I’m running the VARA-FM Modem on a windows 10 machine with a DigiRig interface. The audio level shown in the VU meter hovers right at the Green/Red portion of the meter. I have the windows microphone level set for 1, (one). All of the other windows sound elements are turned off for the microphone. I went to the SiliconeLabs website and downloaded and installed the newest driver for the DigiRig. The new driver for the DigiRig device shows up in the COM Port under device manager but the Audio Device for the DigiRig shows a Microsoft driver dated 2019. I can’t seem to find a way to lower the audio signal coming from the DigiRig to the computer and VARA-FM Modem. When I set the Windows sound options so that I can listen to the audio input it sounds like white noise.
The VARA-FM Modem works and I can connect and send and receive messages through WinLink running a VARA-FM WinLink session. The incoming audio from the remote WinLink gateway drives the audio into the Red area of the VU meter but the program still decodes the incoming tones without a problem.
I’m wondering if anyone else has seen this issue and found a remedy for it, or have any suggestions where to look for a solution.
I see similar behavior with my Digirig Mobile and Yaesu FTM-6000R. I elected to run that way (hot audio), and have not had problems receiving hundreds of Vara FM messages over 2.5 years.
If you want to gain some operating margin with a Digirig Mobile v1.9, there is a 20dB attenuator you can activate:
Thanks for the reply. My system does work ok with our local 2meter WinLink gateway since the gateway’s audio overcomes the white noise. I was just wondering if there was perhaps a newer Driver for the audio portion of the DigiRigs chipset that would allow more adjustment. I may pop the DigiRig open and do the Attenuator modification just to see how that works, or as you said, just live with it since it appears to work OK even with the high VU meter reading from the white noise.
I probably don’t understand your set up, but my Digirig plugs into the speaker jack of my radio so I just turn down the volume control on the radio which brings the V/U meter down to where I want it. I just open the squelch, set the volume, then turn the squelch back on. You probably have some other type of interface, right?
KF9CP
Yes, the FTM-400 XD has a 10 pin aux port on it where you can tap into the 1200 baud or the 9600 baud audio signal. Neither of these audio channels are affected by the volume control on the face of the radio.
