2.6.1 Audio drop outs

N8SDR

While the previous version presented the know easy to fix issue when win 10 feature updates occurred I never experienced audio drop out,. Now many times since the update to 2.6.1 I have experienced audio drop outs on receive while using the PC audio which I have always done. clicking the PCaudio off then on again sometimes fixes the audio other times it results in blue screening the system and rebooting.

At first I thought maybe a issue with previous  2.5.1 drivers so I completely uninstalled that and all other versions then did a fresh install of 2.6.1 upon rebooting i was presented with several blue screens of death finally it started normally but when I started SmartSDR it blue screened again, I was able to get it to start a couple time and t ran for a while before audio dropped out again.  So I spent my Sunday backing up and imaging the drive so I would have reference and ability to reload documents and etc. I then wiped the drive clean, and did a fresh install of Win10. after getting all drivers and apps installed i loaded up SmartSDR 2.6.1 and Bingo Blue-screen once again on a new fresh installed OS. this was after several hours of reloading other apps and moving data back. after a few reboots it finally started fine, and once again after a few times the audio drop out started up again, 2.6.1 is useless at least for me, Blue screens never happened with 2.5.1 nor did I ever experience an audio drop out. I'm not new at loading software been at that game of hardware and software tech and running my own IT business since 8088 were around. Something in 2.6.1 is **** up. or just doesn't like my hardware but I feel more of an issues in 2.6.1 since it NEVER HAPPENED in any previous version of SmartSDR. I 'd rather deal with e easy fixing of the DAX naming issues when feature updates happen. Curious if anyone else is now experiencing issues with 2.6.1 ? Audio drop outs or Blue screens or other?. If I'm going to run 2.6.1 I'll rename it to SometimesSDR as that is much more fitting!

Rather disappointing.

Bill -VA3WTB

You must be using the PCaudio button because you are working remote? otherwise there is no reason to use it. Simply plug a powered speaker set in and be done.

Also as you may have read in the realease notes, the BSOD is a known problem and will correct itself after a couple reboots, in some cases one reboot to 4 or 5 reboots. In many cases the problem never arrises during an install.

N8SDR

Bill thanks for reply however I still get the occasional BSD since the 2.6.1 even on a fresh install of Win10 1908. Also I use the PC speakers since there a 3 way bookshelf speaker system and 12 inch powered sub attached to a very low distortion power amp, So no I'm not going to use another set of speakers esp since this never happened with any previous version,  never once experienced an audio drop out until 2.6.1 I'll go back and just deal with the feature updates renaming 2.5.1 DAX drivers. This is BS, audio drop outs and blue screens.

Bill -VA3WTB

Throwing the baby out with the bathwater? It is not common for the BSOD to continue after it has been corrected, that's strange. But to revert back because of audio dropouts that can be avoided until a sulution is found for your problem.
The DAX driver fix for Windows updates is huge. To go back because of a little bug you can get around?  up to you.

N8SDR

LOL baby-bath water , when you have BSOD LOL give me a break why would I put up with BSOD and Audio drop outs, when I can easily right click rename 2.5.1 after a feature update and be done one time when the feature updates occur, your response is not well thought out. Random BSOD every time I use it or one time rename after a feature update which happens only a few times a year..

Philip KA4KOE

I went back to 2.5.1. Audio dropouts were annoying. I thought this had been solved.

Eric-KE5DTO

Can you describe what you mean by audio dropouts?  Do you mean small gaps in the audio stream?  Or do you mean the audio just stops?  Or something else?

N8SDR

No I mean it stops - and when it does I can turn of PCAudio and back on and most times it will work again, other times it triggers the BSOD,

Eric-KE5DTO

So the audio is working just fine, then it just stops?  I haven't observed this, but I'll keep an eye out for it.  Thanks for the report.

Eric-KE5DTO

One other question -- how often are you seeing this happen?  Does it seem to happen randomly or is it more periodic?

N8SDR

random,

N8SDR

Also : Windows 10 1908 build , 8 core AMD 4.2 GHz  32 gig ram, 1TB SSD and 4 GB Radeon R7 -  pretty sure the hardware is able to handle this

Pat N6PAT

Eric, while you're at it also please keep an eye out for power drop outs.

This has happened to me a number of times with 2.6.1 and I've seen posts from a few other ops mentioning that this has happened to them as well. I never experienced this with any previous SSDR version

Pat N6PAT

Do you use Windows System Restore Points? It comes with Windows 10 but is disabled by default.

