Re: R1CBU / R2RFE - FT8 issue with prefixed callsign
After a quick analysis of the problem, and thanks to Georgy's hints, I think I've managed to find its direct cause.
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In WSJTX, standard CQ calls (without a country prefix) are encoded using a different methodology than those containing a prefix. Calls with a prefix (e.g., SV9/SP9HGN/P) are encoded as free text, which according to the FT8 specification is limited to 13 characters. As a result, especially when callsign is long, there is no enough room to include the additional characters representing the locator.
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The current implementation of ft8lib in the R1CBU/R2RFE software, when a configured callsign contains a country prefix (e.g., SV9/SP9HGN/P), still attempts to add the locator to it, which results in an error.
I'll try to prepare a fix for this issue in the near future and make the use of the locator in a call conditional on whether a country prefix is present in the configured callsign.
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There is a simple online tool that allows you to "break down" and visualize an FT8 frame: https://pengowray.github.io/ft8play/
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Re: Modified BASE firmware - rev1
Yup, you're right guys.
It was late, and I stupidly, simply wget'ted this file from wrong URL directly to my X6100. Now it's fine. Thanks.
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Re: Modified BASE firmware - rev1
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Re: Modified BASE firmware - rev1
Are you talking about the modified audio files or Xiego Firmware updates?
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Re: Latest Stable Firmware
You're correct again... poor choice of words! ? ;-)
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Bob
KD2TTM
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Re: Modified BASE firmware - rev1
Sorry , maybe for others a stupid question :
Where was described how to install a changed base-FW ?
I have all that forget ...
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73 , Jens / HB9JOI
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Show quoted text
From: Georgy Dyuldin via groups.io
Sent: Monday, April 21, 2025 10:21 AM
Subject: [xiegu-x6100] Modified BASE firmware -
rev1
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Hi.
I do some more changes on 1.1.6 BASE firmware - fix AM transmit, add a soft
limiter, output power control.
I decide to track changes within github repo:
?
Current version is rev1 (r1) - this suffix will be shown in the system info
instead of the build time for BASE version.
?
Some details:
* FM - depth of modulation increased 10 times. Output level configured to
not "disturb" ALC (reduced for ~ 13 times). Output power remains the same.
* AM - in theory carrier power should be 25% of the max output power with
modulation depth equals to 1. I made it about 50% of configured output power.
Guess, that positive peaks will be correct handled by ALC.
* Soft limiter for AM - I added it to prevent overmodulation. It adds some
distortion for a loud signal, but I guess it's a less evil than distortions due
to overmodulation.
* Output power is now affects a level of the generated IQ signals.
Previously - changing output power only changes ALC level, without actual
changing signal level.
?
Perhaps, I'll try to add FM squelch in a future version.
?
Also - I checked controlling compressor (on/off) from the alternative
firmware - it's working. I guess, ratio control will be configurable too.
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Georgy // R2RFE
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Re: Modified BASE firmware - rev1
Worked for me. You can¡¯t right click and "save link as" though. You end up with an html file. You need to click on the file in the repository then download the RAW file as shown below.
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Re: Modified BASE firmware - rev1
Hmm. I checked - size of file within repo 376K.
md5sum is 01575619f261b3237ba7457504af6bfd
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Georgy // R2RFE
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Re: Modified BASE firmware - rev1
Hi Georgy! Great that you decided to create a dedicated repository for experimenting with BASE software and all the documentation for your changes.
I decided to try installing the binary available at:
After installing the firmware, the radio backend stopped working and the TX LED started blinking, as shown in the attached video:
From what I've noticed, previous XGF files based on version 1.1.8 were around 383KB in size, while the version available in your repository is around 207KB. Are you sure you pushed the correct binary to the repository?
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Re: Modified BASE firmware - rev1
Thaks for your reply Georgy
Yes.
