SDC Skimmer for Flex Radios

Erik Carling EI4KF

As I said, I cannot reproduce it. You could ask Yuri by email.

Rick N0VT

https://community.flexradio.com/discussion/comment/20608356#Comment_20608356

It should be fixed in an update.

Rick N0VT

I just finished this week's Weekly RTTY Test (WRT), a new non-sprint, go-hard-for-30-minutes that's patterned on the CWT, only on RTTY.

I have to say, if you haven't tried SDC in a RTTY contest, you're missing out! When running, the QSO entry screen gets automatically populated from the decoder--no "alt-G" or mouse clicks necessary. When S & P, just scroll up and down the spotlist. When you stop, again, it auto populates the entry box and you're ready to go.

And no MMTTY, 2Tone or Gritty are necessary, the skimmer does an excellent job on it's own. Give it a shot, you won't be sorry.

Rick N0VT

PS-the WRT is on the WA7BMN contest calendar if you would like more info.

Erik Carling EI4KF

Well done, Rick. Yuri has already made the update based on your findings

https://www.lw-sdc.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/SDC_17.2209x64_setup.zip

Jim in TX

Trying out SDC on a Flex 6600. Thought I would ask users the knobs that can be turned.

Not looking for the secret sauce of how the bits are jiggled. The focus here is on user adjustments.

One, SDC takes an IQ stream. Are there any adjustments to this IQ stream from the Flex control side? For example, automatic gain or noise reduction? Or is this particular IQ stream tapped before any post processing?

Two, SDC has an adjustment for AGC-T. Is this the only variable available to a user for decoding?

I'm trying not to assume the architecture - only what a user can tweak.

Thanks for insights.

Martin_G4ENZ

Hi Jim,

There is no adjustments to the IQ stream apart from bandwidth. SDC can take 48, 96 or 192 kHz as you deem fit.

The AGC-T adjustment doesn't affect the IQ stream at all. It is just a facility to adjust the behaviour of the AGC threshold in your SmartSDR slice's demodulator.

73 Martin

Jim in TX

Martin, thanks for the reply.

Your comment tells the tale as I suspected.

At present, I am running one ethernet cable from the radio to a semi-smart switch, and one cable from the switch to a dedicated computer. No COM octopus, And it worked out of the box. I have had to **** on some quirks of Windows 11, but that has been old vs new user interfaces mostly. Still learning switchology on the radio but I will get there.

Erik Carling EI4KF

Supplementary user manual updated

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zbiweiglsbj44f3/SDC%20SKIMMER%20WITH%20FLEX%20RADIO.pdf?dl=0

WX7Y

I have tried to run the SDC Skimmer on my WIN11 machine and with the Win Firewall and security off IT WILL not start. It installed fine with out errors, I have tried to set the Permissions to Administrator and still doesn't run so not sure what is going on.

I thought about loading a older version to see if it would load but I'm not sure that would make any difference or not.

Thanks and if someone has an Idea what may be the reason and a solution I haven't already tried Let me know

Erik Carling EI4KF

Are you referring to the Skimmer, ie the Skimmer does not start? In this case have you closely followed the user manual and verified the settings?

Are you referring instead to the SDC program executable and that clicking its start menu shortcut does not work? If so, what do the log entries in Event Viewer - Windows Logs - Application show for the start failures?

WX7Y

I have the Registration Number to install in the Settings Config window but I get as far as the Flag and that's as far as it goes.

I haven't seen the configuration page yet.

I have CAT and DAX set up as the manual advised.

I see SDC is running In Task manager but locks up and does not got to the main page shown in the manual.

I have tried a earlier version and have the same issue.

Here is the error I'm getting

If I load as Administrator I don't get the above screen but the main screen just flash's up for about a 1/4 of a seconds and goes away.

I have even tried to install it to my D: drive incase there is a permission problem with the "Program Files" location, but NO different.

73

Bret

WX7Y

Erik Carling EI4KF

When starting 'As Administrator' and you see a flash of the GUI, is there a SDC icon in the Windows System Tray?

If so, right click to access the menu and show the SDC window.

It is very difficult for me to advise knowledgably regarding code 740 and an email to the author Yuri may elicit some assistance. From my limited experience I would be looking at one or more of these possible solutions:

1. Run program always as administrator
2. Change folder permission
3. Disable UAC
4. Select Elevate without prompting (a Group Policy Editor setting only available to Pro users and not to Home users).

Erik Carling EI4KF

WX7Y

I was able to finely get it to come up, Not sure what I did but out of the blue it came up and I was able to get it configured and the Registration finished on it.

Thanks for your patience and suggestions.

Bret

WX7Y

N2TU

I just want to use the SDC RTTY Skimmer and not the entire Contest portion. I am very familar with N1MM+.

