RX2 to ADC2

k9dtc
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RX2 to ADC2

Postby k9dtc » Sat Jan 01, 2022 10:20 pm

Hi I have a 200d with Thetis v2.8.11. How do you assign RX2 to ADC2 so I can use Diversity? Thanks Dan k9dtc
Dan k9dtc
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w-u-2-o
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Re: RX2 to ADC2

Postby w-u-2-o » Sat Jan 01, 2022 11:02 pm

I don't remember how the DDC assignments are arranged on the Orion, so you'll have to experiment to find which DDC is assigned to what. Perhaps another Orion (200D) owner might be able to help. But you can go to Setup > General > ADC and start clicking buttons!

Remember it's ADC --> DDC --> RX.

And the code uses different DDCs for diversity than it does for the normal RX instances. So first you need to fire up RX1 and RX2 and look at what signals your getting there and sort that out. After that, bring up the diversity control panel, select Receiver Source Receiver 1, sort that, then Receiver Source Receiver 2 and sort out that one. Then you can switch back to Rx1+Rx2 and have fun.

What sort of antennas are you planning to use, just out of curiosity?
k9dtc
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Re: RX2 to ADC2

Postby k9dtc » Sun Jan 02, 2022 10:39 am

I must be doing something wrong. There is no combination I can find that connect the RX2 to the receive. I have RX2 checked in the diversity box. I took off the main antenna and only have a ant to RX2 and nothing I do connects it to the receiver?
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Re: RX2 to ADC2

Postby w-u-2-o » Sun Jan 02, 2022 2:42 pm

Are you running Protocol 1 or Protocol 2 firmware?
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Re: RX2 to ADC2

Postby w-u-2-o » Sun Jan 02, 2022 2:48 pm

OK, not sure this works for 200D (Orion) but on my Protocol 2 equipped Orion MKII hardware (which happens to be in an 8000, not that it matters), the labeling on the General > ADC page is perfect.

With diversity OFF, the RX1 and RX2 labels appear below DDC2 and DDC3. I can easily choose between the two ADCs for those receiver instances by paying attention the position of those labels.

With diversity ON, the RX1 and RX2 labels appear below DDC0 and DDC1. Again, it is easy to make the configuration changes.

What does it look like in Thetis with the 200D/Orion and, again, are you running P1 or P2 firmware?
k9dtc
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Re: RX2 to ADC2

Postby k9dtc » Sun Jan 02, 2022 2:51 pm

Protocol 2
Dan k9dtc
k9dtc
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Re: RX2 to ADC2

Postby k9dtc » Sun Jan 02, 2022 3:05 pm

when I flip flop 00 and 01 the main ant switches to rx2 and now rx1 is dead?
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Re: RX2 to ADC2

Postby w-u-2-o » Sun Jan 02, 2022 3:32 pm

Remember, the signal path is

ANT1 (or ANT2 or ANT3) panel inputs to ADC0 to one or more DDCs

RX2 panel input to ADC1 to one or more DDCs.

DDCs are not "hardwired" (hard coded) to an ADC. That can be adjusted.

RX's are hardwired (hard coded) to DDCs. That cannot be adjusted.

Just to further confuse things, with diversity OFF, RX1 and RX2 are assigned to different DDCs than when diversity is ON.

If you are getting confused it might be helpful to get out some paper and pencil and sketch out the signal paths.
k9dtc
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Re: RX2 to ADC2

Postby k9dtc » Sun Jan 02, 2022 3:42 pm

I emailed Doug w5wc hopefully he will be able to shed light on the my issue. thanks
Dan k9dtc
Taiga
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Re: RX2 to ADC2

Postby Taiga » Sun Jan 02, 2022 9:06 pm

Hi Dan,
Based on Scott's helpful info, here is a prelim draft re: how it works in a dle7000 mkii; hopefully will be of assistance with your 200D.
73, Taiga
Attachments
Anan dle7000 mki block diagram RF in ver 0.6.jpg
Anan dle7000 mki block diagram RF in ver 0.6.jpg (164.42 KiB) Viewed 5347 times
Last edited by Taiga on Sun Jan 02, 2022 9:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
k9dtc
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Re: RX2 to ADC2

Postby k9dtc » Sun Jan 02, 2022 9:22 pm

Thanks Taiga. I believe there maybe something wrong with my RX2 input. When I only connect one antenna alone to that jack nothing I do connects it to the receiver?
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Re: RX2 to ADC2

Postby w-u-2-o » Sun Jan 02, 2022 9:54 pm

Dan,

Any chance you can switch back to Protocol 1 firmware, just to see if it's a problem with the Protocol 2 firmware?

