Attempted to setup DSTAR simplex mode today but it acts like the ThumbDV dongle isn't working correctly. Followed the directions precisely according to the D-Star How To Guide. The fellow on the other end saw my Call Sign one time out of many attempts but never any audio. His panadapter (and mine) showed a short burst of the expected TX pattern followed by a narrow carrier signal at the center frequency during PTT. When He Transmits I occasionally see his Call Sign come through and a reasonable looking panadapter and waterfall presentation but no audio. We both tested with and without amplifiers and in normal sideband, audio and signal strength was very good . I stuck the Thumb DV into my PC and it loaded drivers and said the ThumbDV was ready to use. Put it back in my 6500 and same as before. Used software versions 1.9.13.23 and 1.10.15 Beta with same results. Power cycled, uninstalled and reinstalled waveforms with no change. I also have a 6300 which I'm about to try but the 6500 is D-Star challenged. Has anyone seen anything like this?
Posted 2 years ago
Mike - VE3CKO, Elmer
With 1.9.13 I did see Dstar in USB Cables but with 1.10.15 it is not there and I've re-installed and cold started the 6700. DSTR is an option in modes though. Haven't seen a Dstar QSO yet to test the mode.
Tim - W4TME, Customer Experience Manager
The ThumbDV dongle was not supposed to show up as a USB cable because it isn't a USB cable device. This was a bug in 1.01.8 that was corrected in 1.10.15
Mike - VE3CKO, Elmer
Makes sense as it's USB cables and not USB devices. Thanks as always Tim.
Tim - W4TME, Customer Experience Manager
I have entered this problem report into our bug tracker (issue #4457) for additional investigation. Thank you for the defect report.
Thanks Tim. As a note I get exactly the same results on my 6300. I suspect the ThumbDV may not be working. I got it with my 6300 back last spring but I never tried it until my 6500 arrived. Two of the guys I've been working with (N3WZU and N3CAL) have made QSO on D-star using their 6500's with the latest version 1.10.15 but they can't hear me and I can't hear them even with 20 over signal. I get no digital signal on the panadapter when I TX. Only a spike at center frequency. In RX I get a good digital pattern on the panadapter but no decoded audio. So it looks like the THUMBDV is not encoding audio for TX because there is no digital pattern in the panadapter and even though there is a pattern in RX it isn't decoding audio. Got a spare ThumbDV?
Regards,
Bruce WB3BW
Tim - W4TME, Customer Experience Manager
If you got the ThumbDV from us, then open up a HelpDesk ticket. If it is truly defective, we'll make it right.
Tim,
I did purchase the Thumb DV from FLEX and have written a HelpDesk ticket #16646 and Dudley and I have been exchanging messages for about two weeks. What is my next step? Order Number:: AB-9322. I did not have the opportunity to use it until I got my DEMI 70cm transverter.
Thanks
Mark
I did purchase the Thumb DV from FLEX and have written a HelpDesk ticket #16646 and Dudley and I have been exchanging messages for about two weeks. What is my next step? Order Number:: AB-9322. I did not have the opportunity to use it until I got my DEMI 70cm transverter.
Thanks
Mark
Tim - W4TME, Customer Experience Manager
Dudley should be updating you shortly on your HD ticket.
Anybody having any luck getting the ThumbDV and D-Star working on their 6300 under the latest version of SmartSDR? I can copy plenty of callsigns with the helper app, but no audio is decoded.
Tim - W4TME, Customer Experience Manager
I previously entered this problem report into our bug tracker (issue #4457).
OK It's been over a year and NOTHING. Is this going to be fixed or should I just get a refund from Flex for the dongle?
I have to turn on the preamp to +20 on all bands to decode signals. Good luck with Dstar.
Thanks. Tried that even with S9 signals, still no audio.
Is this issue resolved, I've searched through all the mails but can't see any answer.
I have still the delay/decode problem.
Kev
I have still the delay/decode problem.
Kev
That would be sweet if that was fixed.
I guess they only care about the new stuff they're selling.
Tim - W4TME, Customer Experience Manager
Lee, it is no mystery that we are not a big company with a large team of engineers, so we do have to be mindful to allocate our resources judiciously. We are aware of the D-Star issues and the defect is in a scheduled milestone to be addressed.
I accept that from Tim, however we were wondering if the dongles are faulty or the driver not not picking up the waveform. Problem for two down here in Sydney we are hoping we don't have two defective dongles that would be hard to get refund from 18 months from date of purchase. We are using our Icoms to play AMBE 2020 (aka Dstar mode on HF). On a similar thought DMR mode needs to be on the agenda now as well. Not sure if that is open source however Chinese 2 & 70cm rigs are appearing on eBay for a few dollars.
