Setting level for a USB mic

dlmorgan999

I recently bought a FLEX-8400 and finally got it set up at a remote location (100% of my operation will be remote) with a DX Commander 12.4 antenna. It's working great for digital modes (lots of FT8 contacts in the first hour of use), but I have an issue with the PC mic input.

I'm using hardware that I bought in the past to use for YouTube videos I was making. I'm using a Zoom F8n field recorder in USB audio interface mode. I regularly use it for Discord calls, and it works fine.

The issue with using it on the Flex is that I can never seem to drive it above an average of about -25 (peaks of about -15) on the level meter (which results in very low power on SSB), and most importantly, neither the windows mic volume settings nor the one in SmartSDR makes any difference. I can turn either of them all the way up or all the way down, and the mic level on the radio meter doesn't change. I'm using an ASIO driver for the F8n and that may be the issue. The level on the F8n channel that the mic is plugged into is already about has high as I can safely go without overdriving.

Anybody have any thoughts? I can buy a headset if needed, but this is a very nice mic, and I was hoping I could use it for this as well.

Mike-VA3MW

It sounds like an issue with the Mic/Windows settings. You should be able to use any Windows Mic and actually overdrive the audio. It sounds like something is funny in your audio path.

You do need to make sure you have your Mic as the default sound device. That is the MIC the radio uses once you select PC audio.

dlmorgan999

I figured it out - thanks Mike. It's been a while since I used the F8n, and I forgot that you can adjust the master output (which was too low) in additional to the individual channels. Now to try making some voice contacts.

I have to say - the experience with SmartSDR and Smartlink has been a very positive one. I'm a retired IT admin / devops engineer, and I was fully prepared to troubleshoot anything that came up, but it just worked. Now I'm questioning whether I should have bought a FLEX-8600 instead. 😆

And for what it's worth, I've already done WSJT-X (FT8) and JS8Call - all with the PC at my house (not at the remote location where the radio is). I have pretty good internet though (2Gbps symmetric fiber at the house, and 500Mbps symmetric fiber at the radio location (which is only about 60 miles away), so I typically see around 10ms latency).