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Re: Waiting for the zBitx to start…
Does anyone have any idea how I can get the zBitx to work?
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Re: Just ordered by ZBitX
Untested but generally people like the DROK brand:
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On Apr 3, 2025, at 12:53?PM, Jim via groups.io <jlckansas@...> wrote:
I just ordered my ZBitX.? ?Have a couple of questions.
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1.? ?What would I need to do to run WSPR on it to see how my setup is working?? ?I live in an apartment and would not be able to mount a permanent antenna out side but have to rig something up either inside or stealth.
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2.? ?What about using a buck converter?? ? I have 12V batteries to use but was wondering is anyone was using one to run their Z.
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3.? ?Microphones that might be available?
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Thank you for the answers.
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Jim
KE0VVU
I just ordered my ZBitX.? ?Have a couple of questions.
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1.? ?What would I need to do to run WSPR on it to see how my setup is working?? ?I live in an apartment and would not be able to mount a permanent antenna out side but have to rig something up either inside or stealth.
?
2.? ?What about using a buck converter?? ? I have 12V batteries to use but was wondering is anyone was using one to run their Z.
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3.? ?Microphones that might be available?
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Thank you for the answers.
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Jim
KE0VVU
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Re: Does zBitx have SWR display?
Hi Paul,
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I ran into the same issue. v3.051 is currently the latest version. In my case, the git branch was set to "farhandev" instead of "main". This also seems to be the difference between the ./update and ./update_zbitx script - the former does not explicitly set a branch, while the latter sets the branch to "farhandev" after running the git pull. In the ~/sbitx folder, I had to manually run "git checkout main", then ran the ./update script. This brought me to v3.051 and now I get proper readings both via HDMI and on the "head unit" (previously, the "head unit" kept displaying the voltage/S-meter and power/SWR remained at 0/1.0 via HDMI despite appropriate power output).
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73, Tristan VA3VPN
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Rest in peace Mike!
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Gyula HA3HZ
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Re: #zbitx I would really like a formal way to shut down the software gracefully
#zbitx
Asher,
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Is there a way to export the FT8 QSO’s in ADIF format from the SQLite DB? ?Or are they also saved in ADIF format in a separate file? ?
My unit has not shipped yet. So I can’t poke around the file system yet.?
I like to log all my QSO’s in central log on my shack computer.?
Thank you
-Chris
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Calling anywhere from 5 to 10 times more frequently would probably result in significant improvement. In the sBitx software, he increased it to 20 times more frequently and it was amazing.
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On Apr 3, 2025, at 10:40, Mike Johnshoy via groups.io <mike.johnshoy@...> wrote:
?Ashar, no not cw_poll(), it is modem_poll() that is not getting called often enough. In sbitx_gtk.c this call is at line #4257 inside of ui_tick(). modem_poll() in turn decides what to do for each of the modes, but in the case of CW modem_poll only gets called ~once per 20 milliseconds, so no matter how fresh the key_poll data is it doesn't get looked at enough.
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Mike KB2ML
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Oh gawd! So sorry for the loss. I learnt much of cat control reading hamlib source code.
Even if you did not know who Mike was, you know his work.? Mike was a key developer of hamlib in addition to many, many other contributions to our hobby.? I only had the privilege of a few email exchanges with him but you would be hard pressed to find a kinder, more helpful ham anywhere.
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Re: Strain Relief mod for Power Cable
Double check your positive lead, I think I see some bare copper in your picture . Possibly a nick from stripping outer insulation, mine had both leads nicked.? On Thu, Apr 3, 2025 at 8:21?AM Vince d'Eon VE6LK/AI7LK via <vincedeon= [email protected]> wrote:
This is a great suggestion and a quick and easy modification. Thank you for sharing.
73
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Even if you did not know who Mike was, you know his work.? Mike was a key developer of hamlib in addition to many, many other contributions to our hobby.? I only had the privilege of a few email exchanges with him but you would be hard pressed to find a kinder, more helpful ham anywhere.
