Remote Rig
RRC-Micro PC Client in English => General discussion => Topic started by: ea3geo on 2012-08-14, 21:28:03
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Dear OM's,
I'm trying to setup the Micro-PC dongle to use it with MixW or HRD DM780's.
My initial thinking was to use Virtual Audio Cable from Eugene Muzychenko that should work fine.
And it does partially: fine Rx but no Tx and this is because something goes wrong on the setup and I don't know why.
Here's what I do:
I create 2 virtual cables in VAC
In the RRC setup I choose VAC1 as speaker and VAC2 as microphone
This causes the following error message related to VAC2:
RRC MICRO: EXCEPTION
Couldn't open sound device Virtual Cable 2
(and, well, a large message with a "GetVolumeControl failed" among other strange texts)
If I change the microphone to Microbit then it works fine but for sure I've got my Tx signal in the dongle microphone
and I don't want that. I don't want a physical cable doing a loop back to the computer soundcard. I rather would like
to have a VAC2 injecting that signal by software to the dongle.
On the other side, VAC1 works fine with superb reception results and no physical cables: for sure I could do also that
on the Tx side, couldn't I?
Has somebody tried and resolved this question?
Tks & 73 from Daniel, EA3GEO
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Just an update:
The VAC control panel allows to check a "Volume Control" box.
I did it and now the error message has changed to "GetMuteControl() failed".
I'm trying to find out, around all these parameters, how to resolve this...
73!
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Daniel,
Just a question: why are you doing this so complicated and not just use the USB audio that
the dongle generates? Since you don't need to listen to digital signals, you can use them for
software instead.
73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX
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Hi,
Thanks Mitch for your answer.
Maybe I'm confused on the way I look at this.
I understand the RRC micro as a device that connects to the remote RRC and that "translates" the digital signal it gets from
there to an analog signal on the dongle. That signal is identified (to me) as "Microbit 1274A".
From the way I understand this, if I want that signal "injected" to MixW or DM780 then I've got two possibilities.
The first one would be making physical cables from the dongle to the computer soundcard (and this I don't like).
The second one would be creating these Virtual Audio Cables that "digitally repeat" what they hear on the dongle output and send to the treatment program you want (MixW/DM780). A second virtual cable would take the signal generated from DM780 and send it to the dongle input (mic) and from there through the internet to the remote site.
Maybe I'm confused on the way it really works but, but...
i. The Virtual Cable 1 (VAC1) it works fine for me (but not VAC2).
ii. If I try to use Microbit 1274A in both speaker and mic (this is the USB audio that the dongle generates) then I don't have any result. Just zero. No signal.
How you do that?
Have you this system working?
Tks for your help!
73 ES GD DX DE EA3GEO, Daniel
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Hi Daniel,
In any of the digital mode software you can select a sound card to use for speaker
and audio input. Just select the USB sound card that the Microbit dongle generates.
You must adjust the Windows audio settings for this sound card and not only on the
PC Client software. This may be why this wasn't working for you before.
This is actually the easiest way to get digital modes working over RemoteRig, better
than the RRC. However, Microbit has not yet implemented a virtual COM port for FSK
as they have for the RRC, so this method needs to still use AFSK.
73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX
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Hi Mitch,
Done! You were right! It was a so simple thing as adjusting the volume controls of the Windows audio.
Quite ridiculous, I must admit. I didn't understand how this worked and I choosed the complicated way!
Now I've got to play a bit more with levels since it seems that I need some more level in the speaker, but
I'll find out.
Thank you Mitch for your assistance.
73 ES GD DX DE EA3GEO, Daniel
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I use DM780, and for input (RX audio) it only allows you to select Microbit Microphone, not Speaker. The Microbit SPEAKER is the one that is carrying the received audio from the radio isn't it? Same thing with output (TX audio from DM780), it only offers Microbit Speaker, and the transmitted audio I would think needs to go to Microbit Microphone to get to the radio.
Am I missing something?
Thanks.
Charlie KB8BWE
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Your RRC Micro Client settings should allow you to select "Microbit 1272A" on both the
Speaker and Microphone settings.
Under Windows Device Manager, you will find "Microbit 1274A" listed as a device. Just
select this for both the input and output under DM780.
73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX
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Hi Mitch:
In DM780, it lists Microbit 1274A Microphone, Line, and Speaker separately. That is where I see the problem. On Input (to DM780) they do not offer the 1274A SPEAKER, only Mic or Line. And vice-versa on Output (it only offers 1274A SPEAKER, not mic).
Charlie
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Hi Charlie,
That is strange, on my Win 7/64 PC I only have one combined device. Please provide more
details of your O/S and maybe a screen shot of your Device Manager with this showing.
73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX
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Mitch:
The soundcard selections for DM780 are made IN DM780. It is there that I am limited in which one to chose.
