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No RF for Rx-only iGate / sound card issue?

Jon W7SEA
 

I decided to try and set up a "simple" and cheap Rx-only iGate.  Using an 8 year old YouTube video from Ham Nation, I used these following components:
  • Laptop with Win 10
  • Plugable (brand name) USB sound card
  • Multiple different radios tuned to 144.39
  • Kenwood 2-pin style-to-3.5mm jack cable (from HT to USB sound card)
  • SV2AGW Packet Engine Pro (PEP) packet software (on 30 day trial)
  • APRSISCE/32 software
Setup:  No audio going into PEP tuning tool (sinewave, waterfall, etc)
APRS.fi:  I see my iGate here
APRSISCE/32:  I am not processing any RF into IS

To double-check RF, I set up my Anytone 878 and transmitted packets that were picked up by several stations but not mine.

In the YT video I was following, a sound card worked with no issues, and the SV2AGW PEP software allows you to choose a single (left) port for Rx-only.  Do I need a TNC?  Thanks for any & all help; I'm temporarily stuck.
Rob Giuliano
 

Your issue is with AGWpe. 
You need to get the Radio<-> Sound Card <-> AGWpe working before you connect it to APRSIS32.  APRSIS32 is after the AGWpe decoding
  AGWMonitor and/or AGWtermTCP are 2 tools that might help.
You should look to their support to get that interface working properly.
 
As a general comment, HTs will typically have the volume control setting as the most sensitive part of the decode stage.  SQL is the next key.  SQL should be OPEN, and typically the volume needs to be pretty low to prevent overload.
 
Another note: I see a lot of support/messaging activity on the Direwolf groups.io.  Direwolf is an alternative to AGWpe and has the AGW interface to clients.  It works very well with APRSIS32 in both KISS-over-TCP and AGW interfaces.

Robert Giuliano
KB8RCO
Jon W7SEA
 

SQL was set at zero/open
James Ewen
 

Jon,

As Rob has indicated, you're going to need to get audio from a radio into the soundcard, and passed to AGWPE.
  • Multiple different radios tuned to 144.39
  • Kenwood 2-pin style-to-3.5mm jack cable (from HT to USB sound card)
  • Plugable (brand name) USB sound card
  • SV2AGW Packet Engine Pro (PEP) packet software (on 30 day trial)
Setup:  No audio going into PEP tuning tool (sinewave, waterfall, etc)

You are going to need to pick one of the multiple different radios you have. Connect the received audio from that radio to the soundcard. Check to see if you have that working.

When you have the audio into the soundcard, you will need to send that audio to the AGWPE software. Check to make sure that is working.

Then send the decoded packets to APRSISCE/32. Make sure you have that working.

Once you are there, you will probably find everything is working as desired.

The first step is critical... No audio into the decoding software will be a show stopper. 

James
VE6SRV


On Tue, Nov 29, 2022 at 12:16 PM Jon Gilbert W7SEA <jonw7sea@...> wrote:
SQL was set at zero/open

Jon W7SEA
 

On Tue, Nov 29, 2022 at 11:58 AM, James Ewen wrote:
You are going to need to pick one of the multiple different radios you have. Connect the received audio from that radio to the soundcard. Check to see if you have that working.
 
When you have the audio into the soundcard, you will need to send that audio to the AGWPE software. Check to make sure that is working.
 
Then send the decoded packets to APRSISCE/32. Make sure you have that working.

This makes sense.  My problem is not knowing how to do each step, e.g., how do I check if audio is going into sound card?  If it's not going into PEP's audio tuning function, it seems to not be making it through the sound card.  Apologies for my basic lack of understanding, as this is my first pass at trying to set up an iGate, so it's like learning Mandarin Chinese at this point for me.
 
Rob Giuliano
 

The basic steps are:
1. Ensure AGWpe (or Direwolf) is using the correct sound card.
    NOTE: you must go into the settings of AGWpe to see which sound card it is using.
               Direwolf will show you the sound card in use on startup.
2. Set the audio level to approximately 1/4 turn on an HT or mobile. 
    Sometimes even as low as 1/8 turn.
    NOTE: Data Ports typically have a set output which is easier to replicate.
3. Monitor the decode process AGW with AGWMonitor or AGWTermTCP and
        adjust the volume until the software decodes packets.
        It is VERY helpful to have a radio that transmits close by to get started.
        If using a close radio, you may want to wait for some 'further out' stations to ensure they are decoded.
    Direwolf provides audio levels in the terminal which makes it even easier to adjust.
4. Once the audio levels are set and you are decoding packets, you can connect a client.

NOTE: AGWMonitor can be used with either Direwolf or AGWpe, and can be left monitoring even with an APRS client connected.  I don't think you can do that with AGWTermTCP - but maybe.

