Re: sBITX 64Bit Pi Image Available
#sBitx
On Sat, Mar 23, 2024 at 03:21 PM, JJ - W9JES wrote:
You are a genius! This was the fix or Band-Aid for the time dilemma.
Good job JJ and Jerry, many thanks for your ongoing work with this amazing little rig. I have applied the update to your 64bit beta2 version JJ, and can confirm that it works, and to quote you: "This was the fix or Band-Aid for the time dilemma." I dual boot my sbitx_v3, and so I tried the 32bit "Buster" version 3.02 (as supplied by HF Signals) and interestingly, it still has that bit of code [ return ?(millis()/1000l) + time_delta; ]?in there, and yet the sbitx UTC clock is correct.? Hmmmm .... [scratching my head] Anyway, it's working and that is what matters. -- Pete VK3PYE
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I am with Evan here and would just buy a sBitx.
I am having a lot of fun enhancing and extending KD8CEC for picos and teensy, ?but after buying my own sBitx, I don¡¯t see my work ever catching up with a sBitx. It is a great radio! So I don¡¯t see my work ever being a reasonable upgrade path for ubitx owners. ?
I am going to continue working on kd8cec, and will make available Raduinos designs ?for pico and teensy. ?But doing so for my own fun and on my timeline.?
73
Mark
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AJ6CU/7
KD8CEC 2.0, Nextion Screens,? and open source uBITX Raduino boards for Arduino IOT, BLE, RP2040, Teensy 4.0, and Raspberry Pi Pico
https://github.com/aj6cu
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Excellent! ?Will update both Thingiverse and GitHub. Might be a few days as I don¡¯t have access to my development system. But it is great benefit to others!
73
Mark
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AJ6CU/7
KD8CEC 2.0, Nextion Screens,? and open source uBITX Raduino boards for Arduino IOT, BLE, RP2040, Teensy 4.0, and Raspberry Pi Pico
https://github.com/aj6cu
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The uBitx V6, with Nextion display and KD8CEC software, does have a screen saver mode. This is accessed via the Control Menu, LCD button. The LCD Setup screen allows setting display brightness, and also provides the option to have the screen Always On, or blanked after 3, 10 or 20 minutes. It seems like that should satisfy your friend's screen blanking requirement.
I think the KD8CEC software utilizes some computing power inside the Nextion display for some additional functions (not only display related). Therefore, you might unexpectedly lose some important functions by disconnecting the +5V power to the display.
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Re: sBITX 64Bit Pi Image Available
#sBitx
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On Sun, Mar 24, 2024, 5:13 PM JJ - W9JES < w9jes@...> wrote: I've updated the CW macro display in the GUI. While it's not perfect, it's an improvement over having many of the macro buttons missing. Frankly, the default GUI leaves much to be desired and really needs a complete overhaul, but that's a task for another time. Here are the commands you'll need to run to update your version on my Beta2 build from Terminal:
pi@sbitx:~/sbitx $ git stash
pi@sbitx:~/sbitx $ ./update?
 -JJ
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That could be. How are you powering the Pi? For the final build you should use a buck converter set to about 5.4 volts and power the pi through the GPIO pins.? With that, I had no problem picking off the 3.3 volts from the pi on board regulator.??
After having some stability problems with the SI-5351 clocks with Farhan:s advice I moved the? SI 5351 off of the digital board and on to the analog board and powered it with its own voltage regulator.
To avoid ground loops there should be one and only one ground path to the digital board and that is going back to the input 13.4 volt supply.? So when you're done the only connection between the pi and the SI-5351 will be the I2C lines.
Yes you can wait on changing out the crystal who are you work on the analog circuit.
73, Dean
73,
Dean
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Re: sBITX 64Bit Pi Image Available
#sBitx
I've updated the CW macro display in the GUI. While it's not perfect, it's an improvement over having many of the macro buttons missing. Frankly, the default GUI leaves much to be desired and really needs a complete overhaul, but that's a task for another time. Here are the commands you'll need to run to update your version on my Beta2 build from Terminal:
pi@sbitx:~/sbitx $ git stash
pi@sbitx:~/sbitx $ ./update?
