after version 3.18 smartsdr upgrade audio mutes for no reason on both the maestro and the pc windows

mark zelesky

updated to v3.18 on my 6700 and since then, my pc with windows 10 or my maestro will mute the audio for no reason. I can get the audio back only by rebooting smartsdr on the pc, or restarting the maestro. It is random in nature but still annoying when it happens.

J. Michael Dunlap

Mark, I have found the same problem with my 6400.  However, rebooting my computer has not helped.  I also discovered after downloading the recommended software to use my 6400 on my radio room master computer, my computer no longer takes 1 minute plus to boot, it now takes somewhere between 5 and 10 minutes.  Do you have this problem as well? 

I thought I was just **** and the radio was too complex for me.  I am happy to know that I may not be alone.  I cannot explain how desperate I am as the only person in a huge radio club with a Flex.  I have no one to ask and I find it hard to find solutions in the manual.  Thank you for asking the question. 

By the way, i will eventually become the area Guru on Flex.  I am not about to give up, but my XYL can attest to how frustrated I am.  My next thing is to try to have my wireless network recognize my radio.  It sees the Maestro but the Maestro does not see the radio on the wired network, even though the wireless is a port on the wired network. 

Getting the Maestro and the 6400 working on my network were challenging.  Mike wrote me a nice reply to my difficulty with that and I was able to get it to work on the wired network.  Thanks Mike!  Unfortunately when following the step by step process to update recommended in one of the videos he suggested the process crashed.  I successfully backed up my profiles but then it all crashed.  I did not actually get to the recommended update.

What I need is someone to take me under their wing and walk me through the setup problems.  I am looking for an Elmer who will communicate with me by phone.  I understand from the manuals that Flex does not provide this type of support.  So I am just pouring out my heart to someone who will listen.  You seem to know a lot, could you Elmer me?  Lots of people are watching my experience.  K7MYU@ARRL.net

Robert Hall

Same problem here...out of the box about a month. Previous versions also. 6400 using a Maestro. Spontaneous mute with the only resolution being to re-boot the Maestro. Very frustrating mid- QSO! KD7RH

Robby

I also have a 6400 and find the manual very skimpy in some areas. It skips over CAT and DAX with very few words and these are new to recent Flex buyers. I have never been a fan of programmers writing manuals. They always assume you know what they know. I'm not saying that is the case at Flex but it gives me that feeling.

I don't use any of the new 'multi this' and 'multi that' but still enjoy the basic features of the radio.

You made a good choice by contacting Mike at Flex. He can help you a lot and is always willing.

My PC used to take several minutes to boot but after I installed an SSD it comes up in 19 seconds.

Maybe we should start a Flex newbie forum to help each other! :-)

-Robby
HP3SS

mark zelesky

Hello J, as far as the problem with the bootup time, I never experienced it. I did install a solid state hard drive in this pc "which is over 10 years old" and that shortened my bootup time to about 45 seconds from 2 minutes. You may try uninstalling all the flex software completely, reboot, and do a fresh install of the software for the flex. You may  also want to see what programs you have loading at startup, and remove or de-activate them from starting when you boot the computer. I am talking about drive utilities, old virus software packages, so called utilities and such that may be unnecessary and just taking up boot time as well as memory.I am not a computer guru by any stretch, but I know that sometimes there are some unnecessary programs that want to run at startup and run in the background, that can slow things up and possibly conflict with the flex software. the flex stuff like any sdr takes up lots of computer time and it needs to have priority if it is going to run smoothly without stuttering and hiccups. Also, if you want to run wireless, you need an up to date modem and a good internet provider. I really dont envy flex with the problems we as end users can have since there are hundreds of hardware, and software combinations they must make their stuff work with. 

I hope however that flex is watching this thread and maybe has a solution to the random muting problem. In the mean time, I am going to back up one version to where it worked without any hiccups! As to the network problems, I found that occasionally have to turn off the power to the modem to clear the buffers of old data. I have comcast so bandwidth is not a problem here and I use their modem, the modest monthly charge to use theirs is well worth it. Everything worked "perfectly" since I got the radio 6700 signature series since i got it last may. So hoping to get the last install working and leave it alone....hoping for the best. 

Brian Morgan VK7RR

Over the years I have learned the hard way that it is worth the trouble to do a complete wipe of my hard drive every two or so years and install the software afresh. Mark has touched on an important but often overlooked point about the amount of old discarded drivers etc, that sit on our HD and do nothing except slow it down. All my PC's now run SSD's and all boot up in seconds. Even my venerable Toughbook laptop which is used in the field is like a newborn filly now that she has had an SSD and a fresh install.

The only times that I have seen this type of problem that Mark is having,  after an update, is when the Flex radio was not subjected to a hardstart after the update. We are urged to do this and it only requires removing power from the rear connector for a few seconds. I urge everyone to ensure that they take this step every time. It  affects the Smartlink as well as direct connection. In those cases I have urged removing the latest updates completely and reinstalling them with a hardstart to follow. So far I have had no failures reported to me.

BL7IB

My Flex6400 works before and after 3.18 upgrade but now I no longer use PC audio.   

I connect speaker directly to the FlexRadio, less delay, less network traffic.

mark zelesky

Hello All, I think I found a work around when the audio goes away, at least with the PC. I click the pc audio button at the top right off then on. The audio comes back. Not sure what will work with the maestro though....if you get the muting and try it and it works, please let me know here...Mark Z KA9OOI

k3Tim

Thanks for this work around....  
For PC, not seeing this problem but seeing same problem with Maestro.  On the Maestro Audio panel one changes the audio from Maestro to Radio and then back to Maestro and audio stream to Maestro is heard again.

What Ng said is best, direct audio best....   

k3Tim

BL7IB

Yes, a temporary workaround, i think Flex will look into the issue. My iPad3 can work with my Flex6400 but no audio, I don’t expect DL8 author to fix this issue for such ancient ios9 ipad, so i wire speakers direct. I hear audio is more realistic, sound like a decent radio if i wire speakers direct than if I use my macbook.

N8AUM

Sign me up !!! 

ik2yft

i use flex 6500 with maestro. After an hour of use the audio disappears. The transmission in cw with the key inserted in the maestro is also disabled. Sometimes I solve the problem by turning on the radio, waiting for the calibration phase and then turning on the mastro. in this way the problem occurs more rarely.