After hours and hours, I cannot get VARA FM to work with any of my BaoFeng UV-5Rs, or a Yaesu FT-60, or a BaoFeng GT-3TP and the problem is the same with them all. NO SIGNAL.
I’ve watched the YouTube video from Denis several times and believe it is a radio issue. I can hear increasing volume signals when I try to tune, and I did his WSJTX trick and have audio coming back through the DigiRig when I hit the tune button. Oh, I have 2 DigiRigs, both logic boards, and they both do the same thing.
I’m 7 miles from the repeater and can hit it with a rubber duck from my back yard, but am using a mobile antenna at 9ft and it is tuned.
As for radios; squelch is off, volume adjusted to maintain 50% to 75% on the VARA dial, what am I missing? Cables are from DigiRig.
I forgot the really confusing part; my elmer has the same set up and his DigiRig would work with my equipment and mine wouldn’t work with his.
Do you test yours and elmer’s kit with the same radio at the same location?
That sounds frustrating. I went through a similar experience when I started Vara FM with my Baofeng HT. I was using Windows and it took me a while to understand that AGC must really be unset in the OS.
I use mmsys.cpl in the command prompt to access these sound settings.
I also had problems with the physical connections and had to push the K connector firmly into the Baofeng. I also sometimes failed to push the TRRS cable all the way into the Digirig.
You can also take a step-by-step approach to isolate the problem by following the guide, Troubleshooting Digital Modes – digirig
You are very close to success. Keep going.
73 Constrainted
Yes sir, we tested his radio, then swapped to mine and it worked. Then put my DigiRig inline and it would not work. Set up my system and no signal, put his DigiRig inline and it worked. We had emailed back and forth, my new DigiRig came in today which I thought for sure would work but still no luck.
I use the speaker icon in the lower right corner, AGC is unchecked, the connector is fully seated (learned of that issue with a speaker/mic), one of these days…
OK, so you didn’t make the mistakes I did! Good!
This is usually a good way to find out if a component is bad.
What is his radio? A Baofeng HT like yours? Some radios use a Digirig with RS232 levels or CI-V signaling. The Baofeng requires a Digirg using logic levels.
But this does not seem to be the issue, since your PTT is working, right? Audio Out is working, right? Did you verify the audio with a monitoring radio? Only audio in does not work, but there is a standby input audio level that you have set on the audio level on the VU meter. Am I stating the issues correctly?
My setting for Mic record is 0 on Win 11 for Winlink Vara FM. What is yours?
Does APRS work? That is much more forgiving on 144.390 in my experience.
Please excuse the scattershot questions! The troubleshooting guide is the way to go, I assure you. You will isolate the problem.
73 Constrainted
I don’t know how to get to the AGC setting from that sound icon in the lower righthand corner, so good you found a way.
73 Constrainted
[quote=“Constrainted, post:7, topic:3258”]
This is usually a good way to find out if a component is bad.
What is his radio? A Baofeng HT like yours? Yes his was a BaoFeng UV-5R also Some radios use a Digirig with RS232 levels or CI-V signaling. The Baofeng requires a Digirg using logic levels. Both DigiRigs are Logic boards
But this does not seem to be the issue, since your PTT is working, right?Yes Audio Out is working, right?Yes, I can hear the tones on another HT Did you verify the audio with a monitoring radio? Only audio in does not work, but there is a standby input audio level that you have set on the audio level on the VU meter. Am I stating the issues correctly?I think so, and on the sound settings page, Recording: I have 1-2 bars
My setting for Mic record is 0 on Win 11 for Winlink Vara FM. What is yours? Mine is shown in decibals, I’ve tried from one end to the other
Does APRS work? That is much more forgiving on 144.390 in my experience. Have not tried APRS, but I do get sound through the DigiRig using WSJTX
Please excuse the scattershot questions! The troubleshooting guide is the way to go, I assure you. You will isolate the problem. I’ll go through the trouble shooting guide and see what I come up with. Thanks so much for you help.
Yes my DigiRig was ordered from Denis.
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I have isolated the problem.
I have a Kenwood TS-2000 running through a SignaLink which works great, but it’s not very portable.
When I do a auto tune it goes through the 10 steps and when the screen reads “waiting for response” a get a short digital reply through the TS-2000 that I can’t hear over the BaoFengs. So further investigation led to the antenna. Even though it is a mobile antenna on the roof and I am only 7 miles from the gateway, it was not hearing anything.
I’ll fix that later but for now I’m up and running!!
That is great news about the Digirig. I am sure you will get the antenna sorted.
73 Constrainted