New Ryde Software Version with On-Screen Info

[g4hiz]

A couple of observations on the new Ryde s/w 202011020

1. Having started successfully on the Beacon, the FP buttons acted strangely, the up button was normal speed, but the down button seemed hesitant, it needed a few pushes to get any movement. RC seemed ok. Tried FP buttons again and ok - this over a time period of 0 to 120s from start.

2. Using RC, set to receive 437MHz then 1255HMz. The MER was about 20dB down in each case wrt Minitioune on laptop - suspect A input was selected instead of B (default for these bands). Connected via ssh and menu indicated B was selected.

73
Jen

[G8YTZ]

Dave,

I'm really struggling with this. Every time I press a button on the remote the screen goes blank and reappears a seconds minutes later. I set HDMI SAFE Mode and now the screen stays, menus work, but I just get the red screen "LongMynd Not Loaded"

Any ideas? Pi4 2GB with Pi PSU, same that was working on the original release just fine.

I am using a SANDISK SD Card, same as I have always used.

Justin.

[G8GKQ]

While I investigate the comments here further, some comments:

• Tim G4WIM has traced the source of his apparent lock-up (in fact it's a black screen) to an HDMI capture device in his shack. He is still investigating how exactly it is being displayed on the Ryde.
• The Console Menu is an interim solution for setting the Presets until Tim MW0RUD implements the on-screen configuration for them. Unfortunately, in the interim, preset labels are fixed unless you edit the config file directly. Such editing is likely to make the console menu unusable.
• We had numerous problems with Samsung Evo SD Cards in the early days of the Portsdown project, hence our recommendation that only SANDISK Ultra cards (Available from Amazon for about £6 or from the BATC shop programmed for £10) are used.
• Debounce on the front panel buttons is not perfect, but mine seem to work reasonably well.
• Input port switching appears to work correctly for me

I am just building a new card and will report back after doing some comparitive tests between Windows MiniTioune and this new Ryde build.

Dave

[G8YTZ]

Dave, that makes sense in what I'm seeing too.

Also on the 3.4GHz band settings the Menu suggests that LO below signal frequency is normal. Is this correct?

(*) LOW LO frequency below signal frequency (normal for 3400)
( ) HIGH LO frequency above signal frequency

The good news is that I can receive GB3JV if I just leave everything as standard and change the beacon symbol rate to 2000 and frequency to 11496MHz (9750 + 5150 – 3404MHz) But as soon as you try to put those settings in a preset via the ssh menu it all goes wrong.

Justin.

[g4eml]

Thanks Dave,

I thought I had used the menu to change my presets before but I see now that the names are hard coded. My error....

I have not noticed any change in sensitivity here.

Colin.

[G8GKQ]

Hi Justin

No, the default config file has the 3.4 GHz band LO on the high side:

Code: Select all

    3400: &band3400
        lofreq: 5150000
        loside: HIGH
        pol: NONE
        port: BOTTOM
        gpioid: 5
  

Perhaps we have a problem with the config file becoming corrupted?

There is an option to restore Factory Settings in the Advanced Settings Menu.

Dave

[G8YTZ]

Dave,

yes I have seen the config file becoming corrupted and I have had to restore factory settings, you are right that the default is set "High", but the Menus suggests "Low" is normal, but obviously that's not correct.

Also it is struggling with the 4k monitor again.

BR

Justin.

[G4WIM]

Just as an fyi I'm using a Samsung EVO card with no problems so far at least.
I'm using a minitiouner express rx and the sensitivity is just the same as before when using a BATC tuner - however they are both using the same pre-amp which may mask any small differences between the actual tuners.

73 Tim

[g8lce]

Samsung EVO SD cards

I have just loaded a couple of SD cards from scrath and put my own remote codes into a file. Both cards were Samsung EVO. One card didn't work very well but almost got there!!! It was one that Portsdown had problems with as well. The other works so far but I will be going back to another type. So I think that steering away from the Samsung EVO SD cards is worth doing. Use them in your other things - cameras and phones.

Martin G8LCE

[G8GKQ]

Thanks Martin

Although the Samsung Evo cards sometimes work, the fact that you have found another one that does not work provides us with good evidence to steer people away from them.

We think that the problem is in timing tolerances between the Raspberry Pi and the Card. If both are on the edge of tolerance in opposite directions, things start to go wrong. The SANDISK Ultra cards do not seem to suffer from this problem.

Dave