Settings for JS8Call

WK2Y

Anyone else running JS8Call?

I was wondering if someone could help me get my settings right for use with JS8Call(V2.1.1).   I am running a 6500 with SmartSDR 3.1.8 under Windows 10 Pro.

Slice B is set to DAX 2 and in the DAX control panel it shows it streaming. Everything works with HRD and JTDX but I use those through Slicemaster.

In JS8Call, under the radio tab,  I choose the Rig as FlexRadio 6xxx with the PTT Method of CAT, Mode of None, and Split Operation of None.

In JS8Call, under the audio tab, I have chosen as Input; DAX Audio RX 2(FlexRadio Systems DAX Audio) and Output as DAX Audio TX (FlexRadio System DAX TX).

In SmartSDR CAT (where I suspect my problem lies), slice B is associated with a CAT Port that is set as follows:  Port Protocol: CAT, Port Type: Serial, Serial Port: FlexVSP, Client Com: Com13, VFO Slice: B, Auto Switch TX Slice: Enabled, Split Mode: SO2R(normal).

Device manager shows FlexVSP port 13 working normally.

When I start JS8Call, it looks like it is receiving, but I get a Rig Control Error with the message, "Hamlib error: IO error while opening connection to rig.

Thanks in advance for any help you may be able to offer.

73,
Bob, WK2Y

Lionel

Bob,

Just checked and my:

JS8CALL radio settings same as yours
SmartSDR CAT same setting as yours except I use slice A instead of B, COM 16 here-should be no issue
DAX is working except I use DAX 1.

JS8CALL CAT Control Tab Network server localhost:60002; poll interval 1 sec; baud rate 19.2k; data bits default; handshake default;

WK2Y

Thanks for the info.  I'll let you know how I make out in the next few days.

WK2Y

When I choose Flex-6xxx, I'm not really sure what to put in the Network server box.  In SmartSDR CAT, I have a TCP Port 5002 associated with a slice,. When I try to enter localhost:5002 or 192.168.7.241:5002 it doesn't like it.  It says you are supposed to leave it blank to allow JS8Call to find it but that doesn't work either.

I am able to get the program to work by choosing the rig Kenwood TS-2000 (I remembered this from years back.) and that gives me a serial connection on a  port at 4800, one and none.  None the less, I would really like to understand the network connection issue.

Thanks again.
Bob

Michael Wheatley

Setup JS8Call just like you setup WSJT-X:  Radio FlexRadio 6xxx, Network Server localhost:60002 (you must have a SmartSDR CAT port defined as TCP, 60002, VFO Slice , Rig Options: PTT:CAT, Audio Input: DAX Audio RX2, Output: DAX Audio TX.

Michael -- KM6LHD

WK2Y

Ah ha!  That worked.  Now I see.   It can't be just any old TCP port number.  It has to be 60002.  I'll bet that's in the manual.   :-O
Thanks very much.
Bob, WK2Y

Michael Wheatley

Not exactly.  The port number must correspond to the TCP port number set up in SSDR CAT.

Michael -- KM6LHD

WK2Y

I had been trying with 5002 and for some reason it didn't work so maybe that's not a valid port number?  Do port numbers have to be 5 digits perhaps?

James Del Principe

Old thread but I have questions. I did exactly as described above. In SDR Cat, I created a TCP port 60002, slice A. then, Under rig options, I selected CAT. ( under port it shows 60002 but it looks greyed out). On the CAT Control tab, it shows network server 60002. But all below that is still greyed out and cannot be selected. It shows baud rate 4800, data bits default, stop bits default, handshake default. If I test CAT, it just errors out with that Hamlib error as before above. So what am I missing? Radio is defined as FlexRadio 6xxx.

Should I select another radio such as the TS2000? Many Thanks, Jim KD1I

James Del Principe

OK, sort of answered my own question but not to my satisfaction. I chose TS2000 as the radio and set CAT port5 in the Flex and JS8. It communicates frequency now. The Flex will follow JS8 but not the other way around. Changing frequency on the Flex does not change the indicated frequency on JS8call. Is this correct?

Mike-VA3MW

Can you post screen shots of your JS8call configuration screen and of your SmartSDR CAT screen.

Windows has a built in 'snipping' tool to do this or a free program called GreenShot that I use.

James Del Principe

Mike, I installed GreenShot on my shack computer and I see how to copy an image but how do I paste it into a document or better yet, here ? After copying, I get a choice of where to save but this is not at all like MS snipit. The other choice is for me to duplicate all of this on my laptop - CAT and JS8Call, and then use snipit which I have on that computer.

