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Hi everyone! I'd like to try some digital modes with my uBitx, so I should replace the factory firmware in order to gain CAT control.? I'm thinking about?KD8CEC’s firmware. I have some previous experience with Arduino clones, so updating the information in the microcontroller won't scare me. What I'm concerned about is the calibration of the uBitx. Is it needed to save some files from the EEPROM? And about what EEPROM are people talking about? The memory core of the Arduino? I mention that I don't have access to any fancy lab hardware like signal generators or oscilloscopes. Thanks!
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Daniel,
Currently using Farhan ubitz V4.3 code with
CAT.? Works great with FlDigi and WSJTX.? No need to go to other code
unless you want to.
?
Rick
KN4AIE
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Oh, really ? I just connect the USB to the computer and I can establish a communication through the COM port?
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Yes, just like your uploading new software to the nano.?
Set the parameters in WSJTX for Yaseau 817 correct com port and baud rate, use
Cat for control.? Works great! FlDigi the same, just set the parameters
correctly and Cat will work.? Of course you need to hook up the audio out
from your computer to the mike in on the uBitx and make sure you do not connect
the ring PTT wire at the uBitx.? Just the tip and sleeve.? I use my
speaker out on the ubitx into the line in on the computer.? The slider on
the right side of WSJTX can be used to control the audio ?level out of the
computer (modulation level) into the ubitx.? I use the volume on the ubitx
to control the audio level into WSJTX and keep the level bar in the green. I
have made a couple of hundred contacts including DX to Europe and S
America.? Lots of fun on this little box.
?
Rick
KN4AIE
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Oh, really ? I just connect the USB to the computer and I can
establish a communication through the COM port?
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Hello ...
?
I am new with mBITX . Just got it yesterday and now already built in
enclosure
and it runs good .
The firmware is the original from HFSIGNALS .
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But something makes me not happy : the frequency tuning steps are to large
, 100 Hz .
Which other firmware I could install and use with tuning steps , maybe 10
Hz ???
And how is the way to install another firmware without risk that the radio
will then not more work ... ?
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I have found something from KD8CEC , but for me as beginner it seems to be
very complicate ...
to make an firmware update ... I need help , please !
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73 , Jens / HB9JOI
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+++
?
?
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From: Rick
Price
Sent: Wednesday, October 3, 2018 7:23 PM
Subject: Re: [BITX20] uBitx Software Update
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Yes, just like your uploading new software to the nano.?
Set the parameters in WSJTX for Yaseau 817 correct com port and baud rate, use
Cat for control.? Works great! FlDigi the same, just set the parameters
correctly and Cat will work.? Of course you need to hook up the audio out
from your computer to the mike in on the uBitx and make sure you do not connect
the ring PTT wire at the uBitx.? Just the tip and sleeve.? I use my
speaker out on the ubitx into the line in on the computer.? The slider on
the right side of WSJTX can be used to control the audio? level out of the
computer (modulation level) into the ubitx.? I use the volume on the ubitx
to control the audio level into WSJTX and keep the level bar in the green. I
have made a couple of hundred contacts including DX to Europe and S
America.? Lots of fun on this little box.
?
Rick
KN4AIE
?
Oh, really ? I just connect the USB to the computer and I can
establish a communication through the COM port?
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But why we have to connect also the microphone line of the uBitx to the computer line out? The computer is not communicating already with uBitx through USB ? If for example I want to use CW mode on Fldigi, the software generated code is sent to uBitx through the mic line, or USB ??!
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The CAT control is limited to basic control of the radio like frequency, modes and keying the transmitter on and off. Audio needs sound cards; USB or other types. That is why the audio has to be sent to/from the uBITX from the microphone and audio volume control tap or the speaker output to/from sound cards.
If a digital mode is incorporated into the uBITX firmware then the text data might be able to be sent over the USB cable, but I din't know if there is any established standard for doing that.
The CEC firmware has/had a stand alone WSPR mode built in.
Tom, wb6b
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I am actually interested in CW Morse code, encoded and decoded by computer software. But I'm not quite sure that I undestand how CW Morse tone is sent through microphone. Then why do we have some wires for straight keyer? The Morse code should be sent through those wires I think.?
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Daniel
First let me clarify that CAT control is a different path than the audio data used for digital modes.? Honestly you do not need a CAT interface (which control the rigs settings) for most digital modes.?