Previous patched version (with increased FM modulation level) has 3x FM depth multiplier, comparing original firmware. This - 10x from original firmware. Let me know, if it too much)
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Georgy // R2RFE
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Re: Modified BASE firmware - rev1
Yes.
Previous patched version (with increased FM modulation level) has 3x FM depth multiplier, comparing original firmware. This - 10x from original firmware. Let me know, if it too much)
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Georgy // R2RFE
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Re: R1CBU / R2RFE - FT8 issue with prefixed callsign
Hi Georgy!
Thanks for this suggestions.? I¡¯ll check that and share my findings soon.
73 de Jarek SP9HGN W dniu niedz., 20 kwi 2025 o 10:31 Georgy Dyuldin via <g.dyuldin= [email protected]> napisa?(a):
Hi.
It's known issue (reported few days ago) -
It might be related with ft8 lib or with main application.
FT8 might encode messages in a few ways. For too long or non-standard call signs it use more bits to encode message within CQ and there is no more space for grid.
I suggest to do next steps:
* Try to call CQ with long callsign using wsjtx to check how tx text should looks like (does it contains grid or not)
* Try to add a line to ft8_lib test with message from wsjtx (without hash_if) -
* Update ft8_lib or ft8_lib and x6100_gui code
?
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Georgy // R2RFE
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Re: Modified BASE firmware - rev1
Sorry but I am a bit confused (unfortunately easy for me. ?) Am I correct in thinking that the latest base release v1.1.6 R1 still includes the 160Hz low frequency filter, the compressor and FM improvement.
Many thanks John
Nice! For the record, i use BASE 1.1.6 with APP 1.1.9 (and r1cbu / r2rfe firmware) without issue. As i¡¯ve mentioned before 1.1.6 BASE has the best implementation of NR (noise reduction) vs other the versions.
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I will install this BASE and give it a whirl when propagation comes back as its been almost nonexistent around here for a few weeks now.
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Re: Modified BASE firmware - rev1
Nice! For the record, i use BASE 1.1.6 with APP 1.1.9 (and r1cbu / r2rfe firmware) without issue. As i¡¯ve mentioned before 1.1.6 BASE has the best implementation of NR (noise reduction) vs other the versions.
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I will install this BASE and give it a whirl when propagation comes back as its been almost nonexistent around here for a few weeks now.
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Re: Modified BASE firmware - rev1
Hi, Jerry.
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1.1.6 means, that it based on the OEM BASE firmware 1.1.6. It's not compatible with any another BASE version because it's a replacement - it just erase BASE firmware and flashes new one (like during usual FW upgrade)
Most important differences is noise reduction logic and default rfg (63 for 1.1.6 and 100 for 1.1.8). You can check all changelog between 1.1.6 and 1.1.8 on the
I guess you can use it with APP 1.1.6-1.1.8 (or alternative GUI).
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Georgy // R2RFE
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Re: Modified BASE firmware - rev1
Georgy,
Is this Mod also compatible with the latest Xiego Base Firmware, 1.1.8? If not, what has changed from 1.1.6 to 1.1.8? So what do we lose by using 1.1.6 with your Mod instead of the latest Xiegu software with Base 1.1.8?
I noticed that in your Github 1.1.6 repository, the README.md file does not specify that this Mod applies only to the 1.1.6 Firmware version, (if this is so, see above). You might want to add this to the README.md file. Assuming you need to apply the Mod to the 1.1.6 Firmware only, you might also want to add a paragraph to the beginning to indicate this, and maybe indicate that you need to "upgrade" to the Xiegu version that also includes the latest 1.1.6 Base Firmware, from the Radioddity.com site.
Jerry K6ANI
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Show quoted text
On Mon, Apr 21, 2025 at 01:21 AM, Georgy Dyuldin wrote:
Hi.
I do some more changes on 1.1.6 BASE firmware - fix AM transmit, add a soft
limiter, output power control.
I decide to track changes within github repo:
Current version is rev1 (r1) - this suffix will be shown in the system info
instead of the build time for BASE version.
