Rear audio out chopping audio

[T M]

I finally gave up on using this radio for an I gate because I could never get more than a few days without issues. So I tried to use the n7500 to test the tnc units I bought and couldn't get either unit to work. They would not decode any packets. It sounds like the first part of the packet is getting cut off. FYI. Even open squelch wouldn`t work. Testing them with my Kenwood, everything worked as expected. Just throwing it out there as an fyi.

[Min G0JMS]

Sorry to hear you have issues and given up, if there was more details of setup, version of software and firmware I could pass on the issue your seeing. Not sure if it's radio or Bluetooth and phone design. Could it be squelch setup or design issue????

Let me know details if you want to get the developers to make changes....

Min G0JMS

[T M]

I love the concept of these radios, they are designed to do cool things but they don't seem to do anything very well. Unfortunately I guess I want them to do things they aren't very good at yet.

The first issue that in my opinion that keeps them from being a great I-gate appears to be bluetooth stability. I need my I-gates to be solid and to function in that capacity for weeks and months with out issue. I can only get hours to days currently due to the bluetooth instability. Resetting the bluetooth usually fixes the problem. This experience helped me to identify that my Mobilinkd3 was suffering from the same issue. Luckily it has a usb option that greatly increased it's stability. One solution might be to add a usb port as an option for when the bluetooth just isn't stable enough. Considering the radio is only half of the equation it's not reasonable to expect perfection. With that said there are other options for Igates, so I moved on to #2. Attach a different TNC and go that route which identified the second issue.

The second issue in my opinion that keeps them from being great radios is not being able to be repurposed. What ever is happening to the audio out makes them ineffective as basic transceiver that can make use of a tnc or what ever a ham may want to test or create.. There appears to be some type of processing that cuts off part of the audio/packets which doesn't allow the audio out to be used with, in my case, the Argent Data Tracker4, the WX3in1, or the Mobilinkd TNC3. In my experience, even a basic aprs audio clip can't be decoded due to the incomplete data string. This appears to happen regardless of which option you use for the audio source. Ok so they don't work for this either. Well again there are other options and I have other radios so lets move onto #3. Use them as mobiles. Testing that highlighted the third issue.

 https://groups.google.com/g/veron7500/c/EnsJXajeZFs/m/iLM7yjS5BQAJ

The third issue is that while I can send SMS messages originating from the n7500 through SMSGTE, I can't receive messages or delivery confirmations. well kind of. I can see them being sent from the SMSGTE to the Igate and they are received by the radio but they aren't decoded as messages even though they look the same as my other radios in the message page but they don't show as a received message. In Igate mode it seems to route the messages through it ok

I've compared multiple Igates (wx3in1 / Argent data tracker / APRSIS32 / vr-n7500) with multiple radios so the failures listed are after a lot of testing and the common failure points always come back to these radios. I'm not saying they are bad but if you want to use them for what I do you will be disappointed. The messages and acknowledgments do appear to work directly from radio to radio just not through the SMSGTE path. 

If I'm missing something, please let me know. SMS messaging is my current focus and these are failing in that area.

Thanks

Tom

KU5R

[Bryan]

Hi Tom,

Others have had similar issues when using a soundcard. 
https://groups.google.com/g/veron7500/c/EnsJXajeZFs/m/iLM7yjS5BQAJ

I enjoy using this radio in the car and also in the house with the bluetooth mics.

But it's certainly good for people to know some of the limitations.

Bryan, KF1D

[Min G0JMS]

Hi Tom

Can you let us know what version of software and firmware you have so that I can contact the developer and improve the app for us.

I believe the squelch is a bit too sharp and I wonder if the control can be improved by a slower slop of cut off... 

The information already done above is good and if we can complete the details they might look at it better, they have been very responsive to issues that have been spotted.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Min G0JMS