version 2.0.951

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ahop...@googlemail.com

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Apr 5, 2023, 8:48:03 AM4/5/23
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David Taylor

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Apr 5, 2023, 9:19:14 AM4/5/23
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On 05/04/2023 13:48, 'ahop...@googlemail.com' via SparkSDR wrote:
> Hi All,
> there is a set of test releases here
>
> https://www.sparksdr.com/download/SparkSDR.2.0.951.win64.zip

Thanks for the update!

I have lost my previous settings after updating, so what should I have done to
keep them? I looked in the registry but there was nothing obvious.

Thanks,
David GM8ARV
--
SatSignal Software - Quality software for you
Web: https://www.satsignal.eu
Email: david-...@blueyonder.co.uk
Twitter: @gm8arv

ahop...@googlemail.com

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Apr 5, 2023, 10:27:39 AM4/5/23
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Hi David,
sorry you lost your settings, this should not happen, there might be a clue as to why in the error logs.
You can preserve old settings by copying the settings directory that is in the same location as the errorlogs directory.
73 Alan M0NNB

David Taylor

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Apr 5, 2023, 2:07:24 PM4/5/23
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On 05/04/2023 15:27, 'ahop...@googlemail.com' via SparkSDR wrote:
> Hi David,
> sorry you lost your settings, this should not happen, there might be a clue as
> to why in the error logs.
> You can preserve old settings by copying the settings directory that is in the
> same location as the errorlogs directory.
> 73 Alan M0NNB

Thanks, Alan. I think the issue may have been the different directories
created by simply expanding the Zip file. With SDR# I would just overwrite the
files, and I can do that next time.

What I should be able to do is to restore that one directory from a backup I
just happened to do yesterday, and see what results. I'll try to restore it to
a temporary location and then overwrite the settings directory. Fingers crossed.

73,

David Taylor

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Apr 5, 2023, 2:41:13 PM4/5/23
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On 05/04/2023 15:27, 'ahop...@googlemail.com' via SparkSDR wrote:
> Hi David,
> sorry you lost your settings, this should not happen, there might be a clue as
> to why in the error logs.
> You can preserve old settings by copying the settings directory that is in the
> same location as the errorlogs directory.
> 73 Alan M0NNB

Alan,

Where should my personal frequencies be stored, please?

ahop...@googlemail.com

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Apr 6, 2023, 3:16:45 AM4/6/23
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they will be in settings/favourites.json unless they were stored as profiles in which case each profile has its own directory in settings/profiles.
73 Alan M0NNB

David Taylor

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Apr 6, 2023, 4:28:56 AM4/6/23
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On 06/04/2023 08:16, 'ahop...@googlemail.com' via SparkSDR wrote:
> they will be in settings/favourites.json unless they were stored as profiles in
> which case each profile has its own directory in settings/profiles.
> 73 Alan M0NNB

Thanks, Alan.

The issue appears to be that on the new installation I hadn't selected the
drivers required (e.g. Airspy) so discovery didn't work, and without any radios
I couldn't see the Favourites. That's now resolved.

One thing I note is that, although I've ticked the RTL driver and restarted,
it's not detecting my RTL-SDR (USB connection). My other SDR programs find
this device.

73,

ahop...@googlemail.com

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Apr 6, 2023, 5:25:56 AM4/6/23
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Hi,
there is a section in the help on rtl dongles, on windows you need to download a file and copy it to the installation directory, there is a link in the help.  I found the common windows rtl driver files often fail if you stop and restart the radio which is a common action in spark but probably does not matter so much in other software, so I use a specific driver. The license does not allow me to include the file in my distribution.
73 Alan M0NNB

David Taylor

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Apr 6, 2023, 9:29:16 AM4/6/23
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On 06/04/2023 10:25, 'ahop...@googlemail.com' via SparkSDR wrote:
> Hi,
> there is a section in the help on rtl dongles, on windows you need to download
> a file and copy it to the installation directory, there is a link in the help.
> I found the common windows rtl driver files often fail if you stop and restart
> the radio which is a common action in spark but probably does not matter so
> much in other software, so I use a specific driver. The license does not allow
> me to include the file in my distribution.
> 73 Alan M0NNB

Thanks, Alan.

I had already downloaded that file when I first installed SparkSDR, but having
zapped the directory for the new version I had omitted to install the DLL again.

