Just for the sake of argument, let's say I do something stupid and my zbitx will no longer boot. But I have done a SD card copy to an external usb with new UUID.
How do I boot from the USB so that I can copy the system back to the internal SD card thereby restoring my zbitx and making it bootable again?
?
Leo, AI5II
?
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Re: Zbitx RPI SD-card image needed
Hi Tilman,
What are the properties of the /home/pi/sbitx/sbitx ?
Can you execute: 'ls -l /home/pi/sbitx/sbitx' and send the result?
Maybe you have done something via sudo and changed the ownership of that file?
73, Wojtek SP5DAA
?r., 2 kwi 2025, 07:45 u?ytkownik Tilman, SM0JZT via <sm0jzt= [email protected]> napisa?:
Deard Ashhar
Yet another try. I must admit that my patience is at its limits now with the zbitx....?
Anyway, tried and followed your instructions.?
Here the results:
pi@sbitx:~/sbitx $ git checkout main
error: Your local changes to the following files would be overwritten by checkout:
? ? sbitx
Please commit your changes or stash them before you switch branches.
Aborting
pi@sbitx:~/sbitx $ ./update sbitx
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Tue ?1 Apr 22:18:13 MST 2025
Already up to date.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Tue ?1 Apr 22:18:15 MST 2025
database is intact
compiling sbitx version v3.021 in /home/pi/sbitx
/usr/bin/ld: cannot open output file sbitx: Permission denied
collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status
pi@sbitx:~/sbitx $?
?
Still a nogo apparently :-(
So I kindly ask you to make a fresh image available that I can flash onto my SD-card.
It is very obvious that the system is to fragile for even a person like myself that has been dealing with RPI:s for years. The supportload can get out of hands Im afraid.?
--
Tilman D. Thulesius
SM0JZT / Sweden
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Re: Zbitx RPI SD-card image needed
Deard Ashhar
Yet another try. I must admit that my patience is at its limits now with the zbitx....?
Anyway, tried and followed your instructions.?
Here the results:
pi@sbitx:~/sbitx $ git checkout main
error: Your local changes to the following files would be overwritten by checkout:
? ? sbitx
Please commit your changes or stash them before you switch branches.
Aborting
pi@sbitx:~/sbitx $ ./update sbitx
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Tue ?1 Apr 22:18:13 MST 2025
Already up to date.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Tue ?1 Apr 22:18:15 MST 2025
database is intact
compiling sbitx version v3.021 in /home/pi/sbitx
/usr/bin/ld: cannot open output file sbitx: Permission denied
collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status
pi@sbitx:~/sbitx $?
?
Still a nogo apparently :-(
So I kindly ask you to make a fresh image available that I can flash onto my SD-card.
It is very obvious that the system is to fragile for even a person like myself that has been dealing with RPI:s for years. The supportload can get out of hands Im afraid.?
--
Tilman D. Thulesius
SM0JZT / Sweden
|
I have fixed the two issues of zbitx on CW. The new update has good keying with Iambic keyer and the cw decode noise is now gone as well. To get this update, you have to: 1. Flash the new firmware (the firmware version is now 1.06). The firmware is available from? 2. Update the new software on the raspberry pi, the latest version with the CW keyng fixed is 3.051 (or later). Here is Jose, VU2JOS sending CW with the new firmware update.
With this, I hope we have moved on with CW issues. - f ?
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Re: Will this brick the Zbitx?
Interesting
?
would it be possible to get a correct instruction on how to Build a ”fresh image” for a zbitx?
?
My radio defenitly is unusable now. Im having trouble to recomend bying one to fellow OM.s
?
--
Tilman D. Thulesius
SM0JZT / Sweden
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Zbitx orders might close soon
We are close to our capacity now. We need to prep for Dayton as well. The response has been overwhelming and we may have to put brakes yet again. I guess by the end of the day we will stop taking more orders. - f
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Re: Does sequence of updates matter?
Try deleting everything /var/logs.
On Wed, Apr 2, 2025, 8:41 AM Vince d'Eon VE6LK/AI7LK via <vincedeon= [email protected]> wrote: I was able to locate the pi user password and got in via SSH.?