Some details:
* FM - depth of modulation increased 10 times. Output level configured to not
"disturb" ALC (reduced for ~ 13 times). Output power remains the same.
* AM - in theory carrier power should be 25% of the max output power with
modulation depth equals to 1. I made it about 50% of configured output power.
Guess, that positive peaks will be correct handled by ALC.
* Soft limiter for AM - I added it to prevent overmodulation. It adds some
distortion for a loud signal, but I guess it's a less evil than distortions
due to overmodulation.
* Output power is now affects a level of the generated IQ signals. Previously
- changing output power only changes ALC level, without actual changing signal
level.
Perhaps, I'll try to add FM squelch in a future version.
Also - I checked controlling compressor (on/off) from the alternative firmware
- it's working. I guess, ratio control will be configurable too.
--
Georgy // R2RFE
|
Modified BASE firmware - rev1
Hi.
I do some more changes on 1.1.6 BASE firmware - fix AM transmit, add a soft limiter, output power control.
I decide to track changes within github repo:
?
Current version is rev1 (r1) - this suffix will be shown in the system info instead of the build time for BASE version.
?
Some details:
* FM - depth of modulation increased 10 times. Output level configured to not "disturb" ALC (reduced for ~ 13 times). Output power remains the same.
* AM - in theory carrier power should be 25% of the max output power with modulation depth equals to 1. I made it about 50% of configured output power. Guess, that positive peaks will be correct handled by ALC.
* Soft limiter for AM - I added it to prevent overmodulation. It adds some distortion for a loud signal, but I guess it's a less evil than distortions due to overmodulation.
* Output power is now affects a level of the generated IQ signals. Previously - changing output power only changes ALC level, without actual changing signal level.
?
Perhaps, I'll try to add FM squelch in a future version.
?
Also - I checked controlling compressor (on/off) from the alternative firmware - it's working. I guess, ratio control will be configurable too.
--
Georgy // R2RFE
|
Re: R1CBU / R2RFE - FT8 issue with prefixed callsign
Hi.
It's known issue (reported few days ago) -
It might be related with ft8 lib or with main application.
FT8 might encode messages in a few ways. For too long or non-standard call signs it use more bits to encode message within CQ and there is no more space for grid. https://github.com/gdyuldin/ft8_lib/blob/master/ft8/message.c#L144
I suggest to do next steps:
* Try to call CQ with long callsign using wsjtx to check how tx text should looks like (does it contains grid or not)
* Try to add a line to ft8_lib test with message from wsjtx (without hash_if) -
* Update ft8_lib or ft8_lib and x6100_gui code
?
--
Georgy // R2RFE
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R1CBU / R2RFE - FT8 issue with prefixed callsign
Hi! I'm writing to check if you've encountered a similar issue with the R1CBU/R2RFE firmware. I'm using the latest version, 0.29.2.
During my recent trip to Crete, Greece, when I tried to use the FT8 application with a callsign that includes a Crete-specific prefix (in my case, SV9/SP9HGN/P), the application did not work properly. The issue can be seen in the attached video.
Interestingly, single-letter prefixes (e.g., F/SP9HGN/P) work correctly.
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Can anyone confirm this behavior in the firmware?
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@Georgy, do you have any suggestions on what in code I could check first for a potential fix?
To be honest, I haven¡¯t looked into this bug in detail yet, as I¡¯ve just returned from vacation. However, I¡¯d like to work on resolving it soon, since I¡¯m planning a trip to Spitsbergen around July/August, where I¡¯ll be operating as JW/SP9HGN/P. Being able to work FT8 directly from the radio would make things much simpler. I'm open to any suggestions.
73 de Jarek SP9HGN
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Re: No-code styles customization for R1CBU/R2RFE firmware
Awesome. Thanks for testing it.
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Bob KD2TTM
Jens/HB9JOI
wicknix
John Claridge 2E0JJC