[Dx4win] frequency reading from radio problem

[Jim Reisert AD1C]

--- Jay Hainline <ka9cfd at winco.net> wrote:

> I have a small problem I would like help on. I am using DX4WIN 7.03.16 and
> an Icom 756proII with a Rigtalk USB interface to read the radio frequency. 
> 
> I have a problem in sometimes DX4WIN will record gibberish for the radio
> frequency. It sometimes flips between the gibberish and the real frequency
> as it polls the radio. Has anyone else experience this and knows how to cure
> it? 

This also happens with the microHam interfaces.  Paul has put some "remedial"
code into 7.03 but it's still not perfect.  For some reason, the "Band" field
is almost always right, but the "Frequency" note is sometimes not right.

My belief is that the virtual USB drivers are not providing the exact same
control signal behavior as a real COM port.  DX4WIN relies on these signals to
know when the COM port is already in use.  I also suspect that DX4WIN may be
trying to read the radio frequency (in order to log a QSO or put out a packet
spot) while a poll is already in progress, but Paul has neither
confirmed/denied this.

Some things I have found that help:

- if the RigTalk program is polling the radio, turn that feature off.  Only let
DX4WIN read/write commands from/to the radio.

- if the ICOM radio is operating in "transceive" mode, turn that off.  There
should be a menu setting for this.

- make sure your RigTalk/microHam, etc. is on a dedicated USB port that is not
shared with any other devices.  If you go into the hardware device manager, you
can see what devices are attached to each port.  I moved mine to a different
USB jack that I found was not shared with any other device.

I have not found that increasing or decreasing the polling interval makes much
of a difference.

73 - Jim AD1C


--
Jim Reisert AD1C, 7 Charlemont Court, North Chelmsford, MA 01863
USA +978-251-9933, <jjreisert at alum.mit.edu>, http://www.ad1c.us