BATC Forum

Hi All

I have just released a new Portsdown Buster 2020 version: 202007011. There are major improvements to the LongMynd receive functions, but no changes to the transmit side of things. Well worth updating for the receiver improvements:

• There is a new receive video player "ffmpeg VLC" on the bottom left button of the Receive menu. This is now the preferred player and generally will display any selected signal (MPEG-2, H264 or H265) on QO-100 including the beacon.
• The signal parameters (Station ID, MER, encoding etc) are displayed as on overlay on the video from this player for 8 seconds after signal lock, and then they are blanked. You can display the parameters again by touching the left side of the screen (remember though that touching the bottom left corner takes a video snap).
• DVB-S signals now have their MER reported (it was stuck at zero in previous releases)
• Receiver frequencies are now displayed and entered in MHz, not kHz.
• The tuner power control (for LNB power with the extra PCB) has been properly enabled.
• If you want a large screen MER for non-beacon signals, this is available by selecting the UDP button. This is useful for aligning aerials for maximum MER when in outdoor situations. The large screen MER for the beacon remains available from its own button.
• I have fixed the bugs that caused the streamer display (and IPTS monitor) to fail to start.

Occasionally, the new player crashes, and the video will blank or freeze. Normally deselecting and reselecting the receive menu will cure this. In rare cases, the Portsdown will need to be fully shut down and restarted - a reboot may not work.

You can get the update by going to Menu 3 and Selecting "Check for Update". Please report any new bugs here.

Dave, G8GKQ

Hi Dave,
First of all thank you for the update.
Since i have updated to the latest version both myself and a friend
have got the same problem.
On Oscar 100 selecting either audio USB dongle or Rasp-pi works fine no problem
but on the BATC streams we can only get audio to work if you select Rasp-pi, if we
try to select USB dongle there is no audio at all, not sure if this is how it is suppose
to work or if it is a bug.
Once again many thanks for the update.

Best regards,

Ian G6ZVE.

Hi Ian

Please could you run the command (that's l Lima, not one)
from the command line and post the results here?

I've been struggling to make this audio feed work with all the different hardware combinations out there.

Thanks

Dave

Hi Dave
hope this is what you want,

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: Headphones [bcm2835 Headphones], device 0: bcm2835 Headphones [bcm2835 Headphones]
Subdevices: 8/8
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
Subdevice #2: subdevice #2
Subdevice #3: subdevice #3
Subdevice #4: subdevice #4
Subdevice #5: subdevice #5
Subdevice #6: subdevice #6
Subdevice #7: subdevice #7
card 1: Device [USB PnP Sound Device], device 0: USB Audio [USB Audio]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

Best regards

Ian G6ZVE.

Thanks Ian - that's the one.

I should have a chance to look at this later.

Dave

Thank You for fantastic update.
Big improvement using "ffmpeg VLC" over the standard "VLC" I'm watching GB3EY at 68km at MER 7.1 and its running smooth. Previously on VLC , its info ticker that moves across bottom of screen was jerky. Now its much better very stable.
Im loving the way the decode is almost instant. very simple input of parameters and its there.
Cream on the cake so to speak.

Eshail Beacon received perfectly = more cream and Strawberrys.
Then once I had used the LNB autoset function I was off receiving amateur stations with ease through eshail.
Super dooper = add a cherry to the cake

As for audio. I have a LM386 amplifier I built into my case running from the 4 pole socket on PI. ( also gives me video out to a yellow phono )
I have no problem with audio on BATC streams or Eshail. Or terrestrial from local amateurs. It all works so far as tested.


Ken

I have just issued a minor bugfix update 202007012. This should solve Ian G6ZXVE's problems with USB audio on the BATC streams, and Colin G4KLB's MPEG-2 Pi Cam viewfinder problem. Thanks to both for reporting these issues.

And thanks to Ken for the positive feedback!

If you have already updated to 202007011 (issued on Sunday 5 July) then there is no need to update again unless you are suffering from either of the problems mentioned above.

Dave, G8GKQ

Hi Dave

Thank you very much all working good now on either of the
audio's selected.
Thank you for taking the time to look into it and sorting it out.

My friend who had the same problem as me has also reported
that everything is now working perfect since he upgraded.

Once again many thanks.

Best regards,

Ian G6ZVE.

It is lovely to have the beacon decode with both video and sound.

For me, it runs smoother than MiniTioune on Win10 on an HP Pavillion Slimline PC.

Thank you.

73 Graham