I’ve been able to successfully use an SA818 based USB device on my Pi 3B running the Pi Appliance. But I want more distance for my node and just bought BH7NOR R1-2023 device. I already have a Motorola CMD-1550 LS sitting around unused. So I got the R1 with the 16 pin Motorola converter. And I do have the CPS software to program the Motorola.
However I simply cannot get any audio in or out of the node radio, with one exception. Under Interface Tune CLI > Set RX Voice Level, I can get audio from my HT to display on the text based audio meter. If I run
Flash (Toggle PTT and Tone output several times)
The radio does key up with a carrier, but there’s no tone audible in my HT.
I’m basically stumped. I have no idea if the sound card interface is working. The only thing that works is PTT which gives a carrier and possibly RX audio. Otherwise I have no clue why TX audio from the node radio isn’t working.
I’m going to email BH7NOR directly, though I don’t know how helpful that will be.
Also there are some older posts from VE2BAP who’s had the same radio. But he was using HamVOIP while I’m using ASL3 Pi Appliance version.
Steve, I believe your settings maybe incorrect in the Motorola radio. Here is a link that is used for setting up a Motorola CDM mobile radio for Vara FM. The settings should be the same.
I agree with all the settings except for CSQ. I’m using CTCSS at 123.0 Hz, which is TPL Code 3Z. My SA818 device uses CTCSS at 123.0 Hz. But I already tried CSQ without success.
I’ve already used VARA HF with VarAC for HF keyboard to keyboard work. I don’t know of any local VARA FM activity to test with.
That said I’ve thought of trying Echolink with the same hardware as a test. I don’t have any test gear like a scope to see what’s on the 16 pin connector. I’m simply not sure where the problem is or if I have a defective interface.
An easy way to confirm you have audio in and out of an R1 (or any other URI with a CM1xx IC) is to plug it into any Windows / Mac PC where it will be recognized as a sound card. Then if you loop the Mini-DIN-6 Tx audio out pin 1 to the 1200 Rx audio in pin 5 (e.g. with a ~24 ga. wire) you can see if audio played out the interface loops back into the PC eg. into a recording app like Audacity. Or, just wire a speaker or some headphones to the Mini-DIN-6 pin 1 and Gnd (pin 2). CM1xx ICs are designed to drive headphones directly so you will hear audio, won’t be super loud but will definitely be audible.
@NR9V
I’ve done some tests with the 1550 since my last post. The RX on the 1550 IS working. I can send DTMF tones from my HT and I can see a connection on Allmon3. And I can disconnect with DTMF tones from my HT and Allmon3 will show the node as disconnected.
What I don’t have is TX audio from the 1550. When Allmon3 is showing TX telemetry, I only hear hiss in my HT. ASL3 is obviously sending the female voice telemetry, but the 1550 is transmitting without modulation.
Now to see this from the CM1xx IC perspective, soundcard is hearing my DTMF tones on its input. But the soundcard output is sending audio to the 1550 mic input, but it’s not getting modulated. Hope I got this correct and not backwards.
This means I should be able to hook some headphones put to the soundcard speaker output and hear audio played from my Windows PC.
I do have the USB audio port connected to my Windows 11 PC and it shows up in Device Manager. Hopefully I can find some small jumpers to test with.
So I got my 1550 node radio working, well sort of.
The 1550 has a 16 pin rear connector. There are two pins for tx audio: 2 and 5. Pin 2 is for mic audio in. It has pre-emphasis and is filtered. Pin 5 is for flat tx audio with no pre-emphasis nor filtering. I had used pin 5 on my previous project on the 1550.
However the BH7NOR 16 pin converter uses pin 2. @K8COP suggested fix also uses pin 2. Once I set the Motorola CPS software to use ext mic audio, things started working. But I had to dramatically increase the tx audio level in the CPS and bump it up in the CLI tune utility. The transmitted audio doesn’t sound as good on my HT as the SA818 solution. There’s a little more hiss. Also the transmitted audio doesn’t seem to pass the 123.0 Hz CTCSS tone to my HT.
I’m getting a fresh 16 pin Motorola connector tomorrow and plan to move tx audio to pin 5. Hopefully that will help.