWR gauge shows no value — No telemetry has been received yet. Confirm the PGXL is communicating with the Flex radio.
- The Fan Speed pull-down does not appear — AetherSDR does not have a direct connection to the PGXL. The fan speed control requires a direct TCP connection, not just telemetry forwarded through the radio.