[Elecraft] Windows Update and the K3 USB Audio

[Mark Musick]

Thanks Bob.

73,
Mark, WB9CIF

-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net <elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net> On Behalf Of Bob McGraw K4TAX
Sent: Friday, August 2, 2019 14:25
To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Windows Update and the K3 USB Audio

F Y I -  I pass along from another source.

73

Bob, K4TAX

I am beginning, rather belatedly, to understand the source of the many users reporting low Tx audio levels with the 64-bit MS Windows version of WSJT-X. I stated above that "Pwr" slider in WSJT-X directly controls the Windows audio mixer control for the chosen audio output device. That is no longer the case for the 64-bit version of WSJT-X on... Windows (built with Qt v5.12.4), instead the "Pwr" control is adjusting a digital attenuator before the mixer control.

There is no fix available from the Qt team because this change was deliberate, the problem they were solving is that the level on a Qt audio output stream is supposed to be separately and individually adjustable, that's fine if there is only one output stream to the audio device but if there are multiple streams then using the per-process mixer level is not going to work since it will adjust the level of every stream from that process.

To get back to the required level you must set the mixer control for the WSJT-X application to exactly the level of the master volume for the output device, do not just set it to maximum as that will potentially push the master level to above 0dB if your soundcard has an amplifier stage. To adjust the mixer level you must first initiate a transmission, a short "Tune" is sufficient to reveal the mixer control for the WSJT-X application.

I will write up a procedure, tomorrow when I am less tired, that explains how to do the one time setup for the audio level with the 64-bit Windows version of WSJT-X.

73
Bill
G4WJS.

On 8/2/2019 8:28 AM, Mark Musick wrote:
> I believe this problem has been solved in Windows 10.
> I've not had a problem with com ports changing with Windows 10 updates.
> The problem has been with audio settings changing. The setting its self doesn't change, but the audio level at that setting changes.  When upgrading to version 1903 I had to increase the PWR (really an audio output) setting in FT8 and increase the line setting on the K3S to get 4 bars solid with the fifth bar flickering.
> I think it was Don, W3FPR that mentioned some time ago that the com port assignment problem had been resolved in Windows 10. Of course I could be mistaken. If I am, someone will correct me.
>
> 73,
> Mark, WB9CIF
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net 
> <elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net> On Behalf Of Bill Frantz
> Sent: Friday, August 2, 2019 13:09
> To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Windows Update and the K3 USB Audio
>
> As far as I know, Macs don't have this problem. Those trying to solve it in Linux might try to understand how Apple addresses it. With some luck, the Apple approach is in the open source part of MacOS, making it easy to study. Windows users might approach Microsoft saying that other OSs have solved the problem, why does your OS still have it?
>
> 73 Bill AE6JV
>
> On 8/2/19 at 2:52 AM, elecraft at mailman.qth.net (Dave B via
> Elecraft) wrote:
>
>> You can "fix" regular USB<>Serial devices, to always show up at the 
>> same COM port, when the system (re)starts, or you (re)plug something.
>> Plenty of instructions on the interweb, including this which I had a 
>> part in, that seems to work with Windows 10 & earlier.
>>
>> http://www.w1hkj.com/doku/doku.php?id=howto:taming_the_wild_comport_i
>> n_
>> windows
>>
>> For Linux users, you can use "udev rules" to do the same (and more.)
>>
>> I have no idea re MAC's, but you could ask about the issue on any of 
>> the *BSD mailing lists.
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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> working, the
> 408-356-8506       | rate of systems being compromised would be
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