Problem and a couple of comments

Forum for discussion about the Langstone Microwave Transceiver that shares some features with the Portsdown. Wiki: https://wiki.microwavers.org.uk/Langstone_Project
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g8gtz
Posts: 1776
Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2010 6:26 pm

Problem and a couple of comments

Post by g8gtz » Tue May 26, 2020 9:55 am

Hi

I've done the Langdown or Portstone :D upgrade and after some initial problems with the Longmynd rxr screens being blank which was cured by a complete re-install including card reformat, this now works very well.

However, I have a problem with the Langstone rxr - on initial boot the waterfall / rxr starts most of the time but going in to Portsdown and back it will not start at all. Screen looks normal and responds but there's no waterfall or audio output. is there a debug more I can run to see what's happening. I've check USB leads and PSUs etc....

Couple of comments:

I think the set menu bar exit should exit or shutdown and there should be a seperate button "P'down". It's tedious when testing like I have been to have to go to P'down before you can shut down.

A wish list item is definitely digi modes encode and decode - that would be a very useful feature for non CW types and save having to wire up to a seperate PC - always a phaff. Not sure if there is a GNU radio block to do it but I believe QRX does it so maybe....

Thanks for a great project and wasting so much of my time!

73
Noel - G8GTZ

g4eml
Posts: 752
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2018 9:36 am

Re: Problem and a couple of comments

Post by g4eml » Tue May 26, 2020 10:36 am

Hi Noel,

The problem exiting and restarting seems to be because Dave is rebooting the Pluto when you exit from Langstone. (He found this was necessary for his system but it wasn’t for mine.) This takes quite a long time. If you try to restart Langstone too quickly the Pluto is not ready. The Langstone run script waits until it can detect the Pluto before starting but this doesn’t seem to be enough, the gnu radio tx module fails because it can’t initialise the Pluto. I added an extra 1 second delay before starting which fixed it for me but I suspect it may need a little longer to be fully ready.

You could try increasing the second sleep 1 line in Langstone/run to sleep 2.

OK on the power off button. Dave did suggest that originally but I decided to just have the one button which powers down if running stand alone or exits if running with Portsdown. Maybe that was the wrong decision, I will try it the other way and have an extra button to return to Portsdown.


Colin.

g8gtz
Posts: 1776
Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2010 6:26 pm

Re: Problem and a couple of comments

Post by g8gtz » Tue May 26, 2020 2:38 pm

Thanks Colin - I'll try that sleep change.

Great minds :-) Is it possible to recognise if P'down is loaded and only display that option when it is?

Noel

g4eml
Posts: 752
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2018 9:36 am

Re: Problem and a couple of comments

Post by g4eml » Tue May 26, 2020 2:46 pm

Hi Noel,

That’s what I am already doing. The Halt button changes to an Exit button when Portsdown is detected.

Colin.

g4eml
Posts: 752
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2018 9:36 am

Re: Problem and a couple of comments

Post by g4eml » Tue May 26, 2020 5:26 pm

Updated with new 'Exit to Portsdown' button. Only shown when running alongside Portsdown.
'Shutdown' button always visible.

Colin G4EML

G8GKQ
Site Admin
Posts: 2928
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2009 1:21 pm

Re: Problem and a couple of comments

Post by G8GKQ » Tue May 26, 2020 8:49 pm

I've amended the update instructions on the Wiki to shut down the Portsdown scheduler prior to Langstone update.

Dave, G8GKQ

G4FKK
Posts: 158
Joined: Sun May 05, 2019 12:15 pm

Re: Problem and a couple of comments

Post by G4FKK » Tue May 26, 2020 10:44 pm

Hi Dave,

Where on the (BATC?), wiki are those instructions?

73, Martin - G4FKK

G4FKK
Posts: 158
Joined: Sun May 05, 2019 12:15 pm

Re: Problem and a couple of comments

Post by G4FKK » Tue May 26, 2020 10:53 pm

Ah! I think I've found it here...

https://wiki.microwavers.org.uk/Langstone_Project

Sorry,

Martin

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