The zBitx display stops responding to the mouse scroll wheel or keyboard up/down keys after a few clicks.
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Jim
N7IHQ
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On Mon, May 12, 2025 at 05:15 AM, cam1aw wrote:
Mouse wheel doesn't work for me, sometimes a value will change by one when clicked on, not always.
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I have the same problem with the scroll wheel on my mouse. The values changes intermittently. It works ok on OS windows.
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Jim
N7IHQ
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Re: Up and Running Fully Portable
Here's the keyboard/trackball I plan to use:?
I got this one because the keyboard isn't quite as tiny as the one I'm currently using. It's really for two thumbs, not two hands. But the bigger one is far more usable. Here's the small one, just for comparison:
If I run out of power in my 18650s, I carry a USB-C PD cable that terminates in the correct barrel connector and gives 9V. I've got PD power banks galore. I carry a 5000mAh bank in my EDC pouch in my pocket. I have not experienced any noise from it on a ham band. It's possible there are birdies elsewhere, but I've never noticed one. If I feel like bringing one of my 12v battery boxes, with a LiFePO4 battery in it (one is 12Ah, the other is 7Ah), I have them rigged with fused PowerPole connectors and have cables to match.
If my partner Maggie K3XS drives, her CR-V is all set up for ham radio use. There's a multiband antenna on the roof that is folded down while driving, and separate from the car's battery and alternator, we have a 100Ah battery and a hefty distribution system and BMS for keeping the battery charged from the engine. She figured out how to use the sBitX (the bigger one) with the Elecraft KXPA100 amplifier, and there's plenty of power for it. If it's not too taxing, I don't mind setting up for QRP away from the car. But having the setup for 100W in case of emergency is nice.
I'm in the process of setting up crash cases for all of my radios. They're really cheap on AliExpress if you keep a lookout for them and catch a sale. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 73, Gwen, NG3P
Having fun with mine as well.?? I did not bother to try the OTG
adapter at all, but I've been doing stuff with various RPis for a
while so I had several of the necessary USB and mini HDMI adapters
around.
For my keyboard and mouse I used a small multi port USB hub and
that's working fine.??? I do like the idea of a bluetooth keyboard
though, and one with a trackball would be awesome.? That would
keep from putting too much regular stress on that mini USB
connector.? Mind sharing which keyboard/trackball you're using?
As for batteries, I got a four pack of the 18650s and a charger,
but you can kill a set of those pretty quickly on an FT8 operating
session, so I have a 12.5-7V dc to dc converter on the way.? As
long as noise isn't an issue, I'll probably use that and run it
off my battery box.? I'm also an RC guy, so I thought I might make
an adapter for a Lipo 2S pack as well.? I have several of those
available.
73, Steve KF8KI
On 5/23/2025 12:11 AM, Gwen Patton via
wrote:
Yeah, I ran
into the same issue with that OTG adapter. I think it's not
so much an OTG adapter as a crisp, tasty waffle. I had one
around, and, like you, got my keyboard and mouse working.
Then I paired a handheld keyboard with a trackpad built in,
and I'll likely use that. I think I'm going to make a
technical bag to go along with the radio's go-bag, one with
an HDMI cable, a 14-inch portable screen, and a better
bluetooth keyboard I have that's got a built in trackball.
Each of those things is bigger than the repurposed
photographer's bag I'm using for the radio and its immediate
gear. I need to get the radio out and update the firmware
and UI anyway, so I'll do the pairing for the new keyboard
while I have it out.
I got an
8-pack of 18650 batteries and a USB-C powered 4-place
charger that has been a real workhorse. I like that it
doesn't need a mains plug. I'm about halfway through
assembly of a 5-band link dipole. Once I get the basic build
put together, I'll run it up a telescoping mast and tune it
up. Then I'll crimp on bullet lugs to make connecting the
links easy, and it'll be in service. I've got a 3-band link
dipole already, but I need to replace the connectors in the
links, and it doesn't have my favorite bands in it. Besides,
I made the new one out of Kev-Flex. Durable.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
73,
Gwen, NG3P
BitXers,
??? Been playing with and
learning my new zBitx and I am having a blast.? I have
made a couple CW contacts almost immediately after
receiving my unit.? I had a couple unexpected hiccups in
that I wasn't prepared for the "Mini-HDMI".? The other
was the USB-OTG adapter that came with it was bad.?
Fortunately I had another stuffed in a drawer and
decided to try it.? Keyboard came right up and I was
able to get the unit up in Host mode.? I paired up my
bluetooth keyboard so I no longer have to deal with the
USB port for that.
