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Sharing a KX3 to multiple application on Mac OS 10.10

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Joshua Gould, K8WXA

Sharing a KX3 to multiple application on Mac OS 10.10

Any one know of a way to do it? I would like to be able to share the
serial port among at least the KX3 utility and RUMLog (Which after reading
the manual I have a much better understanding of) More software might come
along later, but those are the big two for now.

72,
Joshua Gould
K8WXA
EM89pn

KX3# 7465
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James Bennett

Re: Sharing a KX3 to multiple application on Mac OS 10.10

Josh,

I am not aware of a way to do it natively on OS X. However, I have OS X 10.10 and run VMWare Fusion. Under Fusion I am running Windows 8.1 and my KX3 is connected there. I use a serial port manager (free) called LP Bridge (LPB2). With LPB2 in place, I simultaneously run NaP3 (Pan Display Program, also free) and my Windows Logging program - LOG4OM. (yes, that’s free, too!)

Not ideal, but I’ve had a K3/P3 for quite some time and when I got the KX3, I really missed the pan display. The PX3 was only dreamware when I got my KX3, so having NaP3 was super! I still use it, as my OS X is running on a 27” iMac and having the pan display of the KX3 on a screen that large is amazing!

I have my K3 connected to the OS X side of things, where my main logging program (MacLoggerDX) runs. I export via ADIF from LOG4OM my KX3 contacts and haul them into MacLoggerDX periodically, via Dropbox.

Wish I could point you to a multi-serial port application for the Mac, but I know of none.

73, Jim / W6JHB
Folsom, CA

> On Monday, Feb 16, 2015, at Monday, 7:48 AM, Joshua Gould <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> Any one know of a way to do it? I would like to be able to share the
> serial port among at least the KX3 utility and RUMLog (Which after reading
> the manual I have a much better understanding of) More software might come
> along later, but those are the big two for now.
>
> 72,
> Joshua Gould
> K8WXA
> EM89pn
>
> KX3# 7465
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> Message delivered to [hidden email]

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Michael Walker

Re: Sharing a KX3 to multiple application on Mac OS 10.10

Sharing is a challenge, but not impossible.

Consider if you require both applications to be able to control the unit.
If this is the case, then I would say no.

If you only want one to monitor the frequency of the radio but not provide
input, then it is doable.

The 'simple' way is to have a Y cable where one connection is the master
connection that has full control of the radio and the other just listens to
the radio communication. Steppir does this already as an example.'

This Y cable would connect to the radio and would connect to 1 physical
serial report as the master. Then, with another single wire it would go to
another physical serial port in an RX only mode.

The above is the safest so there are no port conflictions or control issues.

In the windows world, there are tools to do this. In the Flex world we use
DDUTIL or for others, PSTRotator does a good job of communicating with many
devices.

In the future, it would great if all the communications got off RS232 and
moved to TCP or UDP and we can get away from RS232. These things take
time of course.

I hope that helps some.

Mike va3mw

On Mon, Feb 16, 2015 at 2:04 PM, James Bennett <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Josh,
>
> I am not aware of a way to do it natively on OS X. However, I have OS X
> 10.10 and run VMWare Fusion. Under Fusion I am running Windows 8.1 and my
> KX3 is connected there. I use a serial port manager (free) called LP Bridge
> (LPB2). With LPB2 in place, I simultaneously run NaP3 (Pan Display Program,
> also free) and my Windows Logging program - LOG4OM. (yes, that’s free, too!)
>
> Not ideal, but I’ve had a K3/P3 for quite some time and when I got the
> KX3, I really missed the pan display. The PX3 was only dreamware when I got
> my KX3, so having NaP3 was super! I still use it, as my OS X is running on
> a 27” iMac and having the pan display of the KX3 on a screen that large is
> amazing!
>
> I have my K3 connected to the OS X side of things, where my main logging
> program (MacLoggerDX) runs. I export via ADIF from LOG4OM my KX3 contacts
> and haul them into MacLoggerDX periodically, via Dropbox.
>
> Wish I could point you to a multi-serial port application for the Mac, but
> I know of none.
>
> 73, Jim / W6JHB
> Folsom, CA
>
>
> > On Monday, Feb 16, 2015, at Monday, 7:48 AM, Joshua Gould <
> [hidden email]> wrote:
> >
> > Any one know of a way to do it? I would like to be able to share the
> > serial port among at least the KX3 utility and RUMLog (Which after
> reading
> > the manual I have a much better understanding of) More software might
> come
> > along later, but those are the big two for now.
> >
> > 72,
> > Joshua Gould
> > K8WXA
> > EM89pn
> >
> > KX3# 7465
> > ______________________________________________________________
> > Elecraft mailing list
> > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> > Post: mailto:[hidden email]
> >
> > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> > Message delivered to [hidden email]
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> Message delivered to [hidden email]
>