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https://dukerandhaugh.com/obituaries/michael-d-black/
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Ashar, no not cw_poll(), it is modem_poll() that is not getting called often enough. In sbitx_gtk.c this call is at line #4257 inside of ui_tick(). modem_poll() in turn decides what to do for each of the modes, but in the case of CW modem_poll only gets called ~once per 20 milliseconds, so no matter how fresh the key_poll data is it doesn't get looked at enough.
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Mike KB2ML
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Re: #zbitx I am intereted in CAT control of the zBitx.
#zbitx
The hamlib netcontrol works. Cat control via the CAT usb port is TBD
My radio does not arrive till Monday! ? I am interested in some modes that are not installed on the radio.? I want to test with DigiPi too. ?(YES, adding another Pi)
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What radio does the CAT port respond to?? For Hamlib as an example.
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73 KE9A
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Re: #zbitx I would really like a formal way to shut down the software gracefully
#zbitx
Chris,
This is an interesting aside, but the logbook saves all the qsos in an sqlite3 database. It is in a file called sbitx.db3 under ~/sbitx/data
You might want to poke around and see what is in it.
There is an easter egg in that database. Every decode of received ft8 is stored!
- f
On Thu, Apr 3, 2025, 6:21 PM Bob Benedict, KD8CGH via <rkayakr= [email protected]> wrote: JJ's 64 bit code has a button to shut down the Pi and provides a pop up to remind you power off afterward.
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73
??? Bob? KD8CGH
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#zbitx I am intereted in CAT control of the zBitx.
#zbitx
My radio does not arrive till Monday! ? I am interested in some modes that are not installed on the radio. ?I want to test with DigiPi too. ?(YES, adding another Pi)
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What radio does the CAT port respond to? ?For Hamlib as an example.
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73 KE9A
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Re: Strain Relief mod for Power Cable
This is a great suggestion and a quick and easy modification. Thank you for sharing.
73
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Re: Zbitx orders might close soon
Darell,
It takes a village to build an SDR. I am truely grateful to all on this forum who contributed to code, advise and bug reports. Also, it goes without saying that the basis of this sdr is the open source work done by people like Phil Karn, KA9Q, Gerry, K5SDR, Bob Larkin, W7PUA and the radio designers like Wes, W7ZOI, Rick Campbell, KK7B, Hans, G0UPL and many others.
Some radio hams are not recognize enough. For instance, Bdale Garbee, KB0G, who was the project lead of Debian operating system that Raspberry Pi runs off. I can boast that he is a regular sbitx user as well!
On Thu, Apr 3, 2025, 3:41 PM Darrell Davis KT4WX via <kt4wx= [email protected]> wrote: Faran:
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It is a testimony to the veracity of the zBITX, when it is in danger of selling out in two to three days.? Hopefully, your alumni will agree to come back and lend you a hand.
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I appreciate all of the hard work you and your team have done to bring another fine product, that we are able to experiment with after we get it.
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73 de Darrell KT4WX?
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Re: Any updates in the new batch of zbitx that is open for orders now?
There will be no hardware changes to the circuitry at all. We are using the same gerber for all the batches.
Some questions on the new batch:
1.? Will these have a new version number to distinguish them from the original batch?
2.? Are there any HW changes to the boards or circuit components?
3.? Are there any changes to the specifications?
4.? Will there be any SW differences between them?
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I'm thinking the answer is "no" to all of the above, but just checking.
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Hats off to HFSignals for this awesome product!? I'm looking forward to the arrival here of the new toy.
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Mike,
Thr cw_poll is not the one the one that is doing the actual keying. See cw_read_key() in? This is the function that is in turn called by cw_tx_get_sample() 96000 times a second.? The cw_poll only checks for changed sending speed, etc., to keep the keyer, decoder, etc. upto date. - f
On Thu, Apr 3, 2025, 6:43 PM Mike Johnshoy via <mike.johnshoy= [email protected]> wrote: Ashar,
I'm an old sbitx DE user, but I have looked at your newest zbitx? code a little.? Your new change using interrupts insures the state of the key/paddle is updated in a global variable in a very timely fashion. So you have made that end of the problem even better than it needs to be.?
