HRD 5.0, DM780 & Signalink USB issues..Help!

[K8SAB]

I am having issues transmitting on my signalink USB mainly dealing with Push to Talk activation.

Equipment:
Yaesu 857D
Toshiba laptop running Vista sp2
Brand new Signalink USB (with socket card, so no chance of mixed up jumpers on my part)
Prolific USB adapter cord (kawamall ebay)


Here are the steps I have taken so far...
Tried calling signalink, but as of yet I have not won the lotto on getting thru to signalink's limited customer support (3 days a week only, phone only, , no que, no email, redial, redial, redial........................................... 4 hours, give up)

1. I am able to run my prolific USB adapter successfully with HRD and my Yaesu 857d using the CAT port - No issues.

2. I order the USB Signalink, and begin using DM780, using the "HRD controls PTT" option, communications work fine and as expected, BUT.... I begin getting Blue Screen of Death every time on the PC after only a 3-10 minute span of operations (random, no rhyme or reason, just a matter of time).

3. I disconnect HRD/Prolific USB cable. (google research shows possible conflict with prolific drivers and DM780, etc)

4. Set up signalink USB by the numbers for working with Vista operating system.

5. Begin using DM780 with "Use soundcard to control PTT" which is reccommended for signalink USB owners....

6. Signalink makes about 3-5 qso's then starts NOT keying PTT at all, or goes totally BCC (bat crap crazy) keying the PTT on and off rapidly and randomly (tick, tock, tick, tick, tock)

7. I check the PC sound levels and everything is max (should be more than significant input to key the Vox PTT in the signalink)

I am at a loss for what to do next. If I could tackle the signalink USb keying the PTT issue, I could live without HRD (but I would like it all to play nice together)
I am trying a XP machine tonight to see if I can work around it, but it seems the signalink may be malfunctioning, as no one else reports that rapid tick, tock, tick tock cycling of the PTT)

Anyone else have this issue, thoughts, or know of a fix?

Thanks,
Mike
K8SAB

[K8SAB]

Update: Got the software to play nice together on the XP machine, but the signalink USB will still not key reliably or sometimes at all, with the audio output from the computer, so I am using the HRD to key the PTT for now. Oh, I also found my radio (yaesu 857D) can trigger it's own PTT with a "DIG VOX" setting, but I want the equipment I paid for to work as it is supposed to, without workarounds.
:confused:

[KE5MC]

In the Signalink there is a jumper for the Receive and Transmit side to increase the level. However I believe the jumper on the transmit side is after the vox circuit so it is no help there.

In DM780 someplace and I don't recall exactly where, you can increase the signal out of the computer. As I recall it is labeled 'boost' and it is in db step, something like 0, 5, 10 and 20. For my TS-2000 and IC-7000 I use 10 for both.

With the variability of the audio level in/out at the radio and the computer there is not much chance that one pass thru all the setting will get it correct the first time. In hindsight getting the vox to operate is the 1st order of business. Next would be getting the Receive and Transmit control to operate near 5. Neither of mine are there and both setups are on the 2-3 range. It works OK so I just let it go. One thing on my setup is I have to keep and eye on the level settings for the USB audio. I set it per the recommendation of Master 100% and Wave 50%. For whatever reason they will swap to Master 50% and Wave 100% and I have to change them back because the results are not the same.

Add:
My computer is an HP laptop running XP SP3

[K8SAB]

thanks I will look for the boost setting, I see an area of radio buttons that seem to be for "Attenuating" the signal in those increments, but maybe I am reading it backwards.

I am not as frustrated now as I sounded in my first post, (I had just spent the 4 hours trying to get thru to customer support.... with no luck)

So far I can key the radio with either the radio's onboard DIGI VoX or use HRD (which is what I am doing now)

I checked my levels and they were exactly as I had left them 100% and 50%

I think there is a jumper on the signalink to boost the receive sensitivity, I was holding that in last resort, as the instructions say this is not common to need it, etc...

Thanks again,
Mike
K8SAB

[KE5MC]

Mike,

I just got home and took a look at the tab I was thinking of. The help panel on the right indicates it is attenuation and not boost. My bad! :-( That is what happens when I can't check my facts. I was at work. Sorry.

Mike