Hello.

I've made some changes to my build for sBitx with improvements contributed by myself and others. The repository can now be used on both the default, 32bit and 64bit versions of the sBitx transceiver.

Notable changes or improvements:

• telnet fix
• time zone RTC fix
• macro button display fix
• removal of non-working modes
• FT8library compatible with 32 bit and 64 bit
• update script changes

More improvements will be made as they are discovered.



-JJ

Forgot to share the link..

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On Thu, Mar 28, 2024 at 05:49 AM, WK4DS wrote:

JJ,

I want to give the 64 bit version a shot, but I am not fluent with working with software and struggle to understand things like Github to be quite honest. Is there a document somewhere that explains which files I will need and how to execute them to be able to use this version?

?

Thank you for all your efforts,

David

WK4DS

Hi David,

I add more detailed instructions or a video and provide a link in the release notes. In the meantime, there basic instructions here??

Thanks for your feedback!


-JJ

So I have to ask, what are some of the advantages of a 64 bit release??

Is it faster?

Can I run more applications?

Is it more stable?

Does it give me something I don't already have?

With that said, I'm very thankful that people are taking the time to build and beta test a 64 bit version.

Is it faster? That depends on the Pi board. a 4gb or 8gb board will run faster than the stock 2GB version as supplied.

Can I run more applications? Utilizing more cores of the Pi CPU with multithreading is an advantage for 64bit applications that can be added to the "computer/sBitx"

Is it more stable? It is as stable as the 32bit version according to my testing and feedback from others.

Does it give me something I don't already have? Yes, my build includes additional ham related applications and the sBitx Toolbox apps preinstalled. The sBitx app has been patched to fix some nagging issues not addressed by the HF Signals team



Additional comments:
A major drawback to 32bit is that the operating system is no longer supported or developed as of June 2024. Over time, you will see 3rd party apps being developed for 64bit only thus leaving the old versions behind. Think of the Chrome browser on the 32bit version for example.. It is out of date and stopped being developed.

More importantly is the lack of security patches and fixes for the operating system. This device can connect to the network or internet and should have the latest security patches when doing so.




-JJ

Keep up the good work man..?
it's tough now to stick to one release .. Between these updates and the enhancements put together at??
I just can't decide.?

On Thu, Mar 28, 2024 at 07:39 PM, Jon / W2JON wrote:

Keep up the good work man..?
it's tough now to stick to one release .. Between these updates and the enhancements put together at??
I just can't decide.?

Thanks. The good news is that you can load multiple versions on SD cards or USB drives and tryout them all. Some may find different builds more favorable for their use cases than others which is great. More options is a good thing. We are all learning from each other and can add pieces to enhance our own versions to our liking.

The only person I am in competition with is myself since my project started out tp fill a void and make enhancements to a radio that I like to tinker with and use.



-JJ

On Thu, Mar 28, 2024 at 08:22 PM, JJ - W9JES wrote:

Thanks. The good news is that you can load multiple versions on SD cards or USB drives and tryout them all. Some may find different builds more favorable for their use cases than others which is great. More options is a good thing. We are all learning from each other and can add pieces to enhance our own versions to our liking.

The only person I am in competition with is myself since my project started out tp fill a void and make enhancements to a radio that I like to tinker with and use.



-JJ

Oops. I was focusing on the OS build at the time of writing.. You simply need to download a coy of the sbitx code from any repo and install it. Don't need a SD card.. Sorry.

I've added a changelog to my build here.?

?



-JJ

Thanks for the for the good work as eventually like you said all of this will have to migrate to 64 bit just to keep up with the OS and the browser and other software which will inevitably migrate to 64 bit.

After so much frustration with the sBitx v3? I finally installed your 64bit version of the software. it went like a breeze, installed it on a 64GB SD
card and voila. Finally I can enjoy the radio.
Even the audio transmit is now clear with enough highs. My last problem is that I can only get about 2 watts out in SSB,
Thank you for an outstanding work.

Here is another reason to use my 64 bit build.. Your sBitx will generate less heat thus extending the life and usability of the Raspberry Pi.


32bit CPU temp



64 bit CPU temp




To add the CPU temp monitor to your 32bit build:

Right click on a blank area of the task panel

Select Add /Remove Panel Items



Click Add from the Panel Applets tab


Select CPU Temperature Monitor



It is important to watch the CPU temp as it can cause throttling (reduced performance) or damage over time. The 64bit build appears to operate at a cooler temp when running multiple apps at the same time.




-JJ

After hearing about the success of the 64 bit beta version I started to do the upgrade. I grabbed the image file but got stuck trying to download Balena Etcher. The link in your read.me instructions takes me to a list of options none of which seem appropriate for my RPi 4. I searched some forums and even tried a suggestion to use pi-apps to install Etcher, which didn't work. It didn't seem to like my 32-bit OS.So after killing my afternoon, I decided to try using RPi Imager since it is installed with the following line in Terminal:

sudo apt install rpi-imager

Then I used it to burn the image onto a bootable USB drive, and I am now running JJs 64 bit OS with all the other goodies.

Now to test it and migrate all my WSJT and Grid tracker settings.

Hopefully this might help other less experienced Linux folks.

Update: 64 bit beta is working fine. Made a few FT8 QSOs with WSJTx and the native FT8 code.

One thing I can't figure out is why I am now getting persistent Low Voltage Warnings. I am using the same power supply that I set at 12.8V which has always worked fine while running the 32 bit OS and SBITX. Increasing the PS voltage to 13.2 had no effect. Despite the warning the system seems to be working fine.

开云体育

Something to check - It is possible if you have anything plugged into a USB port on the Pi with a heavy enough draw, it can trigger that warning.

Nothing on USB other than a mouse/keyboard WiFi connector. But that was in use with the 32 bit version and I never got this warning.

Thanks for the assistance.

BTW I'm running a DE with the shipped out mods.

And lastly, entering SBITX.local on another PC browser on my home network used to open the web version on the 32 bit code. It no longer works on this beta. The web does open in chromium on the RPi after hitting the WEB button.

W6LKB,

The original image had warnings suppressed in the config.txt file in the last line: