Oh Oh ... Got The Blue Screen of Death Installing SmartSDR ......

w1smc

I just received my 6600M .... Swapped it out with my TS-890 ....

Connected her up ... Turned the radio on ... she starts w/o issue. I listen to 20M for a bit then installed SmartSDR.

I started from a clean re-boot and there were NO OTHER programs running other than the Device Manager. I launched the install as an Administrator and It looked like it completed the installed as dialog came up letting me know I would have to restart my computer. And then BAM! The infamous Blue Screen of Death is displayed ....

I have never had one of these on this desktop.

I'm running Windows 10 Pro on a Dell.

I'm almost afraid to launch SmartSDR ... If I can that is ...

Oh, BTW, I'm not a computer **** ... Been in the IT business 44+ years and I've been in a Systems Testing Department for the last 20 testing mainframe business systems.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Erika - KØDD

Steve,

I also run Windows 10 Pro here. Mine is a 6500 with 3.2.39. I had/have been on and off for the last couple years been struggling with the Dreaded Blue screen of death. I joined the Microsoft Insider Program, as I was also in IT for decades after leaving aviation. Had my own firm etc, lived well... anyway.

After changing over to the insider program the BSOD becomes a green screen of death. I'm currently 21H2. The problem is it is a paging malfunction where the software is trying to page where it isn't supposed to page. My Dell is a 2013 vintage Xeon Precision with 16 gigs of RAM and all sorts of video and drive upgrades...

What I found was I needed to boot three times and on the last one just tell it to boot again. It always came up. LET it send info to Microsoft when you are on the insider program they actually pay attention to boot failures.

Then a fix comes along and everything works for a while until the next update comes along. The word is Win 11 doesn't work yet on some machines, but I suspect the guys who are having trouble are those that have machines like mine whos machine lacks the compatibility with 11 and maybe have performed the work arounds.

Even where you are right now, every update is a hit and miss. Just keep rebooting it should come up. Or join Insider and get a green screen of death and then an update fixes it for a while. But since I won't be getting win 11 on this box the win 10 updates will be security and survivability updates from now on... My last Green screen was with the monthly update... and then everything is OK.

Erika DD

KD0RC

The Flex help desk is really great. I suggest submitting a help desk ticket. They most likely have seen this and will have some things to do to solve it.

w1smc

I started the radio & launched SmartSDR ....

Two SMARTSDR dialogs are displayed.

One for SmartSDRDAX it shows my radio as available.

One for SmartSDR showing my radio Available (multiFLEX Maestro).

w1smc

Erica, Thanks for the response .... It's always something huh? ....

Anyway, I launched SmartSDR and when I did I wasn't expecting two dialogs to be displayed. Also, I wasn't expecting the SmartSDR dialog to show Available (multiFLEX Maestro).

I clicked the green connect button and the software did connect to my radio.

I'm just wondering why it is showing "Available (multiFLEX Maestro)" ?????

KD0RC

Cool, it is working! You may or may not need SmartSDR DAX (it is a way to connect audio from the computer to the radio for things like RTTY). For now you can leave it off or go ahead and connect it. Until you need it, it can be on or off.

Your front panel is taking one connection and SmartSDR is the other. If you want all Slice receivers to be available on the computer, set your front panel to be in SmartControl mode. This will let you see the panadapter(s) and up to four slices on the computer while retaining the knobs and buttons of the front panel. It is the best of both worlds in my opinion.

MultiFlex means that you have two GUI clients (front panel and SmartSDR) connected at the same time. Each can control the radio separately. Neither "sees" what the other client is doing. This is especially good for multi-operator use. For example, you can control slices A and B via the front panel while a friend logs into your SmartLink account and controls slices C and D. You both have control of the transmitter, so careful coordination needs to be done when you operate this way.

While I am sure that you are not ready share your radio just yet, I mention it so that you understand why the radio is set up the way that it is. Notably, that the front panel does not mirror what is on the computer running SmartSDR. For that (sort of...) you need to be in SmartControl mode.

