Time Machine - using multiple drives when the first is not available

Hello I have been succussfully using Time Machine with my USB external drive. I have been connecting it to my MacBook Air from time to time. Manual backups as well as the hourly backups when the drive has been connected worked without any problem.
Recently, I connected Synology DiskStation (NAS) to my network and I have added it to the list of drives in my Time Machine setup. When my original external drive (first in the list) is not connected to my MacBook  the hourly backup is not initiated by the Time Machine at all. Manually started backup is runnign fine without any problem.
The external drive is annotated with exclamation mark in Time Machines list with "not available" error - and it seems that this is causing the interruption of automatic hourly backup to any drive.
Is there any way how to debug Time Machine? Or to get some logs of Time Machine?
Any similar experience with multiple drive backup when the first of them is disconnected most of the time...?
Thanks a lot for any help
Petr

Perhaps you should address this to Synology's tech support. Apple doesn't provide any support for third-party NAS, so your best bet is with Synology.

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