 -JJ
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I sent you an email Evan, I don't know how to do PM here.? -- '72
Aaron?
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Hi Mark
Files uploaded to Thingverse.
73
Glenn VE9GJ
On 2024-03-23 21:14, Mark Hatch wrote:
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Glen,
Please share them on Thingiverse, printable or anywhere else ! That is great work.
let me know when ?and links and I will update my GitHub page and provide pointers. ?I suspect that most folks are like you and don¡¯t have a large printer hanging around.
73
Mark
--
AJ6CU/7
KD8CEC 2.0, Nextion Screens,? and open source uBITX Raduino boards for Arduino IOT, BLE, RP2040, Teensy 4.0, and Raspberry Pi Pico
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Hello Aaron,
The Nextion display has a built-in backlight adjustment via an app that can be included with the screen TFT file.? The one issue is the noise generated by the PWM used to reduce the voltage.? This can be solved with an inductor and capacitor in the feed to the Nextion or by adding a separate regulator for the Nextion to isolate the noise.
As to the other items on your list, you will add around $100+ to make all the requests.? That takes the value of the radio to almost $400.? You can buy a sbitx for $430 delivered.? Granted, $209 has already been spent on the radio.? I suggest discussing the options with him before doing the work.
Send me a private response to this post, and I can send you the documentation that I have done for v6s.? This also includes enabling the S-Meter display on the Nextion screen.? You can do that by using the web interface and selecting "Sender" in the To box.? Most of the mods are built on perf boards with parts from my stash.? There is also power flattening across the bands, as suggested by Allison KB1GMX.
73
Evan
AC9TU
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Hello fans of BITX. I have a uBITX V6 that I upgraded to a Nextion display. I'm selling it to my close friend and he is wanting me to do stuff to it that I never did because I personally did not really need the additional options. I'm adding a broadcast filter and AGC and possibly a zero beat indicator if I can get it to work. I feel that all of the stuff that he wants me to do would be better to just buy a radio that already has everything on it. He has always been really good to me so I want to give it an honest try. The next item on his list really has me stumped. I think that it could be accomplished with some code work but I'm really not sure so i have humbly come to the land of experts.? He wants me to set up the uBITX for portable operations and he is concerned about the energy draw from the Nextion display. He does not want me to put the original TFT display back in or switch it to a 2 line LCD display like the earlier BITX radios. He wants to know if it were possible to modify it so that the Nextion display is able to be turned off and on when he doesn't need it.? Looking at the schematic for wiring the Nextion to the Raduino I'm wondering if the Nextion could be turned off and on like he wants by adding a switch to the +5V wire. What do you guys think? -- '72
Aaron?
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No problem Lars and great job with the mods.?
I am running your codebase now and I appreciate the enhancements.
Does the world map work yet or is that still under development? I don't see any pins on it.
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Hi all, Sorry for the build error. I have fixed it. Furthermore i have discovered and fixed a grave error that caused "decoration markup" on the the F8 response sendt when clicking on a CQ message in the list.? I have pushed a new version on github.? I am quite pleased with how it works. It helps me to save bandwidth.
Remember that two new sqlite indexes needs to be created:
CREATE INDEX gridIx ON logbook (exch_recv);
CREATE INDEX callIx ON logbook (callsign_recv);
I used "DB Browser for SQLite" on the pi to create the indexes on my existing sbitx.db. It will probably work without the indexes but slower.? The two create statements are included in the?create_db.sql file so they will run if the database is created a new. Lars?
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Re: low power on some bands
thank you Paul.
I'll try and report later.
73, Yvon
AE7YD
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sBitx V2 for sale.? Includes the original box, documentation and spare set of finals as delivered.? SDCard has been upgraded to V3.? This is the full kit with Pi and display. ? $350 shipped in CONUS. ? Steve W5RRX
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Great, I will do that.
I had to increase the horizontal dimension by about 1mm for the display "pocket" and ended up doing a slight shaving with a knife of the the pi ethernet? and BNC hole.