Here's my 'problem' ! Running SDC, the SDC Skimmer sends the 'spot's out on port 7701. In my case, I am using ARuser to aggregate spots from various clusters.

I have ARUser listening on 7701 and getting the spots but SDC Skimmer is looking for me to enter my callsign. After a few attempts, SDC Skimmer times out. How does SDC get my callsign?

Help!

N2TU

https://community.flexradio.com/discussion/comment/20609077#Comment_20609077

Never mind!....In ARUser, I simply entered my Call as N2TU- and it worked. Now SDC skimmer is no loner asking for my call. Onto the next problem! Hi Hi

Rich McCabe

What an amazing program. Is anyone running 2 skimmers with SDC? I have done that with slicemaster and CWskimmer many times but if I try it with SDC the computer chokes.

Its a top of the line custom built PC with i9-13,900 processor, 64GB memory and SSD drives.

73,

Rich

Erik Carling EI4KF

There should not be that problem. SDC does not affect my medium spec machine with 2 skimmers or more. "Chokes" refers to what exactly? The CPU usage is 100%? If so there is an unusual issue somewhere.

Rich McCabe

When I add the second skimmer the first stops decoding and the waterfalls start to ****.

I tried this before going to bed last night and going to do more testing. I have a thought I need to test.

Just wanted to make sure its possible. I know guys that have issues with running 1 instance of CWskimmer let alone 2. Thought maybe SDC was more intensive.

Back to testing.

Rich McCabe

OK so here is an issue after doing a little testing.

It starts off running OK but if I stop one of the skimmers or switch bands the skimmers break. Restarting SDC fires them back up again.

I will post this on the SDC group too. I thought it had something to do with the machine not keeping up as last night the waterfall was just stopping and starting.

Rich

https://youtu.be/99R_2aCKkEA

Erik Carling EI4KF

On Skimmer A, reduce the Sample Rate to 96000 to match Skimmer B. Update the Skimmer Profile. Restart SDC. What happens now?

Rich McCabe

I can switch bands without issue but if I stop a skimmer and restart it then the other skimmer stops. At that point only one skimmer runs at a time without stopping and restarting the skimmer server. Maybe that is normal?

Rich McCabe

After a little testing it does not seem to care in my situation about sample rates to each stream.

What I have learned is if you are running skimmer server you CANT start/stop a skimmer without restarting the skimmer server.

Have also found you can not change sample ratios with SDC connected or its going to crash DAX.

I am not sure why I could not switch bands without it breaking as I cant seem to replicate that now.

Thanks Erik for the response. That was enough to get things figured out and what "not" to do.

Rich

Erik Carling EI4KF

Since you have a question on the SDC Group, perhaps Yuri will answer you.

It is not normal for one Skimmer to stop when another starts or stops. After all, going Split on CW in SmartSDR automatically starts the second Skimmer without impact on the first. Closing the second VFO stops the second Skimmer also without impact on the first. Otherwise working CW mode would be problematic but it all works seamlessly.

Changing the Sample Rate does not crash DAX here. The optimum rate though is 96000 IMHO though clearly Yuri's answer may disagree.

If you need to test further, I can if you wish send you my SDC profile for the whole program. It is simply a case of saving your existing comspider.ini file (by temporarily renaming it) and substituting mine. However, you may get a resolution from the SDC Group.

Rich McCabe

Erik, well in the interest of testing, please send it to r.mccabe @ IowawebHosting.com

If I try to change sample rate in DAX with SDC connected I get this.

If I change it with SDC closed, it works fine.

Erik Carling EI4KF

OK Rich, I will retest a sample rate change - maybe recent SDC versions have this issue

I am on the latest SDC version but my assurance that it should not happen was based on a version from last Autumn so I will recheck it.

When I let you know, I will also send my ini file.

Rich McCabe

What is odd is after DAX crashes Skimmer still runs. LOL

I have no SmartSDR Dax process running and its still decoding :)

Erik Carling EI4KF

It would take Yuri to explain it but SDC, when using SmartSDR API, is not using DAX. Unless you have not configured Skimmer setup for API have have chosen DAX IQ. Email coming now.

Rich McCabe

Yea I think basically the stream is in use basically by SDC which DAX sees as another computer.

Its all a matter of figuring out what he is doing. Amazing program but just a little unorthodox in some ways to what we/me are used to.

Mike-VA3MW

Thanks to everyone that works on this. I even worked Yuri on the weekend.

SDC Skimmer was an amazing tool for the RTTY Contest. So much so, I did a quick video of how it works.

https://youtu.be/kVWpF7rCTgU?si=NVfnHJdyiHpyGK8c