ThumbDV and DStar status on V.2.0.19

EA4GLI

Hi FRS,

What is the status of the ThumbDV and DStar on version 2.0 of SmartSDR?
I seem unable to use either.
I just tried today and USB Cables doesn't recognize the ThumbDV USB dongle and the radio cannot decode any DStar at all.

Thanks

David Livingston

This has been an issue on my 6700 for well over a year. They know it is an issue and someday maybe they will fix it.   Good Luck

EA4GLI

Maybe FRS can chime in with an update.

Tim - W4TME

We have this issue in our bug tracker slated to be addressed in SmartSDR v2

David Livingston

May I ask in what release of V2.xx ?  We are already in the second release of a great version but this DStar issue has not been addressed. I was told a year ago it would to be corrected in V2. I guess I forgot to ask what release of V2 !!!

Tim - W4TME

At this time our entire development team is diligently working on readying SmartSDR to support our new products; the FLEX-6600, FLEX-6600M, FLEX-6400, FLEX-6400M and the PGXL.  That is all that we are focusing on for the next release of SmartSDR. Planning for the next version will be done after SmartSDR v2.1.x has been released.

EA4GLI

Thanks Tim. I hope is sooner rather than later. Unfortunately the Russian satellite with dstar didn't make it on the launch 2 days ago, but eventually they will succeed. It will be great if the rig is ready to work out by then.

Tim - W4TME

I understand your desire to have this issue addressed and the timeframe too.

[Deleted User]

V2.9999999

Cal N3CAL

Tim,

Does that mean customers still using SmartSDR V1 will be out of luck if a fix does happen? 

Cal/N3CAL

Tim - W4TME

It doesn't mean anything at this juncture because we do not know the nature of the fix and what challenges there may be integrating it into the v1 code base.

Charlie

You really need to modify this. You are still selling the Dongle on the sales site. The description would lead one to believe it works now as of software version 1.5. If i bought one on the assumption that it would work and foud it was not functional in version 2.0.19. I might cry foul.

ThumbDV
PRICE
Your Price: $119.00
Availability:
In Stock

DESCRIPTION
NW Digital Radio and FlexRadio Systems® have been working together since DCC of last year to provide a solution for AMBE encoding and decoding based on AMBE-3000TM technology, which led to the creation of the ThumbDVTM. FlexRadio Systems®, the premier manufacturer of amateur radio SDR transceivers, will soon release an update to their SmartSDR software in support of the JARL’s D-STAR standard. Owners of FLEX-6000TM Signature Series transceivers may add AMBE encoding/decoding to their radios by inserting the ThumbDVTM into one of the available USB ports. Use of the JARL D-STAR digital voice mode will be enabled through the SmartSDR software. This functionality will be supported in SmartSDR v1.5

I would change it to “in a future version of SmartSDR”. I wish mine still worked.

[Deleted User]

Maybe the development team needs to fix the bugs instead of working on New Offerings. Once again the current users are left out in the cold while Flex goes after the next big ****. And the new products coming out and the heck with the current users whose dongles don’t work for over a year now. I think your business model is . . . I won’t say. Typicsl flex BS

David Livingston

So do I...!!!

Steve

**** me, I just bought the USB Dongle and I now find it does not work???   OR it does not work the way it should..AND this has been going on for a long long time???  Some people have been waiting for three years to get things fixed???  Come on Flex..get with the program...

Bill -VA3WTB

This is not a Flex problem. As has been explained.

Cal N3CAL

Sorry Bill but I disagree with you!   I don't recall Flex ever offically saying this is a NW Digital problem.  It is a Flex problem.   DSTAR is based around the AMBE-3000 chip and the ThumbDV is no more than the hardware chip used for encoding/decoding DSTAR.  The magic needed to make this all work in the Flex is the SSDR software.  

Bill -VA3WTB

The ThumbDV is a third party product based on using the Flex-API 

Steve K9ZW

I don’t think FRS has fulfilled orders for the ThumbDV for some time. There seems to be three parts to the ability to actually use the product, what is on the ThumbDV physical device, what is available via the SmartSDR API and middleware integration/implementation software. My impression is that the ThumbDV and the middleware came from NW Digital Radio, but some others have suggested the middleware is the product of yet another group. Really doesn’t matter, as that middleware has never really worked right from day one, and seems to have no Software support as well as an opaque ownership. Doesn’t even look like there is code available, or much else to work with. I am pleased to find out about BlueDV, a European ham’s work that will let you find some use from a ThumbDV, but it is pretty hard to actually figure out what that use really even is. Definitely there is no one-stop how-to-guide nor all-in-one web resource. Great potential but unrealized both with the ThumbDV and in much use of the waveform potential of SmartSDR. At least as of early June 2018. Of course that may change. 73 Steve K9ZW

Steve K9ZW

I should have added that at times FRS also mentioned a “wrapper” level and I think segregated the waveform it a specific API focused on DSP. Uncertain if those FRS provided items are currently viable with the latest versions of SmartSDR. 73 Steve K9ZW

Sergey R5AU

I have tested my 6700 with ThumbDV  in DSTAR just yesterday  , SSDR ver 2.2.8. works well without negative surpises.  Important note from UM what sometime simply skipped by users is :  "D-STAR (DSTR) Mode can only be selected on one Slice at a time"

DL4RCE

Did you use HF or a TRV for VHF/UHF?

Volker

Sergey R5AU

I have used 144 directly and 432 via transverter (28mHz intermediate)

DL4RCE

Good to know, thanks a lot! Will be using the same.

Jay Nation

An oldie, but a goodie!

https://community.flexradio.com/flexradio/topics/usb-d-star-board?topic-reply-list%5Bsettings%5D%5Bfilter_by%5D=all 

I've been hunting for that thread for a long time.
It predates a lot of misinformation.
It's a mystery folks, let's figure it out.
I bought my ThumbDV after following that thread.
Which I've used as recently as last week with BlueDV.
I enjoy my ThumbDV, maybe we all can.
Ask the right people, the right questions, and maybe get the right answers.
Who can say?

#FlexRadio IRC chat

   73, Jay - NO5J

EA4GLI

Hey, the good old days when we used to get  engineering responses almost instantly!! (tongue-in-cheek)

Jay Nation

Meanwhile, maybe one of the open source programmer types among us, could take some hints from this old GitHub repository. and figure some things out. 

https://github.com/chulochumo/OpenDV

I don't know Ed Gonazlez from Austin TX, but I bet somebody here in the Community does.

Just a guess on my part.

It's amazing what a google search can find.

#FlexRadio IRC chat

(Edited to include the missing link in my post.)

   73, Jay - NO5J

EA4GLI

Sergey,
The ThumbDV dongle is still not showing up on the USB Cables window as it did before. How did you get it to work?

EA4GLI

Sergey,
The ThumbDV dongle is still not showing up on the USB Cables window as it did before. How did you get it to work?

Jay Nation

Salvador

Your correct, it doesn't show up at all under USB Cables, but it's not a cable so why should it? II's a Codec chip on a USB stick. and "works?" with the Dstar plugin. which enables the DSTR mode selection in SmartSDR. Getting it to work over the air still needs to be figured out though.

#FlexRadio IRC chat

   73, Jay - NO5J

EA4GLI

It used to show up in there before. As a USB device it seems the place to be. Why they call it USB cables.... who knows?