I am running a portable
16inch (USB powered) monitor along with the wireless
keyboard and can run the rig on either 18650 batteries
or my Bioenno 1212Ah based battery box.? Got the clock
sync'd up and started up FT8 on 20m and made my first
contact within in a minute....
Great start so far.? It's
not a KX2 but this little unit is a lot of fun
especially with all the build in apps which I still need
to play with.
Attached is a couple of
photos.
--
"POWER, WE DON'T NEED NO STICKIN' POWER" - EVERY KX2 OWNER
Always respect the airwaves,
73 de KI7PBR, Gary
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Re: Unreliable WIFI on zBitx?
One of the things going on, which may or may not impact overall performance, it that (as I understand it) the zBITX is using a 64 bit RasPi Zero 2.? But as released, there is a 32 bit RasPi OS running on it.? I have to wonder if it might be more efficient if it were running a 64 bit RasPi OS.? ?If anyone tries that, please post your results.
?
72,
Jody - K3JZD
?
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Re: Unreliable WIFI on zBitx?
To clarify, I utilize RealVNC to remotely control the WSJT-X FT8 interface on the ZBITX system. Gridtracker, installed locally on my laptop, runs concurrently. The RealVNC client resides on my laptop, while WSJT-X is displayed on the external monitor connected to the ZBITX. This setup allows simultaneous use of VNC, WSJT-X, and Gridtracker, with Gridtracker typically prioritized as the foreground application. All connections are established with audio feedback and utilize Gridtracker's integrated logging mechanism.
Joe VE1BWV?
Thanks Joe.?? Desktop size change here was very obvious from with HDMI
monitor connected to without.??? RealVNC has been up and stable this
morning without the monitor attached for on the order of an hour and a
half now.?? Clearly more experimentation/troubleshooting is required.
That aside, mind sharing what your network setup is at remote locations
that you're doing RealVNC?
Steve KF8KI
On 5/23/2025 9:51 AM, Joe via wrote:
> I have been running the ZBITX for a month or so. My experience is no
> issues with wifi.
> I connect with real vnc both locally and at remote locations.
>
> I almost always have a 14 inch touch?screen ext monitor attached? and
> so far l have not seen any video changes.
>
> Also via web remote? so far it connects fine.
>
> Joe
> VE1BWV
> .
>
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Re: Unreliable WIFI on zBitx?
Hi Steve,
?
I just had a WiFi RealVNC connection - I did not have any HDMI monitor, keyboard, or mouse connected.
?
72,
Jody - K3JZD?
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Re: Unreliable WIFI on zBitx?
Steve,
For remote locations I installed Tailscale? on? the zbitz. Super simple Tailscale provides a free VPN access for nearly all devices, Linux, windows, snology nas? Android and iPhone. On your pc you just select your zbitx It automatically assigns an internet ip and a DNS, so you can choose
Enter that on your web browser and remote web from zbit appears from any place in the world... fun stuff.
Joe VE1BWV? No port fwd or opening settings on the router. It just makes it look like your connected on your home network.
I think they allow 100 devices. I run about 10 of my systems.
Thanks Joe.?? Desktop size change here was very obvious from with HDMI
monitor connected to without.??? RealVNC has been up and stable this
morning without the monitor attached for on the order of an hour and a
half now.?? Clearly more experimentation/troubleshooting is required.
That aside, mind sharing what your network setup is at remote locations
that you're doing RealVNC?
Steve KF8KI
On 5/23/2025 9:51 AM, Joe via wrote:
> I have been running the ZBITX for a month or so. My experience is no
> issues with wifi.
> I connect with real vnc both locally and at remote locations.
>
> I almost always have a 14 inch touch?screen ext monitor attached? and
> so far l have not seen any video changes.
>
> Also via web remote? so far it connects fine.
>
> Joe
> VE1BWV
> .
>
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On Fri, May 23, 2025 at 09:39 AM, W1WCI wrote:
POTA a perspective, many activations with zBitx. ?Usually get five contacts in before taking a break for heat dissipation. ?My fingers are my gauge. Running the radio at 75% drive usually change in a second set of batteries after the first drops to 6 volts. ?Typically one and a half pairs of batteries per outing, the second set is usually still 7+ volts at the end. Did a five park outing on six batteries. ?A lot less gear than using my Sbitx.
Tim - W1WCI
?
Thanks for that input.? I think it helps set expectations quite well.?
?
