Digital mode and Flex Signature series

Andrew O'Brien

Just FYI... I have close to finishing my review of how a Flex Signature radios with SmartSDR, SmartSDR Cat,  and DAX performs with commonly available digital mode applications.  These tests were made using a single slice receiver.  Mullti-slice  decoding  has been achieved but only via multiple instances of the digital mode applications.   Here is a summary.

WSJT-X   (JT65A and JT9) : Easy set-up , no problems with CAT or DAX.

Winwarbler (PSK31 , AFSK RTTY) Easy set up, using Commander for CAT. No DAX issues. Multi channel decoding and frequency labeling works with single slice only. 

Fldigi (Psk31, PSK63, DominoEX, THOR, MFSK16, AFSK RTTY, Olivia 32/1K: Easy set up using N2AMG DXLAB-FLidigi Gateway and Commander for CAT or the Fldigi SmartSDR.XML file. DAX works just fine. I have not figured out the SmartSDR filter macro in Fldigi...yet. 

PC-ALE (ALE 141) Works fine for CAT control using Kenwood Commands, paused and decoded ALE soundings well. No DAX decoding issues.  Some issue with high speed ALE channel scans , too fast for SmartSDR. Works well on 1 channel per second scans. Some "slice confusion" when scanning, needs some radio specific  work to sort out things.  Relay clicks heard when scanning SOME channels. 

RMS Express (Winmor 500) . Easy set-up, no latency issues of the kind reported by some Flex 1500 users. Timing is good. DAX looks good. used "Flex" as the radio type in TNC set-up and also "FLEX" in the PTT port area. 

V-Chat 4. same as RMS-Express/Winmor.

Multipsk:(ALE 400, PSK, Olivia,, Contestia,  JT65A.   Works perfectly !, Nice 192 khz wide "direct I/Q" mode if selected in Multipsk configuration area and fed an IQ channel rather than normal DAX audio channel . 192 kHz RS ID detection is VERY nice. l . CAT achieved via Commander which seamlessly integrates with Multipsk and other DX Lab Suite products .

N1MM+ (with MMTTY, Fldigi or MMVARI) Still working on this , but no major issues so far, have not used in a contest with SmartSDR.  This is a beta version of N1MM+ 

ROS:  Easiest of all to set-up since SmartSDR is included in list of radios, just press scan button to find comm ports. Good DAX response. 

SIM31: No problem using Kenwood radio settings, no SmartSDR setting yet.  Easy DAX set-up. 

Have not tried Wintest, Writelog, MixW, MMSSTV, Hamscope, Airlink Express, JT65-HF, WSPR, Opera ... yet.  All should work just fine. 

KY6LA_Howard

Great tests. It would be interesting to compare the digital,performance vs say a K3 with outboard interface hardware.

Tim - W4TME

"...I have not figured out the SmartSDR filter macro in Fldigi...yet."

They map to the mode specific RX filter presets.  Open Slice A mode menu so you can see the preset filters.  The change the filter setting in Fldigi.  The mapping between filter number and the position of the filter in the Slice matrix should be evident fairly quickly.

Andrew O'Brien

Thunder around tonight  so the Flex radios nowhere near connected wires/power sources. I'll play later ,Tim. I was reading the XLM file and wondering about this example
<ELEMENT><SYMBOL>Filter8</SYMBOL>
<BYTES>30 30</BYTES>
</ELEMENT>

and this Fldigi macro

<FILWID:width>


Andy K3UK

Tim - W4TME

That is how RigCAT get/sets the SmartSDR filters via the ZZFI CAT command and associates them with the filter label in Fldigi.  ZZFI uses a two byte value parameter.

W9OY

I set up winwarbler about 5 minutes ago.  How do you set up the drive level?

KY6LA_Howard

Open up DAX - right click on the DAX icon in the system notification tray and then click show control panel You should see transmit and receive sliders and level meters for the DAX

W9OY

TNX Howard,

I know how to use DAX but how do I know if I'm over driving and all that?  The radio transmits fine I just want to be clean so how do you set it to be clean?  I'm running DAX input and using TX gain in DAX to control audio.

KY6LA_Howard

One way is to look at your transmit signal. You can set up SSDR to show transmit waveforms in the transmit settings. You will see if you are splattering as it is pretty obvious from the waterfall when you are splattering. A second trick is to reduce the size if your transmit bandwidth to something much smaller that 100hz -2800hz

W9OY

Cool!  Is there a way to mute or reduce the volume of the transmit audio coming from the radio when you transmit?

KY6LA_Howard

I personally just click the sound off entirely on digital as I just look at the waterfall to see anything Frankly except perhaps in a contest, there is little benefit to listening to the audio from digital