User Defined Waveforms Appear to be Back with v3.6.8 !

Russ Ravella · January 18

After years of not working, I was able to load my FDV file using File>Waveforms>Install (which had become possible in v3.6), AND it appeared in the Slice Mode List (which hasn't happened for as long as I can remember). EXCELLENT !!

Unfortunately my antenna is down so I can't properly test it but I was able to transmit into a dummy load with it selected as the slice mode.

Flex has been claiming this capability right along even though it didn't actually work. It finally looks like it does.

Great Job Annaliese McDermond and team !

Trucker · January 18

Version 3.7.8 hasn't been released yet.

VE7ATJ_Don · January 18

Hi Russ... did you mean v3.6.8 of SmartSDR? Or, are you running a pre-release? :-)

Russ Ravella · January 19

Yup ! Total **** up ! I meant v3.6.8 - sorry ! (could Flex please correct that since I can't ?)

I know why I was thinking v3.7 though. This update didn't address any of the MultiFlex issues I was hoping for (not that Flex claimed it did). I normally run a Maestro and SSDR at the same time via MultiFlex - Maestro for hunting around, 6 slices on SSDR to monitor activity. So I'm hoping those MultiFlex fixes are coming soon and based on Matt's email saying v3.7 will come out in support of the new Maestro (or words to that effect), I'm hoping others use it that way too and MultiFlex fixes will be included for that reason.

Not to take away from 3.6.8 by the way - if the CW problems turn out to really be gone (only time will tell) and user defined waveforms are working again, that's a pretty great update !

KD0RC · January 19

I got the V1.0.5 FreeDV WaveForm loaded, but I don't seem to be able to transmit. It eventually locked things up and I had to power off the rig and restart. I'm not sure if Flex meant to turn this back on or maybe I just have the wrong FreeDV waveform file.

In any event, I will try it in receive mode for a bit to see if it decodes,

KD0RC · January 19

OK, I got it to transmit, but not when I had two panadapters open. I tried to listen to myself on a dummy load and the Flex 6400 in Full Duplex (FDX).

With just one panadapter and one slice running FDV into a dummy load, I could hear myself on USB on my K2. Although it sounded like distorted sideband it was completely readable on USB. I expected pure digital hash.

I wonder if I am just set up incorrectly or if there is an issue with this mode.

Has anyone else successfully tried this?

KD0RC · January 19

Hmmm... Not sure what is going on, but I tried it again and this time I got a digital signal. I guess I will wait for a FreeDV sig to pop up on 14.236 to see if this is actually working.

K1UO Larry · January 19

Len did you do a cold boot of your radio after the download of 3.6.8?

KD0RC · January 19

Hi Larry, yes I did a couple to be sure it would power on correctly.

Russ Ravella · January 19

Hi KD0RC,

I think I might know at least part of what’s going on. Someone very credible at Flex told me awhile back that the problem with user definable waveforms was the radio doesn’t have sufficient resources to run them. Presumably some fix back there required more resources than before and consumed some critical margin. Perhaps some smart recoding in this fix freed resources back up again.

So if any of that is right, perhaps we’re on the hairy resource edge and need to maximize them for things to work. After I posted this I tried to run FDV from my Maestro with 6 slices open in SSDR and it froze my 6700. I had to shut everything down, restart and with only two slices open, it worked. Maybe radios that run fewer slices need to be even more careful ?

Anyway, I’m glad you got it going !

Russ KR6W

KD0RC · January 19

Hi Russ, I found some old documentation that says that only one slice can be open. That lines up with what I saw and what you were told.

I am now trying to get the little companion app to run so that I can add my call, grid square and text to transmissions. It also lets me receive those items from a station I am hearing.

Just rebooting my PC in case that is the issue.

EDIT: That wasn't it...

KD0RC · January 19

This is what I get:

I get this if the slice is set to FDV or some other mode

Russ Ravella · January 19

Very interesting, thanks for the info ! Good luck and please keep us posted. I just found out I’m going to be down for at least two more weeks but I’ll try too when I can.

Russ KR6W

VE7ATJ_Don · January 19

Hi Len... Found the waveform on the Flex site, downloaded and installed.

For those wanting to play with this, the next steps are:

a) Start up SmartSDR, under 'File', select Waveforms...

b) This will start up the WaveForm Manager window (see below)

c) Select 'Install', this should open an Explorer window pointing to the 'Waveforms' folder under FlexRadio Systems:

d) Select the FreeDV.ssdr_waveform and select 'Open' at the bottom right of the window. This will return to the Waveform Manager which will show the screen above with the FreeDV waveform included.

e) Close the Waveform Manager window.

f) However you select your working mode, (I do it through the Slice flag), you will now see FDV as one of the available modes.

I haven't tried 'using' this yet, but maybe later today or tomorrow.

Hope this helps some others.

VE7ATJ_Don · January 19

OK, so I did some testing today.

I was able to open a slice, set the mode to FDV and transmit on the 'calling frequency' of 14.236. I have a very modest antenna, so I doubt anyone heard me -- at least no one responded. It was interesting tho, that the power output shown on the power meter only showed about 40 to 50 watts. On SSB, normally the meter shows full 100W (or greater!) output on peaks. Yep, I had my mike adjusted properly and processing off.

I was also able to open a second slice on the same band. It automatically came up in FDV mode (as expected) and I was able to transmit on it (after turning off TX on the other slice) with no problems. Same result on the power meter. I suspect this may be something within the waveform being not quire right, or support of installed waveforms having a bug in it, or something. Maybe it's just the nature of digital output????

Oh well... more grist for the mill, as they say. :-)

PS -- I didn't show up on the FreeDV Reporter website while I was 'on the air' -- but again, that is kind of expected, since I suspect the free-standing app is doing some 'logging' in the background.

rdwing · January 20

Keep in mind this is a very old version of FreeDV. Much better to interface the new version with DAX and CAT, maybe even via slicemaster.

VE7ATJ_Don · January 21

Actually, I do that as well! :-) There's another thread here recently where MIke and I talk about the configurations needed to run the FreeDV standalone app.

It would be cool if there were more interest in DV, then maybe we could get the waveform updated.

WilliamCurtice · February 19

I installed FreeDV waveform v1.0.5 on a 6400M running a single slice under SmartSDR v3.6.8; it installed and worked as described; however, it was useless on the air due to inability to run current FreeDV mode 700D. I attempted to install waveform v1.0.5 on the same radio running SmartSDR v3.7.3 (released today) and was unable to complete the installation; the waveform installs, but the FDV mode does not show up on the slice flag. Hence, at this point, FreeDV waveform does not appear to be useable.

WX7Y · February 19

The FreeDV Waveform has not worked in several years and if you load it these days it comes and goes at least here. There supposed to be a FreeDV box being built that will work with the Flex being built by TAPR but there has been no release date. Until then the separate program works great with the FLEX radios but takes a separate Computer MIC

Russ Ravella · February 19

Shoot, I'm seeing the same thing here. Well, that certainly explains why Flex didn't mention it in the v3.6.8 release notes.

I was told by a senior person at Flex last year who is knowledgable and honest that the problem with "User Defined Waveforms" running in the current generation radios is lack of horsepower (without specifying exactly what kind of horsepower). Apparently some critical margin was consumed in an update back there somewhere.

Still, Flex advertises that functionality and Steve Hicks has referred to it in every presentation I've ever seen him give (as recently as last year) so they need to make it work. Maybe we'll have to wait for the next generation of radios.

Russ KR6W

User Defined Waveforms Appear to be Back with v3.6.8 !

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