So close - wsjt setup

[Jim]

Think I'm probably missing something simple. I have Hermes 2, SparkSDR setup and it's working on FT8 using SparkSDR built-in FT8 support. I've setup wsjt using hamlib for cat control and vbaudio. Everything works except when transmitting from wsjt. Responding to a CQ or calling CQ I see all the right things happen in wsjt and on Hermes 2  but no pskreporter reports and no replies.

Screenshots of my audio setup in SparkSDR and wsjt - any other settings I should look at?

Thanks! -Jim

[Karl Heinz Kremer]

Hi Jim,

First thing I would check is the clock of your computer. If it’s off by too much, you will not make FT8 contacts. 

If it’s not that: Do you see output power reported by SparkSDR? If the power meter does not move, then you need to look within SparkSDR for the solution, if it does report a reasonable amount of power, then look between the radio and the antenna. 

Karl Heinz - K5KHK 

On May 3, 2025, at 11:23 AM, Jim <james.g...@gmail.com> wrote:



Think I'm probably missing something simple. I have Hermes 2, SparkSDR setup and it's working on FT8 using SparkSDR built-in FT8 support. I've setup wsjt using hamlib for cat control and vbaudio. Everything works except when transmitting from wsjt. Responding to a CQ or calling CQ I see all the right things happen in wsjt and on Hermes 2  but no pskreporter reports and no replies.

Screenshots of my audio setup in SparkSDR and wsjt - any other settings I should look at?

Thanks! -Jim

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[Jim]

Thanks for the tips. The journey continues:

a.) I switched virtual audio to https://vac.muzychenko.net/en/, this seems to help but didn't do full a/b against previous vendor to verify. Easier to setup/use and a bit less confusing at least

b.) I installed hermes2plus to get the headphones jack

c.) Didn't realize updating the firmware would then make SparkSDR unable to be used - "The addition of the AK4951 Companion Audio Board requires that audio streaming be supported in order to function" (the plus board) and SparkSDR doesn't support audio streaming

d.) This means I'm unable to use FT8 in SparkSDR to sanity check (I did have successful QSO previously to adding the plus to HL2)

e.) I switch to the special HL2+ Thetis build and it works*, and hear RX and TX on the new headphone jack

f.) However, no CQ replies and no pskreporter*

h.) The above was using a 100 watt amp

g.) I was able to FT8 QSO with myself using a ICOM 7300 in my shack, with a multi-part callsign on the HL2 wsjt, this does show up on pskreporter. This was successful with both the amp and without. 

h.) Signal reports are +20 and +23. 

i.) One antenna is in the attic, the other in the yard, hamshack 20+ feet away from both

j.) Antennas: G5RV Jr. for HL2 and DX Commander for the ICOM 7300

k.) Are there any plans to update SparkSDR to support audio streaming?

Thanks and 73,

-Jim

KC1WAY

[Josh Logan]

Did you check the VB-Audio Cable sample rate?
It's best to make sure it's 48,000 and not a different rate.

Resampling may work, but it's not as good as just making sure it's the right native setup.

What do the waterfalls look like?  Both SparkSDR and WSJT-X?

It would also be good to see the waterfall from the ic-7300 or a remote receiver.  Maybe something is being overdriven and that may help everyone to see how it looks.

https://github.com/softerhardware/Hermes-Lite2/wiki/Operating-WSJT-X-with-background-3-band-skimmer

May have some ideas to double check.

Make changes by running: VBCABLE_ControlPanel.exe

73, KD7HGL

Josh

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