Think of the digital function as substituting for your speech and hearing.? Literally we need a sound card type connection to the rig.? Modes like RTTY, PSK31, FT8 etc all use this same type of interface.? Patching receive audio from the rig to a soundcard is pretty easy - it is just a cable.? Reliable transmit is more complex since we need to key the rig into transmit, and keep transmit RF from leaking back into the audio path (often transformers and other parts are suggested for good behavior here).?
Transmitting CW (morse code) is usually done by providing the rig an on/off switched signal.? In the uBITX the normal CW path is different than used for SSB.? A plan B approach for sending CW (used by FLDIGI and the like) creates an audio signal to feed into the microphone path.? It may work, but it may not be as clean as the traditional approach that turns electronics inside the rig on and off.? Yes a pair of wires from a straight key (a mechanical device) does CW very easy.? An electronic keyer uses a paddle and a chip to create the same type of signal to feed into the transmitter (the uBITX has the keyer circuit built in so only a paddle is needed).?
Receiving CW in theory can be done by a computer -- in fact the Reverse Beacon Network does this all the time.? Not all CW decoding software works this well, and even RBN may only catch signals well above the noise level.? CW is generally intended for manual receiving by ear -- for automated means all the other methods (RTTY, PSK31, FT8 etc) tend to be much better.? You are welcome to experiment with automated CW receiving with whatever software you can find to see what you get.?
After reading a little - do try to receive emissions in your PC soundcard.? FLdigi, MMTTY, WSJTx are commonly available programs.? One caution on FT8 and WSPR - you must first synchronize your PC clock to world time within about 1.5 to 2 seconds to get messages.? Be patient as you learn all this and get it working.?
Curt
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Okay! Now I think I understand. I connected uBitx to the computer on USB and I have control of the PTT and frequency change. Also I put the speaker of the Ubitx close to the computer's microphone (no wires involved) and I put Fldigi to decode some RTTY transmissions. It went pretty well, I am amazed. I heard some communications from far away. That's a very good start. Thanks for informations!!!
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Are you decoding what is being sent or received?
Jack, W8TEE
On Thursday, October 4, 2018, 12:00:47 PM EDT, Daniel <gonewiththeego@...> wrote:
I am actually interested in CW Morse code, encoded and decoded by computer software. But I'm not quite sure that I undestand how CW Morse tone is sent through microphone. Then why do we have some wires for straight keyer? The Morse code should be sent through those wires I think.?
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The computer decodes what it hears from uBitx speaker :)
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Thanks Curt your explanation of digital modes was very clear. Also how it operates and what is needed to simply make it work with the UBITX too.?
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On Oct 4, 2018, at 12:27, Curt via Groups.Io < wb8yyy@...> wrote: Daniel
First let me clarify that CAT control is a different path than the audio data used for digital modes.? Honestly you do not need a CAT interface (which control the rigs settings) for most digital modes.?
Think of the digital function as substituting for your speech and hearing.? Literally we need a sound card type connection to the rig.? Modes like RTTY, PSK31, FT8 etc all use this same type of interface.? Patching receive audio from the rig to a soundcard is pretty easy - it is just a cable.? Reliable transmit is more complex since we need to key the rig into transmit, and keep transmit RF from leaking back into the audio path (often transformers and other parts are suggested for good behavior here).?
Transmitting CW (morse code) is usually done by providing the rig an on/off switched signal.? In the uBITX the normal CW path is different than used for SSB.? A plan B approach for sending CW (used by FLDIGI and the like) creates an audio signal to feed into the microphone path.? It may work, but it may not be as clean as the traditional approach that turns electronics inside the rig on and off.? Yes a pair of wires from a straight key (a mechanical device) does CW very easy.? An electronic keyer uses a paddle and a chip to create the same type of signal to feed into the transmitter (the uBITX has the keyer circuit built in so only a paddle is needed).?
Receiving CW in theory can be done by a computer -- in fact the Reverse Beacon Network does this all the time.? Not all CW decoding software works this well, and even RBN may only catch signals well above the noise level.? CW is generally intended for manual receiving by ear -- for automated means all the other methods (RTTY, PSK31, FT8 etc) tend to be much better.? You are welcome to experiment with automated CW receiving with whatever software you can find to see what you get.?
After reading a little - do try to receive emissions in your PC soundcard.? FLdigi, MMTTY, WSJTx are commonly available programs.? One caution on FT8 and WSPR - you must first synchronize your PC clock to world time within about 1.5 to 2 seconds to get messages.? Be patient as you learn all this and get it working.?
Curt
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The audio tones are generated in the computer?software
and sent out on line out or the?headphone jack which ever you have
configured.? There is no way for the audio tones to get from the usb on the
nano to the modulation input/ microphone input?on the ubitx. I have not
tried transmitting only receive and CAT?on Fldigi so cannot speak to that
but would assume it is the same as WSJTX.
