1.) Wires-X can run analog and digital in nature for control of the node. The analog uses DTMF commands (like Wires-II) but when ran in digital it can use the menu system built into the FT-1DR, FTM-400D, and I would assume the FT2 and FTM-100D.

2.) The Wires-X unit can interface to a radio for a stand-alone node, two radios for a node/beacon setup, or to a repeater directly. A Wires-X device can be made to interface ANY radio and tell you pin outs and wiring details in the manual.

3.) When using it in the node mode you can operate it for control in two different fashions or only one based on the radio. In other words if you are using a 400 or 100 you can place it into Wires-X mode which allows the Wires-X software to run/control the radio (freq., mode, tone, etc.). If it is not a 100 or 400 then you have to deal with the radio setting at the front panel of the radio. Also the 100 and 400 can run this way also.

4.) In order to put the 100 or 400 in Wires-X mode you need to hold down the Dx and GM buttons (both red) on the front of the radio faceplate while turning it on and having a Wires-X device connected with the 10 pin plug. Since the DR-1x does not have those buttons it cannot be connected in Wires-X mode to the device.

5.) Focusing on digital voice with Wires-X on a 100 or 400. Your node has the ID to the Wires-X server. So my node is N9UPC-NODE as the alias instead of 11286. So when my node connects to another node that what they see. But with a 100 or 400 in Wires-X mode and digital voice they will also see my radio ID when I am talking also. Like wise the callsign ID from the other nodes/users would appear on my display.

Example: So if I am connected to N9ZXY's node on the screen they would see N9UPC-NODE and when talking in Wires-X mode on a 100 or 400 using either a FT1 or FT2 they would also see N9UPC-JOHN which I have programmed as the ID of my radio.

6.) Change gears to the DR-1x and since it cannot go into a Wires-X mode when it was connected to a HRI-200 you can use digital voice through the repeater. However, the DR-1x does not pass call sign info and does not allow control of the node through the digital feature in the radios. In other words it would be like running a 100 or 400 without putting it into digital mode and ALL control would have to be through DTMF control.

So as an example I have my DR-1x here waiting for the new shack to be built for the tower site. On a Saturday about 3 weeks ago I connected my HRI-200 to the repeater for the weekly Fusion net in the CQ America Room on Wires-X. I setup my repeater for AUTO/AUTO and used my FT-1DR in DN to go into the repeater. I also used two different FT1's (one with my call N9UPC-JOHN and my wife's call K9BIS-JESS) for the net.

Regardless of which FT1 I used on the repeater for the net that call sign ID was not passed to the node and all that showed on the server was N9UPC-NODE to the others on Wires-X. However, on the repeater locally it was showing my repeater callsign R>N9UPC and the ID of the radio I was using (as listed above.)

So what does all that writing above mean? Well it means that you CAN use a HRI-200 connected directly to a repeater, the repeater can be in Auto/Auto mode, and that unless the radio connected to the HRI-200 is in the special "Wires-X mode" then it will not be able to be controlled by the data feature set in Fusion and callsign data will not be passed.