Thanks, Tim, for the quick reply: Here is the result of the recommended changes:
> 1.) Look in the Setup->General->Options tab and make > sure that the Enable TX Out Delay check box is not checked. It was checked, and I unchecked it. > 2,) Use the smallest audio buffers that do not distort the > audio (Setup->Audio->Primary). I would start > with 512. It seems to receive fine even at 128, so I used that value. > 3.) Use smaller CW RX/TX DSP buffers > (Setup->DSP->Options) I set to 512. > 4.) Change the CW Blanking Delay value > (Setup->Transmit) The minimum value appears to be 10; I tried increasing the value, doesn't appear to address my specific type of issue (by the way, I did notice some noise on rx/tx transition as well as in the transmitted envelope, along with the still unidentified off-frequency low-level carrier (a few hundred Hz away) in the transmit signal, but those are not my primary focus, as they don't fundamentally prevent usability in CW; the "hesitation" as others have called it, is a fundamental usability problem - a show-stopper. In a nutshell, my test is to send a single "dit" from my external keyer (set to about 15 WPM now, pretty slow) and see if that "dit" survives on the air. >From what I can tell, there is enough delay from when the "dit" begins at the >Flex-1500 key input jack until RF appears on the transmit path that there is >no way the first CW symbol could emerge unscathed. The first symbol is >incomplete, and it sounds like it may also be damaged in terms of waveform, >but I've not tried using an oscilloscope to see. I haven't tried to measure >it, but I'm guessing 50-150 mSec, but rather than delaying the whole transmit >stream, the whole setup isn't getting into transmit state quickly, and instead >the first symbol is dropped or grossly foreshortened. By the way, I've done >this test at a variety of break-in delays (generally I'm using about 100 mSec, >which should be a decent "semi-break-in" value given that I've pretty much >foresaken the prospect of getting QSK.) So, what to do - wait some more? Basically is the flex1500 I ordered within a few weeks of when flexradio first accepted orders, delivered a few weeks after flexradio began shipment, and sitting on the shelf awaiting the integrated USB driver which ostensibly targets among other things CW operation, just destined to be a hangar queen? I can accept that it's not destined to be a QSK rig (toooooo bad, I really got used to that about 1972 when I got my ten-tec argonaut 505), but I can't accept that it's not destined to be a CW rig at all, using either internal iambic or external iambic keyer (I'm not going to limit myself to sending on a keyboard - if that's the case this rig is headed for writeoff-land). Based on off-reflector messages received so far since my post yesterday, my experience is not unique. Certainly flex beta testing would include a few host machines of different capability levels so that a 1.6 GHz Atom with 2 GB RAM running only XP and Powersdr 2.0.16 could be quickly identified as insufficient, if that's the issue? So, back on the shelf awaiting update, unless there's any other configuration change I can try. Thanks for the attempted assist, Dave --- On Sun, 11/21/10, Tim Ellison <[email protected]> wrote: > From: Tim Ellison <[email protected]> > Subject: RE: [FlexEdge] First CW transmit/QSO attempt with > Flex 1500 > To: "David Feldman" <[email protected]>, "[email protected]" > <[email protected]> > Date: Sunday, November 21, 2010, 3:13 PM > It does help. Junk from a > previous DB could have been getting in the way, but that > does not seem to be the issue. > > Here are a few things to check or fiddle with. > > 1.) Look in the Setup->General->Options tab and make > sure that the Enable TX Out Delay check box is not checked. > 2,) Use the smallest audio buffers that do not distort the > audio (Setup->Audio->Primary). I would start > with 512. > 3.) Use smaller CW RX/TX DSP buffers > (Setup->DSP->Options) > 4.) Change the CW Blanking Delay value > (Setup->Transmit) > > I am not a CW op so I do not want to venture a guess at > what settings to try, but these are the things that you can > change which can improve latency. > > -Tim > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] > On Behalf Of David Feldman > Sent: Sunday, November 