As a sbitx owner I think I'd find needing a break after five QSOs for the rig to cool down a bit frustrating, yet the sbitx is three times the cost of zbitx, takes up more space and weighs more, etc.
?
--
Regards,
Dave, N1AI
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Re: zBITX Crashes - Suspect Memory Leak
#zbitx
Hi John,
?
No, I did not try doing it that way.? ?I had no problem adding debounce to version 3.021, where only the falling edge needed it.? What I ran into while trying to debounce version 3.052 was that the rising edge now also needed to be debounced.? Changes made elsewhere in the CW processing chain now required that.? I was using paddles that are not often used, therefore having dirty contacts.? I was trying for a debounce time delay that would accommodate slow simple straight key use as well as 30 wpm electronic keying.? No timing that I tried seemed to work at both ends. Tiny delays were not effective because I still got bounces,? and longer delays resulted in my missing the rising edge causing the carrier to remain on.? It seems like disabling the IRQ (if the library being used allows it) would add another unpredictable timing element into the mix.? I'm already wondering how accurate the microsecond timer I have been using is with very low time delays.? The RasPi is running the full OS and GUI.? So it is busy. I still have my version that has the IRQs, and will give that a try whenever I have some time.??
?
72,
Jody - K3JZD
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Re: Unreliable WIFI on zBitx?
For those following along at home on my WIFI issue:
- I discovered by using raspi-config and selecting a desktop size, I no longer got the difference in RealVNC in desktop between having an external monitor connected and not.? Both remained at the desktop size I chose.? I ended up digging into this because the original default size caused the sBitx program not to display completely on RealVNC without an external monitor being connected.
- After doing so, my RealVNC connection (and absence of wlan0 failures) reliability improved markedly.? I'm thinking this may be attributed to the fact that initially the resolution of the monitor I was using was much higher than the desktop size I ultimately chose (1024x768).? Intuitively I suspect this decreases the amount of traffic necessary for the RealVNC connection and thus reduces the load on the Pi.? Subsequently, I ran a RealVNC connection continuously for about four hours this morning, including running FT8 before a wlan failure occurred.? That I could see being attributed to a lack of available resources after having the connection open for so long.? Having executed many FT8 transmit cycles over that time, I was unable to attribute the wlan0 failure to anything other than the length of time the connection had been open.
73, Steve KF8KI
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Re: New zBitx - New User - CW operation
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Fri, May 23, 2025 at 11:39?AM Steve Sutterer AK0M via <73ak0m= [email protected]> wrote: I just installed Karl K5KHK's changes that add a Shutdown command to the Menu, as well as include Jody's K3JZD's CW fix. This makes for a very usable CW rig. I also "discovered" how to operate from a terminal, and the UI works much better and smoother from there; I presume this is essentially the sBitx app.
?
Macros: I have yet to figure out how to add or change the selected macro, either from the standalone rig or even from within the terminal app. Probably just need to do some digging on this, but I don't see a "macro" dropdown option anywhere.
?
TUNE: I note that there is a TUNE feature on the external display. It would be awesome to have this somewhere on the zBitx display for use with antenna tuners. 2TONE could be used but is several button presses involved for what could be a relatively frequently used feature, especially when running with a mag loop which requires nearly constant retuning.
?
I also added a slightly larger knob to the rig. Will eventually get one printed like I've seen somewhere, similar to a shorter G90 knob.
?
Am going to be looking for heatsink ideas that are relatively compact and that work.
?
I've added a number of feature requests to the GitHub repo.
?
One of the main reasons I bought this rig was to learn. It's already been fun to explore some of the code and have to learn how to use GitHub/git.
?
Steve AK0M
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Re: New zBitx - New User - CW operation
As another new user, would you mind sharing where you found the
shutdown changes and CW fix please??? Besides this group and
GitHub is there another place I should be monitoring for such
developments?? I haven't been on the list long enough to have seen
discussion about either of them and didn't know what I didn't know
so as to be searching.
I'd like to discover how to operate from a terminal as well.
Thanks!
Steve, KF8KI
On 5/23/2025 11:39 AM, Steve Sutterer
AK0M via groups.io wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
I just installed Karl K5KHK's changes that add a Shutdown
command to the Menu, as well as include Jody's K3JZD's CW fix.
This makes for a very usable CW rig. I also "discovered" how to
operate from a terminal, and the UI works much better and
smoother from there; I presume this is essentially the sBitx
app.
?
Macros: I have yet to figure out how to add or change the
selected macro, either from the standalone rig or even from
within the terminal app. Probably just need to do some digging
on this, but I don't see a "macro" dropdown option anywhere.