73
Glenn VE9GJ
On March 23, 2024 9:14:51?p.m. ADT, Mark Hatch <mark2382@...> wrote:
Glen,
Please share them on Thingiverse, printable or anywhere else ! That is great work.?
let me know when ?and links and I will update my GitHub page and provide pointers. ?I suspect that most folks are like you and don¡¯t have a large printer hanging around.?
73
Mark
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Re: low power on some bands
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On Sun, Mar 24, 2024 at 10:50 AM, Evan Hand wrote:
If higher accuracy is important to you, you could add the code to adjust the
scaling for each band.? That is what is done for the drive values.? AFAIK
that is not on anyone's list of coding modifications.
Not at all, I am fine with it being a few watts off and this was my suspicion already. Good to have that clarified.
Just made my first QSOs with the sBitx and got only good reports regarding the modulation with the supplied mic! - Great!
vy 73 de Andi, OE4DNS
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Mark,? thanks for the response. I put the main PCB in the box and it is a tight fit. So much so, that the PCB does not need screws or the nuts for the BNC or the three 1/8 inch jacks to secure the PCB. In other words, it ain¡¯t going no where once installed. I had? to open up the BNC hole and cut away some of the opening where the PI USB / Ethernet connectors are so the PI could clear. Not a lot of material, just a fraction. This box was printed with PLA and that might be some of? the problem with dimensional accuracy, but I don¡¯t rightfully know. Yes. The ribbon connector locking mechanism is not very strong and will snap in half easily. Been there, done that before. I ordered those ribbon cables. Like you, I will have more then I need. To open up that channel for the display, I tried cutting a deeper channel with my Dremel but it was rough. Later, I found that using a large head nail in my ¡°el cheap O¡± ?soldering iron, allowed me to melt? a groove. 73 Barry K3BO ? Sent from for Windows ?
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From: Mark HatchSent: Saturday, March 23, 2024 8:34 PM To: [email protected]Subject: Re: [BITX20] sBitx printed case ? Barry,
wish I could say I was surprised that the display channel was not correct. One of the things that 3d printer owners struggle with is dimensional accuracy. ?This is a function of flow rate of the materials as well as real steps in a given dimension. And of course it gets worse with larger pieces as errors add up. ?Hope making it fit wasn¡¯t too much work! ?I made it a tight fit on ¡°my machine¡± ??
I did buy ?and use longer cables. Someone had ?in a prior discussion provided a pointer to an assortment of cables on Amazon and I just ordered them. ?This is what I ordered
Now I have more cables then I know what to do with!
and of course be gentle with that connector on the pi4 board ?broke the retainer in mine:-( ?but was able to transplant the camera connector to replace it ?
73
Mark --
AJ6CU/7
KD8CEC 2.0, Nextion Screens,? and open source uBITX Raduino boards for Arduino IOT, BLE, RP2040, Teensy 4.0, and Raspberry Pi Pico
https://github.com/aj6cu
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I mean, maybe using an external PSU was the solution
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Re: low power on some bands
Ashhar asked to see their hw_settings file and that will be key, also, in addition to the ideas presented already. Remember that at least in MY units, the upper side band is at a disadvantage due to the ripple in the crystal filter.? ?This is very easily taken care of with an adjustment?in the code to boost the bin values, as I have previously described.? ? Works well for me with a coefficient of 1.40, resulting in about 3dB correction to the USB modulation.
Gordon KX4Z
On Sun, Mar 24, 2024 at 5:50?AM Evan Hand < elhandjr@...> wrote: Hi Andi,
There is no calibration for the SWR/PWR meter per band.? If you were to calibrate for 10 meters, then 80 meters would most likely be off.? I believe that most sbitx power measurements are off.? That is the case for my V3.? I use it as a relative measure to verify that the output stages are OK.? I believe it is possible to improve the accuracy with circuit changes, like adding a Faraday shield to the center wire of the SWR/PWR sensors.? This has been done for other radios with the same type of sensor.
Reference info on the sensor:
If higher accuracy is important to you, you could add the code to adjust the scaling for each band.? That is what is done for the drive values.? AFAIK that is not on anyone's list of coding modifications.
73
Evan
AC9TU
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Peter VK3PYE
Scotty R
Aaron K5ATG
