The Rig window
The Rig window shows the radio and lets you control it. It has two rows: the upper MAIN and the lower SUB - like two receivers in a radio. Each row can show a different radio, or both can show the same one. The lower row can be hidden - then the window is shorter. You open it with the Rig button in the log.
The upper row (MAIN) is active here - it has a lighter background and a green frame; the inactive row has a grey MAIN / SUB label. Your version may look slightly different.
| # | What it is | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ≡ (row menu) | Choosing the radio for this row and a few commands - described below. |
| 2 | Radio name | Where the radio comes from and what it is called. While connecting: “Initializing...”. On an error: ERROR - double-click it to see the reason. |
| 3 | TX and SWR | The TX mark is grey in the row that transmits (usually the active one; split on the same radio - the SUB row with VFO B) and turns red when the radio transmits - also from the microphone or from WSJT-X. SWR is shown while transmitting, if SWR reading is switched on. |
| 4 | Frequency | In kHz. Clicking a digit changes it by 1 up (left button) or down (right button). The mouse wheel works too. A double-click opens a window for typing in the frequency. |
| 5 | VFO | Switches VFO A / VFO B in the radio. With split on the buttons are inactive (switching would cancel the split): on the same radio the MAIN row shows VFO A and the SUB row VFO B. |
| 6 | TX | Transmitting on the active row - see Transmitting. |
| 7 | BAND, MODE | Changing the band (from a list) and the mode of the active row. The button shows the current band and mode. The 13cm, 9cm, 6cm and 3cm bands are on the list only when the radio accepts such a frequency: through Hamlib yes, through OmniRig no (about 2147 MHz at most; with a transverter the frequency of the radio itself counts). |
| 8 | Split, 500, 000 | Split - described below. 500 sets the end of the frequency to .500 (e.g. 14 025.500), 000 to a round kHz (14 025.000). |
| 9 | Mem | A small window with memories M1-M10 (closes after a choice or a click outside it): a short click goes back to the stored frequency, press and hold stores the current one, press and hold with the right button clears the memory. |
The active row
One row is always active - the one “under the dial”. Click a row to make it active. The active row is controlled by: BAND, MODE, 500 / 000, Mem, clicking a spot in the log and in the cluster, typing in a frequency. The active row transmits: the TX button and the TX keyboard shortcut apply to its radio. With split you tune with the MAIN row (receive) and SUB transmits: on the same radio the MAIN radio on VFO B (SUB row), on two radios the SUB radio - described below.
What goes into the log:
- frequency and mode - from the active row; with split the transmit ones (SUB, on the same radio VFO B);
- receive frequency (FREQ_RX) - only with split: the receive frequency - MAIN (on the same radio VFO A); without split the field is empty (receive = transmit, the other radio does not count);
- when working satellites (SAT panel) - uplink, downlink, satellite name and mode, see Satellites;
- when the Rig window is hidden, the log works as if there were no radio - you type the frequency yourself.
The row menu (≡)
| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| OmniRig Rig 1 / Rig 2, Hamlib, HamlibStarter Rig 1-4 | Choosing the radio for this row. Only the sources switched on in RIG (TRX) configuration are available (HamlibStarter Rigs - the ones enabled in HamlibStarter). The current radio has a lit LED. Hover the mouse over a button - the tooltip shows the radio name and state (e.g. “waiting”, “error”). |
| Check box before OmniRig / Hamlib / HamlibStarter | Shows the Rigs of that group in the row, in place of the MAIN / SUB label: OmniRig Rig1 Rig2, Hamlib Rig or HamlibStarter Rig1-Rig4. At most one check box can be ticked (ticking another one clears the previous one), or none. Clicking a label chooses the radio without opening the ≡ menu (the radio of the other row - the radios are swapped). The current radio has a green background (grey in the inactive row), other radios you can choose are grey, unavailable ones are dark; the tooltip shows the radio name and state. The radio name next to them is then shorter (without “OmniRig: Rig1 -”). Set separately for MAIN and SUB; the check box is available when the group is switched on in RIG (TRX) configuration. |
| MAIN freq = SUB freq (in the lower row: SUB freq = MAIN freq) | This row gets the frequency and mode of the other row. |
| MAIN ⇄ SUB freq | Swaps frequencies and modes between the rows. The radios stay where they are. |
| MAIN ⇄ SUB radio | Swaps the radios between the rows: the radio from the top goes to the bottom and back. The active (transmitting) row stays the same. |
| Show SUB / Hide SUB | Shows or hides the lower row. Showing and hiding it switches split off. |
| T | The Rig - transverters window (the same as Menu → Transverters (MAIN / SUB)). A lit LED - the transverter of this row is on. Described below. |
| gear icon | The Rig - radio sources window (the same as Menu → RIG (TRX) configuration). |
The window closes with the X button in the top left corner or with a click outside it - the same goes for the Split, Mem and rotor ≡ windows.
A radio can be in one row only: choosing the radio of the other row in the ≡ menu swaps the radios between the rows (like MAIN ⇄ SUB radio; inactive while split is on). Split on one radio is done by the radio itself - described below. An old configuration with the same radio in both rows: the lower row starts without a radio.
Split - you transmit somewhere else than you listen
Click the Split button - the Split window opens (like the rotor ≡ menu). With split on, SUB follows MAIN: SUB = MAIN + offset. On two radios SUB follows every change of MAIN - the radio dial, the mouse on the digits, a spot, a typed-in frequency, BAND, Mem and the mode (MODE). On the same radio the radio itself does the split: the program sets VFO B when split is switched on, when the offset changes and when the program tunes MAIN itself (mouse on the digits, spot, typed-in frequency, BAND, Mem, MODE); the radio dial tunes only VFO A - VFO B stays, unless you switch on VFO B tracking in the radio (e.g. SYNC / TRACK - then the radio moves it). The MAIN row is then active all the time - you tune with it (receive), and SUB transmits (as usual with split).