What I normally do with other software is take the Zip and display the contents
in date order, and just copy the newer files to overwrite the existing version.
This unless there's a major update. In SDR# that's twenty files. I shall
take the same approach with SparkSDR next time!

It's been a useful experience for me, but sorry that I had to bother the group.

ahop...@googlemail.com

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Apr 6, 2023, 4:09:09 PM4/6/23
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Hi David,
good to hear it is all working, thanks very much for your feedback, it all helps me make the software and documentation better. I'd much rather hear about problems rather than people giving up on the software.
73 Alan M0NNB

David Taylor

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Apr 7, 2023, 12:11:55 AM4/7/23
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On 06/04/2023 21:09, 'ahop...@googlemail.com' via SparkSDR wrote:
> Hi David,
> good to hear it is all working, thanks very much for your feedback, it all
> helps me make the software and documentation better. I'd much rather hear about
> problems rather than people giving up on the software.
> 73 Alan M0NNB

Yes, I'm the same - let's get stuff working! When you write the software and
are very familiar with it, it can be difficult to appreciate the problems of
the learner or a first-time user. You can easily become impatient!

Minor suggestion based on my experience - when the "Use RTL driver" box is
checked and possibly at program startup if the box is checked, display a
warning message if the required DLL isn't present. Perhaps even with a
download URL? Anything which both reduces support effort and makes the user
happier must be good!

Thomas Beiderwieden

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Apr 7, 2023, 7:19:48 AM4/7/23
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Hi Alan, 
just being on the road and testing the new version, thanks for that. It looks like the Call field in the log entry is a bit small for 6 char calls. It is copied correctly, but on my tablet (I am accessing the Spark PI via VNC) I can only see the first 5 chars.

vy 73 de Thomas, F/DL3EL/m

Sdr Stack

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Apr 7, 2023, 7:20:03 PM4/7/23
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5x SDRPlay, switched no issues. Sidebar GUI goes blank sometimes which requires SW restart. It's a monitor station tho so I don't need to poke at it.

ahop...@googlemail.com

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Apr 8, 2023, 2:00:44 AM4/8/23
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Hi,
quite what goes blank? When this happens does the rest of the app keep working? Is there anything in the error logs?

Thomas Beiderwieden

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Apr 8, 2023, 5:08:16 AM4/8/23
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Hi Alan,
things I have seen regarding logging. I have started logging when the QSO state is again -1
Case 1: all fields are filled, you just need to press save&close 
Case 2: all fields are empty. However, you can click in each field, than the correct entry from the qso appears
Case 3: all fields are empty and the time is 00:00:00. If you click in a field, nothing happens. You cannot change the time
The reproduction of each case is difficult, it looks like it happens by chance. However, my feeling is, that case 3 happens, if you open the log window, close it and open again.

It also seems that clicks on cancel or save&close are not always accepted on the first click. But I have to test that at home, without VNC.

Another thing which I have seen this morning is shown in the second attachment. I have got an answer to my cq from some station with a special callsign, that was not handled correctly. Unfortunately I have missed to watch that online and do not know the call.

vy 73 de Thomas, DL3EL

SmartSelect_20230408_092019_VNC Viewer.jpg
SmartSelect_20230408_101027_VNC Viewer.jpg

Thomas Beiderwieden

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Apr 8, 2023, 6:45:43 AM4/8/23
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Hi Alan,
additionally it looks like, that subscribetoAudio via Websocket is broken and does not work anymore.

vy 73 de Thomas, DL3EL 

Joseph Diorio

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Apr 8, 2023, 1:25:10 PM4/8/23
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Steps to repro:

Windows 64
1) Click 'Settings' gear to open sidebar screen where you can set callsign. Close sidebar.
2) Click the ... to open the 'radio settings' sidebar that displays Frequency Cal PPM and S Meter Cal. Close sidebar.
3) Click on 'Settings' or 'radio settings' again to bring up the sidebar and observe sidebar is now blank until SW restart.

Note: "virtual receiver settings' sidebar is not affected. Waterfall and rest of app seems to function fine. I cleared the folder "C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\m0nnb" to check if old profiles were messing with it and it made no change.

I checked the logs with extended logging and didn't see anything unusual in the logs. It was just the few seconds of init stuff before I started messing w/ GUI.

