Digital HF Audio Setting 'Best Practice'

How to properly adjust your Audio Settings when using HF Digital Apps like JS8Call, Fldigi, VarAC, WSJT-X. Decoding matters and the best way to ensure correct decoding is to know what the settings should be and how to to it.

[RickFrost-ld]

MJ Just an FYI... when using JS8Call, if you hit the RX button on the top right, it will start you receiving and your meter on the bottom left will togggle on. Good job on tackling setting sound settings. You did show all four of the places that folks have to address. Well done. Rick, K4REF

[sammas]

Dang! Now I get it. I've been winging this for a while; it was clear as mud. Your explanations cleared the muddy waters. Thanks so much!

[anthonygannon]

MJ; Thank you, thank you. Simple and informative very easy for this old ham to understand. Took notes to help while operating.

[drewrinella]

Had to reference this video again. Got my old-new FT897 all up and running now. Thanks!

[danielpascarella]

MJ, Another great video. Answered many questions I have concerning audio adjustments and radio and software settings. Very very thorough presentation. I know you are putting a lot of work into these videos. They are of great value.
Looking at your future video subject plans they are mouth watering for me and I can’t waite. Thank you for you wonderful work. You are living up to your channel’s title. Also, like the way you have the VaraAc ‘s window arrangement and color scheme set.
In regard to your video on VaraAc, I’ve watch it multiple times to help get set up on that amazing app.
Thanks again, Daniel KD2ZTX

[yakfishin]

I wanna get my beginner license but want to find a good on line study course. Don't even know where to start to find one.

[hzilla]

Wow, MJ, after watching your last video last week I went back to review others and I was suprised to see @ 11:13 you have both Capture and Playback running (USB Audio Codec)!. You are so right about " how they can change" as on both my HP Envy laptops, Microsoft Windows 11 has somehow switched from USB Codec to Realtek and now I am dead in the water using JS8Call as it will not work with Realtek. I am running a suboptimal (due to space limitations even though the inverted V apex is 60 ft high) a 7 band Buckmaster 10-80M OCFD and a KX3 with KPA 100 which requires a SignaLink sound card. I couldn't make any SSB QSO's on 20 or 40 due to poor TX (although I can Rx quite a few Dxs), and so I tried JS8Call which had been working until the Realtek suddenly appeared and Codec vanished.

I have tried everything to find the USB Codec driver, tried every YouTube video tutorial, gone to HP to see if I could get the Codec, but for the life of me, nothing has worked. I can not find the USB Codec drivers for the input/output modulation or the notification Codec sound cards. Everything else works on the computers, so going nuclear with a wipe of the whole computer and reinstallation of Windows will not provide a long term solution, only having the sacred USB Codec driver always on standby backup makes any sense.

I just don't know enough about computers and radios to know whom to be pissed off the most at the moment, but I think it is Microsoft. I'm surprised that Elecraft hasn't devised an internal sound card for its KX3 or that JS8Call seemingly relies on a very hard to find USB Codec sound card instead of the ubiquitous Realtek.
But I am not imagining this.



Not to be paranoid, but it wouldn't surprise me if Microsoft has deliberately switched USB Codec to Realtek to foil Ham radio operators!

You mention emailing instructions and setups to viewers. If you do have a file of that Codec and it is not a hassle, could you e-mail it to me at my QRZ.com address? I would really appreciate it. I know you have a lot of stress with your upcoming surgery, and quite frankly I'm amazed that you are still at this.

Best wishes and 73's

Karl AF5LQ

[AlvinMcManus]

I was told that on the Xiegu G90 you wanted your ALC at just below 100 say 90-97 contrary to other rigs out there. Are the G90 gurus right or are they full of it?

[dangermandave]

ALC on the Xiegu G90, at least with the firmware version I have, is ass-backwards. When there's no ALC being applied, the level is 100. So I take it that when using VarAC, I should be aiming for ALC to be something like 66 on the G90, right?

[gary]

Thanks for the great tutorial! Setting the proper scale in FLDigi was very helpful; I was wondering my I was showing only -db.