When the SUB row is active, clicking Split first swaps the radios between the rows: the radio you work on moves to MAIN and becomes active (the other radio goes to SUB). Only then the Split window opens.
| Button at the top of the window | How it works |
|---|---|
| On the same radio VFO A / B | Split in the MAIN radio itself: VFO A receives, VFO B = A + offset. The SUB row shows VFO B of that radio - also when it holds a second radio (it comes back to the row when split is off) - and has the TX mark. With an offset it cannot be touched; with split switched on by the SPLIT button on the radio (manual) you tune VFO B in it with the mouse on the digits or by double-clicking (typing in a frequency) - the row does not become active. The VFO A and VFO B buttons are inactive. The program keys the MAIN radio, and where it transmits - the radio decides (usually VFO B). Split switched on with the SPLIT button on the radio is shown as manual; switched off on the radio - the program switches it off too. |
| On two radios MAIN + SUB | The SUB row has a second radio. MAIN receives, SUB transmits on MAIN + offset (cannot be touched, it follows MAIN; the TX button keys the SUB radio, the MAIN radio gets receive). The program switches split off in both radios and sets VFO A in them (a radio switched to B goes back to A); the VFO buttons of both rows are inactive. |
- On the same radio / On two radios only chooses where split works (LED) and does not close the window - split is switched on by an offset or Custom.... A split that is on moves at once to the chosen one. When the chosen split cannot be switched on, the reason is shown at the bottom: on the same radio - the MAIN radio has no split (radio file in OmniRig / Hamlib) or is not connected; on two radios - there is no second radio in the SUB row.
- Below: offsets -10, -5, -3, -2, -1, +1, +2, +3, +5, +10 kHz, Custom... (any value in kHz, e.g. 2.5) and Split off - they work at once and close the window. Esc and clicking outside only close it, nothing is undone.
- The Split button shows the offset, “manual” or OFF; its LED is lit while split is on.
Example: a DX station transmits on 14 025 and listens “up 2”. One radio: On the same radio, +2 - you receive on 14 025 (VFO A), the radio transmits on 14 027 (VFO B); turn the dial - VFO B stays (it follows VFO A when SYNC / TRACK is on in the radio). Two radios: On two radios, +2 - MAIN receives the DX on 14 025, SUB transmits on 14 027 and follows MAIN.
Split switches itself off when you change the radio of a row, swap the radios (MAIN ⇄ SUB radio) or show or hide the lower row. With split on, copying and swapping frequencies and MAIN ⇄ SUB radio are inactive.
When working satellites (SAT panel) the program split is off - MAIN receives the downlink and SUB transmits (the second radio or VFO B of one radio), and the button shows “SAT”.
Transverters (MAIN and SUB separately)
A transverter moves the radio to another band, e.g. 2 m to 13 cm (QO-100 uplink), or an LNB converter brings 10 GHz down to 739 MHz. The radio then shows the intermediate frequency, and the program - once you enter the LO - shows the true frequency:
- normal: true = radio + LO (e.g. 144 250 kHz + LO 2256 MHz = 2 400 250 kHz);
- inverted: true = LO - radio, sideband inverted (USB on the radio = LSB on the band).
The window: Menu → Transverters (MAIN / SUB) or the T button in the row menu ≡. Each row has its own setting: on, LO in MHz, inverted. The Typical button enters a ready LO: QO-100 uplink from 2 m (2256 MHz) and from 70 cm (1968 MHz), QO-100 LNB (9750 MHz), 144 → 432 / 1296 MHz, 28 → 144 / 50 MHz.
A row with the transverter on shows a small red T on the display; the tooltip over the radio name shows the LO and the frequency of the radio itself. The true frequency goes to the log, spots and memories, and when you set a frequency (spot, BAND, typing) the program converts it back to the radio. A frequency that cannot be converted (e.g. an HF spot with a 13 cm transverter) is not sent to the radio.
The window menu
The Menu button in the upper right corner:
- Two channels (MAIN + SUB), Satellites (SAT) - the SAT panel on the right (see Satellites). The window adjusts its size by itself and cannot be made so small that it covers the buttons; an enlarged window spreads the SAT panel out (more room between the controls, up to 40%, with the Rotor panel - bottom edges level): the bottom row of buttons stays at the bottom edge, and when there is room under the sky it reaches the right edge (wider buttons, T labelled Transverter when it fits);
- Rotor - the Rotor panel under the buttons: the antenna direction, STOP, parking, satellite tracking (see Rotor);
- RIG (TRX) configuration (radio sources), Transverters (MAIN / SUB), OmniRig settings, OmniRig: radio models (extended functions, SWR), Extended TRX functions (OmniRig);
- CW window - see LogBook - CW window, TX time limit - see Transmitting;
- Mouse and keyboard: Left mouse button: +/-... (the left button changes a digit up when you click its upper half, and down when you click the lower half), Configure keyboard shortcut for TX, TX button -> TX only while the mouse button is pressed;
- Show Band Plan Table;
- Camera: Run camera module now and Open/close the camera module on program start/exit (see Camera);
- Help (this help - the Rig window page; also F1), LogBook configuration, Always on top, Window (showing together with the LogBook, moving the Rig and the map together with the LogBook, Rig always above the LogBook, Always on top, docking the Rig to the LogBook - the same options as in the LogBook: Menu → Window), About, Close.
Closing the Rig window only hides it. The radios stay connected and come back at once when you click Rig in the log again.