6500 and and FT 8 No Longer sync Freq

henrylance

Hello everyone. Not sure where this problem belongs, since it may be one of two things, but since it involves a Flex I thought I’d start here. 

I have been using a 6500 since last Oct. with a Maestro.  Also during the same period FT 8 in what ever is the most current version.

I have had the FT 8 running successfully on a Mac with a Windows 10 partition, and on a 4 yr old Samsung Laptop running Windows 10.  

Both computers are running the same most current version of Smart SDR, and the 6500 and Maestro are both up to the most recent versions.

During the past week I have been mostly using the Samsung Laptop in another room or on a porch running FT 8.  All has been fine. Then this past weekend I decided to work from the desktop.  Turned on the 6500, brought up FT 8.  Noticed at once that the frequency of the 6500 display was .002 - .005 off from the selected band/frequency reading of the FT 8 program.  I have never experienced this before.  The 6500 and FT 8 program have always been spot on together  ??  shut everything down, rebooted and turned on the Maestro.  Same exact difference.  ………  exited everything, turned off the 6500 , then truned back on, and used the Samsung laptop and got SmartSDR up and running, then got FT 8 up, and bingo, both were reading the same, as they should.

I did a frequency cal of the 6500 ( actually checked it ), and it was fine.  That was many months back.     

Same radio, different computers, all with the same software for both programs, and never a problem till the other day  ??

My guess is it’s a problem with the FT 8 program, but same version on both computers  ??  I have looked and looked ofer the FT 8 settings and can’t see anything that is different between the to computers.

By the way, I am talking about receive frequency, not Xmit shift/offset.

I am sure I just am not seeing something.    Any ideas. 

Thanks,  K4wh

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AH0U

Check to see if you have DAKE IT checked in your WAJT setup

henrylance

Think you mean Fake It.  No it is not set.  I have always used Hold TX Freq in the program, and select on spot and hold it.  Works for me, and in the settings I have none.  I have never seen the freq offset in the rec mode, even if the settings are fake It or Split.

NX6D Dave

Are you saying that the radio's reported RX frequency and the program's reported frequency don't match?  RIT perhaps?

K0FLY

I have seen the same behavior.  There was a 7 HZ difference (20meters) between the FT8 software on both the Flex 6600 and 6500.  The offset was different on other bands.  I got it synced again by going to "Settings" then the "Frequency tab" and then in the Frequency offset box changing the Hz  offset up and back to zero and clicked on OK.  WSJT-X locked up after **** this but when reinitialized the frequency display matched the radio and continues to do so.

Gayle K0FLY

K0FLY

I should have said the PPM up and down in the Freq control box.  That is what I did since the offset was not constant on all bands.

Gayle

henrylance

Yes

henrylance

Yes

henrylance

Thanks for the replies.  The problem is that WITH no changes in either the radio, or the program, after a month or more of running the 6500 and the newest FT8 with no issues,   ……  a problem arises between them agreement on freq control.  But not problem using another computer and same exact software, radio, OS system etc.  In my mind something is corrupted.  Most likely the FT8 software, since the same 6500 works fine and is dead on with FT8 using a Laptop.  RE – adjusting the software is a just a fudge factor in my mind.  With all these WSJT-X programs being dead nut on is very important.

Mike-VA3MW

I would do a frequency calibration again.    If I read what you wrote correctly, it has been months since you have done a calibration.

Oscillators can drift around and if it is a concern that you do require milli-hertz accuracy, then you may want to consider a GPSDO.  

That being said, the difference you are seeing has to do with the oscillators on the sound  decoding on each computer,  not the radio.  You might want to give this a try:  https://www.jeffreykopcak.com/2016/04/24/calibrate-receive-audio-for-ham-radio-soundcard-digital-mod...

Regardless, that small a difference would be considered normal.  Nothing to worry about.

Mike

henrylance

Mike, thank you so very much.  I will do a Re-Cal, and also go over the Link.  I did not realize or think about a regular re-calibration.  I think we all have the a Icom, Yaesu, Kenwood mentality, and forget that the Flex is a different of radio.  Thanks.

George KF2T

I've seen the same thing, about 6 Hz or so. Always attributed it to a hamlib issue, and didn't think much about it. A few Hertz is not an issue, even for MSK144. 
My Flex has a GPSDO, so frequency drift or recalibration seems unlikely.

henrylance

I just thought that I would do a follow up the problem I posted. 

All the comments and advice seemed good, but I still had a nagging feeling that it was the actual WSJT-X program that was some how corrupted.  Over the past 10 months I have ( as many have ), downloaded the many upgrades that the program has had.  I have seen over the yrs that Windows can do some weird things with installs on top of existing programs.

I had already deleted uninstalled the earlier versions and their associated down loads, as well as the most recent version, then downloaded again the most current version, and as I stated the problem of the offset and sync”ing of to the same freq of the radio and the WSJT software still was off.

I suspected that, as is normal with Windows, “Uninstall”, does not completely remove all vintages of a program, Windows likes to hide stuff all over the place.

At that point I decided to download a commercial removal and registry cleaning program.  It took three passes, to seek out and find all the hidden WSJT files,  place all over the operating system files.  Then It actually took three complete shut downs and reboots to remove the final traces, so that the name WSJT did not show up anywhere.

NOW ,  to the good part.  I then downloaded the current version of WSJT-X.  How strange it was a **** program.  I had to set up everything to how I liked it, but absolutely nothing of the former downloads remained.

Set the program up for the Flex 6500 and SmartSDR, turned on the Flex.  Clicked each of the WSJT Band Icons, and bingo.  The program and the Flex were spot on together.

Why all the fuss. Because I did not feel that the Flex should be off frequency, if the program was telling it where it should be. 

I did recalibrate the Flex the other night, and the problem still existed, and it existed 3 hours before I did all the above.

Thanks for all that offered help, but silly as it seems my gut instincts were correct.