21, 2010 2:58 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [FlexEdge] First CW transmit/QSO attempt with > > Flex 1500 > > When I first started 2.0.16, I am pretty sure it created a > new database, because I had uninstalled 2.0.5 prior to > installing 2.0.16. In any event, I also tried resetting the > database and restarting the program, and got the same > results (the reset/restart left an XML file on the desktop > which I didn't look at.) > > Hope this is helpful info, > > Dave > > > Message: 7 > > Date: Sat, 20 Nov 2010 21:28:08 -0500 > > From: "Tim (W4TME)" <[email protected]> > > To: [email protected] > > Subject: Re: [FlexEdge] First CW transmit/QSO attempt > with Flex 1500 > > and 2.0.16 beta on 1.6 GHz Atom XP box > > Message-ID: <[email protected]> > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; > format=flowed > > > > Did you import the database from 2.0.5 into 2.0.16? > > > > -Tim > > --- > > W4TME > > FlexRadio Systems Internet Systems Admin. > > Product Verification Team > > Tune In Excitement? > > > > > > On 11/20/2010 6:54 PM, David Feldman wrote: > > > This afternoon I had my first QSO with the Flex > 1500 > > and PowerSDR 2.0.16 using an external keyer. I'm an > absolute beginner > > with any flexradio product - I bought the rig long > ago, received it > > when they began shipping, and put it on the shelf (as > I'm exclusively > > CW op) until 2.0.16 beta was released. So, today is my > first on-air > > experience with the rig. I was able to upgrade from > 2.0.5 > > (out-of-the-box CDROM) to 2.0.16 beta without any > difficulty. > > > > > > Where I'm struggling: I notice a pronounced > > "hesitation" effect with the first transmit symbol, > and also hear a > > slightly off-frequency carrier (on another receiver in > the shack) > > during transmit - a kind of "backwave" but not on the > exact TX > > frequency. I don't think either of these is news to > the developers or > > reflector, but I just wanted to see if I should be > making any > > configuration/operational changes before putting rig > back on shelf > > awaiting later software version. I did try adjusting > CW TX buffer size > > between 256 and 2048 and didn't see much difference. I > did find it > > necessary to run keyer's own sidetone (with "Disable > Monitor" selected > > on powersdr) as powersdr sidetone is delayed enough vs > actual sending, > > and powersdr sidetone audio level is dependent on > transmit drive level > > (which means no powersdr sidetone when tx power turned > down to 0 for > > testing.) > > > > > > To work around the first-symbol hesitation, I was > able > > to complete a QSO by setting the "break in delay" > parameter to ~750 > > mSec (so basically I could send a whole transmission > without the rig > > dropping back into receive.) I tried a simple test of > sending a string > > of dits at modest speed, and adjusted the Delay > parameter down to 0 mS > > (QSK hoped for) and discovered the shack receiver was > not hearing any > > useful signal (certainly not a string of dits). Until > the delay was > > set long enough to keep the rig in transmit between > dits, I could not > > obtain a workable transmit signal. > > > > > > The machine is an ATOM 1.6 GHz box with XP and > is > > doing nothing but running powersdr. CPU utilization > seems to be > > 50-60%. > > > > > > I looked at the flexedge archives and 2.0.16 > release > > notes and didn't see any advice that seems directed at > the > > first-symbol hesitation which is my main concern. > > > > > > Thanks for any advice, > > > > > > 73 Dave WB0GAZ > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Flexedge mailing list > [email protected] > http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexedge_flex-radio.biz > This is the FlexRadio Systems e-mail Reflector called > FlexEdge. It is used for posting topics related to SDR > software development and experimentalist who are using beta > versions of the software. > _______________________________________________ Flexedge mailing list [email protected] http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexedge_flex-radio.biz This is the FlexRadio Systems e-mail Reflector called FlexEdge. It is used for posting topics related to SDR software development and experimentalist who are using beta versions of the software.
