I have continued to troubleshoot with different hardware and software settings. Another Operator I’m in a the VarAC Telegram room with was kind enough to do some of his own, a comparison between the IC-7000 and the IC-706MK2G.
Here were his results:
OK so here is the deal with the IC-706MKiiG ,flrig and DigiRig.
I have an IC-7000 and an IC-706MkiiG sitting on my bench, stacked the 7000 on top.
Windows 10 Pro, setup flrig to the IC-7000 CAT, with PTT-Generic using the CAT port and RTS “BOTH” and the radio keys without issue pressing the PTT button on flrig.
Shut down flrig and power off the IC-7000.
Move the 13 pin accessory connector (PTT and audio) from the IC-7000 to the IC-706MkiiG.
Power up both radios.
Open flrig.
flrig is fat dumb and happy, I can spin the big knob on the IC-7000 and show CAT serial is working.
Press the PTT button on flrig and it keys the radio and does not let up when clicked again. Clicking on the PTT button wildly will eventually release the transmitter and go back to receive.
OK, so that looks like the DigiRig is not compatible with the IC-706MKiiG, right?
Linux Mint 21, setup flrig to the IC-7000 CAT, with PTT-Generic using the CAT port and RTS “BOTH” and the radio keys without issue pressing the PTT button on flrig.
Shut down flrig and power off the IC-7000.
Move the 13 pin accessory connector (PTT and audio) from the IC-7000 to the IC-706MkiiG.
Power up both radios.
Open flrig.
flrig is still fat dumb and happy, I can spin the big knob on the IC-7000 and show CAT serial is working.
Press the PTT button on flrig and it keys the radio and unkeys just as you would expect it to at all times.
And furthermore, I did all that Windows testing on the Silicon Labs Universal Windows Driver and an older v6.7.6 driver. Same result with both.
I do use the Digirig and the CAT port and the RTS for PTT on the IC-7000. It also works with CAT commands but I prefer hardware control if available.
I did use the DIgiRig for PTT on both radios.
And it only stuck on 706, and only on Windows, and I used a scope to see what was happening.
There is nothing special required from radio for hardware PTT compatibility. It’s just a line that gets shorted to the ground. Digirig does it the same way for every radio.
You can even simulate it even without Digirig:
I still tend to think the issue is related to RFI. See if setting RF power on the troubled radio to the minimum value changes anything. Use a dummy load if you have one too.
Based on the above test, I’d logically say it’s a windows issue, but I’m about sunk in that department as well. I only bought the windows 10 laptop to use in the Ham shack. I’d used apple products up until then.
I am having the same issue and have been unable to figure it out, I running it on Linux and windows both do the same issue ptt gets stuck unless I wildly press the ptt or re-init. same model radio this is on a IC-706MKIIG
So my friend above had it work with Linux, but not Windows. I hope K0TX can find a solution. I’m only borrowing the 706MK2G to see if I want to end up installing it in the truck for my HF mobile, but If I can’t get it to work on digital modes I guess I may return it, and the Digimode.
For the troubleshooting purposes let’s try WSJT-X instead of Flrig/Fldigi. This will help to rule out the software issues. There were some misbehaving software versions.
Pressing Test Cat in WSJT-X results (after a brief flickering of the LCD on the radio and a coulple clicks) in a green button. Pressing Test PTT lights the TX light on the radio, but does not produce a singal on the meter.
WSJTX is receiving and decoding audio.
TX through GUI on WSJTX and the radio keys briefly and then stops, and either disables the TX in WSJT-X or does that (tried multiple TX power settings) and gives the following two errors:
Now this looks like a USB issue if both COM port and sound card kick out on transmit. Shouldn’t be the case with low RF power. We can look to see if somehow this is power related. Do you have a battery to try running radio off of it for the test?
Also in earlier post you mentioned that another operator scoped the signals while testing the setup. What were the findings?
But cannot get it to work with the Digirig Mobile.
Update - I was able to get A QSO on WSJTX this evening, but only was able to transmit at the L, 1, and 2 power level settings on the MK2G. Anything higher than that and it responded the same as my previous WSJTX test.
I created the following video this evening, using WSJTX, JS8Call, and FLRig.
Was able to duplicate the PTT Hang previously described in FLRig, Was Able to use JS8Call with no issues up to 100W power. WSJTX worked up to probably about 20-25W and then I got the LCD flicker and the kick out of TX enable in the GUI.
Other than through RFI the power shouldn’t have any effect on how PTT/CAT works so my guess would be that it’s RFI. The audio level out of computer in JS8Call can be different so what could be the reason for different results. You can try reducing the audio output out of WSJT-X by lowering the PWR slider on the right.
Also I notice that some operators recommend 9600 baud with 2 stop bits for IC-706, see the tour of this guy’s settings:
I also have a IC-706mkii with a newly purchased digirig. I am using it on Linux Mint 21. It seems to be fully operational with PAT. It does hang on the TX when the power is over 3 (out of 10). When it hangs, it seems to lose communication with the usb_snd portion of the digirig and so it locks up at that point (with locked up TX). Under power 3, it seems to function corrctly with CI-V control, etc. I am using the cables purchased with the Digirig for CI-V and the 13 pin DIN.
I dont have a second rig to see if it’s generating tones, but if I redirect ardopc64 to the laptop speakers, it does make tones.
I experimented with a torroid. 7 turns of the USB C cable around a torroid and it WORKS! Power 8, zero PTT locks now. I assume the RFI was affecting the ability of the usb_snd chip to communicate with ardopc64, which made it lock up (hint to developer, perhaps a better timeout subroutine…).
Torroid was something laying around in my electronics box for dozen years or more. 1.25" OD, 0.75" ID, .62" thick. 7 turns.
