Denis, does it matter if Windows 11 recognizes my pre-mobile digirig device as a USB PnP Sound Device verses a USB Audio Device?
I’m having troubles getting my Nissei digital SWR / Watt meter to show output and nobody seems to be hearing me on WSJT-X. I was messing with this issue about a week ago. Seemed like when I deleted the device and rebooted windows finally came up with it as a USB Audio Device. I can’t get it to change now though.
Thanks, KM6QAQ, 73
Yes, this is a correct description for earlier Digirigs before the codec IC switch (CM108AH → CM108B).
Are you getting the decodes of other stations on the frequency? Could be something as simple as clock out of sync.
I’m receiving just fine and that adjusts properly.
My adjustments in Microsoft for audio out have no effect. Power slider on right hand side of WSJT-X is adjusting audio output as noted on little green intensity level bar in sound control. It won’t go above 4 bars out of 10. Like a software limitation.
It almost seems like problem with WSJT-X but I’ve never experienced this before.
KM6QAQ
73
This may sound incredibly stupid, but I had a similar issue. My solution wound up being to fully patch my machine and rebooting. You may also have this issue if you have had other digital audio programs running prior to launching wsjt-x. Other programs will mess with radio level settings and sound card settings that may prevent wsjt-x to behave properly. After fully patching, it’d be worth launching your radio controller software and then wsjt-x before launching any other programs. I hope this helps.
Mike, I was settting up FLrig. I forgot to close it before opening WSJT-X so maybe there is a conflict. I have WSJT-X setup to use the Kenwood TS-2000 but I’m used it with FLrig Flrig setting before. Maybe I’ll give that a try tonight and see if it fixes the problem.
I don’t quite understand the program control check blocks in sound control panel either. So I’ll need to do a deep dive into that.
Thanks,
KM6QAQ
Jeremy, forgot to mention, in your sound device settings for the soundcard, there is a checkbox to give a device EXCLUSIVE control of the sound device… If this is checked, another program may have the lock on the digirig. I like to disable this and control my radio from flrig, and then point all my applications to use flrig as the controller. It will actually simplify the the configuration of any radio software app you use. That might have been a contributing factor as well.
Mike / K9NH
Ok Mike, sounds like solid advise.
KM6QAQ
One thing I did was turned on another radio turned to the center frequency. If you are us WSJT-X, you should be able to hear yourself and if you don’t, you know that WSJT-X isn’t seeing the audio output device (or cable problem, or radio problem, etc.). Also, depending on your output power, you should see the needle on a Wattmeter fluctuating, as well as RF power out on the rig…be sure you are looking at ALC on the rig (your output is SSB).
KO4WX,
I’ll give it a look tonight. I just got a new SWR/Watt meter. It wasn’t really working so went through my TS-2000 default setting and found a fews things off for some reason. The meter started behaving. I just need to monitor sound control panel again and try for some contacts. Too many project and too little time.
Can you explain the ALC a bit further. That’s a meter setting correct? Curious how it differs from AGC also??
Thanks,
KM6QAQ
KO4WX: Stole this off Reddit, but W6KME pretty much nailed so why reinvent the wheel…
AGC is automatic gain control-it affects what you hear. There is no right or wrong here, just set it where the volume is most consistent for you. It makes loud and soft signals appear to be the same volume. Wherever you set it, it won’t affect what other people hear. [KO4Wx: i.e. AGC is for receive]
ALC, Automatic Level Control, affects how loud the signal being sent to the output section of your radio is. With no control, your mic gain and how loud you talk control that. Make it too loud and you overdrive the final state of amplification, and it sounds awful. ALC lowers your signal when it’s too loud. Sometimes it raises it when it’s too soft, but that’s rare. [KO4WX: i.e., ALC is for transmit]
The catch is this-pro audio quality compressors are too expensive and complex to be put in ham radios, so the ALC we usually have is either sorta dumb, or worse, is just a limiter that clips the peaks off the sin wave. The same is true for the “processor” circuit on most radios-it’s a low buck compander with a crude limiter.
For SSB or AM voice, it’s okay, since ham radio isn’t about fidelity-it’s about intelligibility. You need to be understood, and that’s the priority. Digital modes don’t always work that way.
When your digital signal is too loud, the ALC just clips the sin waves. And that gives them hard edges, like a square wave, and that causes ringing. The FT-8 lovers out there have all seen someone’s signal puking all over the allotted band, with echoes of their signal flowing out on both sides. That’s not too much power, that’s too much ALC.
So here’s the plan-for digital, your level should push the ALC bar no more than the bottom third of its meter. None is better. I prefer to leave my RF power at 100% and use the mic gain to control output power and ALC. (so, for 50w power from my 100W radio, I keep rolling the mic gain down until the RF Out meter shows about 50w. Leave RF power on full blast.) For phone, some ALC is good, more than half the meter is okay, more than that is iffy. You should avoid pushing the ALC meter to the top since that may distort your voice. Again, control that with the mic gain. Only when your mic signal is loud enough to push the ALC meter and people are still having trouble understanding you is when you add in your processor/compressor.
That is simplified, but more than enough to start playing around with. Good luck!
