anyone have vox dropout with V3.3.32 ?

Ed Stallman

After installing FW 3.3.32 I to have vox dropouts and I make sure to turn Dax off before enabling Vox . This is not a miner problem that happens occasionally . This happens on every 2 or 3 transmits, the op I'm talking with will say, you dropped out again. I have the same issue on my 6600 and 6500 . Vox has not been a problem with previous versions.

Eric-KE5DTO

For those that aren't familiar, I'm Eric Wachsmann, VP of Software and employee #2 at FlexRadio Systems. I've been with the company from very near the start (over 18 years now) and have had my hands in quite a bit of the code both in the radio and the clients all the way back to the PowerSDR days. When I'm able to free up to code these days, I typically focus on the client side of things (so SmartSDR for Windows, SmartSDR for Maestro, CAT, DAX, etc).

We have heard loud and clear that we need to improve our testing and as such, we are in the process of adding an internal test team with our new Test Engineering Manager recently hired (with many years of QA experience) and a req out for a Test Engineer. Believe me when I say that things are changing in the test arena here at FlexRadio. Stay tuned (no pun intended).

Pete La

Yes, everyday, and I put a help ticket into Flex. I have a 6400M and PR-781 mic and i'm experience it operating from the front panel only and from SSDR on the PC. A friend of mine is experiencing it also after upgrading to the new Version 2.8 and a PR-781. Two other friends have not upgraded and they aren't having issues (also using PR-781s). Flex punted my problem to Engineering/Software development as a possible software issue and then closed my help ticket. Ken Wells suggested I perform a cold boot, but that didn't help at all. I'm losing faith in Flex Radio's concerns about their Amatuer Radio department. Very frustrating. I suggest putting in a help request and after they get enough of them they make take action.

Ed Stallman

Thanks Pete , I did submit a help ticket , I also did a cold boot with no help

J.C. W4QK

Ed, the VOX dropout seems to be a new issue with the most recent software. I talk to Pete La almost every day. He started having the VOX problem when he upgraded to the latest v3 software. I had never had a VOX dropout problem operating my 6400M for 3 years until I installed v 2.8. Lets hope enough people bend the Flex engineering ears and we can have a resolution to this annoying issue.

73 - JC

Dan Trainor

There were a number of new issues introduced in 3.3.32 including the VOX problem. They will have to release a maintenance version that fixes the fix that was to fix the fix.

Al_NN4ZZ

Fragile Code.......sometimes you just have to start over. If your career is in software development you probably have seen this. (Fragile code, brittle code, re-factoring, etc). Often systems have to support significant new features they never anticipated and this can be the result.

https://www.developer.com/mgmt/article.php/1441441/Fragile-Code.htm

BTW, no clue if this applies to SSDR but it could be one reason updates have been slow and bugs have cropped up. 

Regards, Al / NN4ZZ

Johan SE3X

I have had my 6700 a bit more than 3 1/2 years. It came with V1. Never really used V1 much, upgraded to V2 very short after delivery of the radio. But for sure, since V2 VOX been unusable .. Works for a while, then suddenly releases and I have to switch VOX on/off. Sometimes even have had to re-start SSDR and/or the radio. But as I've done a lot of contesting I'm used to use the fotpedal.

I have given up on VOX with my 6700. Today mainly used for different digital modes. Unbeatable on that, for sure. Bit annoying though, as my back-up radio, Yaesu FTDX-10 has a great working VOX. A radio at 1.400 Euro, compared to a 6700 at 7.935 Euro.

VOX not so important to me, but it would be nice if it was working. I will keep my Flex forever, don't think anything else, love it. But I have given up a little bit on SSDR and Flexradios commitment to us hamradio customers. I sure hope Flexradio management will prove me wrong, preferably soon.

73, Johan, SE3X

Pete La

I just tried another cold boot today without reloading any profiles. No joy, the VOX still drops out. I'm using the default PR-781 mic settings. DAX is off. Setting as follows. VOX 50. VOX delay 13, and DEXP 70, Low cut is 100 and high cut is 3000. TX equalizer is ON. PROC is on DX. Microphone setting is on +20db, BIAS is off.

Pete K1OYQ

KD0RC

Hi Pete, I did a quick set of tests using a dummy load and Full Duplex to monitor my signal. I found that setting the VOX Delay to 30 ms seemed to work well with no dropouts. Although this was a very quick test (not an actual QSO), you might want to increase the VOX Delay to see if it works better or even cures the issue.

Pete La

Thanks I will try it.

Pete K1OYQ

Eric-KE5DTO

Thanks for the feedback folks. We are aware of the issue with VOX where it drops out (SMART-8919). This particular issue seems to be new in v3.3.32 and also affects v2.8.0.

Aside from that particular issue, I see from the other replies that there are likely other issues related to VOX that need attention. The better job we can do describing those issues and the environment where you encounter them, the better chance we have to address them in a timely manner.

Pete La

Great, so now that you acknowledge them, when can we expect a resolution? I think the CW recieve cracking and popping is related to it. Do your research completely before jumping on just one issue.

Pete K1OYQ

Pete La

KE5DTO - thanks for the response, but who are you in the Flex Radio world??

Pete K1OYQ

Dan Trainor

"describing those issues and the environment where you encounter them, the better chance we have to address them in a timely manner."

Suggest you have your QA Testing team re-review your test plans. In this case the section related to VOX within the test plan and see if you find any gaps. Then review the derived Test Case Execution steps for more complete coverage. For VOX functionality it is probably less than a dozen test case scenarios. Execute test case steps to discover the bugs and subsequent regression prior to release. Record and Prioritize each bug. Assess time and resources for each fix. Map fix to a release. Declare Success. Just a suggestion....

