Flex 1500 and CW Skimmer

Mike Jones

Recently bought a Flex 1500 and love it. Running a very fast i7 computer with 16GB RAM and Windows 7 Professional. Using Virtual Audio Cable and VSPManager for ports/audio. HT65, DigiPan and everything else seem to work fine. However, CW Skimmer hangs up the PowerSDR display and ultimately I get the BSOD and have to reboot. This condition happens WITHOUT CW Skimmer actually running, only loaded. It seems to happen on every CW Skimmer setting, even the 3Khz radio. Any ideas?

John

Firstly, did you purchase a licenced copy of VAC ?

Mike Jones

Yes.  All software paid for/and or licensed.  The setup works with CW Get, DigiPan, HT65HF, and MMTTY to name a few.  But even loading CW Skimmer, without starting it, intermittently hangs up PowerSDR until it finally crashes the computer.

Bill -VA3WTB

I have been using SW Skimmer here with no problems. It sounds like a conflict in ports or something.

John

Have you tried re-installing cw skimmer ? I found that I had to install the file in the powerSDR/utilities folder which installs vac into the registry automatically in addition to installing the paid for version. I also struggled to get the ports working.

Mike Jones

Folks
Good input and it does seem like some type of port or audio conflict, but I have tried almost everything.  In thinking about it, I didn't disclose everything (yikes).  The CW Skimmer copy is the unregistered version, because I was trying before buying.  That being said, I will uninstall it, put it in the correct folder, and see whether that solves anything...Worse case I will assume it is a problem with the unregistered copy and plunk down the $75....Who said Amateur Radio was for weak minded folks?

John

You could ask the cw skimmer author if there would be a problem with the trial version with VAC fist, just in case its not. Then try installing that VAC file in the flex radio system folder and see if that cures the problem. Windows does throw many funnies from time to time and any small changes such as using other software on the same usb port, will throw it all out. I labelled mine with the flex 1500 having its own dedicated one, not used for anything else.

Bill -VA3WTB

I ran my free trial without a flaw

Mike Jones

Alex has also replied that there is no difference between versions....I will try a few more settings and see what happens...

Mike Jones

To All-
After emailing to Alex and going thru a whole bunch of different possible settings, it appears that my onboard graphic controller (Intel HD Graphics 4600), along with all the latest drivers is not compatible with CW Skimmer.  Intermittent freezing of the PowerSDR display starts immediately after CW Skimmer is opened, even when it is NOT running (not rying to decode streams of CW).  After a short period of time I receive the BSOD, with an error message that indicates a "corrupt graphics situation." This is basically when CW Skimmer code tries to interface with my onboard graphics controller.  When I get a chance I will try to roll back some drivers, etc...but I fear this is just one of those compatibility issues that sometimes plagues us...Thanks for all your help and input.  Mike Jones

Reg

Mike:

Microsoft sometimes rolls the embedded graphics driver back to the distribution version.  It is important to install an Intel driver dated AFTER September 2013.  Many of us had problems with embedded graphics until Intel released a driver that worked just fine.  You'll need to download from Support at Intel.com, NOT from Microsoft Update.

Good luck.

Reg