WSJT-X FT8 *Frequency Drift* Isssue w/ FT-891 & DR-891

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1

Issue: Either in Split or Fake-It mode, doesnt matter, the frequency will shift up or down accordingly during Tx, but intermittently will not shift back up/down to the Rx/Dial frequency. This will cause the dial frequency to intermittently and slowly drift upwards or downwards.

E.g.
Rx on 14.074, Tx on 14.074.5
If it doesnt shift back down after Tx, it will creed up by 500Hz.
14.074.5 –> 14.075 –> 14.075.5, Etc,

I have used the exact same shack setup that I am currently using for several years now, nothing has changed. This issue started about 2 weeks ago or less. I have the FT-891 with the DigiRig DR-891 (I think its the prototype/pre-release version if that makes a difference).

I have come to the conclusion that it must be one of 5 things:

  • My Radio
  • The DigiRig
  • The DigiRig Cables (between DigiRig and Radio)
  • My Antenna and/or feedline
  • Something outside the house, but I dont have close neighbours and live in a semi-rural area.

These are the only options left as I have ruled out everything else:

  • No electronics inside the house including the shack power supply (killed the whole panel to the house & used battery backup)
  • Not my laptop, laptop charger, or software (Tried a different laptop and different software versions)
  • Not my Tuner or SWR meter (Went directly into the antenna)
  • Not the USB cable from the DigiRig to the Laptop(s) (Tried with different cables. The main one I use is the DigRig Brand USB A to USB C w/ ferrites on both ends)

Some of these things you all may not be able to help me with, I realize that. But what are the odds it is the DigiRig unit itself, one of the two cables from the unit to the radio, or a combination of both? Can these fail/go bad? And if so how can I confirm or rule them out?

Any help would be amazing as I have been tearing my hair out with this issue for the past week, trying to eliminate the possibilities but cannot for the life of me figure out what the issue is.

2

You can rule out a good bunch of possibilities by bypassing Digirig and connecting radio’s USB directly to the computer.

3

I bypassed the serial/USB-B and went straight into the computer, it still has the intermittent issue. Any other ideas?

4

with the symptoms occurring regardless of CAT ‘route’, you’re looking at the software not ISSUING a command or the radio not RECEIVING that command.

this could be due to polling rate, protocol mismatch n,8,1 etc. or a flow control issue.

i don’t have an 891 so i’m no real help there
:frowning:

i will say this:
unless you’re regularly listening to the extreme edges away from your tx, i’d stop running ‘split’
:slight_smile:

good luck
kb0wlf

5

Does this also happen at the minimum RF power level? It’s possible that RFI prevents the computer from communicating with the radio while it attempts to restore the VFO.