Help with problem getting TX to work with DAX from Fldigi

Steve - N4TTY

I've searched the community and found several posts that seem to fit with my issue, but after having worked through all of the suggestions I have found to date, none have worked for me.

I'm still getting no RF output from the radio.  If I TX from FLDigi, I can see the green bars on the Playback device for DAX Audio TX in the Windows Sound window, so it looks like FLDigi is sending to DAX, but DAX doesn't seem to be receiving it or at least not passing it on to SmartSDR.  I used to have this working under previous versions SmartSDR and FLDigi, so I thought I knew what the heck I was doing.  Now I seem to be totally lost.

Here is where I stand (after having uninstalled and wiped all vestiges of SmartSDR and FLDigi from PC and then reinstalling; and doing a factory reset on FLEX6700):
Win 10(64bit) with all latest updates.
SmartSDR v1.10.16 (and same for DAX & CAT).
FLDigi v4.0.6.

CAT has a CAT Port as Serial: COM7 with Slice A. It shows Auto Switch TX and Process: fldigi when fldigi is running.  So I think things are OK there.

DAX has the TX Steam enabled and the TX Button is blue.  The message shows 'Streaming' unless I'm trying to TX, then it changes to 'Transmitting' but I never see anything on the meter.  The TX Gain slider is about 50%.  The RX Stream 1 is enabled and the button is blue with a message of streaming and I see deflection on the meter/

FLDigi Audio Devices have been configured to Capture from DAX Audio RX 1 and Playback on DAX Audio TX using PortAudio.  And Rig has been set to Use RigCat with my COM7 and the Rig description file of SmartSDR_SliceA.xml, with CAT command for PTT checked.  Not sure whether or not VSP Enable should be checked or not but either way doesn't seem to make a difference to my operation. 

The RX of FLDigi seem to be working fine as I'm decoding everything I've tried just fine.

On the SmartSDR screen the DAX button is blue on the P/CW window.  There is only one slice open (and it is set for DAX on Channel 1) and the TX indicator on the bottom right next to the clock changes to red when FLDigi transmits.  So does the LED on the radio as well.  Just no activity on the RF Power meter.  There is no indication on the Panadapter either that a TX is occurring.  Howerver, if I click on the TUNE or ATU buttons there is an indication of a TX signal in the Panadapter.

I sure hope I haven't rambled on too much and that at least one person that might be able to help has had the patience to wade through all of this.

Al K0VM

If you have indication on the SSDR LEVEL meter in TX but no RF out, you need to verify that your TX HIgh/Low cutoffs can pass the tones that your are trying to send ( Try Low cutott at 0 and high cutoff at 4000 )..    If you have no indication on the level, then you are not getting signals from fldigi through DAX to  the radio.. If you have no signal in the DAX GUI TX stream then you do not have fldigi configured correctly. 

AL, K0VM

Steve - N4TTY

I've included a 'snip' of my pertinent windows so may be you can see something glaring.

In the fldigi audio configuration I can find 'DAX Audio TX' in three different spots.  I have tried all three.  Each time saving, exiting, and starting fldigi again.  None of the three seem to do anything different in regards to TX.


Hopefully you can pick out the things I have mentioned in my original question.  This 'snip' was made while transmitting from fldigi.

Lee

Steve- I am no expert but did you check the computer's record and play back settings? Make sure that the Dax rxt 1 and Dax tx 1 devices are unchecked?

Steve - N4TTY

Lee, I just attached a picture of the windows involved in response to Al above and the Sound Playback device DAX Audio TX is not checked.  If you don't mind, take a look at that pic and see if anything jumps out at you.

Michael Coslo

I made a short Video that might be of some help. Does Step by step. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVOhj244e30

Lee

Steve - Open your playback device and the recording device on your 
computer and make sure sound recording dax audio rx 1 an on playback
dax audio TX are not checked.  i checked speakers/ headphones on one and sound i checked microphone on the other.  Good luck

Steve - N4TTY

Michael, great video but it needs updating for newer versions of SmartSDR & FLDigi. And there does not appear to be anything in your video that I had overlooked, so I'm still perplexed as to why I'm not transmitting.

Steve - N4TTY

Thanks Lee, but they are not checked.

k3Tim

Steve,

From your screen core-dump the DAX TX Transmitting light bar should be lit-up. It appears something between the Fldigi and DaX isn't working. You mention three DAX TX audio selections. If the device manager shows more than one TX-DAX (excluding the reserved) suspect that is the problem.  If this is the case, I'd uninstall DAX, remove the DAX TX channels in Dev Mgr and then reinstall DAX.

Since your call ends in TTY you're and old RTTY hand but you may want to open a ticket.

See you on the green keys...

k3Tim / 6

Steve - N4TTY

Thanks Tim!   Can DAX be uninstalled by itself or does it require SmartSDR to be uninstalled to get DAX removed.  As to the three DAX Audio selections, I see a list of DAX Audio choices when I pull down the Capture and Playback selection boxes in FLDigi's Sound setup.  Then at the bottom of each of those drop downs are sub menus for MME and Direct Sound.  It is in those two menus that I see the DX Audio choices again, hence my reference to 'three different spots.'