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I also use Windows 7/64
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Charlie,
Please look under Device Manager to see which devices are listed there. It should be the
same as DM780 can select. Also, which version of the RRC Micro client are you using?
73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX
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I am using 1.6.6 . In device manager, it shows one entry for Microbit 1274A.
But these are the screenshots from DM780. It separates them into Microphone, Line, and Speaker. You can see the options it offers.
http://www.cincysouth.com/DM780-1.png (http://www.cincysouth.com/DM780-1.png)
http://www.cincysouth.com/DM780-2.png (http://www.cincysouth.com/DM780-2.png)
I cannot select the microphone for OUTPUT, only INPUT, and I cannot select the speaker for INPUT, only OUTPUT.
I need them the other way around to get the audio from RRC-Micro to the program.
Charlie KB8BWE
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I think it would require an additional item in the driver, to select the Microbit speaker as a RECORDING device, maybe naming it Microbit 1274A PSK RX, and to select the Microbit Microphone as a PLAYBACK device, maybe naming it Microbit 1274A PSK TX.
I don't know how you have it working. For now, I guess I'll make up some short cables.
Charlie KB8BWE (soon to be KB8CR)
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Hi Charlie,
I had to install HRD on the Win7/64 PC and take a look at this for you.
As far as I can tell, everyone is ok with your present setup. I have three
microphones showing all under input device and three speakers under
output, so this behavior appears to be correct.
If you look at the description on the right of HRD's soundcard program
options, it also says there that the output should be a speaker and the
input a source, so that confirms it. I think this has been right the whole
time for you and you had your logic backwards. At least that is what
it looks like from my side.
Just try it out and see if it works for you. Don't forget to use the Windows
audio settings if needed.
73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX
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Using a cable from the notebook's speaker out to the Dongle's mic jack, and a cable from the notebook's mic jack to the dongle's speaker out, it works fine. I was just understanding Mitch as saying that you could feed the audio to/from DM780 in SOFTWARE, WITHOUT cables by selecting the Microbit 1274A in the DM780 menu.
Charlie
KB8CR (as of this morning...new call)
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Yes, Charlie, it works just fine without any cables whatsoever. The dongle contains a USB
sound card, you just use this sound card instead of cables. I suspect your problem may lie
with Windows settings, hard to say. But it should work just fine.
Aren't computers fun? :o
73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX
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That's what I was hoping, but can't seem to get it setup.
In the Microbit RRC Client, which mic/speaker settings are you using?
THEN.....
In DM780, what "soundcard" selections are you using?
I *thought* I understood windows until now.....ha ha.
Charlie KB8CR
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Well, looks like it is the LEVELS. I got into windows settings, and turn the Microbit Mic ALL THE WAY UP. Still barely is heard by DM780. Can't see any way to increase the levels.
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I took some time today to try to see how this program behaves. I have never used DM780
before (nor am I an HRD user), plus I am not a digital mode user. However, I have helped
others to get digital modes working using the dongle with other programs.
I tried this using a TS-480 on 14.071 for PSK.
Anyway, everything seems to behave normal when I set DM780 to use the Microbit devices,
in the sense that HRD "hears" the signal and DM780 shows the signal as well on the bar on the
top of the PSK receive window (the one that moves back and forth and has tuning signal next to
the "AFC" button. However, it isn't decoding any signals. I tried various levels on both the dongle
and in Windows. Since DM780 shows the signal level, I assume that it is because I am too dumb to
figure out how to use this program. Maybe someone else has used this configuration and can tell
us what we are doing wrong. In the meantime, I will go back to using MixW or something else if
I ever decide to try digital modes again.
Sorry I can't get this working.
73,
Mitch DJ0QN / K7DX
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Thanks so much for trying. Ill try using short cables.
Charlie KB8CR
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I have finally found a solution for running PSK31 with HRD + DM780 on the RRC Micro.
http://www.vb-cable.com has a free virtual cable (only 1 input and 1 output) that I installed and select it in RRCMicro as the mic and speaker selection. Do the same in DM780. Set the levels by HRD's AF gain control for RX and adjust mic gain, and it all works perfectly. I have worked quite a few stations today. Taking the notebook with me to Florida tomorrow, and will try it over the internet, but no reason it shouldn't work just fine.
Charlie KB8CR ;D
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I have the same problem with DM-780 that everyone else has. I installed the virtual cables as one fellow did and DM780 works like a champ, but now I have no audio to listen to! Fine for digital modes but not so good for voice. Back to the drawing board. I'm using Windows 8.
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If you go into the Audio settings in Windows, under Properties, you should be able to check a box that says "Listen to this device" if you want to hear the RX audio through your speakers (I didn't want to hear it on PSK).
73 Charlie KB8CR
(http://www.cincysouth.com/VBCablesettings.jpg)
Line 1 is the Virtual Cable on my computer
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Just realized that won't work.....when you "listen" to the Virtual Cable input, it simply re-routes it to the Virtual cable. Oh well.
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