K1DBO

Considering the start of this thread I cant help but mention that Slice Master now supports JS8call.

Manual configuration is not needed. Just install JS8call, run it once to let it finish its configuration and shut it down. Then start up Slice Master (v0.10.8 or better) and press the quick launch button for JS8call. Slice Master will take care of the configuration.

--Don

James Del Principe

OK, I sort of figured it out... here is ssdr CAT. for js8call, I created a TCP port 60002. That did just not work with the radio configured as Flex6xxx. I then made a Com Port 5 and renamed the radio ts2000. That does work in that the radio follows JS8 frequency but not the other way around. Changing frequency on the radio does not change the frequency on JS8. Should it? I'll send the other screen shots in a second. Thanks again, Jim

James Del Principe

Here is the current configuration. It does work after a fashion. I really think it should work set up as a Flex 6xxx.

James Del Principe

Thank you, Don. I am not using SliceMaster and I am not familiar with it. Let me ask you though. Does your Flex and JS8Call follow each other? If you change frequency on the Flex, does it show on JS8Call ?

K1DBO

James,

Yes it does.

While Slice Master is useful in a few other ways, its primary purpose is to automatically configure other third party applications to work with the Flex radios. You can read about here:

https://github.com/k1dbo/slice-master-6000

--Don

Mike-VA3MW

James

Slicemaster is the way to go and much easier to setup.

If you want to use Flex as the connection method, you would use a port address of 127.0.0.1:60002 I think from your picture.

BTW, for your Com 5 connection, SmartSDR CAT doesn't show JS8Call as a connected process. Maybe it wasn't running at the moment.

I am not sure why you are only getting 1 way communication, but all methods have bi-directional communication.

I do not use JS8Call, but the setup is exactly the same as WSJTx. I assume that TEST and PTT works correctly on the JS8Call test screen?

It sounds like you are almost there.

James Del Principe

Thanks, Mike and Don. I may have to load Slicemaster after all. for the port address, I only had 60002. So it looks like I should have entered 127.0.0.1:60002. I will try this. Mike, you are correct. JS8 was not running.

While I have never used WSJTx, I have experience with other digital programs. I'll try further and let you know. Thank you for all the help. Jim .

James Del Principe

OK, a few thoughts. CAT will not take periods (dots) or colons so I could not enter 127.0.0.1: 60002.

I left it communicating with com port 5 and changed the baud rate from 4800 to 38400. I guess it likes that because the frequency control is bidirectional now. Either the Flex or JS8 Call can control and the other one tracks just fine. We live and we learn.

Mike-VA3MW

If you use SliceMaster for the setup, it will handle the communication to the radio for you automatically.

Start SliceMaster first and then from within SliceMaster start WSJTx or JS8Call.

==================================================================

If you are NOT using SliceMaster, then your configuration looks like this:

(you can't mix NetWork / TPC Ports and CAT Serial ports).

127.0.0.1 means this computer - the local host

5002 is the port number, like a phone extension.

In SmartSDR CAT

You see that I have a C Entry circled. It is listening on port 5002 for an inbound connection from a program. In your case, it is JS8Call. This entry point is also tied to Slice A (hidden under my highlighting).

In this setup, you get bi-directional communications using Ethernet (and not 1/2 century old RS232 methods).

Now, JS8Call can command the radio to go into TX or change frequencies.

KE7FD

I'm lost. I've run the current version of Slice Master and after a few seconds, it just sits there doing nothing; I don't don't get the pretty screens of completed parameters seen above. Based on the comments, my expectations were that I open JS8Call, let it load then shut it down. Then I launch Slice Master with the results I stated. Nada. Here's my SmartSDR CAT screen:

I should add that ft8 works just fine and with HRD as well.

tom_m0lte

NB if you are setting up JS8Call manually, with the FlexRadio 6xxx driver, the Network Server hostname has to be 127.0.0.1, not localhost.

Crazy but true.

Rob Monsipapa

Does anyone have a good step by step process for setting up the FLex 6600 (6xxx) for JS8Call? I'm lost after all these posts. If I can get a good step by step process I'll be more than happy to put it into a nice PDF guide for others to use.

I know I'm close. I tested CAT and PTT and both passed. I can hear transmissions but JS8Call is not decoding anything. I tried to transmit and it looks like it sent but I'm not getting anything back!

THANKS