And even though there is TTY in my call I have never transmitted from the keyboard of any of my TTY gear, only received.  However I would like to be able to get my Flex connected to my Dovetron and make that first QSO on a real piece of heavy metal.  My interest in TTY comes from the fact I was a TTY repairman in the USAF back in the middle to late 60's.

And maybe you could be that first QSO even though you might be on a glass TTY.  And see you on the Greenkeys...

Al K0VM

Steve,
   Yes, DAX can be uninstalled by itself but it is ususally much simplier to run the SSDR uninstaller and make the selection to also uninstall DAX when that appears in the process.. Uninstall, reboot the PC, then reinstall SSDR ( and DAX ) .. All of you Flex related SSDR/DAX/CAT settings should be retained..

AL, K0VM

Steve - N4TTY

I did notice there are multiple entries for DAX Audio RX & TX device in Device Manager under Audio inputs and outputs if I select View/Show hidden devices.  I'll take another look after the uninstalling/rebooting sequence before installing again.  If all the hidden ones are still there I will delete all of them before reinstalling SmartSDR.

Thanks Al!

k3Tim

Thanks for the interesting notes about your USAF experience and keeping the TTYs running. I ran RTTY on a model 15 and homebrew AFSK modems. The best decoder was made from a 565 PLL. It would magically track a station as my old gear would drift about.

My apologies for the mix up concerning multiple MIC sources. In the FLDIGI sound card selection that is the case. In the Dev Mgr there should be only one. I think you're on the right track to remove and hidden devices as your propose.

Attached a screen shot of the settings here that work. The 'afsk' tones are set low to the transmit filtering is also set for low tones. Since the afsk is pure digital as long as one doesn't overdrive the Tx filtering doesn't seem to matter much, as long at the audio is in the passband. One can turn on the MON and should hear the tones

Best,
Tim


 

Jay Nation

Steve

You will need to eliminate all the Ghosted/Hidden DAX devices you find in Device Manager. When they appear it means that "Windows" is confused about which devices are valid devices. Ghosted devices are bad news, be they Com Ports or DAX devices. Make sure none exist before reinstalling SmartSDR. They can be challenging to remove, but they are all removable.

     SDRgadgets

#FlexRadio IRC chat

   73, Jay - NO5J

Steve - N4TTY

Thanks Jay!  I have accomplished that and still no joy!  See my new comment at the end.

Steve - N4TTY

Thanks to all that contributed suggestions as to what I should try in order to solve this puzzle, but after digesting all of this, trying all suggestions, and gashing my teeth plus pulling my hair (and there is none to spare) I have finally come to the conclusion that my PC has an operating system issue.  More than likely a software issue, but maybe a hardware issue but find that just a little hard to accept.

I had lost my audio output to my speakers some months ago and was never able to get them working again even though there is nothing wrong with the speakers (they work fine on another computer).  Having not done any digital work in sometime I never equated the lost of TX with DAX to the fact that I have no speaker output.  But now that I have spent this much time working on this problem, I really think they have to be related.

FLDigi seems to be sending an audio stream as seen on the Sound Playback Device for Windows, but DAX itself never sees it.  Just as Windows can send an audio stream to my speakers, but the speakers never get the audio.  So whatever that piece of OS is in between the two sides of this equation there has to be a breakdown.

I have loaded SmartSDR and FLDigi on a laptop I have, and after following the same cleanup routine of removing any trace of either pieces of software, and then reinstalling  everything from scratch.  After configuring FLDigi and SmartSDR (along with DAX and CAT) everything works just fine.

So I'm putting this thread to bed and may or may not bother to resolve the "audio" issue with my desktop PC.  It does work fine with SmartSDR in other than DAX mode.  I'll just use my laptop to do digital work!

Thanks again everyone!

Tim - W4TME

Is it a WIn10 or Win8 box?

Steve - N4TTY

Win 10, both the non working desktop and the working laptop.

Tim - W4TME

Consider doing a Windows reset (recovery)

Go to this URL and click on the Reset your PC drop down
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/12415/windows-10-recovery-options

You have to reinstall your apps, but it is better than having to reinstall the OS

W2ECK

Bruce WE7P

W2ECK

Bruce WE7P

Dudley WA5QPZ

Paul, As long as you are not over driving the radio input with the DAX TX audio level (0 dB or less) your digital audio program filter is sharper than your transmitter IMD . FLDIGI will move the tx signal (350 hz wide as I remember) up and down inside of you transmitter bandwidth. You can see this in your panadapter as you move the rx , the tx normally follows the RX in PSK31, unlike FT8, where your tx frequency remains fixed, RX follows the station called frequency.. in short a tx bandwidth of 200 to 4000 hz is sufficient for PSK 31. Hope this helps answer your question of bandwidth on PSK . 73, Dudley WA5QPZ

W2ECK