Smart SDR 3.0.1.9 with WSJT-X MOX not releasing

Joseph Hill

New issue with v3.0.1.9 as follows.  When I call a station on FT8 using WSJT-X of course, when the 6400/Maestro MOX red light on Maestro and the red on/off 6400 button get "stock on"...in other words they do not release and return to receive.  I have to press the MOX button on the Maestro a couple of times to stop the transmit mode.  HELP!  
Thanks,
Joe
K4PX

Mike-VA3MW

Hi Joe

There are few things that can cause the radio to stay in TX.

What method are you using to Key the radio?  

Are there any other applications that can also send a PTT command to the radio?

Mike

Jamie WW3S

The return to receive from transmit is “broke” in V3 in many third party applications....revert back to V2 for now.....

AH0U

I had this problem in V2 but a box of toroids fixed it.... RF on some cables

Mike-VA3MW

Jamie

V3 works well with all programs that don't use the FlexLib API and use a simple CAT connection.   HRD, WSJT, Log4OM, are just some off the top of my head that work just fine.

Which ones are you impacted by?

Mike

Joseph Hill

Using PTT all along.  Use DX Labs so DX Commander is radio selected.  Worked 100% for a long time until SmartSDR 3.0 loaded.  Thanks.

Joseph Hill

Oh great.  DX Labs/Commander worked perfectly with SmartSDR V2.x.  Wish I had known this before I plucked down $199 and went through the upgrade process!!  I want to roll back to 2.X and get my upgrade money back I guess.  What a shame and hassle.  Thanks.

Joseph Hill

I have changed absolutely no troubles at all until V3 loaded.  V2.X worked perfect for a long time.  Wish I had not upgraded to 3.0.  I have changed absolutely nothing other than the V3 upgrade.

Jamie WW3S

Patience....I know Dave is heavily involved with Flex in figuring out what may be wrong....I captured and sent files to both flex and Dave last night....

Joseph Hill

Thanks Jamie.  Gosh I wish I had not upgraded to V3!!!  What a waste of time and MONEY.  Guess I'll wait a bit before demanding my $199 back and rolling back versions.  

Joseph Hill

I pushed the "Test PTT" button on the WSJT-X Radio tab and it turns red and goes into transmit, but the only way to get the transmit to stop is push the MOX button on Maestro two times.

Jamie WW3S

It’s a problem somewhere between flex and dxlab.....flex changed the code....if you wait long enough, the communication between flex and commander times out ( if running smart sdr, look for the connection ballon to pop up in lower left corner) then the next press of RX in commander works.....of course, that doesn’t help with WSJT-x

Mike-VA3MW

Can you post a screen shot of your WSJTx Settings/Radio screen and another screen shot of your SmartSDR CAT application?

I use GreenShot (https://getgreenshot.org/) for all my screen captures.

Mike 

Joseph Hill

Hi Michael, I guess I could but I would rather just roll back to version 2.X of Smart SDR on my PC/6400/Maestro and forget the whole upgrade.  Dave at DX Labs reports that SmartSDR V3 is not compatible with DX Labs Commander so I feel like a fool to have upgraded to V3 and **** my station up.  Now I am off the air on FT8 because of V3.  So how do I roll back to previous version on PC/6400/Maestro and get my $199 back?  Thanks you.

Mike-VA3MW

Hi 

I'm not a DXLabs users, but I don't think DXLabs is involved when using WSJTx with a Flex Radio and keeping the radio into Transmit since it is WSJTx that sends the radio in and out of TX. 

This is why it is important that I see your 2 configuration screens.

I hope this picture helps.

Mike

Eric-KE5DTO

We are working with AA6YQ on this issue as I type this.  In the meantime, using SmartSDR CAT to handle the WSJT-X connection to the radio should work as a workaround.

Joseph Hill

Joseph Hill

Michael,
With all due respect, you might want to talk to Eric in your company.  He had clearly communicated to me that there is indeed a problem between DX Labs and SmartSDR V3.  Your instructions do nothing to help me get DX Labs back up with WSJT-X and Flex V3.  Thank you.
Best,
Joe
K4PX

Jamie WW3S

Do you still have the ver 2 icon on your desktop? Just click on it, it should install back to the radio....takes a few minutes, the radio reboots, and then you are good to go....if you need ver 2 , should be able to download it from flex.....

bahillen

Joseph Try something simple. Turn in a help desk ticked for support one on one. It took less than 30 minutes for help desk to fix my Windows 10 problem with the spring windows update. At worst case they will get you back up with 2.4.9 and best case get you back on air with the work around until the API can be resolved and completely solved. 73 Bill W9JJB

Neil D Friedman N3DF

Dave AA6YQ

Dave AA6YQ

Jamie WW3S

Well, it remains to be seen what the “issue” is.....commander didn’t change, flex software did....obviously flex made an unexpected change .....I’m not as smart as I look, but it appears to me it has something to do with the comms between the server and the client.....once the TX command is sent and received, the comms drop, ignoring any further commands .....once it’s reestablished, the switch to RX command works....I’m confident those much smarter than me will figure it out....in the meantime, revert back to ver2.....

Dave AA6YQ

Re "The issue is that DX Labs/Commander has not yet been updated for V3" There is nothing in the SmartSDR v3 migration guide about a change in the API commands used to switch the radio between RX and TX. Flex personnel and I are working to understand why what has long worked correctly with v2 now fails with v3. As for your recommend workaround, that's fine for ops who don't use DXLab. For those who do, Commander must be interacting with the radio - not just for RX-TX switching, but to QSY, and to report the current frequency and mode for accurate logging.

Mike-VA3MW

Joseph

My setup has SmartSDR CAT connected to WSJTx.  I have another port connected to DX Commander via a CAT port, not a TCP port.   For the features I  use, this has worked for me on V3 on a single slice to get band data.  In this configuration, I tell DXLabs it is communicating with a Kenwood radio since the Flex CAT command set mirrors the Kenwood command set.  This is what Neil is talking about.

I had mine working on 6M for the last number of days and able to log.

DXLabs has many features and it depends which ones you use, and yes, some may not function if you have to use a CAT connection to the radio.  

Since both DXLabs, which Dave has done an amazing job on,  and FlexRadios are highly customizable, there are many ways to solve this problem, at least for the features I use.

Eric and I are in constant communication, and both Dave and Eric are as well.  

I'm sorry you are impacted by this, but there a few work arounds until it is resolved.

Have a great weekend.

Mike

Joseph Hill

Gents I have no idea how to implement any of these workarounds. And I have no idea how to go through the process of reverting back to v2.x. So I am off the air with FT8 because Flex SmartSDR was released prematurely without enough testing. Yes I am quite disappointed in Flex Corp. I will mull it over during the weekend as to what I will do. Most likely I will sell my Flex 6400+Maestro and go back to Icom while keeping Dave's software which I love. I am kicking myself. My WSJT setup is just as Dave's screenshot and worked 100% with v2.x. if someone can send me a cookbook as to how to return to v2.x I'm willing to try that before getting out of Flex altogether. 73 Joe K4PX

Pat N6PAT

Dave AA6YQ

N8AUM

I constantly switch between versions that way. Very simple and only takes a few minutes for the radio to load whichever version you choose.

N3RC