Observations so far

[James Hall]

Using ver. 1.17 beta (and tnx to Alex) I established that the “recommendation “ for quad core CPU, is a hard Requirement. Tested two dual-core computers and they were nonfunctional. So, now I’m on a quad core laptop and the CPU usage is <10%. Nice 👍 

I now have a Yaesu FT-818 hooked up via a Digirig and it’s running solid. I’m using an AirSpy R2 as the receive SDR and an Arrow antenna mounted on a WA4MCM (kit) rotator. All functions as expected. Now the transmit button that shows in the uplink box, if I push it, it will put the radio in transmit and keep it there ! I had to stop the program and power off the radio. I recommend don’t touch it. 

The only other niggle so far is that if you maximize SkyRoof on your screen, it doesn’t remember it when you restart it.

Time to actually make some contacts ! I haven’t tried it with FLrig but I don’t see any reason it wouldn’t work. However, it’s something else to start prior to starting SkyRoof until Hamlib gets incorporated into the program.

That’s it for now.

73, Jamie 

WB4YDL

[Thomas Schuessler]

James Hall in the post below mentioned "FLRig" for radio control.  I would like to know how to set up SkyRoof to use FLRig as it works flowlessly with my FT847 for any other program I use FLRig for, but have not found a way to get SkyRoof, and it's dependance on Hamlib Rigctld.exe to work with FLRig?  FLRig IS a registered radio model in the hamlib rig database as -m 4 so with the right parameters given to hamlib, that should be possible, but so far no joy.  It would be a very flexable option if FLRig were a default option for external radio control, as it has a broad database of radios it works with on it's own.

Tom, N5HYP

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[James Hall]

Hi Thomas:

Do you have FLrig working with say FLdigi with your ‘847 ? Of course, Hamlib is incorporated in that program. Have you tried to first make a shortcut of rigctld.exe, drag it to your desktop, and then, in its.properties, add the parameters -m 4, etc ?

I’m pretty sure that the speed -s is whatever your radio is set to (9600), and the (rig) -r is your COM#. And if you’ve worked with the ‘847 for awhile you know that that serial port takes a null connector. Weird I know !

If all is well, you start your shortcut of rigctld then FLrig and then SkyRoof. That should do the trick !

73, Jamie

WB4YDL

Sent from my iPad

On Aug 2, 2025, at 4:56 PM, 'Thomas Schuessler' via SkyRoof <sky...@googlegroups.com> wrote:



To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/skyroof/88981452.1069847.1754171766332%40mail.yahoo.com.

[Alex VE3NEA]

There must be a misconception. SkyRoof does not use FLRig. Before I started implementing CAT control, I researched my options and discovered that FLRig does not have a command to switch the radio to the Satellite or Duplex mode, so this option was rejected. SkyRoof talks to rigctld.exe, and rigctld.exe talks to the radio.

[James Hall]

Yea, there’s an option to use FLrig through Hamlib’s rigctld as -m 4. The nice thing about using this software with the preferred method of using a SDR radio for receive, is that you don’t need a full duplex satellite radio - just an all-mode radio. That’s why I’m using the FT-818 right now as my transmitter.

Now the FT-847 IS a satellite radio with full duplex. I’m not sure how Thomas is using it- if he’s just using it as a transmitter with an SDR, or the whole radio without the SDR. If the latter, then yea, I wouldn’t use FLrig. He ‘might’ be able to use it if the former.

It’s not my preferred method - I just fire up the shortcut to rigctld.

73, Jamie

WB4YDL

Sent from my iPad

On Aug 2, 2025, at 5:44 PM, Alex VE3NEA <ve3...@gmail.com> wrote:

There must be a misconception. SkyRoof does not use FLRig. Before I started implementing CAT control, I researched my options and discovered that FLRig does not have a command to switch the radio to the Satellite or Duplex mode, so this option was rejected. SkyRoof talks to rigctld.exe, and rigctld.exe talks to the radio.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/skyroof/14c958fe-8c6c-495f-84a1-daa332d5fdc9n%40googlegroups.com.

[Thomas Schuessler]

I can use FLRig for WSJT-x, FLDigi and VarAC wonderfully.  Yes I tried several different parameters on rigctld.exe via the desktop shortcut pointing to the  to no avail.  I can run the standard rigctl program and run parameters in it's dos window and query the radio so I know that works, but the rigctld.exe connection via hamlib has not worked yet for me.  That is why I am very interested in seeing if Alex might look at putting the hooks for FLRig in his program.  I think it might open up a whole lot more rigs for the TX control side since that platform has been in use for 15-20 years from the earliest days of FLDigi.

The issue with using Rigctld.exe to control FLRig is that FLRig wants to talk to the radio on a com port and you have to specify in Hamlib the same com port and that CANNOT work.  So either one program has to work, or the other.  

Tom Schuessler, N5HYP

[Thomas Schuessler]

Alex,

I do NOT need to switch the radio to duplex mode for the FT847, or the IC910H, or the TS2000, or the 9700 to a duplex mode.  If it just transmits on the main VFO and makes that follow frequency control as the transmit radio, that would be awesome.  If running an SDR RX and a 9700, you do not need to do duplex either on the 9700, unless you want to use the I/Q out of the radio to feed SoapySDR.  

The need to only set up TX CAT for a transmit radio was mentioned by you in a post in response to a user to the group a couple of days ago.  

Thank you Alex for your hard work coding and supporting this great software.  I would like to suggest that you look at presenting your work in progress to the AMSAT Space Symposium this October in Phoenix.  You would get the ears and brains of some of the key AMSAT people, and also find out about other developments for future missions that your software may be beneficial for.

Tom, N5HYP  

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/skyroof/14c958fe-8c6c-495f-84a1-daa332d5fdc9n%40googlegroups.com.

[James Hall]

Thomas:

Interesting stuff. I use FLrig for those things as well - usually with my little QMX. I agree it is nice to have if you use several rigs and the same program. I’ll try it with my FT-818 tomorrow just for grins but I think it will take those ‘hooks’ to make it work.

As for the same com port issue, it might be worth a try to see if something like vsp manager by K5FR would work. I use it to connect things like SatPC32 and SDRConsole … before SkyRoof came along.

73, Jamie

WB4YDL

Sent from my iPad

On Aug 2, 2025, at 7:57 PM, Thomas Schuessler <tjschu...@verizon.net> wrote:



[Alex VE3NEA]

Hi guys,

Thank you for the useful input. I use my transceiver only to transmit, but other users may not have an SDR, or their SDR is de-sensed during the transmission, so they need both RX and TX, in the duplex mode if possible. Because of this, I am trying to provide a complete solution that makes use of all radio's capabilities. As I mentioned before, I considered OmniRig, FLRig and HamLib for CAT control, and selected a HamLib-based solution, but this did not solve all problems. I am working on a new CAT engine now, will present it in this group when I finish it.

[James Hall]

Great stuff, Alex:

Yes, I am all for a combined solution using an SDR and a transmitter. I'm trying to get more folks in my club to consider SatComm and this would decrease the complexity measurably.

Yea, I have the desense problem and have ordered BPF's for the SDR from Mini-Circuits.

Really appreciate your great work !!

73, Jamie
WB4YDL