Winlink through VARA-FM on Yaesu FT-818 - not connecting, no signal

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@"Jeff_M

Have you got the latest VARA FM version?

It’s V4.2.9 downloaded from https://rosmodem.wordpress.com/ about two weeks ago. Seems to be most recent.

@"Jeff_M

In VARA FM>Settings>VARA Setup – Check the “Allow VARA to check for updates”

Yup, got it.

@"Jeff_M

Mic at zero and still the VU at 2 o’clock seems like you might want to try the Digirig ATT. I had to.

This thread:

Digirig mobile input attenuator

The trace is hidden under the black coating.

implies that the ATT thing is “open-device surgery”! Sounds complicated. I might need to go there, but will leave it to last.

@"Jeff_M

… do whatever setup you need to for audio line-out to whatever port your Digirig audio cable is plugged into. … Your Digirig cable should be from this Mini Din 6 to the Digirig Audio-in connector.

Yes, it is connected that way.

@"Jeff_M

Page 16 confirms my earlier supposition that the (receive) audio out level of at the DATA jack is fixed in DIG or PKT mode and unaffected by the volume knob. Page 20 says the DATA input levels (transmit audio) can be adjusted by the 818 Menu #25 [DIG MIC] in PSK mode. I suspect this will also apply to DIG mode. Just one more way to adjust Transmit audio level, but it sounds like your current setting are getting something out.

Maybe not. Trying for much of the afternoon yesterday and was NOT hearing anything at all on the scanner… AARRGGHH!

Actually, I’m still not entirely sure what mode I should be using for this exercise. The stuff from the manual seems to imply that FM mode will not work for digital as when in FM the radio is expecting input via the handmic and is not paying any attention to the DATA jack. If the gateways are expecting an FM-modulated signal, and the FT-818 will not transmit audio recieved via the DATA jack when in FM-mode, then perhaps one simply cannot “do” VARA-FM with an FT-818? That seems to be a possibility.

@"Jeff_M

Is your Winlink set to connect to VE3SMF or VE3SMF-10? If to VE3SMF you will get no response. Use VE3SMF-10.

Yes, am using VE3SMF-10.

Also tried with a more distant station, K2SLC, located 92 km away. It is the next closest to VE3SMF, which is only 9 km away. Still no joy with that either, in FM, PKT, or DIG modes; all still give the “no signal” error, as does VE3SMF-10.

@"Jeff_M

With the 818 volume up, and Winlink connecting to VE3SMF-10, can you hear any attempt by the gateway to respond to you TX? … VARA FM transmits then listens, transmits then listens, etc. Each time it transmits you should hear your attempt on the scanner. Between each transmit you should hear the gateway trying to respond. If you hear nothing between transmit retries and you are trying VE3SMF-10 then I would consider: Find anything you can plug in the Digirig audio socket to confirm it is sending audio to the radio.

Nope, couldn’t hear anything on the scanner, any mode, either Ping or AutoTune.

Found and tried an old one-eared headphone and plugged it into green audio socket of digirig, but didn’t hear anything.

So, let’s assume that there is no actual audio getting out.

There seem to be volume controls in Windows, in VARA, and on the radio itself. All of them are set for some non-zero number (Windows mic is minimal at 5% lest VARA be overdriven, but everything else is around 50% but I’ve played around with all the settings at this point with no change in “no signal” error).

Then what do I do? The ATT solution seems to be oriented towards turning the volume down, but I have no volume at all…

@"Jeff_M

If you haven’t already, set your retries to 10 in VARA FM set up.

OK, done.

@"Jeff_M

Confirm the gateway is functional somehow:
a. Do you (or a ham in your area) have a prior functional TNC, Radio, Computer combination that does work with the gateway?
b. Try another gateway
c. Contact the gateway owner

Have found and reached out to gateway owner via email but have not heard back yet.

@"Jeff_M

I thought you had your PTT worked out, but maybe not. For what it’s worth, here are my CAT settings for using my Yaesu that has a Mini Din 6 for PTT and audio, but no frequency control (set it manually): VARA FM>Settings>PTT – COM (Not CAT, RA-Board, or VOX), Port = COM7(my Digirig), PTT Pin=RTS

Actually, CAT PTT was working for me yesterday afternoon, on all modes. Whatever fiddling I had done seemed to fix that problem, at least!