Edit: here’s a nasty quality pic of someone doing it the wrong way. He later told me he had his mic gain on 100% and his RF Power backed off to about 50%. Totally killed FT8 for anyone within a thousand miles that day. https://i.imgur.com/LzF9LB6.jpg I later met him and he doesn’t do that any more. You can see the ringing caused from ALC clipping the signal rather than compressing it. That’s a 7300 too, hardly an un-modern radio.
Michael Boatright, M. Photog., CPP, GSD
Michael Boatright Photography
404.488.6644
Portraiture & Documentary Photography
Historic Wet Collodion Process
Goat Farm Arts Center
1200 Foster St., NW, Suite S301
ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30318
https://www.michaelboatright.com
FB: https://www.facebook.com/michaelboatrightphotography
IG: https://www.instagram.com/michaelboatrightphotography
Certified Professional Photographer (PPA)
Not sure if I said thanks. Ya my new Watt/SWR meter from Radioddity indicates for VHF/UHF but nothing for HF. I was running FT8 WSJT-X. No contacts on several bands either. I’ll check the ALC settings tonight. I have the mic gain max’d out currently. I need to learn how to read the meter better on the TS-2000.
KM6QAQ
| ko4wx
March 26 |
- | - |
KO4WX: Stole this off Reddit, but W6KME pretty much nailed so why reinvent the wheel…
AGC is automatic gain control-it affects what you hear. There is no right or wrong here, just set it where the volume is most consistent for you. It makes loud and soft signals appear to be the same volume. Wherever you set it, it won’t affect what other people hear. [KO4Wx: i.e. AGC is for receive]
ALC, Automatic Level Control, affects how loud the signal being sent to the output section of your radio is. With no control, your mic gain and how loud you talk control that. Make it too loud and you overdrive the final state of amplification, and it sounds awful. ALC lowers your signal when it’s too loud. Sometimes it raises it when it’s too soft, but that’s rare. [KO4WX: i.e., ALC is for transmit]
The catch is this-pro audio quality compressors are too expensive and complex to be put in ham radios, so the ALC we usually have is either sorta dumb, or worse, is just a limiter that clips the peaks off the sin wave. The same is true for the “processor” circuit on most radios-it’s a low buck compander with a crude limiter.
For SSB or AM voice, it’s okay, since ham radio isn’t about fidelity-it’s about intelligibility. You need to be understood, and that’s the priority. Digital modes don’t always work that way.
When your digital signal is too loud, the ALC just clips the sin waves. And that gives them hard edges, like a square wave, and that causes ringing. The FT-8 lovers out there have all seen someone’s signal puking all over the allotted band, with echoes of their signal flowing out on both sides. That’s not too much power, that’s too much ALC.
So here’s the plan-for digital, your level should push the ALC bar no more than the bottom third of its meter. None is better. I prefer to leave my RF power at 100% and use the mic gain to control output power and ALC. (so, for 50w power from my 100W radio, I keep rolling the mic gain down until the RF Out meter shows about 50w. Leave RF power on full blast.) For phone, some ALC is good, more than half the meter is okay, more than that is iffy. You should avoid pushing the ALC meter to the top since that may distort your voice. Again, control that with the mic gain. Only when your mic signal is loud enough to push the ALC meter and people are still having trouble understanding you is when you add in your processor/compressor.
That is simplified, but more than enough to start playing around with. Good luck!
Edit: here’s a nasty quality pic of someone doing it the wrong way. He later told me he had his mic gain on 100% and his RF Power backed off to about 50%. Totally killed FT8 for anyone within a thousand miles that day. https://i.imgur.com/LzF9LB6.jpg I later met him and he doesn’t do that any more. You can see the ringing caused from ALC clipping the signal rather than compressing it. That’s a 7300 too, hardly an un-modern radio.
Michael Boatright, M. Photog., CPP, GSD
Michael Boatright Photography
404.488.6644
Portraiture & Documentary Photography
Historic Wet Collodion Process
Goat Farm Arts Center
1200 Foster St., NW, Suite S301
ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30318
https://www.michaelboatright.com
FB: https://www.facebook.com/michaelboatrightphotography
IG: https://www.instagram.com/michaelboatrightphotography
Certified Professional Photographer (PPA)
Yeah, you’ll make LOTS of friends on FT8 with your ALC cranked all the way up.
copy that! Hi hi…
Updated to newest version of WSJT-X 2.7.0. This fix the half volume thing in the old sound control panel. I have full volume indicated in the software now for transmit. WSJT-X receives great. Still no audio out (As noted on my brand new SWR/Wattmeter) or any contacts. I’ve used this rig a ton in the past and just can’t figure this out. I note under Sound, video and game controllers the USB PnP Sound Device which Denis said is normal for my CM108AH version Digirig interface. I noted additionally under Audio inputs and ouputs the icons for the Digirig that set up with Denis’s video. I also have the CAT interface under comm ports. I’m gonna mess with the audio settings in WSJT-X some more. Some guy recommended to use right for the Digirig in and out. I see Denis mentions either left or mono. I have a TRRS headphone for a newer cell phone that I’m taking home to listen for audio coming out of the digirig as well. I thought well I’ll try this on my Linux Mint rig and can’t figure out the correct audio in and out selections for WSJT-X in there either. Can someone please post a pic of the current ones that work for the digirig? Thanks