It will create save your Windows settings prior to any system or device changes. It might save you a lot of time if you have problems again.

https://www.windowscentral.com/how-use-system-restore-windows-10

N8SDR

Well aware of system restore. I use macrium business edition which is much more reliable. The solution for me was going back to 2.5.1 no audio drop outs no random blue screens of death. I would and will gladly do the rename of DAX drivers when a window feature update occurs then out up with audio drop out and BSOD events. 2.6.1 does me know good if I can't stably run the radio with it shutting down. Blue screening or dropping audio. Which makes it useless. Aside from the TLS v2 security Which I'll deal with through other hardware. Also Pat it's not just the lastest 2.6 releases shutting down radios the lastest 3.x does as well 2 close friends tried the newest 3.x release and both had random radio shutdown s that were so annoying they also reverted back to previous versions as well Beta testing has not been done very well before releasing these updates which are to say the least are very buggy

Pat N6PAT

I'm using 2.6.1 and my radio hasn't shut down by itself but I've been forced to do a factory reset a few times when it's gone crazy (see my other posts).

It has also lost TX power a number of times and I'm back to having to shut down and restart DAX many times each day . If the power issue continues then I'll be forced to revert back to 2.5.1 as well.

Joe N3HEE

Isnt Windows 1908 an MS Insider preview release version ?  Is that fully supported by Flex ?  Have you tried  this on Windows 1903 ?

N8SDR

Sorry Joe that was a typo on my behalf I am using 1903

Eric-KE5DTO

So I've been running my FLEX-6700 since I posted on this thread yesterday checking it periodically for audio drop outs as described above.  I haven't experienced any yet.  This is just one data point, but figured I would share.  

N8SDR

I'm not the only one who experienced this. Phil also noted it in this post along with others I have talked with on the air. I went back to 2.5.1 due to BSOD happenings and audio drop out. Neither of which has happened either before or after I have reloaded windows. Just 2.6.1 has caused me issues.

N8SDR

Eric while looking at other posts i saw this- https://community.flexradio.com/flexradio/topics/rx-audio-delay-on-pc-speakers

sounds very like the issues with 2.6.1 and the NEW DAX drivers which are the same i take in the 3.1.x versions.

He also mentioned like me you have to toggle PCAUDIO on and off to get it to come back

N8SDR

WOW there starting to Roll in now here is another post were Audio drops out: https://community.flexradio.com/flexradio/topics/flex-6500-maestro-vers-3-1-7-problem

Beta testing before releasing has failed again

Stan VA7NF

Eric,
I still have not determined if this is the same or a different problem.
Started with 3.1.7 and continued with 3.1.8
Running SSDR with a 6670 and audio brought to the PC; every few seconds there is a short (say 1/10 second) audio drop-out, which continues while powered on.
The network has not changed and is wired GB with both PC and Flex on the same switch.

Sergey R5AU

I have no drop-out issues as described above (audio stopped) on my 6700 3.1.8 and Win10Pro, However colleague RT5A have audio stop /drops on Win7 with 3.1.8 and Closing SmartDAX and open again solve it and Last update with Dot.Net also give positive result Just my explorer and observation but not a final solution

Joe N3HEE

Has anyone analyzed their Windows event logs to see if there are some clues about the BSOD and audio drop out issues?

Windows can be configured to produce a dump file upon BSOD that can be analyed by you or MS.

Would someone be willing to send their PC to Flex so the issue can be easily replicated and fixed? 

Does Flex have a debug app that can be run to package logging and diagnostic data when an issue occurs? 

Eric Davenport

Thought I would include my experience. 
Flex 6600. Windows 10 latest Update. 
Installed 2.6.1 Saturday Night. 
Started using it doing some FT-8.  Made a couple of contacts then WSJT-X stopped Decoding, I thought it was weird as I was still seeing stuff on pan-adapter. Tried a call no power out.
Then SmartSDR froze could not change anything no controls.  Used Task Manager to stop the program.
I rebooted computer and restarted 6600.
No Change nothing in or out.
Uninstalled 2.6.1
Reset 6600 to factory.
I am on 2.6.0 and working as of last night .
I do not feel confident yet but as long as it continues working it will return

Joe N3HEE

This is odd behavior as 2.6.1 only added support for TLSv1.2 for licensing issues and they changed the language for DAX error message?  Did you do factory reset before or after going back to 2.6.0?

Eric Davenport

Before I went to 2.6.0

Eric-KE5DTO

I was going to say the same thing as Joe.  I would expect v2.6.0 and v2.6.1 to behave in exactly the same manner in all ways with exception to pulling licenses (which would not be involved in this issue).

Thanks for the report.

Eric Davenport

Well now I have to agree with Joe and Eric ( the other guy). Last night audio dropped out again and could not use WSJT-X so now I am back on 2.51 and will stay there for the immediate future.  At least when a W10 update messed things up I could fix them I cannot use the same process to fix 2.6 versions

N8SDR

Correct it is much easier like I mentioned to rename the Dax driver after a win 10 update then deal with drop outs and BSOD randomly. Not only that but the 2.6.x has lower dax receive audio and I found that to be an issue with some digital decoding software. Non of which happened with the 2.5.1 version at least for me. 2.6.x is a buggy nightmare