?
I ran your command but it returned an error.
?
I ran ./update and the radio is now working again.
?
Still, no keyboard and mouse.
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Re: Does sequence of updates matter?
I was able to locate the pi user password and got in via SSH.?
?
I ran your command but it returned an error.
?
I ran ./update and the radio is now working again.
?
Still, no keyboard and mouse.
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Re: Does sequence of updates matter?
can you run ./build sbit to rebuild the software?? pi@sbitx:/~sbitx$./build sbitx That should build it - f On Wed, Apr 2, 2025 at 8:04?AM Vince d'Eon VE6LK/AI7LK via <vincedeon= [email protected]> wrote:
Well I'm stuck. I applied latest firmware v1.05 per page 24 of the manual, and latest software v3.051 (I think?) per page 22 of the manual. The radio then started doing all of the CW things better. I noticed that sometimes I could not get RF output despite DRIVE being at 100. In chasing that issue down to log it as a bug, I decided to re-download firmware and software - - and now I'm stuck.
?
Upon power-up, screen says the zBitx firmware v1.05 is waiting to start. I hear a small noise from the speaker about 10 seconds after boot that lasts about one second (sounds like screen writing or i2c noise).
?
Firmware re-application seems to happen *very* quickly with the reboot taking just a second or two.
?
The internal and external displays work fine. When I plug in the external mouse and keyboard, where they were previously working they now do not; power applies to the mouse as the LED lights up, but neither it nor the keyboard is recognized. On the external display I see the tubes background and one terminal window, but I no longer see the zBitx window similar to what is on the built-in display. I am unable to run the software update procedure on page 22 as the keyboard and mouse are not recognized. The terminal window shows 4 lines of text and ends in a prompt "pi@sbitx:~/sbitx $"
Wifi is working; I attempted to SSH into the device but do not know where to locate the password for the default user pi.
?
Please direct me towards the next steps, and thank you.
73 de VE6LK/AI7LK
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Re: Does sequence of updates matter?
Well I'm stuck. I applied latest firmware v1.05 per page 24 of the manual, and latest software v3.051 (I think?) per page 22 of the manual. The radio then started doing all of the CW things better. I noticed that sometimes I could not get RF output despite DRIVE being at 100. In chasing that issue down to log it as a bug, I decided to re-download firmware and software - - and now I'm stuck.
?
Upon power-up, screen says the zBitx firmware v1.05 is waiting to start. I hear a small noise from the speaker about 10 seconds after boot that lasts about one second (sounds like screen writing or i2c noise).
?
Firmware re-application seems to happen *very* quickly with the reboot taking just a second or two.
?
The internal and external displays work fine. When I plug in the external mouse and keyboard, where they were previously working they now do not; power applies to the mouse as the LED lights up, but neither it nor the keyboard is recognized. On the external display I see the tubes background and one terminal window, but I no longer see the zBitx window similar to what is on the built-in display. I am unable to run the software update procedure on page 22 as the keyboard and mouse are not recognized. The terminal window shows 4 lines of text and ends in a prompt "pi@sbitx:~/sbitx $"
Wifi is working; I attempted to SSH into the device but do not know where to locate the password for the default user pi.
?
Please direct me towards the next steps, and thank you.
73 de VE6LK/AI7LK
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Re: Will this brick the Zbitx?
Nothing will fully brick it. ?Even if you ruin your sd card you could always install a fresh img. ?I apt update and apt upgrade all the time. ?A few have had problems doing sudo apt full-upgrade.?
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Re: Zbitx RPI SD-card image needed
I am so sorry. Too much brain fog. It is git checkout main i wrongly gave you git checkout master - f
Ashhar
?
Just for giggles I did try the ./update thingy. Here is the output. Might ring a bell for you that understand far more then myself:
pi@sbitx:~/sbitx $ ./update
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Tue ?1 Apr 09:32:27 MST 2025
remote: Enumerating objects: 11, done.
remote: Counting objects: 100% (11/11), done.
remote: Compressing objects: 100% (1/1), done.
remote: Total 6 (delta 5), reused 6 (delta 5), pack-reused 0 (from 0)
Unpacking objects: 100% (6/6), done.
