FLDIGI Waterfall does not change when QSYing. Waterfall locked?

James Del Principe

I noticed something very strange using FLDIGI on psk31.

I can change frequency on either the Flex or FLDIGI and they track just fine. I can change frequency from either one.

However, the waterfall frequency never changes!   I raised or lowered the frequency and the signals displayed on the waterfall do not change.

If I had been looking at a psk31 signal and then change frequency, I still see the same signal on the waterfall in the same position.

With my old radios (FT 847 or FT 2000) I could dither the frequency and see a given signal on the waterfall squiggle in time with it.

I tried to tune an Olivia signal and saw it on the Flex waterfall but not on the FLDIGI waterfall.  It does decode psk31 or CW just fine if it is in the passband of FLDIGI.
Any ideas why the waterfall acts like it is locked?
                                                                                  73, Jim

wb7ond

Seems like the  audio into the Fldigi is coming from some unexpected source.  If you disconnect the antenna to the Flex does the display on the Fldigi change?   You may have a difference source for the Fldigi, or maybe the selected DAX into the Fldigi is not correct.  I sometimes get lost in the plethora of DAX selections shown when I try to set the Fldigi input.  DAX Audio RX1 is the one I usually select from RX slice 1 for the Fldigi "Capture" source.  
Regards
****  
wb7ond

James Del Principe

****, thanks for the reply. The Flex is the only source for FLDIGI. At my new QTH, I did not interface it to the other radios. FLDIGI does work to decode psk31 or CW but only on whatever frequency the Flex starts with. I have a minimum of DAX selections; only what was required for FLDIGI.     73, Jim

James Del Principe

OK, another piece of the puzzle falls into place.....not sure what to do with it tho.   I brought up the DAX panel and at the bottom are the IQ streams.    IQ stream 1 is what FLDIGI is using.  There is a frequency next to the #1 IQ stream button and it is fixed at 7.095069.     Changing the frequency of the Flex does NOT change this frequency. I deselected this IQ stream just to be certain that it is the source for FLDIGI and it is....FlDIGI no longer showed any signals.
Soooooo, now the question is: " Why does the IQ stream frequency not track the FLEX frequency" ?   What is the source of the IQ Stream frequency? Is it, possibly, locked? Where is this configured?   Many thanks in advance & 73, Jim

James Del Principe

Addendum:   Whatever frequency you land on when changing bands, that is what the DAX panel is 'stuck' on.         Jim

wb7ond

Does this happen when you have one single slice receiver, that is hooked to DAX Channel:1 , and then select DAX Audio RX 1 from the "Capture" on the Fldigi config?  As Spock said at the OK corral, "This has to work, or we are in an alternate universe"...

James Del Principe

Problem is, I selected IQ stream instead of Audio RX1...... I think. So tonight when I'm home I will correct that.   If that is the problem then I created it and in the words of a great man: "DOH"!          73, Jim

wb7ond

James, we will keep at it till it works...  There are some other cool features in Fldigi when "hooked" to the SmartSDR, like the Sweet Spot and QSY button...  Regards wb7ond

James Del Principe

OK, it is a bit strange but I understand why I made the incorrect choice upon setup of this program on my new computer. I did have DAX IQ Rx1 selected. I just went into configuration / audio/devices/capture. There is no option to select DAX Audio Rx1 or Rx2 !    These are missing.   There are many choices and DAX Audio 5,4,7,8 and 6 are available and many DAX IQ choices also.
So what has happened to my Rx1 and Rx2 in FLDIGI?    I am running 3.23.20 and there is a 3.23.21 I believe.....but I doubt if this is release related.
Should I delete FLDIGI and reload it?    ....and lose my macros?      Many Thanks, Jim

wb7ond

No, why there is no DAX RX1 is a mystery, could it be "off the screen" and need scrolling in the Fldigi capture config setting (:-)???  IF you launch the DAX control screen, and under RX streams that "1" is BLUE then it is selected for Slice A.  If not you select it by going to that "floating little screen" on the spectral display, click the DAX and pick Channel: 1.  That will turn it blue, provided that is Slice A..  Next find that little speaker on your status bar (Windows?) located at the lower right of the screen.  Right Click that little speaker and pick Recording, that list should have DAX Audio Rx 1, 2, 3, 4....  If you see DAX Audio Rx 1 there, I has to be in the Fldigi Capture List...  In Fldigi, click configure->Sound Card-> make sure Port Audio is checked, then Click the arrows next to Capture, and "DAX RX Audio 1 should be in there somewhere, have to look close through all the junk...
Regards
wb7ond

Ps. you can save your macros in a file,   Click File->Macros->Save and select a file name.  If you pick MACROS.MDF it will autoload when you launch Fldigi.  Its best to have a backup copy, so give it a new name save it, and then save it again as Macros.mdf.  I save mutliple copies cause I mess up and have to get back to one of my good copies...  And if you go to Config->UI->Macros Tab, and check at the bottom and select "Prompt to Save Macro file when closing" you will be reminded to save if you update or add macros....

James Del Principe

OK, thank you for hanging in here.   On the DAX control panel, Rx streams, button 1 is blue and it says slice A. It is showing audio on the meter. OK so far.   Then I clicked on the windows speaker symbol below and brought up the control panel. it shows DAX reserved audio RX 8,5,3,6,1 and 7.   In that order.   So Rx1 is present but Rx2 is not.  

