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How do I fix choppy RX audio?

Hello. I just got my flex 6400 over the weekend. I have the latest version of smartSDR. The problem is when I am listening to a station I will get this audio interruption, stutter and or glitchy audio blips that last about a second or so. It happens every so often but often enough to be annoying. The waterfall seems to be unaffected by this and the headphones are connected directly to the back of the flex. I cannot seem to identify why it is happening or correlate it to anything I am doing wrong. Any help would be nice. I also have an issue when turning on the RX EQ. The audio will seem raspy or over driven. This seems like an independent issue and it does not sound the same as the glitches in the audio. It will be consistent until I turn it off.

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Answers

  • Administrator, FlexRadio Employee, Community Manager, Super Elmer, Moderator admin

    I created a support ticket for this.

    73

  • Member, Unconfirmed
    Same here. Running V3.6.8. Audio from headphones and speaker on the 6400 is fine. PC Audio is broken and choppy. No decodes on most data modes, it's that bad.
  • Member, Super Elmer Moderator

    Sounds like a network issue. Are you connecting the PC via WiFi? If so, try an Ethernet cable instead and see if that fixes it.

  • Member, Unconfirmed
    edited January 2024
    Len, I suspect you're right but the Pc is an i7 connected to the radio by an Ethernet through a router at 1GB/s.
  • Member ✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2024

    If your running SmartSDR make sure your up to date on the version that is last out.

    You can try clicking on "Display" on the Left side of the screen and reduce the "Rate" slider and "FPS" a bit, the Rate slider will make the most difference to the popping due to Network or computer resources.

    Just because your computer is a i7 RAM usually the RAM Memory makes a lot of difference especially if your Video card is using part of your system RAM Memory like if your Video is using 4 Gig for the screen graphics there and your computer only has 8 or even 16 Gig total there isn't a lot left so it has to Memory Swap to keep the computer from crashing.

  • Member, Super Elmer Moderator

    One thing to try if equipment location allows, is to plug the computer directly into the radio (link local). If this clears the issue, then it is likely the router or switch.

    You will need to restart the computer and radio for this to work.

    I would submit a help desk ticket. Flex Support is very good at solving these kinds of issues.

  • Administrator, FlexRadio Employee, Community Manager, Super Elmer, Moderator admin

    The issues you're experiencing with audio quality, such as broken sound, clicks, and dropouts, are symptomatic of a problem, but they do not originate from the radio itself. Instead, these issues are likely rooted in the transport layer of your network. Conducting the test recommended by Len is a valuable diagnostic step.

    Your network configuration could be contributing to these problems. Although WiFi is commonly used for streaming applications where minor delays are tolerable, it is not as reliable for applications where real-time data transmission is critical. The nature of WiFi can introduce latency and instability that could affect your radio's performance.

    Additionally, the quality of network switches can vary significantly. While most switches facilitate network traffic, some are designed to handle data more efficiently, minimizing issues like flapping (rapidly fluctuating connections) or overrun (data packet loss due to buffer overflow).

    Another factor to consider is the physical condition of your network cables. Over time, cables can degrade, impacting their performance. This is not just limited to visible wear; internal wire damage can also occur. Similarly, RJ45 connectors, just like coaxial cable connectors, can suffer from corrosion, which impedes signal quality and reliability.

  • Member ✭✭

    What is a good switch to use without breaking the bank?

    John N1JM

  • Member, Super Elmer Moderator

    Hi John, I have been using the NetGear GS-308 successfully. It is an 8 port unmanaged gigabit switch. Goes for a little over $20 USD on Amazon.

    I had it well before I ever got my Flex 6400 in 2020. Has worked flawlessly with the Flex.

  • Member ✭✭

    Thanks, Len. My switch is a Netgear but I'm not sure of the model number. I haven't been having problems, but I don't want any in the future.


    73,

    John N1JM

  • Member ✭✭

    I started this post a year ago. The problem turned out to be the apple settings inside of the PF sense router I was running. Turned off all that apple network garbage and it worked fine. I didn't even know it was on by default.

    73

    W1KPM

  • Member ✭✭✭✭

    For unknown reasons, often a 100 Mb switch performs better with a flex than1gig switch.

  • Member ✭✭

    You will experince collisions and packet loss.

  • Member
    Thought I'd contribute as I was having the same issue with choppy RX and TX and updating to a new computer didn't fix the problem, then I found this thread.

    I have the GS-308 switch and really never paid attention to it, then remembered it has settings even though it's a dumb switch. I found its IP address on my network and discovered that the QoS (quality of service) settings for all ports were set to 'low'. Changing the radio and PC ports to high QoS and keeping everything else a lower one fixed the issue. Rebooting everything is recommended. Problem solved!

    Steve, AA3AE
  • Administrator, FlexRadio Employee, Community Manager, Super Elmer, Moderator admin

    Steve

    Nice work! Most of the time, the problem isn't the radio or the computer, but the transport layer.

    It is often ignored or assumed that it is flawless. However, the opposite is true.

    It is easy to make a network work. It is hard to make it work well sadly.

    Mike

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