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But
why we have to connect also the microphone line of the uBitx to the computer
line out? The computer is not communicating already with uBitx through USB ? If
for example I want to use CW mode on Fldigi, the software generated code is sent
to uBitx through the mic line, or USB ??!
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I have a few questions related to this topic of doing digital modes.
I you are running the WSPR mode with the KD8CEC software what power level do you set the radio to transmit at? ?I’m not in front of my radio but I think when I went into that feature in the software I saw a dB level or something like that. Since I haven’t seen any documention on this feature as of yet I want to make sure I’m not going to burn out the IRF510s. I’d like to run about 200mW like I do with my WSPRflexi.?
On a similar note if you do FT8 with the uBitx is the stock setup with just the factory heat sinks able to handle doing FT8 at full power? ?I get the feeling that maybe this wouldn’t be a good idea but I understand people are doing FT8 so I’m curious what technique people are using as far as output power goes when running FT8.?
Thanks,
Curt
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When I run WSPR or FT8 I run a fan on the heatsinks. Otherwise they get very hot.
If you are referring to the builtin WSPR mode in the CEC firmware, the heatsinks will also get hot, like if holding the CW key down continuously for an extended time.?
The CEC firmware basically puts the uBITX in the CW key down mode and makes slight shifts in the transmit frequency (by sending new values to the synthesizer chip) to send the WSPR beacon message.?
When you use software based WSPR and FT8 programs, they modulate the SSB signal with an audio tone (1 Khz if I recall) and make slight shifts to the audio tone frequency to accomplish the same thing. If you overdrive the audio level in the audio tone method, the SSB signal will be full of spurs and such rather than a single frequency (with slight frequency shifts representing the message).?
Tom, wb6b
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Thanks Tom. ?Can the output of the built in WSPR mode be turned down to some mW value? ?I would think that if this can be done that the heat sinks shouldn't get very warm or am I missing something?
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You could turn down RV1. That would reduce the TX output for SSB as well.
If you don't use CW you might experiment with raising the value of R104 that provides a DC current to unbalance the mixer, causing the uBITX to produce a carrier for CW. I have not tried this, so if anyone has tried it, it would be good to know how well it worked.?
Tom, wb6b
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But let's assume that when you press the CW keyer on uBitx you send a signal of 700 Hz . If you press the PTT button and inject a sound signal of 700 Hz through the microphone wires, the transceiver is acting in the same way as keying? The path of the signal will be the same? Or there is some disadvantages of doing CW through SSB mic line? I hope that I can be understood what I mean, my English is a little rusted.?
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If you tune the radio to transmit in LSB phone mode with a suppressed carrier at 7000000 hz,
then transmit a pure 700 hz audio tone into the mike,
the resulting transmission will be a carrier at 7000700 hz.
Assuming the tone and the SSB transmitter are perfect.
Since the carrier and the opposite sideband are not fully suppressed, there will also be signals
at 7000000 hz and 6999300 hz.? And since the audio tone and the microphone and the
transmitter gain circuits are not perfect, there will be stuff going out over the air due to?
harmonics of the 700 hz audio tone.
But there have been SSB transmitters built successfully that transmit CW signals
using this method.
On the uBitx, CW transmissions occur much differently than SSB transmissions.
On CW, the mike amp, modulator, 12mhz filter, second mixer, and two IF amps are not used.
Instead, to transmit on 7000000 hz, a signal at 7000000 hz on CLK2 from the Si5351
is injected into the first mixer.? No mixing occurs, as there is no signal coming in from the
45mhz IF.? ?That 7000000 hz signal goes on through the power amp and out the antenna.
Much much simpler, and the signal can be cleaner.? No spurious signals (such as a
suppressed carrier or opposite sideband), no issues with harmonics of the 700 hz audio.
No issue with IMD in the power amp since there is only one signal going through and
nothing else to intermodulate with.
Jerry, KE7ER
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On Fri, Oct 5, 2018 at 10:47 AM, Daniel wrote:
But let's assume that when you press the CW keyer on uBitx you send a signal of 700 Hz . If you press the PTT button and inject a sound signal of 700 Hz through the microphone wires, the transceiver is acting in the same way as keying? The path of the signal will be the same? Or there is some disadvantages of doing CW through SSB mic line? I hope that I can be understood what I mean, my English is a little rusted.?
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YO8UFO
Jens/HB9JOI
Skip Davis