Set RF output power¶
Use the RF Power slider in the TX Controls applet to set the transmit power level sent to your antenna. Adjusting this before transmitting prevents overdriving your amplifier or violating band power limits.
Before you start¶
- AetherSDR must be connected to a FLEX-8600 radio. If not, go to
Settings > Connect to Radio.... - The TX Controls applet must be visible. If it is not, click the TX tray button on the right sidebar to show it.
Steps¶
- Locate the RF Power slider in the TX Controls applet. It appears below the SWR gauge.
- Drag the slider left or right to set your desired power level. The numeric readout to the right of the slider updates immediately.
- Confirm the value shown in the readout is what you intend. The RF Pwr gauge will reflect actual forward power once you transmit.
What each control does¶
| Control | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| RF Power slider | Sets the transmit RF power level sent to the radio. | 100 |
| RF Pwr meter | Displays actual forward power at the exciter output. | — |
| SWR meter | Displays standing wave ratio at the exciter. | — |
Tips¶
- The RF Pwr meter scale changes automatically depending on your radio model. On a standard FLEX-8600 the red zone begins above 100 W.
- You can set per-band power limits independently of this slider. Go to
Settings > TX Band Settings...to configure power, tune power, and inhibit settings for each band. - The RF Power slider controls the exciter output level, not a separate amplifier. If you are running an external amplifier, set this slider to the drive level your amplifier expects.
Using the ATU button¶
The ATU button behavior changed in v0.9.5.1 to mirror the per-frequency toggle found in SmartSDR.
- First click (or any click after a frequency change): starts a fresh ATU tune cycle.
- Second click at the same frequency: if the tuner already reports a successful match (the Success indicator is lit) and you have not changed frequency since the last tune, clicking ATU again switches the tuner to bypass instead of starting a new cycle.
- After any frequency change: the tuned-frequency record is cleared automatically. The next click always starts a fresh tune cycle, even if the prior status was successful.
The Byp indicator lights orange when the tuner is in bypass. The Success indicator lights green when a match is active. The Mem indicator lights green when the tuner is using a stored memory.
| Scenario | ATU button result |
|---|---|
| No prior tune, or frequency has changed | Starts tune cycle |
| Success/OK match, same frequency as last tune | Switches to bypass |
| Bypass active | Starts fresh tune cycle on next click |
Note: The ATU and MEM buttons are disabled when the TGXL transverter is in OPERATE mode.
Using the MOX button¶
The MOX button manually keys the transmitter. When active, the button turns red.
In v0.9.7, clicking MOX routes the PTT request through the Quindar-tone coordinator rather than keying the radio directly. This means:
- On phone modes (SSB, AM, FM, and so on), if the QUIN chip is enabled in the Audio Channel Strip, the K-tone plays when you engage MOX and the BK-tone plays when you disengage it.
- If Quindar is disabled, or the active TX slice is not on a phone mode, the behavior is identical to previous versions: the radio keys and unkeys immediately.
No change to how you operate the button is required. The Quindar tones are controlled entirely by the QUIN setting in the Audio Channel Strip.
Troubleshooting¶
- RF Pwr meter shows 0 W during transmit — Confirm the radio is actually keyed. Check that MOX is active (the MOX button is red) or that your PTT line is asserted. Also verify the RF Power slider is not set to 0.
- Slider moves but forward power does not change — The radio connection may have dropped. Check the connection status and reconnect via
Settings > Connect to Radio...if needed. - ATU button starts a fresh tune even though Success was lit — Confirm you have not changed transmit frequency since the last tune. Any frequency change clears the stored tuned-frequency record and forces a new tune cycle.
- Quindar tones do not play when using MOX — Confirm the active slice is set to a phone mode and that the QUIN chip is enabled in the Audio Channel Strip. Quindar tones are suppressed on non-phone modes regardless of the QUIN setting.