Dax Delay & Voice Keyer - Flex 6600M

Mitch

Has anyone experienced a delay while using DAX in VOX mode and/or while using a voice keyer? Using N1MM+, the delay between playing a .WAV file after pushing F1 is sometimes too long for fast paced contesting. The same delay sometimes occurs while using VOX, manifesting as extra long hang time before unkeying at the end of a transmission. Any VOX delay disappears when I quit DAX. I know my network is causing this problem, but I'm not sure how to solve it.

Is there any way to resolve this issue?

73, Mitch, K7RL


  

Joe N3HEE

You dont need to use VOX.  Just pipe in your computer audio via the DAX input to the radio.  Make sure the VOX is turned off.   Use a foot switch for controlling PTT and MIC.  If you need to use VOX make sure the VOX delay is set to zero delay.    

Mitch

Thanks for your reply Joe. My biggest problem is the unpredictable delay when pressing F1 to play a .WAV file. I know it has to do with my network traffic, speeding up and slowing down, impacting DAX performance. 

I suppose what I'm really asking is if there is another way to play .WAV files that doesn't involve DAX? 

Mitch

Ken - NM9P

I suppose you could use a mixer and mix your Mic with sound card audio from your computer, but that would lead to a hot mic during voice Keyer audio. You mentioned your network... how are you connected? Are you running remotely? Are you using serial port PTT or just VOX? How do you have audio set up in N1MM+?

Mitch

Thanks Ken. Not running remotely and using just VOX. N1MM+ audio uses DAX Audio TX under Playback. That part works fine.

Mixing the mic with sound card audio is a good idea. That said, I made some changes to my network that have increased its speed. That should solve the delay issue.

I originally posed the question to see if anyone else was dealing with DAX delay issues, and possible workarounds. 

Thanks again for your help! 

Ken - NM9P

Ok. I have used N1MM+ with my 6500 via DAX and had no problems. PTT was via CAT control Is your rig connected to your computer via direct connection, through a router via Ethernet, or via WiFi? I am curious about your network, and what changes you have made to it.

Mitch

Rig is connected through a router via Ethernet. I ditched the cable company supplied router and upgraded to a professional router. Big difference in speed.

Is there a way to make a direct connection from the rig to the computer without using Ethernet?

 

Grant Kesselring

I have been experience exactly the same problem in Sweepstakes contest that Mitch brings up.  I have a 6600M running with N1MM+.  The mic is plugged directly into the radio.  I am trying to play voice recordings stored in the function keys in N1MM+.  The TX Stream in DAX appears to be affecting VOX operation.  After playing a few voice recordings, the VOX delay begins to get too long and doesn't go back into receive quickly enough after a transmission ends.  If I disable the TX Stream in DAX and then re-enable, the VOX problems go away. This is very frustrating.

Grant K1KD

Richard Zalewski

Amen....same problem exactly as Grant.  The only resolution is to turn radio off and then back on.

Richard Zalewski

Foot switch solved some of the problems but not 100% with N1MM at this time.  VOX appears to be the culprit.

Joe N3HEE

I reported this issue to Flex support.  This is a software bug that will be addressed in the future. This issue has been logged as defect number: G7691

Grant Kesselring

Richard, for me the VOX would perform flawlessly when the MIC was connected directly into the Flex radio.  However, as soon as DAX would stream audio to the radio from N1MM+ playing a voice recording .WAV file, the hang time for VOX would get corrupted.  The result would be up to ~1sec additional hang time on the VOX when coming out of transmit.  It was repeatable.  The easiest way I found to clear it up was to toggle the little TX Stream button in the DAX window.  That would correct the problem again until the next time a message was played using DAX.

BTW, my rig is connected to the PC through a router via Ethernet.  I was not operating remote.  The router is less than a month old. 

Joe, is this more or less the issue you raised in the defect you opened? 

Grant K1KD

Joe N3HEE

The issue I reported was that I could not hear anything in the monitor when DAX and VOX were both engaged regardless of N1MM running. Flex knew about this issue.

I used N1MM to send wav files via DAX this weekend in ARRL SS SSB without any issues.  However, I did not use VOX as the Monitor was dead.  So I used footswitch for PTT instead.  My MIC is connected to the radio.  I did not have any delay in audio or function keys in N1MM.

Flex claims this defect was introduced after 2.4.9 ?

Richard Zalewski

Thanks for lots of feedback on this issue.  If this is a bug I just wonder why I never saw it before when running in an SSB contest.  I saw one suggestion about using {OTRSPOTHER RX} in N1MM.  Don't understand where in the .mc I would use this.  Hoping this will be corrected soon.

Grant Kesselring

Joe,

Very interesting.  It sounds like there are actually two issues at play:
1) When DAX and VOX are both engaged, the Monitor doesn't work.  This is observed in 2.4.9.  However, I was running 3.1.8 all weekend and did not have an issue with the monitor, so maybe this has been fixed?
2) Using DAX and VOX can cause extra long hang times before unkeying at the end of a transmission.

It sounds like you have logged a defect for the first item.  I will open one for the second.

Grant, K1KD

LZ2BE

I had similar problems in LZDX contest last weekend. Sometimes after switching from CW to SSB it was not possible to play wav files from N1MM logger, while Microphone was working OK.

I found DAX TX status button was yellow "busy". Switching Off/On cured the problem until next time.
I was using foot switch for Microphone and Radio command in N1MM for *wav files.

73 Boyan, LZ2BE

N2TTA

i have same problem, Flex still not resolve?

N2TTA

Mike-VA3MW

@n2tta

We are not hearing of any problems at this time.

Make sure you are at 3.7.4 and that you have followed all the setup instructions in this document. Even though it says 6700, it applies equally to all 6000 series (and 8000 series when they come out).

https://www.flexradio.com/documentation/flex-6700-so2r-configuration-n1mm/