From
? ?8da6d22..b9cabb4 ?main ? ? ? -> origin/main
Already up to date.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Tue ?1 Apr 09:32:29 MST 2025
database is intact
compiling sbitx version v3.021 in /home/pi/sbitx
/usr/bin/ld: cannot open output file sbitx: Permission denied
collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status
pi@sbitx:~/sbitx $?
--
Tilman D. Thulesius
SM0JZT / Sweden
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Re: Will this brick the Zbitx?
Leo, We don't foresee?why anything will brick the sbitx. I upgrade all the time. - f
On Wed, Apr 2, 2025 at 1:43?AM Leo Aniol, AI5II via <leomaniolone= [email protected]> wrote: Just curious.
If after running ./update, if I run sudo apt update/upgrade will the zbit be bricked?
I'd be interested in compiling hamlib 4.5.4 and wsjt-z on the zbitx. I do have wsjt-z running on my laptop using a raspian image but need to install all the dependencies to fo the compile on the sbitx.
?
Leo, AI5II
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Re: zBitx upgrading the firmware.
The zBitx displays the sbitx and firmware versions on startup.
How do you know if you have the latest versions? Is there a version name or tag in github or the firmware file?
--
73
??? Bob? KD8CGH
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Re: Z bitx when is the order page to re-open
Let me add this, There are three parts to the support.? To begin with, we have insisted that this is a radio for the fiddlers and the noodlers, on purpose. We could have easily made it? like radio?Xeigu radio with just SSB/CW and controls. It would have worked out of the box and kept working until the capacitors?dry out. Instead, it pushes the limits of what a radio should be. Hence, though you expect the basic functionality to work out of the box, there is a lot of additional functionality that maybe unstable. All that is essentially software issues. It is a radio to open and poke around. My great worry with the zbitx is that we had to use 0805 SMDs that are twice as difficult to change as the 1206 that we used in the sbitx. The components are packed far closer. Fewer?people will pick the soldering iron to change things, but I am hopeful that with strong desk lamps a pair of tweezers, will still be possible to experiment?with it. So, it invites you to open up the radio case, look around ,sniff and change. That said, let us look at the support issues. If the set is DoA, write to sales@..., we will see if it is a simple issue (like a bad power supply connecto, et al) and try sorting it out. Otherwise, HF signals does replace radios that have manufacturing defects (like bad solder, blown components, et al).? However, the software is a whole other issue. Bugs that may seem very significant to some may be minor to others. Feature requests and expectations of the radio working differently can't be covered by HF signals. The software is a moving target, it involves many from the community. Given the large software base now (probably over 30,000 lines of code), expect things to move erractically. I am providing almost a daily fix for the issues that the early owners are reporting. J J and his elves are combing through the software and I am hopeful of learning their way of development and merging my efforts with theirs. HF signals can't suppor those issues related to software. For those, this forum is where the action is. Btw, you can file software bugs at?. I would request you to be specific about how to reproduce the bug. Otherwise, we will just close it.? I hope this comprehensively answers the question of support. - f
On Wed, Apr 2, 2025 at 3:15?AM Michael Bales via <mikebales73= [email protected]> wrote:
Ah, thank you. That said, where do we find the .sch .pcb and bom files? I usually find them in the repository, but no luck.
-------- Original message --------
Date: 4/1/25 3:50 PM (GMT-05:00)
Subject: Re: [BITX20] Z bitx when is the order page to re-open
From the About page on website:
?
What kind of support will I get?
The HF Signals kits and radios are supplied as-is without any promise that they will work to any particular specification. That said, thousands of BITX transceivers supplied by HF Signals work across the world. There is an active and very informative forum
for learning and getting help that is entirely driven by the builder community. Join us on?/g/bitx20
Ken, N2VIP
--
Mike - K8MCB?
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Just for an update:
?
I flashed the drive and the rig worked just fine.
?
I messed with the settings last night and FT8 stuff, rig went wonky, thats why its called developmental
?
I reflashed my sd card and back on line. I never backed up the settings so I could do it all over again, fun stuff
?
Also, I found the Pi was shaky when cables were inserted and I found there were no screws on the card.
