EchoStation

Troubleshooting FAQ

1. I see the transmit-audio meter going up and down, but I'm not hearing anything from the speakers.
2. I'm hearing an echo, or getting feedback.
3. I'm using VOX for receive, and the green Receiver Busy light stays on all the time, even when there's no received signal.
4. As soon as my computer boots up, the radio starts transmitting, even before I start EchoStation.
5. I sometimes hear gaps, or "stutters", in the audio.
6. I'm having trouble with Simplex Autopatch.
7. The changes made to my configuration don't seem to be "sticking", or I'm having trouble entering the new Registration code.

I see the transmit-audio meter going up and down, but I'm not hearing anything from the speakers.

On some computers, especially Compaq machines, there's an option which automatically mutes the computer speakers while "recording" through the sound card.  Since EchoStation is always "recording", this option must be disabled. The option is sometimes called "Control of monitor output", "Recording Input Monitor", or "Record Monitor".  To find it, do the following steps:

1. Exit EchoStation.
2. From Control Panel, double-click the loudspeaker icon (at bottom right) to open the Volume Control.
3. From the Options menu, choose Properties.
4. Select the "Recording" button, and click OK.
5. From the Options menu, be sure "Advanced Controls" is checked.
6. If an "Advanced" button appears below the Recording slider, click it.
7. In the section "Other Controls", look for a checkbox called "Control of Monitor Output" or "Recording Input Monitor". Be sure it is un-checked.
8. Exit Volume Control, and re-start EchoStation.

I'm hearing an echo, or getting feedback.

Many sound cards have an option to mix Wave Output into the "recording" audio.  This must be turned off for use with EchoStation.  The easiest way to do this is as follows:

1. In EchoStation, choose Tools => Audio Setup.
2. Select the Preferences tab.
3. Check the box marked "Mute unused ports".
4. Exit and re-start EchoStation.

I'm using VOX for receive, and the green Receiver Busy light stays on all the time, even when there's no received signal.

Either the VOX level is set too low, or the receiver level is set too high.  Try this:

1. In EchoStation, choose Tools => System Setup.
2. Select the Receiver tab.
3. Click the Auto Set button, and follow the directions provided.
4. After running Auto Set, check to be sure the VOX Level slider isn't all the way to the right. If it is, reduce the receiver audio level and try again.

As soon as my computer boots up, the radio starts transmitting, even before I start EchoStation.

This is a common problem when running Microsoft Windows Me.  The problem may be that the operating system is raising the DTR (or RTS) line on the COM port on startup, rather than leaving it low.  There are several solutions:

1. Check to be sure another program is not trying to use the same serial port.  For example, if you have the Palm Desktop installed, disable the HotSync Manager or move it to a different port.
2. Set up EchoStation to start up automatically, by placing a "shortcut" to EchoStation in the Startup folder.
3. Set up another special program to start automatically, which clears the DTR pin.  One such program is Fixcomstart.exe, available from Jim Barber, N7CXI, at www.siliconpixels.com .
4. Implement the Fail-Safe feature, as described in the Help section.  This is recommended for unattended set-ups.

I sometimes hear gaps, or "stutters", in the audio.

For best results, EchoStation needs your computer's undivided attention.  This is because it must process audio signals in "real time".  Avoid running other major applications on your computer while running EchoStation, especially ones which require a great deal of disk access.

I'm having trouble with Simplex Autopatch.

Although the Simplex Autopatch mode is included in EchoStation, it is not currently recommended due to hardware-compatibility issues.  Very few modern FM transceivers can accomodate the fast transmit-receive switching required for effective Simplex Autopatch operation, without modification.

Changes to configuration don't seem to be "sticking", or I'm having trouble entering new Registration information.

If you are running Windows Vista, you may need to run EchoStation as Administrator. One way to do this is to right-click the EchoStation icon and choose this option when you start the program.