Inline image


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Boudewijn (Bob) Tenty

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Apr 8, 2023, 4:41:16 PM4/8/23
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Are FT8/FT4 connections by SparkSDR saved in the log of WSJTX?

73,

Bob VE3TOK

--
There is nothing permanent except change

-Heraclitus

ahop...@googlemail.com

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Apr 8, 2023, 5:04:18 PM4/8/23
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Hi Bob,
if you are using the ft8 mode in spark they will not be saved in the wsjtx log, if you connect spark to wsjtx with vac then they will be saved in wsjtx.
73 Alan M0NNB

Boudewijn (Bob) Tenty

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Jun 1, 2023, 10:39:16 PM6/1/23
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SparkSDR 2.0.951 running at Ubuntu 22.04

Virtual audio devices are visible with pavucontrol in Ubuntu but not in SparkSDR.

I create these in Ubuntu with,

pactl load-module module-virtual-sink sink_name=VAC_1to2
pactl load-module module-virtual-sink sink_name=VAC_2to1

As well as a (virtual) multi output device.

The same thing happened with SparkSDR version 2.0.33

ahop...@googlemail.com

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Jun 8, 2023, 4:18:26 AM6/8/23
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Hi Bob,
I suspect this is an issue with portaudio (used for the spark audio), others more expert on linux might have some ideas.  I did have success using alsa loopbacks.
73 Alan M0NNB

Boudewijn (Bob) Tenty

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Jun 8, 2023, 1:54:05 PM6/8/23
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Hi Alan,

I solved it with those Alsa loopbacks The thing is that I also want to hear the audio, so I have to create a multi-output
device in Alsa what directs the audio to my sound card output as well to a loopback device, this is just more complicated
in Alsa. Do you have a script for that or the lines to put in asound.conf or even in my /etc/modprobe.d/sound.conf?


73,

Bob VE3TOK

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Boudewijn (Bob) Tenty

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Jun 8, 2023, 10:33:35 PM6/8/23
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Is there a way to save all the settings of SparkSDR?  I have to setup the program every time after I start it. :-(

73,

Bob VE3TOK

ahop...@googlemail.com

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Jun 9, 2023, 4:29:14 AM6/9/23
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Hi Bob,
All settings can be saved in Profiles, a default one is created called 'Last Session'  which restores it to when you last ran. You can store your own profiles in the favorites menu ( the start button) just type in a name and click the button with overlapping rectangles.
73 Alan M0NNB

Boudewijn (Bob) Tenty

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Jun 9, 2023, 8:31:22 PM6/9/23
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Hi Alan,

Now I understand it all, I never clicked on 'Last Session' when the program started  but directly on the button/switch to connect the HL-2.

Thanks,

Bob VE3TOK

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Boudewijn (Bob) Tenty

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Jun 18, 2023, 12:23:24 AM6/18/23
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Alan,

SparkSDR has a problem with the audio output of the 2nd Alsa local loop device coupled with the input of your program.
Very rarely it works but 99% of the time not. The 2nd Alsa local loop device produces audio output as I used Audacity to
measure that. The Audio sliders of both Alsa local loop devices are full open. The problem happens with version 2.0.33
and version 2.0.951. OS is Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

Situation

SparkSDR Output  -> hw:1,1 ------hw:1,0 -> input WSJTX or FLDIGI  ---- This works.

SparkSDR Input  <- hw:0,0 ------hw:0,1 <- Output WSJTX or FLDIGI --   Doesn't work.


Bob VE3TOK

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ahop...@googlemail.com

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Jun 28, 2023, 3:21:24 AM6/28/23
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Hi Bob,
I'm just working on an issue that causes audio output to fail on some linux distros if the same audio output device is used by two receivers, I'm not sure if this is related. I'd be interested to know if muting and un muting (by clicking the speaker icon) fixes this.
Also if you turn on extended logging and restart I'd be interested in any log files.
73 Alan M0NNB

ahop...@googlemail.com

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Jul 6, 2023, 9:31:21 AM7/6/23
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Hi Bob,
it might be worth trying 2.0.963  version 2.0.963 (google.com)
73 Alan

Boudewijn (Bob) Tenty

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Jul 6, 2023, 4:31:28 PM7/6/23
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Hi Alan.

It is doing the same thing as the other versions, but muting and unmuting did fix it with version 2.0.963.
I don't know or that would also fix it with the older versions as I never tried it.

I will mail the logs directly.

Bob

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