Update Favourites causes all receviers to use the same audio device

[HobbyD]

Using SDR Console version v3.3 build 3195.
Context:
Using favourites with multiple receivers where each receiver has a different audio device.
All these audio devices are VAC's and feed different decoders.

When I add a new receiver, select its audio device and Update the Favorite, it quite often happened that all receivers ended up with the audio device I assigned to that last added receiver.
This was not always the case and I finally found out what steps are causing this.
When I Update the favourite immediately after I set the audio device, all receivers will have that audio device assigned.
But when I first select a frequency and then Update the Favourite all is fine.
It looks like if the last step before Updating the Favourite was the assignment of the audio device is causing this.
Any other action between assigning the audio device and Updating the Favourite leaves all audio devices as they where.

I hope I made myself clear (enough).

Cheers,
Dick

[Max]

Using SDR Console version v3.3 build 3195.

When I add a new receiver, select its audio device and Update the Favorite, it quite often happened that all receivers ended up with the audio device I assigned to that last added receiver.
This was not always the case and I finally found out what steps are causing this.

Dick

Dick

Two things:

(1) Always check you are running the latest version of SDRC. It is currently Build 3236. Not sure why Simon has the Release Notes labelled as 3195. Anyway, just look at the "About" (in the Help tab on the Ribbon Bar) while running your installed SDRC and see what version you actually have. installed?

(2) I'm not at all sure that even if you are running 3195 that this is the issue. However, Simon did do some work on how the Favourites are saved a few months ago so it's worth checking you are running 3236 than have another go and see if you see the same behaviour.

Just for info, running 3236 I tried to replicate the behaviour that you describe and I mine does not see the issues and works perfectly as expected.

HOWEVER, I wonder if there's a chance you may have fallen foul of a setting in the Favourites ribbon bar menu. I CAN get something like the behaviour you describe if I have the "Use Current" audio selection ticked. In this case, when you recall the updated Favourite, it will simply carry on using the currently selected audio device. If you untick this option, then recalling a Favourite will always recall the audio selection you saved for the individual receivers when you updated the Favourite.

UseCurrent.gif (59.25 KiB) Viewed 7475 times

If it's not this then not sure what's happening as I don't see any unpredictable behaviour here.

73

Max

[HobbyD]

Hi Max,
Thanks for the detailed response.

(1) The Help / About is what told me I'm using build 3195.
Based on this download page https://www.sdr-radio.com/download#Release that seems the latest release.
However the compile date of build 3195 mentions December 26 2023.
The one on the website mentions February 5th, 2024 and when I download that one I get " SDR-Radio V3.3, 64-bit, 2024-02-05_0741.exe".
The "_0741" confuses me.

(2) Will download and install the latest version and see what build it says it is.

Anyway, I have fallen foul of that setting in the Favourites ribbon bar menu.
Actually never was aware of it.
So I tested my "reproducible" case with this setting UN-ticked and it now works fine.
This also solves the 'problem' where adding a new Receiver would use the same audio device as the one that was active when I added the new one.
Adding a new receiver now selects the next available VAC. Perfect.

But I wonder if this option should work on the loading of a favourite as I can't see why someone loading a favourite with several receivers would want them all to use the same audio device. I surely don't
So I hope Simon can share his opinion on the behavior of this option.

In the mean time I'm very glad that with your help this annoying behavior is gone.

Cheers and thanks again,
Dick

[Max]

Hi Max,
Thanks for the detailed response.

(1) The Help / About is what told me I'm using build 3195.
The one on the website mentions February 5th, 2024 and when I download that one I get " SDR-Radio V3.3, 64-bit, 2024-02-05_0741.exe".
The "_0741" confuses me.

But I wonder if this option should work on the loading of a favourite as I can't see why someone loading a favourite with several receivers would want them all to use the same audio device. I surely don't
So I hope Simon can share his opinion on the behavior of this option.

In the mean time I'm very glad that with your help this annoying behavior is gone.

No worries Dick. I'm glad it sorted it out for you. I think many people (including myself) will recall several/many receivers with same audio output device. The most common scenario I can think of right now (and applies to me) is to set up many receivers on local NFM channels, but all are squelched "off". Audio set to monitor all simultaneously. Usually in conjunction with the RX Matrix display, which I run on another monitor. So this way, when one channel opens the squelch that channel is immediately audible. The active channel (if it's not obvious by inspection of the waterfall) is shown by "unsquelched" loudspeaker symbol in the "active" RX the Matrix receiver. Sometimes this is useful when the noise breaks the squelch to find the offending RX.

I actually think maybe more people would use multiple receivers this way than route each one to a separate audio path, although with it how it is then there is the flexibility to do whatever you want. In general I must admit I'm mostly a "one at a time" user so I don't often have multiple receivers set up except for the above scenario. I guess the multiple audio path option would would apply much more to skimming multiple ham bands on FT8 for example. I guess a lot comes down to how much RX hardware bandwidth you have to play with.

73

Max

[jdow]

"The "_0741" confuses me."

That is a time of day for the compile marker. It completes the date stamp, "2024-02-05_0741". 2024, February, fifth, 07:41 (24hr time.)

I remember something akin to this from a very long time ago. Changing one receiver's parameters would affect other receivers settings under some specific settings. That was a LONG time ago and I think Simon fixed that one. Maybe his fix didn't clean up the favorites. For now if there is a work around then consider the sequence of actions you found to create it a "don't do that." Hopefully Simon will find this discussion and take a quick check to see if he can duplicate your problem. If he can it's annoying enough he might take a break from his current DTV work. That's his form of taking a break from coding the SDRC suite of goodness.

{^_^}

[HobbyD]

Thanks Joanne, Max,

After updating to build 3236 the behavior changed.
Need to do some serious testing and documenting every step I take (as if it was back at work .
That will take a few days but when done will update this post.

PS.
The multi receiver setup is used to monitor different digital modes (FT8, FT4, JS8call and SSTV) in the 20 meter amateur band.

Cheers and 73,
Dick (PA-2015, NL-13560)