Mike Reublin NF4L

Re: Sharing a KX3 to multiple application on Mac OS 10.10

In reply to this post by Joshua Gould, K8WXA

I'm curious. Why?

73, Mike NF4L

> On Feb 16, 2015, at 10:48 AM, Joshua Gould <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> Any one know of a way to do it? I would like to be able to share the
> serial port among at least the KX3 utility and RUMLog (Which after reading
> the manual I have a much better understanding of) More software might come
> along later, but those are the big two for now.
>
> 72,
> Joshua Gould
> K8WXA
> EM89pn
>
> KX3# 7465
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> Message delivered to [hidden email]

Don Wilhelm-4

Re: Sharing a KX3 to multiple application on Mac OS 10.10

In reply to this post by Michael Walker

I would like to expand on this post (below):
RS-232 is a point to point protocol and the hardware requires normally
one driver on each signal line and one receiver.
In special circumstances, more than one receiver can be on any one
signal line.
BUT, never more than one driver.

In other words, you cannot use a Y cable to connect a KX3 (or any other)
to more than one regular COM port.
SteppIR has been mentioned, but their controller only listens to the
communications - there is a setting in the SteppIR controller which
disconnects the drivers if you are using it that way. It is only under
this special condition that a Y cable can be used. In this instance,
the StepIR controller does not ever control the RS-232 signalling, it
just listens to the traffic.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 2/16/2015 2:18 PM, Michael Walker wrote:

> Sharing is a challenge, but not impossible.
>
> Consider if you require both applications to be able to control the unit.
> If this is the case, then I would say no.
>
> If you only want one to monitor the frequency of the radio but not provide
> input, then it is doable.
>
> The 'simple' way is to have a Y cable where one connection is the master
> connection that has full control of the radio and the other just listens to
> the radio communication. Steppir does this already as an example.'
>
> This Y cable would connect to the radio and would connect to 1 physical
> serial report as the master. Then, with another single wire it would go to
> another physical serial port in an RX only mode.
>
> The above is the safest so there are no port conflictions or control issues.
>
>

Edouard Lafargue

Re: Sharing a KX3 to multiple application on Mac OS 10.10

In reply to this post by Joshua Gould, K8WXA

Joshua,

Very easy to do :-) I developed software to do just this, called Wizkers (
http://wizkers.io/) . it can be downloaded from the Chrome app store and
installs in a matter of seconds. Works on any computer ( and no, no need
for an Internetb connection once it is installed...)

Once Wizkers is running, it will give you a rig sharing interface so that
you can have multiple programs use the rig. I do this with RUMLog, fldigi
and jt65 at the same time, works great...

Contact me direct if you need help!

Ed, w6ela

PS: wizkers is open source, so it is also free, which doesn't hurt either.
On Feb 16, 2015 7:49 AM, "Joshua Gould" <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Any one know of a way to do it? I would like to be able to share the
> serial port among at least the KX3 utility and RUMLog (Which after reading
> the manual I have a much better understanding of) More software might come
> along later, but those are the big two for now.
>
> 72,
> Joshua Gould
> K8WXA
> EM89pn
>
> KX3# 7465
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> Message delivered to [hidden email]
>