You have always noted in the code comments that you don't want CW sending loop reading the gpio pins 96,000 times per second.? But even now when you have accurate/fresh data stored in those variables I think you may not sample them often enough.? I verified this on my sbitx DE (but I see some changes to tick counts in the zbitx so I may be wrong) but it seems that ui_tick() does not call modem_poll() often enough - so modem_poll doesn't get called to go use that nice fresh input!
Good luck with the zbitx - it looks great!
Mike - KB2ML
Ashhar Farhan
Apr 2? ?#116851? ?
Ron, I would like you to review the code:
1.
Here, we setup the ISR (interrupt service routine) to call a function called key_isr whenever the state of the paddle chages (press, release).
2. The key_isr () reads the status of the the two paddles (DASH and PTT) and stores them in global variables ptt_state and dash_state.
3. the cw sending loop has to generate 96,000 samples a second. And it cannot spend time reading the gpio pins to see if the any new symbol (dot/dash/space) has been generated by the user. Instead, it just reads these two variables. This is done by the routine key_poll().
.4 Read key_poll (). You will note that it executes very quickly. To know what type of key we are using, it doesn't even to a string compare of the CW_INPUT settings, instead it just samples the 6th letter with is different for all the three cases (Straight, Iambic and Iambic-B).
Let me know what you think of the implementation and if it can be improved.
- f
--
Mike KB2ML
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Ashar,
I'm an old sbitx DE user, but I have looked at your newest zbitx code a little. Your new change using interrupts insures the state of the key/paddle is updated in a global variable in a very timely fashion. So you have made that end of the problem even better than it needs to be.
You have always noted in the code comments that you don't want CW sending loop reading the gpio pins 96,000 times per second. But even now when you have accurate/fresh data stored in those variables I think you may not sample them often enough. I verified this on my sbitx DE (but I see some changes to tick counts in the zbitx so I may be wrong) but it seems that ui_tick() does not call modem_poll() often enough - so modem_poll doesn't get called to go use that nice fresh input!
Good luck with the zbitx - it looks great!
Mike - KB2ML
Ashhar Farhan
Apr 2 #116851
Ron, I would like you to review the code:
1.
Here, we setup the ISR (interrupt service routine) to call a function called key_isr whenever the state of the paddle chages (press, release).
2. The key_isr () reads the status of the the two paddles (DASH and PTT) and stores them in global variables ptt_state and dash_state.
3. the cw sending loop has to generate 96,000 samples a second. And it cannot spend time reading the gpio pins to see if the any new symbol (dot/dash/space) has been generated by the user. Instead, it just reads these two variables. This is done by the routine key_poll().
.4 Read key_poll (). You will note that it executes very quickly. To know what type of key we are using, it doesn't even to a string compare of the CW_INPUT settings, instead it just samples the 6th letter with is different for all the three cases (Straight, Iambic and Iambic-B).
Let me know what you think of the implementation and if it can be improved.
- f
--
Mike KB2ML
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After so many reports about problems with failed updates
I nevertheless decided to update the zBitx this morning - contrary to my intention.
With surprisingly positive, unexpected update results:
Lambic-A and -B and Straight-Key now work fine and usable up to speed 28 !
I usually use around 24, so I'm happy with it so far.
Output is in line with specified values . SSB doesn't sound too bad either.
I already had concerns and was very skeptical that nothing would work after the update as many report .
But: I dared to do the update after all ...
Well, maybe I was “lucky” with the device.?
I will be happy to use it and keep it, contrary to my previous criticism.
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73 ! Jens / HB9JOI
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Jeff Kelly
HA3HZ
Robert Fairbairn
Jens/HB9JOI