Tune the SPE Expert amplifier¶
Run an ATU tuning cycle on your SPE Expert linear amplifier (1.3K-FA, 1.5K-FA, 2K-FA) directly from AetherSDR, without touching the amplifier's front panel.
Before you start¶
- Connect to your FLEX-8600 radio (the SPE applet requires an active radio connection).
- Ensure the SPE Expert amplifier is connected via serial or ser2net TCP and appears in the Applet panel.
- Open the SPE applet: Applet panel > SPE tile.
Steps¶
- Click ON to power the amplifier if it is not already on.
- Click OPER to switch the amplifier from STANDBY to OPERATE mode. The status pill should read OPR · RX.
- If needed, cycle PWR to select your desired power level (LOW, MID, or HIGH). The button label shows the current level.
- Click TUNE to start the ATU tuning cycle. The amplifier keys TX and runs its tuning routine with RF drive.
The tuning cycle completes automatically. Watch the ATU SWR gauge settle to confirm the match.
What each control does¶
| Control | Behavior |
|---|---|
| ON | Powers the amplifier on by pulsing the serial control lines. Over the network, this requires an rfc2217-enabled ser2net port. |
| OPER | Toggles between STANDBY and OPERATE (mirrors front-panel OPERATE key). |
| PWR | Cycles output power level LOW → MID → HIGH. Button label shows the current level. |
| TUNE | Starts ATU tuning (mirrors front-panel TUNE key). Keys TX during the cycle. |
| OFF | Switches the amplifier off. Use ON to power it back up. |
| INPUT | Toggles between input ports 1 and 2. |
| ANT | Cycles the TX antenna for the current band. |
| ▼ / ▲ | Lowers or raises the drive power the amplifier requests from the radio over CAT. |
Tips¶
- The ATU SWR gauge shows SWR before the ATU; the SWR gauge shows the antenna-side SWR. After tuning, both should drop toward 1:1.
- The TUNE button is marked as a TX-keying control — ensure your band's tune power is set appropriately in Settings > TX Band Settings... before tuning.
- The amplifier follows your radio's band automatically; there are no band keys in the applet.
Troubleshooting¶
- TUNE is disabled (grayed out) — The amplifier may be in STANDBY or OFF. Click OPER or ON first. Some keys disable while the amp is silent.
- ON / OFF do nothing over the network — These need an rfc2217-enabled ser2net port. Check your serial connection configuration in Settings > Radio Setup....