?
OK, new card in, fire up the rig and get on 17 meters and first contact OZ0JX, gives me a 579 with 4 watts here. I Love CW and QRP
?
I am having more fun around here by the minute. Thank you all for the help, team players all the way.
?
?
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Re: Z bitx when is the order page to re-open
Ah, thank you. That said, where do we find the .sch .pcb and bom files? I usually find them in the repository, but no luck.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
-------- Original message --------
From: Ken N2VIP <ken@...>
Date: 4/1/25 3:50 PM (GMT-05:00)
Subject: Re: [BITX20] Z bitx when is the order page to re-open
From the About page on hfsignals.com website:
?
What kind of support will I get?
The HF Signals kits and radios are supplied as-is without any promise that they will work to any particular specification. That said, thousands of BITX transceivers supplied by HF Signals work across the world. There is an active and very informative forum
for learning and getting help that is entirely driven by the builder community. Join us on?/g/bitx20
Ken, N2VIP
-- Mike - K8MCB?
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Will this brick the Zbitx?
Just curious.
If after running ./update, if I run sudo apt update/upgrade will the zbit be bricked?
I'd be interested in compiling hamlib 4.5.4 and wsjt-z on the zbitx. I do have wsjt-z running on my laptop using a raspian image but need to install all the dependencies to fo the compile on the sbitx.
?
Leo, AI5II
|
Re: Z bitx when is the order page to re-open
From the About page on hfsignals.com website:
?
What kind of support will I get?
The HF Signals kits and radios are supplied as-is without any promise that they will work to any particular specification. That said, thousands of BITX transceivers supplied by HF Signals work across the world. There is an active and very informative forum for learning and getting help that is entirely driven by the builder community. Join us on?/g/bitx20
Ken, N2VIP
|
Thank you for the reply Farhan. Sadly I found using headphones makes no difference the?chugging sound remains at the same audio level. The chugging sound is happening in time to the refresh rate of the cw decode panel update, as each letter is written to the screen as far as I can tell. Are you using exactly the same kit as us,?a latest release rig??
73 Nigel M0NDE
The chugging sound is actually?from the I2C lines to the Pico processor that is on the same board as the speaker. They are absent with the head phones.? If I reduce?the data running on the I2C lines the chugging sound goes away. I hope that in a future update we will be able to compress the data (most of it is the waterfall data). - f
I received mine today as well, very exciting! I upgraded the software to 1.05/3.05, everything seems to work. I noticed the "chugging" as well, along with the decoder portion of the screen flickering. I am wondering if something is getting bogged down with the decoding/display/audio process
On Mon, Mar 31, 2025 at 5:31?PM Nigel Evans M0NDE via <nigel.m0nde= [email protected]> wrote: My Zbitx arrived today. I am new to these radios so expect a learning curve. I have only received so far but here are my observations and questions.
I installed the batteries and followed the set up in the manual including setting the time using an hdmi screen. I linked the wifi to my phone hoping this would pay dividends when in the field. It first the radio seemed deaf, but playing around with the IF I started to hear signals on 20m and 40m. I found CW reception difficult the radio seemed to make a chugging sound as the decoder tried to work. The back of my radio was warm but was not excessively hot on rx. I tried FT8 decode seemed sluggish to start but once running was fine.
When the time needs adjusting must I always connect to an hdmi screen or is connecting to my phone wifi sufficient to update the time? Is the chugging sound in cw mode normal? Will the operating manual be updated further as time progresses. Should I be upgrading software and firmware or are these updates to be considered as beta and optional. How would HF signals prefer feedback to be given as I assume they cannot monitor every post trawling for bugs and questions.
Finally I like the radio and form factor. Thinking about a 3d printed sloping stand which when reversed protects screen and knob. Thinking 3d printing battery cover or using stand to hold battery holder. Can audio be directed via Bluetooth to an amplified speaker??
Thank you Farhan for this radio?
73 Nigel M0NDE
-- 73 de Nigel Evans
Callsign: M0NDE QTH: Rhyl Locator: IO82
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Tilman, SM0JZT
Bob Benedict, KD8CGH
Nigel Evans M0NDE