I had hoped to check-in this week, using the radio, but...

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...I'm running into problems, with setting-up VARA-FM.

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I get VU-meter response to the rig's Volume control, after opening-up the Squelch.? Rig is Yaesu FT-2500M, and the custom cable I bought from Digirig seems to be built correctly (I've beeped it out, and compared to documentation found on the Internet, for my specific radio).

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However, the x-mit functionality does not seem to work (PTT wire in that cable is not being triggered by the Digirig--or, at least, the radio never goes into transmit mode).? I believe the problem is that VARA-FM is not recognizing the COM port (I get a message:? "Unable to open radio serial port COM1.? May be in use by another application.").? I also tried VOX, but that put up a window that was a dead-end and said "Signalink TX Properties", with no enabled functionality/buttons on it.

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The USB-attach does seem to sort-of work, in that I see a new device come and go, in Windows 10 Device Manager, under "Audio inputs and outputs".? It is called "Digirig (USB PnP Sound Device)"--I might have renamed it from "Generic..." or something like that, early-on, yesterday, when I first plugged-in the USB-C cable from the PC, to the Digirig.

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...Not sure what to try next, or what to expect, or even how to debug this, further!? "Help!?"

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-Bob KE0EXE

Ben, thanks and I will try W0STV-10 ASAP (might be a few days).

From your third paragraph, for AX.25, it sounds like I can use my Digirig, USB-attached device as the “sound-card” interface, there, too, which also makes sense. ?Alternatively, I should be able use the computer’s resident sound-card h/w, correct? ?(I would just need to use a different set of cables, to connect to the radio, since the PC has the typical TRS “stereo” jacks on it, like “Mic,” “Phones,” and “Line-out”—does that sound right?)

…My “dumb” question, though, is still: ?For any/all of this, I still must use the proper CTCSS tone, to get the repeaters/nodes to respond, correct?…….(even though this isn’t voice?)

-Bob KE0EXE

On Nov 10, 2023, at 20:28, Ben Kuhn via groups.io <ku0hn@...> wrote:

?Hey Bob,

I saw your note in your check-in about not being able to connect.? I'll quote it below in case anyone else has any input.

Got PTT working on VARA-FM, but cannot yet ping W0NE-10 nor MNROC2 frequencies.? Freq's are set correctly on rig, and it goes into Xmit mode, but get "NO SIGNAL" message back, still.? Even tried HIGH power, on rig.? ...What about CTCSS tone?? Feel like I'm "so close," but will use TELNET, still, for this Check-In.??

I think I see what is going on.? If you are using VARA-FM you will need to connect to Steve's node.? It's W0STV-10 using VARA-FM Narrow on 145.710.

MNROC2 is one of the 145.670 group's AX.25 Packet KA-Nodes, and W0NE-10 is also packet only since it's on a raspberry pi, and there isn't a Linux modem for VARA.? To use those nodes, I would highly reccomend UZ7HO's SoundModem found here:?.? Configuration with your digi-rig is pretty much the same--Use COM-4 and RTS for PTT, and the digirig's audio interface for the audio in/out.

I hope this gets you pointed in the right direction.

73,
Ben - KU0HN

On Nov 14, 2023, at 08:37, Bob - KE0EXE <gettuit@...> wrote:

?

This morning I was able to ping W0STV-10 and get a response. ?I then tried the Autotune feature, on the VARS-FM Soundcard tab; it worked but said my audio level was too high, and advised me to “lower the slider” (the graphic made it look like this was a software control, not the rig’s Volume knob). ? I tried several experiments, after that, with various changes made to the Windows volume controls in the Sound Mixer and/or the USB device itself (i.e., the Digirig driver’s Levels), and apparently went too low, I guess, because I lost the connection on later tries… ?I also see that I can change the “Microphone” output level, so I am a little confused now…

I’m not sure if the message—which I also see in the VARA-FM log file—refers to the audio output level of the rig (rcv) being too high -or- of the Digirig sound-card level going back into the rig (xmit) being too high—?

On Nov 11, 2023, at 07:59, Ben Kuhn via groups.io <ku0hn@...> wrote:

?Hi Bob,

For packet, you would want to make sure you select the digirig as the sound device. You *could* build an interface that uses your built-in sound card (my packet node/Winlink gateway runs this way) but you would also need to figure out PTT--probably using a USB to serial adapter. The digirig already has all this built in.

There are no PL tones or anything. Both packet and VARA are simplex in our area. Digipeating works by storing a packet and forwarding it to the next station just like APRS. We aren't running any of this on traditional repeaters.

I hope that makes sense.

73,
Ben KU0HN








-------- Original Message --------
On Nov 11, 2023, 12:01?AM, Bob - KE0EXE < gettuit@...> wrote:

Ben, thanks and I will try W0STV-10 ASAP (might be a few days).

From your third paragraph, for AX.25, it sounds like I can use my Digirig, USB-attached device as the “sound-card” interface, there, too, which also makes sense. ?Alternatively, I should be able use the computer’s resident sound-card h/w, correct? ?(I would just need to use a different set of cables, to connect to the radio, since the PC has the typical TRS “stereo” jacks on it, like “Mic,” “Phones,” and “Line-out”—does that sound right?)

…My “dumb” question, though, is still: ?For any/all of this, I still must use the proper CTCSS tone, to get the repeaters/nodes to respond, correct?…….(even though this isn’t voice?)

-Bob KE0EXE

On Nov 10, 2023, at 20:28, Ben Kuhn via groups.io <ku0hn@...> wrote:

?Hey Bob,

I saw your note in your check-in about not being able to connect.? I'll quote it below in case anyone else has any input.

Got PTT working on VARA-FM, but cannot yet ping W0NE-10 nor MNROC2 frequencies.? Freq's are set correctly on rig, and it goes into Xmit mode, but get "NO SIGNAL" message back, still.? Even tried HIGH power, on rig.? ...What about CTCSS tone?? Feel like I'm "so close," but will use TELNET, still, for this Check-In.??

I think I see what is going on.? If you are using VARA-FM you will need to connect to Steve's node.? It's W0STV-10 using VARA-FM Narrow on 145.710.

MNROC2 is one of the 145.670 group's AX.25 Packet KA-Nodes, and W0NE-10 is also packet only since it's on a raspberry pi, and there isn't a Linux modem for VARA.? To use those nodes, I would highly reccomend UZ7HO's SoundModem found here:?.? Configuration with your digi-rig is pretty much the same--Use COM-4 and RTS for PTT, and the digirig's audio interface for the audio in/out.

I hope this gets you pointed in the right direction.

73,
Ben - KU0HN