Robert Giuliano
KB8RCO



On Tuesday, November 29, 2022 at 03:41:21 PM EST, Jon Gilbert W7SEA <jonw7sea@...> wrote:


On Tue, Nov 29, 2022 at 11:58 AM, James Ewen wrote:
You are going to need to pick one of the multiple different radios you have. Connect the received audio from that radio to the soundcard. Check to see if you have that working.
 
When you have the audio into the soundcard, you will need to send that audio to the AGWPE software. Check to make sure that is working.
 
Then send the decoded packets to APRSISCE/32. Make sure you have that working.

This makes sense.  My problem is not knowing how to do each step, e.g., how do I check if audio is going into sound card?  If it's not going into PEP's audio tuning function, it seems to not be making it through the sound card.  Apologies for my basic lack of understanding, as this is my first pass at trying to set up an iGate, so it's like learning Mandarin Chinese at this point for me.
 
Brad Ko6kL
 

Jon W7SEA
 

Thanks to everyone for their generous help.  My strategy at this point is to install AGWPE (vs Packet Engine Pro) and AGWMonitor then follow these instructions.  I'll report back.
John N5TIM
 

For a very simple RF receive only monitor or I-gate, use a RL-20 sound from interface between your radio and PC. Then run the UZ7HO Soundmodem software (free) to decode and provide data to your APRS program whichever it may be.

The RL-20 is an economical Masters Communications.com product.

Regards & 73, John - N5TIM


On 11/30/2022 11:27 AM, Jon Gilbert W7SEA wrote:

Thanks to everyone for their generous help.  My strategy at this point is to install AGWPE (vs Packet Engine Pro) and AGWMonitor then follow these instructions.  I'll report back.

Ben Miller
 

I agree regarding Direwolf. I was using it for quite a while. When I updated my sound card to the Masters Communication DRA-30 board, Direwolf would not operate the CM8 PTT so I switched to Sound Card Modem, which did. Direwolf version 1.7 now does the PTT, so I have gone back to it. As others have said, it is far more advanced, and I like the packet display interface better.
 
Ben Miller, PE retired
KD9BBB
708-431-7875
Jon W7SEA
 

Tried the old version of AGWPE and it won’t run on my Win 10 machine. 

Pretty close to throwing in the towel. Most internet accounts of building this say 20-30 min, and I have in way more than that. I’m not technically savvy enough to understand most of the suggestions esp. when it gets into programming, etc. For example, I looked at Dire Wolf and couldn’t even figure out which folder to open. LOL

Here are the screens I’m seeing in PEPRO. No RF into tuning function. Thx again for your time & help. 
Jim Ebner
 

My first question is what soundcard modem are you using? What APRS program are you using?

Jim, N8JE 



-------- Original message --------
From: Jon Gilbert W7SEA <jonw7sea@...>
Date: 11/30/22 5:42 PM (GMT-05:00)
To: APRSISCE@groups.io
Subject: Re: [APRSISCE] No RF for Rx-only iGate / sound card issue?

Tried the old version of AGWPE and it won’t run on my Win 10 machine. 

Pretty close to throwing in the towel. Most internet accounts of building this say 20-30 min, and I have in way more than that. I’m not technically savvy enough to understand most of the suggestions esp. when it gets into programming, etc. For example, I looked at Dire Wolf and couldn’t even figure out which folder to open. LOL

Here are the screens I’m seeing in PEPRO. No RF into tuning function. Thx again for your time & help. 
Jon W7SEA
 

Jim, this is below in my original post:

  • Laptop with Win 10
  • Plugable (brand name) USB sound card
  • Multiple different radios tuned to 144.39
  • Kenwood 2-pin style-to-3.5mm jack cable (from HT to USB sound card)
  • SV2AGW Packet Engine Pro (PEP) packet software (on 30 day trial)
  • APRSISCE/32 software
John N5TIM
 

Kenwood HT uses a 3/32" stereo plug I believe.  This graphic may help.



73, John - N5TIM

On 11/30/2022 9:31 PM, Jon Gilbert W7SEA wrote:

Jim, this is below in my original post:

  • Laptop with Win 10
  • Plugable (brand name) USB sound card
  • Multiple different radios tuned to 144.39
  • Kenwood 2-pin style-to-3.5mm jack cable (from HT to USB sound card)
  • SV2AGW Packet Engine Pro (PEP) packet software (on 30 day trial)
  • APRSISCE/32 software
Jim Ebner
 

Jon,
I am thinking you are using a SignaLink device. Here is a YouTube video on how to set the audio levels. I myself use the DRA product from Masters Communications. I havetw0 DRA-30's one DRA50 and a DRA100. I am also using the SoundModem from UZ7HO. It was one of the easiest ones to configure and is reliable. I have it running on a DRA-30 into a Icom IC 2820 for APRS. Here are the links to products I use;

Setting Up SignaLink USB Sound Levels - YouTube
Masters Communications
UZ7HO Personal page - Packet-Radio - English version
73, and good luck!
Jim, N8JE
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