SDR Decoding headaches!

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KA2ZEY

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So here's another post regarding not having much success with SDR.

I'm using a 2012 Macbook Pro with Windows 7 via bootcamp.

I am using an Ezcap RTL Dongle.

I live on the 15th floor of an apartment in Brooklyn, NY so reception is not an issue.

I have VB Audio cable for my virtual cable.

I have SDR Sharp set up correctly running as Administrator and 48000. SDR works and runs fine with receiving signals. I make sure to have 'Filter Audio' off.

Here are the issues I'm having (I should say that I had this working on a previous install of Windows 7 via Bootcamp on this machine but had to reinstall - not sure what's different now)

PWD - sometimes it decodes, sometimes not. The meter reads red at about 50 to 78%. Again, sometimes messages appear, sometimes not.

DSD - When I run from CMD, I now get this error:

Digital Speech Decoder 1.4.1
mbelib version 1.2.3
Error, couldn't open /dev/audio
ioctl reset error
ioctl speed error
ioctl stereo error
ioctl setfmt error
Audio In/Out Device: /dev/audio

When I have had DSD working in the past, I rarely am able to decode. This is a powerful machine so I shouldn't be having issues with CPU power. I've experimented with levels of VB Cable and SDRSharp but it all seems so random.

with AIS and ShipPlotter - again, I see that I am receiving signals in SDRSharp but ShipPlotter only shows about 3 ships. There's gotta be more than that.

Does anyone have any idea of what to do here? I feel like I'm running around in circles here. Is it a matter of levels? Antenna? Filter Bandwidth?
 

KA2ZEY

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I should also add that I've tried VAC with mixed results. I'm now trying VB Audio Cable but I'm a bit disappointed that there's not 'listen through' option like VAC. And yes, I installed VB in Admin mode.
 

KA2ZEY

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I was using DSD 1.6. I just saw that about DSDPlus but still nothing. I'm not getting anything feeding from VB Cable to DSDPlus.

I might switch back to VAC.
 

mtindor

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I was using DSD 1.6. I just saw that about DSDPlus but still nothing. I'm not getting anything feeding from VB Cable to DSDPlus.

I might switch back to VAC.

Did you actually try running DSD with the -i /dev/dsp -o /dev/dsp switches? The error suggests that it's looking for audio from /dev/audio and trying to send audio to /dev/audio

Also -- keep in mind that for the DSD (not DSDPlus mentioned in another thread), it requires that the default input / output audio devices (Windows --> Control Panel --> Sound) be the actual audio devices you are using.

For instance, you'll want to go into Control Panel -- > Sound --> Recording Properties and set the VB cable as the default recording device. then you'll likely want to go into Playback Properties and set your speakers as the default Playback device, if they aren't yet.

Mike
 

mtindor

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Ok now it's decoding. I'm just not hearing anything through my headphones.

Ok, if you are using DSD 1.4, 1.51, 1.6.0 , check and make sure that your default Playback device in Control Panel --> Sounds --> Playback devices is set to wherever you want that audio to be heard.

Mike
 

KA2ZEY

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I have it set to 'default' with the little phone icon. Under the recording tab, VAC is also selected. Headphones are also selected so I can hear audio. I have 'passthrough selected' I have VAC set to 16bit 48K stereo.
 

KA2ZEY

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This is driving me nuts. In SDRSharp I have 'VAC' selected, I have 48K selected.I have 1 VAC cable set to a range of 22K to 48K. Am I supposed to have more than one VAC cable set up?
 

mtindor

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I'm getting confused.


Here is what i do:

  • In Windows --> Control Panel --> Sound I have the default Recording device set to VAC and the default playback device set to my Speakers.
  • In SDR# I set VAC as the output
  • In DSD I run the "-i /dev/dsp -o /dev/dsp" options
  • In DSDPlus I run "DSDPlus" so that shows me at the top what input/output devices I want. Then, I simply designate the right input/output that I want to use using -i# -o#

I don't do anything with passthrough.

Do keep in mind I'm running Windows 7, not OS/X + Bootcamp.

Mike
 

KA2ZEY

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What I notice is that while monitoring a freq on SDRSharp, when there is no digital transmission, audio is piped through Line 1 VAC. As soon as DMR or other type of modulation is received, it stops piping audio through VAC.
 

KA2ZEY

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Everything is decoding fine in DSDPlus but I don't hear the result. I have VAC going in and Headphones out.

I also made sure to have VAC set to 48k.
 
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