?
TUNE: I note that there is a TUNE feature on the external
display. It would be awesome to have this somewhere on the zBitx
display for use with antenna tuners. 2TONE could be used but is
several button presses involved for what could be a relatively
frequently used feature, especially when running with a mag loop
which requires nearly constant retuning.
?
I also added a slightly larger knob to the rig. Will
eventually get one printed like I've seen somewhere, similar to
a shorter G90 knob.
?
Am going to be looking for heatsink ideas that are relatively
compact and that work.
?
I've added a number of feature requests to the GitHub repo.
?
One of the main reasons I bought this rig was to learn. It's
already been fun to explore some of the code and have to learn
how to use GitHub/git.
?
Steve AK0M
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Re: ZbitX replacement knob?
Thanks for the tip Andy
--
Gyula HA3HZ
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I can't find how to select different macros on the zBitx, or for that matter in the terminal app display. I want to add some macros, and be able to select them for default at power up of the rig when standalone. Is this possible?
Steve AK0M
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Re: New zBitx - New User - CW operation
I just installed Karl K5KHK's changes that add a Shutdown command to the Menu, as well as include Jody's K3JZD's CW fix. This makes for a very usable CW rig. I also "discovered" how to operate from a terminal, and the UI works much better and smoother from there; I presume this is essentially the sBitx app.
?
Macros: I have yet to figure out how to add or change the selected macro, either from the standalone rig or even from within the terminal app. Probably just need to do some digging on this, but I don't see a "macro" dropdown option anywhere.
?
TUNE: I note that there is a TUNE feature on the external display. It would be awesome to have this somewhere on the zBitx display for use with antenna tuners. 2TONE could be used but is several button presses involved for what could be a relatively frequently used feature, especially when running with a mag loop which requires nearly constant retuning.
?
I also added a slightly larger knob to the rig. Will eventually get one printed like I've seen somewhere, similar to a shorter G90 knob.
?
Am going to be looking for heatsink ideas that are relatively compact and that work.
?
I've added a number of feature requests to the GitHub repo.
?
One of the main reasons I bought this rig was to learn. It's already been fun to explore some of the code and have to learn how to use GitHub/git.
?
Steve AK0M
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Re: zBitX offset waterfall passband
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Re: ZbitX replacement knob?
To fix encoders with detents is straightforward. Unclip the cover, remove it and the shaft, push down on the detent spring, and reassemble.
?
?
73, Andy
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A USB GPS would work, you could set it up as you would on an RPi on its own, I imagine.
The TTL GPS *could* work if the zBitx hardware isn't using the TTL Serial pins on the RPi Zero 2W, I don't know if the zBitx uses those pins or not.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On May 22, 2025, at 18:34, Ed K. via groups.io <edmk5000@...> wrote:
? I haven't received my zbitx and haven't had my hands on it yet, so maybe my question is moot.?
?
With inexpensive and reliable GPS Modules such as the GT-U7, is there a way to implement it into the zbtix for time sync or maybe even location??
?
The GT-U7 can ouput NEMA data via serial USB or TTL. I have used this module (with Arduino) and it has been sensitive enough to use inside my house.
?
My first thought is to use an Arduino as an NTP server for the zbitz to sync to. However, I am curious if a more direct way could be possible so it can be used without networking.
?
Ed
?
?
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I just found this on AliExpress:?
¡ê2.70 | 12V24V to 9V5A power step-down module 12V to 9V DC transformer 24V to 9V car converter
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I've just had this delivered from AliExpress, haven't had a chance to use it yet but looks okay, I've fitted a jack plug ready to insert into the power socket. Great price?
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Re: Unreliable WIFI on zBitx?
Thanks Joe.?? Desktop size change here was very obvious from with HDMI monitor connected to without.??? RealVNC has been up and stable this morning without the monitor attached for on the order of an hour and a half now.?? Clearly more experimentation/troubleshooting is required.
That aside, mind sharing what your network setup is at remote locations that you're doing RealVNC?
Steve KF8KI
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On 5/23/2025 9:51 AM, Joe via groups.io wrote: I have been running the ZBITX for a month or so. My experience is no issues with wifi.
I connect with real vnc both locally and at remote locations.
I almost always have a 14 inch touch?screen ext monitor attached? and so far l have not seen any video changes.
Also via web remote? so far it connects fine.
Joe
VE1BWV
.
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Gwen Patton
Dave, N1AI
HA3HZ