If you can do this, remember that Thetis will not run sample rates above 192KHz with Protocol 1.

73,

Scott
k9dtc
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Re: RX2 to ADC2

Postby k9dtc » Sun Jan 02, 2022 10:30 pm

I would not know how to do that Scott.
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Re: RX2 to ADC2

Postby w-u-2-o » Sun Jan 02, 2022 11:16 pm

So it would seem you bought this 200D from someone else who had loaded Protocol 2, then? Do you know what version is loaded specifically? What does Thetis report as the firmware version when you look in setup?
k9dtc
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Re: RX2 to ADC2

Postby k9dtc » Mon Jan 03, 2022 2:19 am

version 1.7
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Re: RX2 to ADC2

Postby w-u-2-o » Mon Jan 03, 2022 3:29 am

Latest version is 1.9.15:

viewtopic.php?f=32&t=3309

It might be worth learning to upgrade, just in case that's part of the problem.
k9dtc
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Re: RX2 to ADC2

Postby k9dtc » Mon Jan 03, 2022 11:04 am

sounds like a very good idea. It is something I would want done anyway.
Dan k9dtc
k9dtc
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Re: RX2 to ADC2

Postby k9dtc » Mon Jan 03, 2022 12:26 pm

I did accomplish the 1.9 update and RX2 still seems to be dead.
Dan k9dtc
k9dtc
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Re: RX2 to ADC2

Postby k9dtc » Tue Jan 04, 2022 5:40 pm

Doug has not got back to me yet. But now that I am a little more familiar with this I see RX2 input on my radio must be defective in some manner. The only way I hear signals on the RX2 receiver is if I change it to the main antenna in the ADC settings.
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Re: RX2 to ADC2

Postby w-u-2-o » Tue Jan 04, 2022 6:11 pm

Dan,

You might open the back panel on the radio and take a peek to see if it's simply a loose cable. You remove the nuts and washers on the BNC connectors, and the rear panel screws, then carefully pull the panel away from the chassis. It might simply be that the RX2 SMA cable between the PA/RF board and the Orion board has come loose. There's little else to go wrong mechanically because the path on the PA/RF board is merely the rear panel RX2 BNC to the internal board mounted SMA.

Schematics are here: viewforum.php?f=35

73,

Scott
k9dtc
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Re: RX2 to ADC2

Postby k9dtc » Tue Jan 04, 2022 9:49 pm

ok Scott I took the back panel off and everything is in place and tight. I put both RX1 and RX2 receivers on a very strong AM station. with the antenna on ant 1 rx1 signal strength is -7. the same antenna still connected to ant-1 and switch the adc setting to use ant 1 on rx2 receiver and it is -28. move the same ant to rx2 input and switch the adc so both receivers have the rx2 ant input and rx1 is -65 and rx2 is -85. Sensitivity is way down on a super strong station using the RX2 ant input.
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Re: RX2 to ADC2

Postby w-u-2-o » Wed Jan 05, 2022 3:01 am

Assuming no operator error this is certainly starting to look like some sort of hardware failure :(

You could try connecting directly to the RX2 connector on the Orion just to rule out everything off the Orion board, but after that it may indeed be a board level repair.
k9dtc
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Re: RX2 to ADC2

Postby k9dtc » Wed Jan 12, 2022 2:59 pm

I sent the radio to Doug and the problem is the step attenuator for ADC2. I want to thank everyone who helped me with this problem.
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Re: RX2 to ADC2

Postby w-u-2-o » Wed Jan 12, 2022 4:14 pm

Thanks for posting the resolution of this problem, Dan.

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