Trucker

Pete, Eric is one of the main developers at Flex Radio. Good guy and really knows his stuff.

James

WD5GWY

Pete La

Got it, thanks. Who is Dan Trainor and who is he talking to? More important what is he trying to say to the group? You guys need to figure out who your normal audiance is and speak to them accordingly. I am a 77 year old ham that embraces new technology, and trys to keep up. But you have to remember I started ham radio in 1958 so I may be falling behind a bit and not comprhending some of the new nomenclature. Do I need to go back to my old radios? I consider myself to be somewhat knowledgeable on computers, but I'll be the first to admit that they are rapidly going past my understanding. Most of the ham community is in my category. i just want my radio to work properly. Sorry.

Pete K1OYQ

John KB4DU

Dan, it seems to me that most of the testing is performed by alpha and beta testers. Plan doesn’t seem to be very robust. Hopefully the military requirements for testing will transfer to the ham side.

Pete La

Tried setting the VOX delay to 30ms. It seemed to improve it at first, but after about thirty minutes into the QSO the it started droppimg out again.

Pete K1OYQ

KD0RC

Thanks for the insight Eric. Testing always runs a fine line. Release too early and the user population is hit with bugs and will complain bitterly about it. Wait for a "perfect" release, and the code will never see the light of day (and the users will complain bitterly...).

I do appreciate the value (and cost) of a good test team- I think that you will reap a real benefit with that group on board.

Dan Trainor

Eric, this is great news! It goes without saying that internal testing capabilities and a very disciplined process around that, is one of the most essential aspects of software development and release management. To this end, one of the things we have discovered is you need to give the QA Manager great authority to prevent a release for general availability until which time it has fully passed a defined threshold of quality requirements as documented in the test planning documents and test execution steps. Without that sign-off authority, the system enviably falls short. Congratulations and Good Luck, dan WA1QZX

Ron Koenig

People Radio in to many different ways for a Lab to ever be able to do sufficient testing. FRS Firmware bugs are discovered quickly by the Users. Instead of or in addition for Lab testing, have RC Releases so the True testers can choose to participate and test the Pre General release. This works very well for many Radio based software companies.

You can't complain if you use a RC version... And the bugs are quickly found and rectified before a General release. It's Win Win and the customers get to feel like they are part of the process, doing what they have always done anyway, testing the software in ways that would take 100 Labs to find the bugs.

Ron WV4P

John KB4DU

Software will always have some bugs. IBM, with all its resources, could not squash them all. The bug list number stayed pretty constant for each operating system. But it’s not the number that’s important, rather it’s the impact on the system.

The prioritization of bugs to fix is also problematic. Are resources applied to fix several easy ones, or a few of the more challenging? Tough call, but providing the end users a voice helps.

Philip_VK3JNI

> @"J.C. W4QK" said:
> Ed, the VOX dropout seems to be a new issue with the most recent software. I talk to Pete La almost every day. He started having the VOX problem when he upgraded to the latest v3 software. I had never had a VOX dropout problem operating my 6400M for 3 years until I installed v 2.8. Lets hope enough people bend the Flex engineering ears and we can have a resolution to this annoying issue.
>
> 73 - JC

I have a 6600M upgraded to v3.3.32.8203. I am also having issues with VOX either not triggering or dropping out. I did not notice this before the upgrades - Philip - VK3JNI

Pete La

Please put in a help ticket. It is the only way to get Flex interested in the issue. Lot's of owners are having the same issue, but Flex is just kicking the can down the road with no fix in sight.

Pete K1OYQ

VE3DZP

I to was having dropout problems but shrugged it off until now. Now I cannot get VOX to function in split mode. MOX and my footswitch work anyone else noticed this?

KD0RC

Hi Gary, My VOX works fine in split mode (Flex 6400, V3.3.32). You might want to try a factory reset after saving your profiles. If that doesn't work, I would recommend submitting a help desk ticket.

Pete La

There are five of us in a local net that have Flex 6000 series radios. All those (3) that have updated to the most recent firmware are experiencing VOX dropouts. Flex is aware of the issue, but has not offered any relief yet. They chaulk it up to development or software issues and punt it over to engineering, and close your ticket. Please put one in however. They may have some magic number of complaints that will trigger a real response. They are too busy with DOD contracts and have religated their ham base to the back of the bus. They forgot who brought them to the dance.

K1OYQ

Ed Stallman

KD0RC this is from Eric

Eric-KE5DTO Administrator, FlexRadio Employee admin

July 14

Thanks for the feedback folks. We are aware of the issue with VOX where it drops out (SMART-8919). This particular issue seems to be new in v3.3.32 and also affects v2.8.0.

And KD0RC this is from you . Looks like you had vox dropouts but you want to make it look like the VOX works fine

KD0RC Broomfield, COMember,

July 14

Hi Pete, I did a quick set of tests using a dummy load and Full Duplex to monitor my signal. I found that setting the VOX Delay to 30 ms seemed to work well with no dropouts. Although this was a very quick test

KD0RC

Well excuse me... I forgot that I found the VOX delay workaround when I posted earlier today.

Yes there is a problem. No, it doesn't affect me as I found an easy solution.

Sergey KN7K

VOX drop outs is not new in the latest SW.

I reported it 3 years ago, the issue has been logged as defect number: 7724.

Since than I cannot use VOX on 6600 and had to purchase a foot switch that I never used before in my life. VOX is a basic feature on every TRCVR but I am tired to wait for a fix.

https://community.flexradio.com/discussion/7959341/dear-flex-please-fix-vox-asap/p1