Monitor forward power and SWR on the SPE Expert amplifier¶
Monitor real-time forward power, antenna SWR, and ATU input SWR from your SPE Expert amplifier (1.3K-FA, 1.5K-FA, 2K-FA) using the SPE applet in the applet panel.
Before you start¶
- Your FLEX-8600 radio must be connected to AetherSDR.
- The SPE Expert amplifier must be connected via serial or ser2net TCP and powered on.
- The amplifier must have been polled at least once so the applet can detect the model and set the gauge scale.
Steps¶
- Open the applet panel by clicking the Applet Panel icon in the main toolbar.
- Click the SPE tile to open the SPE Expert Amplifier applet.
- Read the Forward Power gauge (labeled PWR) to see output power in watts. The gauge scale is set automatically from the model detected on first poll.
- Read the Antenna SWR gauge (labeled SWR) to see real-time antenna-side SWR.
- Read the ATU SWR gauge (labeled ATU) to see real-time SWR at the ATU input.
- Check the TEMP, V, and I readouts for heatsink temperature, supply voltage, and supply current.
- If a fault occurs, a banner appears at the top of the applet in red text describing the problem.
What each control does¶
| Control | Type | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Forward Power (PWR) | Gauge | Real-time forward power in watts. Scale set from the detected model; 5 evenly spaced ticks. |
| Antenna SWR (SWR) | Gauge | Real-time antenna-side SWR, scale 1:1 to 3:1 with ticks at 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3. |
| ATU SWR (ATU) | Gauge | Real-time SWR at the ATU input, same scale as antenna SWR. |
| TEMP | Text | Heatsink temperature, shown verbatim in the amplifier's own unit (C or F). |
| V | Text | Supply voltage in volts. |
| I | Text | Supply current in amperes. |
| Status pill | Indicator | Shows OPR · TX, OPR · RX, or STANDBY — the amplifier's operating mode. |
| Fault banner | Indicator | Appears in red text when the amplifier reports a fault condition. |
Tips¶
- The TEMP readout uses whatever unit (Celsius or Fahrenheit) the amplifier's own display is configured for. AetherSDR does not convert it.
- The power gauge has ballistic smoothing; the peak value is held for 2.5 seconds after each transmission.