MIDI Control Button to Toggle Xmit RF Drive

[N7KD]

I am not a terribly adept MIDI user. I have watched really good Youtube video posted by WU2O about programming a Hercules MIDI controller to work with PowerSDR and assume the technique demonstrated there also applies to programming that MIDI Controller in a Thetis environment.

I am trying to see if anyone knows if it is possible to use a button on a MIDI controller such as the Hercules to set the RF Drive to a specific value (e.g., 40%) when my amplifier is enabled. I have used FRStack in the past with a Flex radio and PGXL amplifier to automatically limit the exciter output to 40W the amp is keyed and I want a simply way to do this (albeit manually) with a MIDI controller talking toThetis.

I know that a MIDI controller slider, knob, or wheel can be used to control Drive but does anyone know if a button in a MIDI controller can be used as an on/off toggle to set the Drive in Thetis to a fixed drive such as 35 or 40 when the amp is enabled so as not to overdrive it and back to 100% when the amp is in standby?

[NC3Z]

Not sure there is a way with Midi but the way I do this is via a StreamDeck button. But that is just making a command line/batch file call (via Serial or TCP/IP) to set the drive level.

[w-u-2-o]

Thanks for the kind words

It's pretty much the same in Thetis. There have been some improvements since PowerSDR but nothing that should prevent you from using the principles shown in the old video.

AFAIK, there are no MIDI mappings for "set power to a certain level". You can, of course, program a drive knob or slider, but no "presets".

These days there are a lot of insanely cheap stream controllers.

It would not be difficult to buy one and set it up next to your MIDI controller to do all the things MIDI can't do but that are otherwise supported by scripting the stream controller buttons to generate one or more CAT commands. With CAT commands the sky is the limit. You can practically do anything the radio is capable of doing.

However, scripting stream controller buttons and becoming knowledgeable about CAT commands is, obviously, quite a bit more work than simply using MIDI.

[NC3Z]

However, scripting stream controller buttons and becoming knowledgeable about CAT commands is, obviously, quite a bit more work than simply using MIDI.

We are not your average midi users, we are HAMS!

[NC3Z]

BTW, Streamdeck will also do a lot of Midi emulation also. My decks with Thetis use a combo of Midi (knobs and buttons) and TCP/IP CAT.

Knob:
VFO A and B
Volume
Zoom

Buttons:
Preset power levels
memories
AGC (Auto vs fixed)
Tune
2Tone
Tune step
Voice keyer
recorder
The list goes on.