phantom signal on quiet frequency

Walt - KZ1F

First off, please visit https://community.flexradio.com/flexradio/topics/excrutiatingly-loud-audio, I updated it with a second occurence. This report is different.
I had switched to 15m. One the frequency the slice receiver was on should a moderate signal within the passband. I slide the slice to a new frequency and the noise (there was no audible noise just the indication of it) moved with me. I dbl checked the audio was on, as I had been working split earlier. It was on, no thru the speaker icon. I was awed that the phantom signal was moving with me so I slide the slice receiver around the band, the signal moved with me. Other that that the band was quite quiet. The representation of the signal there was just greater than the passband but a smidge (technical term) on either side of it.

I realize this sounds incredibly odd, but it was consistent until I switched bands and switched back. Then it behaved normally. I haven't found any occurance of this issue previously reported. Has anyone witnessed this behavior?

Radio - 6500 Software 1.3.8

Thanks,

Walt - kz1f

Jim Gilliam

Maybe William Shatner's gremlin jumped off the wing.

Walt - KZ1F

Jim, I was being 100% serious.

Tim - W4TME

Walt - without capturing more info, like a screen shot of it, it is going to be had to deduce what may have been going on since it was a transient behavior.

Steve-N5AC

Walt, a picture or short video would be very useful if you see this again.

Walt - KZ1F

Argh! Tim, Steve, I captured it on my iPhone. Now I don't know how to get it OFF my iPhone. You guys gonna be in New England any time soon? I did discover something I didn't notice the first time that may provide you with a direction. VOX was on, not active, just selected. Yes, I understand if the VOX was tripped and I was transmitting that would be a DUE. It wasn't tripped and I wasn't transmitting. I did get 'footage' of the RFPower and SWR. I was unable to reproduce it to get something that I could email. So it is clearly intermittent.  I realize this is likely only the most marginally helpful. They are having Boxboro again this year. It should have been last summer but they, wisely, did not want to compete with ARRL Centennial. If you guys are coming to Boxboro I could show you that and SSDR for Android at the same time. Otherwise it would be a road trip for me. Oh yeah, Austin in August...hmm, you guys could come to our house.

Walt - KZ1F

Yes, it has been 4 months but back when this occurred I didn't know how to do youtube vids, now I do and here it is. It didn't occur at the time to capture the TX indicator at the bottom right, but I did capture the waterfall and their doesn't appear to be another resembling a signal there following the pan frequency.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZAEAILy9vA

Norm - W7CK

Looks to me that the rig was in Transmit mode.  I noticed that the MOX button is on.  It appears your just moving your transmitted signal up and down the band.

Robert -- N5IKD

Tue point about the MOX button, except that the waterfall looks like it is receiving and the Panadapter looks like a received signal.

Walt - KZ1F

Norm, as I recall, no it wasn't in transmit. In fact I first saw it in CW mode but not a CW signal, as you can see.  When I was recording that I was not talking. If in CW mode and the vox is still on it will behave weirdly. Obviously it won't transmit ssb in CW and it wasn't showing a spike for cw, just that thing...as I recall. When it happened that second time, after Tim and/or Steve said they needed a recording of it, I got my camera. The second time it was a larger signal than the first time.

Robert, I agree in both the pan and fall, it seems completely a received signal but it was following the reticle. I say reticle as the slice indicator reminds me of the plastic thing with the hair in it in slide rules or on tracking military compasses.

Since now I know how to push it to youtube and thought it might be relevant to the other thread, I'd update the original thread from 4-5 months ago.

Sergey R5AU

Walt, you can use it FOC solution : http://www.screencast-o-matic.com - easy to use and easy to publish further on youtube

Sergey R5AU

Walt, you can use it FOC solution : http://www.screencast-o-matic.com - easy to use and easy to publish further on youtube

Walt - KZ1F

Thanks Sergey!

W7NGA

I've been meaning to report a similar behavior. When operating AM there have been a few instances of a phantom carrier that follows the receive frequency. Cycling MOX removes it. It isn't transmitted. W7NGA Hoi An, Vietnam

Walt - KZ1F

This is another case of I am not the only one who has seen this. I refer you to the Hoi An post just above and, as asked for there is a vid of it. Note there is NO indication of a transmit situation in either the pan or waterfall.

Tim - W4TME

Steve is off the grid right now.  I'll see if someone else on the engineering team have any ideas what this might be.

Walt - KZ1F

Thank you Tim. I do feel bad as, when first reported, I didn't think to record it on the phone. (I am not really what one would consider an amateur photo/film journalist). When it happened the second time I did record it thinking I could email it to Steve....too big for email. Several weeks ago I asked William how one does You Tube and, subsequent to that, realized I still had that video meant for Steve or you. Ergo, it is kind of late...,my bad. When Hoi An said he had that issue too. I 'think' it might be related to having vox on even in CW mode. I am not sure in that vid I was in CW mode and from what Hoi An said he was in AM mode. So, I don't know what to make of it.

Tim - W4TME

Walt.  The behavior shown in the video is exactly what one would expect based on the fuzzy details I can get from the screen. In the video you are in USB. Note that the VOX button is illuminated.  That is what is causing MOX to be enabled. The radio is actually transmitting and you are picking up low level (like -110 dBm) ambient audio in the room from the mic.  I suspect it you had captured it, the red TX indicator in the bottom right hand corner of the SSDR scree would have show the radio in a transmit state too.

I would expect this behavior in any phone mode.

This is also not what I would consider a phantom carrier since the signal is so wide.

@W7NGA - if this happens to you again when you are not in a voice mode, please get a screenshot and submit a HelpDesk ticket so I will be assured to see the image.

Ken - NM9P

Could it be caused by the TX being active, but the mike selection being set to an unused input?  Then there would only be the low-level internal audio noise.  This is what my display looks like when I key up with no audio input on SSB.

THe curious thing is that it also looks like the RX was active.  Could it have glitched into a sort-of full duplex mode?

Walt - KZ1F

Nope, I never play with mic input. The first time, minimally, was cw.

Ken - NM9P

Looking at the video, these are the settings that seem to be set, (from what I can see as the camera pans by) by glitch, busted profile, or the cat's paws....

Power level = about 20 watts
PROC = ON  set to DX+
MOX = ON
VOX = ON,
VOX Level set to midrange
MON - OFF
DEXP = ON and set pretty high (It might not have allowed any audio to get out)
Mike Input selected = MIC,  
Mike level set to about 80-85
VFO B set to transmit.  
VFO A set to receive

No power output registering, but from the level on the Pan display, I wouldn't have expected any to show on the power meter.

I can't read the RX/TX antenna selections, it is too fuzzy.  

A second look, shows not additional received signals on the panadapter.

Don't know if these observations will help any evaluations.

Tim - W4TME

With an input level of -110 dBm, there isn't enough input gain to push the meters but enough to be shown on the panadapter.

Walt - KZ1F

Thank you Tim. You can close this. If I can recreate this in cw mode I'll let you know.

Tim - W4TME

That sounds like a reasonable plan.