WSJT-X transmits via MAC speaker instead via FTDX3000

I'm new into digital modes and just succeeded in setting up WSJT-X and my FTDX3000 for FT-8. Sound devices is USB Audio CODEC and receiving / decoding FT8 is working fine. The problem is: when I push the Test CAT button in the Settings / Radio, it turns green. After this pushing the Test PTT button keys the radio. So far, so good. But, when going into QSO the transmitting audio is going via the MAC Speaker, instead via the radio, altough the radio is keyed....

Is there someone who can explain me how to transmit the FT8 audio signals via the FTDX3000 instead via the computer speakers ??

 

You don't say what version of MacOS you're running, but in the Sound panel of System Preferences, do you have the Output selection pointed to the USB Audio CODEC?

 

Hi John, thanks for your reply: OS is High Sierra Version 10.13.3. In the settings the USB CODEC's are set as Input and Output (see screendump). In the MIDI settings they are configured 2 channel, 16 Bits 48000 Hz. When I start WSJT-X the first transmission is going indeed via the FT3000, bit suddenly in the second or third tranmission, the audio doesn't go into the radio, but is screaming through the Mac speakers :-(. I have no idea why this will change while the first transmission is going well....... Any suggestions ??

 

These are the exact symptoms of the dreaded USB Audio device hiccup/disconnect in macOS. It has been an issue for the past couple of versions of OS X/macOS. If you search the archives of this forum, you'll see a LOT of references to it. The solutions are as varied as can be.

Make sure you're running the absolute latest driver; not just the one that came with the rig. Sometimes connecting via a different USB port on the Mac will solve the problem. Sometimes using a hub, especially one through a Thunderbolt connection like in a Thunderbolt hub, will do the trick. If you're using a non-Thunderbolt hub, try connecting to directly to the USB ports on the Mac. Sometimes a different USB cable (shielded or with ferrites) may do the trick...definitely don't go with the cheap mass cable that may have come with the rig. Sometimes setting the USB audio to MONO rather than 2-channel will do the trick.

As I said, the solutions are varied.

This affects not only WJST-X, but also Fldigi. It has also been a MAJOR issue with many professional audio users who find their turntables or control boxes suddenly disconnected in the middle of a gig.

 

This is a frustrating problem, experienced with any digi mode software, not just WSJTX.
What Mac hardware are you running? Most of these same reports (mine included, in this forum) occurred using pre-2016 models. When I had to replace my 2011 MacBook Pro with a new model (with USB-C ports) last fall, the problem disappeared along with the old machine. One thing I did do on the old computer was to get a Thunderbolt to USB adaptor. This created a USB bus (redundant, I know) independent of the USB on the main logic board. This eliminated the audio in the speaker problem (until the GPU card totally failed). This is why I've suspected this to be a hardware or firmware, not an OS, issue.

Chuck WV8A

 

WV8A and K3DSCW: thanks for the replys! My Mac is a 2012 model..... I will concentrate on the Thunderbolt-alternative (although i don't know anything about that at the moment, but we learn every day . Greetings from Switzerland de HB9GPN

 

Here's what cured the 'computer speaker' issue for me...

if you are using macOS with an external audio device and find that Tx audio spontaneously switches to the motherboard sound device after a few transmissions, try setting the sample rate to 44100 Hz rather than the otherwise recommended 48000 Hz.
http://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/K1JT/wsjtx-doc/wsjtx-main-1.9.1.html

 

Changing the sample rate to 44100Hz did the job. Thanks!

 

Thanks for this... just ran into this issue and changing to 44100 did the trick.

 

Had same issue, this fixed my problem as well.