James Del Principe

I did not know that about saving the macros....   just did it and also a copy under a different name.   Super! Thanks.

wb7ond

Flex says you should not pick the Reserved Audio links for your applications like Fldigi.  I think if Flex could figure a way they would hide all the Reserved Audio links.   I think they are the Flex "end of the cable" and you use the Audio RX side for the applications..  So you have to find "DAX Audio RX 1" in your Fldigi sound card config and it should work...  Do not use any of the "Reserved" audio links...
Regards 
wb7ond

James Del Principe

Hmmmm. OK, the plot thickens. I'll have to look into this later today. Off to the old QTH to ready it for sale.... lots of work to do there.   Thank you very much for all your efforts in helping me. It is a learning experience....   73, Jim

James Del Principe

I am now more confused than ever and should probably just remove SSDR 1.10.8 and install the latest SW. My Windows volume/mixer panel says DAX Reserved Mic audio and indicates only reserved audio selections. I went into Windows control panel for sound and have only DAX Reserved Audio Rx1,3,5,6,7&8. DAX  Reserved IQ 2,4,1,2,3 &4. DAX reserved Mic audio, DAX audio Tx and SPKR/Headphones.    nothin else shown.
If I close the DAX panel, I still get receive audio in my headphones and I can still transmit SSB. I thought the DAX panel was needed for this???    

Should I just bite the bullet and load the newest SSDR?     73, Jim

Tim - W4TME

Jim,

You have some DAX devices missing.  The easiest thing to do is a complete uninstall of all SmartSDR applications and make sure you uninstall the DAX drivers too.  Reboot the PC and install 1.10.16.

Then check to see if all your DAX devices are there.  For RX there should be 8 non-reserved and8 reserved DAX devices.  For DAX IQ, there are 4 or each.  For DAX TX and DAX MIC, there are two devices for each.  If they are not there, open a HelpDesk ticket so we can figure out what is happening and get the proper DAX sound devices installed.

James Del Principe

Tim, thank you for jumping in here.  I will do exactly that. I was really at the limit of my knowledge of Windows and its devices so that is really a good solution. I'm not sure why they are missing but some things are better left unknown I guess.  Let me get started right now.   Again thanks to all who have helped me.... What a great community!   73, Jim

wb7ond

Thanks Tim, that would have been beyond my expertise...  

Appreciate it
****
wb7ond

James Del Principe

Don't be so humble.  You helped me a lot and know a lot more than I do.....    73, Jim

wb7ond

When you get  your Fldigi working with CAT, I'll explain how to use the QSY button, and the Sweet Spot, its "the bomb" for digital signals..

James Del Principe

Super!  I will take you up on that. I hope to work on it this evening.      73, Jim

James Del Principe

OK, I'm back on the air now with a new release, ver 1.10.16.    What can you tell me about the QSY button and the 'Sweet Spot' ?     You've really got my interest up now.   73, Jim

James Del Principe

Well, it is FIXED !!!     Works great and so does FLDIGI once again.   I selected audio Rx1 as it is now present and the waterfall in FLDIGI tracks the radio and the frequency indicated in FLDIGI.  So the problem was corruption of DAX files and the solution was to load Ver 1.10.16 after carefully removing the old SW per Tim's procedure.
My heartfelt thanks to all who responded to my questions. What a great group and great factory support.      Best 73, Jim

Jay Nation

James

The QSY button will center whatever signal your decoding at the 1500Hz Sweet Spot frequency. It does this by retuning your VFO to tune you right on top of that signal. You set the 1500Hz sweet spot frequency by going to Configure / Misc from the menubar in Fldigi, it's on the Sweet Spot Tab. Doing this will also cause Fldigi to open with your 3k filter centered and matching the Fldig waterfall. For PSK this works great. you can also set the CW and RTTY sweet spots. Setting them will help when you want the signals centered, and visible, and often tuned, when you start Fldigi, if you also select "Always start new modems at these frequencies". Set the CW sweetspot to match your CW sidetone frequency, and the RTTY sweetspot to 2125.

  SDRgadgets

#FlexRadio IRC chat

  73, Jay - NO5J

wb7ond

Jay got it right, only thing I would add, is after you click the QSY button in Fldigi, you can click the pull down at the top (right under the Freq)  and select one the preset narrow filters as you need, narrowest at the top, and wider at the bottom of the list.  After the QSY click,  will see the selected waterfall jump to the 1500 hz position as the radio retunes, and when you select from the pull down a narrower bandwidth, you will see the waterfall "blue" narrow around the signal, of course, you can also drag the borders of the filters on the SmartSDR screen...  This really helps if you have a 'neighbor' with an over-driven signal killing your QSO with a weaker station.  Glad you got your Flex and Fldigi humming...  Best of Luck.  And a thanks to Jay...

Regards
R. Linder

I may be pushing it on a Flex community page, but the Fldigi macro buttons are also very, very useful with the click-select on a call-sign in the received text, probably better off-line....

James Del Principe

Thanks for the additional information. Great to know.   I wondered how those filter buttons worked and as a great man once said: " now you know the rest of the story".   As for the macros and being able to just click on a call sign in text, that is just a magic feature.   Amazing!!!        Thanks again and 73, Jim