Hi from Brian VK2EBN. Q : Can D-star be used on my Flex 6600, if so how to setup? I have a Thumbdv.

Brian Newman

a Thumbdv 3000u but can't find software which will be recognised by flex Wavefom drop down. Any suggestions ??
Cheers Brian.

Brian Newman

Hi Len, TNX for info putting me on the right track am making progress, will keep trying.
73 Brian

KD0RC

Hi Brian, I think that you need BlueDV software to run the ThumbDV. It won't use a Waveform, it will use DAX to transfer the computer soundcard generated audio to the radio.

I have not tried this, but from what I have read, I think this will work.

Tim Osborne

Has anyone gotten the ThumbDV/BlueDV combo to work with DAX, as suggested by Len? It seems you'd need more audio & codec routing options than BlueDV provides.

The codec needs to be inserted within the audio path, RX and TX, and that doesn't seem possible with BlueDV's AMBE configuration page … which appears to be great for internet/computer use (non-RF).

E.g. audio codec insertion similar to what FreeDV provides.

Maybe I'm missing a setting?

VE7ATJ_Don

Hi Brian… just going back to your title for this thread…. are you trying to get DV (Digital Voice) working on your Flex, or are you trying to receive D-Star? AFAIK, these are two different things, using different codecs.

Tim — unfortunately, the ThumbDV was (I believe) de-commissioned a couple of years ago and is no longer supported. There are other implementations of DV available (see EZDV from TAPR or download the FreeDV software from the interwebs). There was (and still is) a DV waveform available in the archives here on the Flex website, but I believe it uses an older version of the codec and is also no longer supported. Best bet right now seems to be the TAPR product.

Tim Osborne

Thanks Don. In my case I was interested in DMR.

It seems to me that since the ThumbDV is still being made (as of last week), and is a USB-serial connected AMBE vocoder device, that it's a "SMOP" [ simple matter of programming ;) ] to insert it in the audio path. I.e. DAX RX to codec to speakers, mic to codec to DAX TX. With BlueDV in the middle of course.

I was curious if one could fake audio routing with VoiceMeeter or similar, but that would require ThumbDV to also be a USB audio endpoint on top of a 460800 baud FTDI serial port.

I think I'm answering my own question ;) … convince BlueDV's author to open up the audio routing internally (unlikely), write a USB-serial to audio endpoint driver and deal with ThumbDV configuration/control (lots of work), or give up on using Flex RF for DMR.

p.s.

I am likely also ignoring the internet-related complications of BlueDV's DMR implementation, that's currently beyond my understanding.

VE7ATJ_Don

Hi Tim…. OK, thanks, but I still think you're going to have difficulties. DMR (Digital Mobile Radio) is yet another codec and one that (I believe) is licensed — I don't think it's open-source. So again, I don't think you're going to get a Flex to natively be able to listen to DMR transmissions nor be able to encode Flex output to work with other DMR radios or a DMR repeater.

That's one of the reasons digital radio is having adoption problems — too many differing codecs and none of them inter-operate (e.g. D-Star, DMR, DV (which is I believe primarily intended for SSB transmission), Yaesu's System Fusion, etc.)