Modulation issue with Smartlink

Jean_Luc F5JRC

Hello, I’m trying to fix a modulation issue with Smartlink. I’ve tried several USB and jack microphones connected to my Macintosh Mini M2, but the modulation is very poor, with a kind of stuttering sound. I can’t tell whether it’s saturation or distortion. However, when I use software like GarageBand or Audacity, the sound recorded by the microphone is very clear. The internet connection between the Mac and the Flex is excellent (7ms latency, 800 Mbps download, and 750 Mbps upload). Do you have any idea what might be causing this problem? I’m completely lost and 600 km away from my Flex 6500!

Thank you!

John / F5JRC

Mike-VA3MW

Hi John

As you have noticed, this is not a Latency issue.

Any chance you are using WiFi on the Laptop?

Mike

Jean_Luc F5JRC

Hello Mike,
and thank you for your feedback. I found the problem! I’m staying at one of my sons’ homes in the south of France. His internet router (SFR) is quite far from the room where I set up my computer, so I bought a powerline extender (CPL) with Wi-Fi and a LAN port to extend the network.

After testing several microphones, I thought the issue might be related to the Wi-Fi or the Ethernet connection. I then connected directly to the box, which also serves as a router and switch (SFR), but the problem persisted. The 4G connection here isn’t great, but I decided to test by sharing the 4G connection from my iPhone, and bingo! The modulation issue disappeared!

However, the latency is now significant, and the connection isn’t very stable or fast, but that’s a separate problem. At least I have a better understanding of the situation, especially since I’m keen to make remote operations work. The PGXL amplifier is arriving next week! :-)

73's John / F5JRC