The Flex radios have a TON of features (especially your 6600), so don't try to understand and use them all at once. Get the basics working, get some contacts under your belt, then start expanding your knowledge. There are some really great videos on YouTube that explain various features in great detail, and of course, this forum for questions and ideas.

w1smc

So how do I take it out of multiflex? I was listening to 20M and then I touched the red TX button above the main VFO knob. Now I see I'm still on 20M. The panadapter & waterfall is showing activity but it's like my antenna was disconnect. Plus the VFO knob will not change frequency. This is going to be a heck of a learning curve,. And I read the manual twice .... ha ha ...

KD0RC

The tuning knobs will only operate on the front panel unless you are in SmartControl. When you put it in SmartControl, it should come out of MultiFlex.

Yep, there is a lot going on in these radios! One step at a time, and you will be a pro in no time.

Al K0VM

SMC...

There is as known BSOD issue on some PC's when DAX (part of the SSDR package) is installed the first time. After the PC is rebooted again, the BSOD should no longer appear and DAX should operate correctly.

Al, K0VM

w1smc

Thanks for the update on this Al ..... I'm wondering though if on my next software update I will get the BSOD? ... We shall see.

Erika - KØDD

You might want to select one way of operating your radio for the time being Steve. Either play with the knobs or only bring up the computer, as that's the part of the system you are having issues with out of the box. I have gotten to making a fresh boot on the computer first thing in the morning, got up late today though.

That way if "The SOFT" decided to create a nightmare while the rest of the world slept, I'll be able to wrestle with it during my first coffee and be ready to operate by the time the smoke is cleared from the shack... :-)

CAT and DAX are sort of important. Logging software and rig control features like reading the band, freq and mode for entry into the log is a modern necessity. Also with SSDR on the DELL you may desire to add a FLEX control knob to be able to tune the rig by the old way of doing things. The only knob I have no M or Maestro, is the smart control and a mouse. I can do things much faster using those two tools than my conventional knob twisting friends.

When you have start CAT and DAX with SSDR checked you should see all sorts of connections as the system comes up. You only need to click connect the first time, as they will auto connect each time the radio is brought up (Not in Smart Link) I no longer even have a smart link login. Always connect via my local network.

There is an order of operations that must be followed once you do start using connections to your rig. I'll mention how my radio setup needs started and shut down... Start mixing things up and some stuff doesn't work.

First thing I do here walking into the shack is turn on the radio and then I'll bump the mouse to walk up DELMAR the computer. Connect my antenna to the back of the radio, as it is still T-Storm season...

I'll then start SSDR which brings up the Cat and DAX with all of the connections already configured and ready to go.... IN my station I do use DDUTIL v4.0.9 it is a utility program that helps run some of the other programs and gives me a nice monitor into radios API showing temps, voltage, and other configurable stuff.

It also provides me with the radio networks server. I use a completely stripped down Ham Radio Deluxe. None of their rig control, So DDUTIL is the second thing started, then I bring up the Microsoft access portion of HRD. it connects to DDUTIL and comes up. I then start WSJT-X. I have mostly been running FT8 the last couple years working a lot of DX.

On shut down I shut off WSJT-X, HRD which backs that up, DDUtil, leaving just SSDR with cat and dax. You do not need to shut down CAT AND DAX. Just hit the checkmark on SSDR and it will shut down and take everything with it. Each program will not work without the step before it. (ALWAYS radio first and radio last!)

There's other things I have learned for configuring stuff to talk in and out of the radio as in use PORTS as much as possible, and setup all of your CAT ports starting at com10 as when your system gets busy you're going to have a lot of comports configured. Your Radio will configure in higher port numbers but other radio items might be limited to lower com port numbers as low as com 4 or 5... I found this out around the first of the year when I added a handhelds configuration software to the computer and found it wanted only com port I had already used. I moved the radio up and the Chinese config software had a place to go.

There is a learning curve. I didn't even respond to maestro and smart link stuff as I am a NON-M and NON-Remote operator completely. But I can make this setup sing beautiful music... Have fun - stay patient.

Erika DD

Al K0VM

The BSOD is related to the first install of the DAX drivers on a 'fresh' Windows. Most times, upgrades to SSDR do not required reinstalling the DAX drivers. So you're likely to have the BSOD one time until you move to a new OS install and reinstall DAX drivers. ( looks like Win 11 has a Green SOD :-)

AL, K0VM

w1smc

Thanks Erika ... Great information ... Yes being patient is a must ... Learned that one from my Dad.