Mute Recovery happens twice?

[w3kw]

I use the auto-mute function to mute SDR Console when I'm transmitting. When the audio recovers, is mutes again, then recovers. The double process takes long enough that I miss the first part of the QSO or Callsign of the caller. What am I doing wrong?

Wes
W3KW

[Max]

I use the auto-mute function to mute SDR Console when I'm transmitting. When the audio recovers, is mutes again, then recovers. The double process takes long enough that I miss the first part of the QSO or Callsign of the caller. What am I doing wrong?

Have you read this page particularly with respect to the level setting in the Auto-Mute options? I'd play with those options, by which I mean increase the mean and/or mean and peak levels. See attached picture.

https://www.sdr-radio.com/wideband-dsp

Auto-mute can also often trigger on strong received signals (as opposed to your own signal of course). Maybe before the AGC kicks in it's temporarily muting again on strong in-band received signals? So if the above mean/peak settings don't work maybe you could also play with the RX AGC settings? I'm not sure if auto-mute is affected by those i.e. if it's pre or post AGC?

Best option..... forget remote/external radios and panadapters and use a direct sampling SDR transceiver. (Sort of joking but also not). Hermes Lite just doing a new run. Cheap and available (and excellent!). Superb partner for SDRC!

https://www.makerfabs.com/search.html?&search=hermes

73

Max

[w3kw]

Nope. My settings in auto-mute are perfect and actuate and recover as I like. My issue is that after it recovers, the audio mutes again and then recovers again, making total recovery time far too long and making me miss the beginning of the next exchange using CW.

[Max]

Nope. My settings in auto-mute are perfect and actuate and recover as I like. My issue is that after it recovers, the audio mutes again and then recovers again, making total recovery time far too long and making me miss the beginning of the next exchange using CW.

OK Wes. A screenshot is therefore the first port of call and also your full configuration details, rig/SDR, is it in IF panadapter mode or "parallel SDR" mode? If latter, sharing the TX antenna or separate RX antenna?

https://www.sdr-radio.com/screenshot

Please attach the screenshot and don't crop or edit it. Initially at least take the screenshot with the Home tab selected on the ribbon bar. Take shot after a full TX/RX cycle (or better, several) visible on the waterfall. This should help diagnosis somewhat.

Max

[w3kw]

Ok. So there are TWO AGC controls. One on the tool bar across the top and one below the Mode selection in the receive tool bar. If I have AGC enabled on the top tool bar, the receiver recovers twice, and I miss part of the QSO. When disabled, the AGC control in the receive panel on the left below the mode selection stays on?? So, there are two AGC and neither controls both. They seem to be doubles.

Second, The Auto-mute is now not engaging despite setting it accurately about 5db from activation. AGC on, AGC off, no auto-mute. Sometimes, I'll close the program and restart and it will activate properly. Other times, like now, with a 30dB overage, it is not muting. Very strange. It worked great all day and now it's like it not even there. If I set the overload parameters higher than the current setting while not transmitting, it mutes normally. If I want to receive, I set the limit about 5dB lower than the Current and it receives. As soon as I hit the CW key, no mute.

[Max]

Hi Wes

Just in the event that you have not seen it, I gave a response to your post on the IO Group as there seemed to be more reaction from others over there. TBH there is probably more activity over on that forum even though most of the "regulars" are across both groups.

Max

[jdow]

Set the automute to a level that actually causes muting, not a level you think has theoretical justification. Also, make sure you do not confuse the transmit monitor signal for leakage through automute.
{o.o}

[w3kw]

I set the level as close to the idle signal level as possible without causing auto-mute kicking in inadvertently. About 5dB seems to be as close as you can get reliably. I know how to use the settings. As I stated, it worked perfectly for seven hours of operating my transmitter with the software as my receiver over the weekend. This isn’t something I’m doing wrong. If I set 30 dB as the trip point, a 60 dB signal should easily trip the auto-mute. In fact, when the software was working for me, even using the spot/calibrate function on the transmitter, which on a Hallicrafters HT-32B is variable, I could set a calibrate level that would trip the auto-mute successfully. (When the auto-mute was working).