Multiple rig control and logging using a single Macbook Pro

[Thomas Donohue]

Hi to all:

I posted the following on the MacloggerDX site and got a partial response, so thought I would try here also.

I have been using a Macbook Pro running the El Captan operating system and the MacloggerDX program for rig control and logging of a K3 for several years now and all is working FB. I’m in the process of adding two new rigs to the shack, a Yaesu FTdx 3000 and a K3S. I intend to use MacloggerDX and a single Macbook Pro for rig control and logging on all three rigs. Adding the FTdx 3000 in preferences on MacloggerDX seems to be pretty straight forward and foresee no problems there; however, adding the K3S in preferences, which will use the same utility as the K3 could be problematic. I should also mention that both the K3 and K3S have attached, identical P3 pan-adaptors, which also have a separate utility., How do I distinguish between the K3/P3 and K3S/P3 utilities in MacloggerDX? Or, do I use the same utilities for the both the K3/P3 and K3S/P3? Has anyone in the group traveled this road before and if you have, how did you handle the rigs and software? Any thoughts, help and/or guidance would be appreciated.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Best 73,
Tom/W1QU
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[Elecraft mailing list]

I'm running a mid-2015 MacBook Pro, but have just one K3 and one P3.However, I do have a powered USB hub to which I've attached an externalsound card (Asus Xonar U5) and three serial lines. The one cute thing aboutthose serial lines (which use the "real" FTDI FT232R devices) is that theyeach display a unique serial number, which can be viewed under the USBDevice Tree page under System Information which you dive into from the"About This Mac" GUI by going to "System Report". I've found that to bevery useful for troubleshooting, because I don't have to sort out device namesin "/dev", etc. (The 3 serial lines are for the K3, a Trimble ThunderboltGPSDO, and a Kantronics KPC3+, all of which run at different speeds).
I typically run WSJT-X under MacOS (Sierra, 10.12.1) using the K3's serial lineand the Xonar, but I can also run RUMlog and Fldigi. But, occasionally, I'll bootWindows 10 (under Parallels 12.1.1) to run HRD, Lady Heather, Winlink, Outpostand/or EZNEC+. I usually maintain the K3/P3 firmware using the usual utilitiesunder MacOS, but I can also do them under Windows if need be. Note that theP3 and the K3 utilities *do* allow you to select (under "Port") which serial lineyou wish to use. I don't know anything about MacloggerDX.
As I mentioned above, I am using an externally powered USB2 hub becauseI need to power the Xonar. I had a fair number of problems stabilizing thisconfiguration under Windows (7, then 10) because the GPSDO runs at 4800 baudand Windows insisted it was a USB mouse. I alleviated it by rebooting Windows,sometimes 2 or 3 times in a row. Although the MacBook Pro is USB3 and the USB3spec stipulates that a USB3 port must supply more than enough current to supportthe U3 (I forget the exact numbers off the top of my head), it still didn't solve theproblem of multiple serial lines, coupled with the fact that the backup drive isattached directly to the (only) other USB port. One trick is to mark the cables carefullyand keep them in the same physical USB hub slots. Another is to avoid hot plugging,which despite manufacturers' propaganda WILL blow hubs; I keep a spare handy.
HTH, and 73 for a Happy Thanksgiving,
Bayard R. "Brandy" Coolidge, N1HO
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