Signalink, Fldigi & Linux - if only we could all work together!

[zia]

I was digging through some old boxes and discovered my ham radio that got packed away 20 years ago. I'd always wanted to try digital modes, so I ordered the Signalink USB TNC, which came today. If I use the speaker jack on the back of the radio to the TNC, then the waterfall shows up in Fldigi. Success! On the other hand:

• The TNC-to-microphone connector audio doesn't work, even though I used the special internal jumper doodad from Tigertronics. Until I find the box with my scope, perhaps that will stay a mystery?
• If I make Fldigi call CQ, the PTT light doesn't light up on the Signalink (or the radio). Fldigi is set as PTT on right audio channel.
• I would like to listen to the radio from my computer headphones, but I can't figure out how to make pavucontrol send the audio to both the Fldigi and the computer headphones at the same time. (The Signalink AUX jack isn't stereo, has no independent level adjustment, and sounds terrible.)

[GDyer]

I'm in the same stalemate with MX Linux. The Signalink works fine in the Windows environment I have, but running on MX Linux and trying to find the right combination of Pulse - USB Codec - input - output - Analogue - Digital configuration has been frustrating. I can get Pulse audio to feed the waterfall in WSJT-X but it doesn't seem to register cq's or transmissions. Further adding to that I cannot hear the output of the radio. I can hear other audio (Youtube..etc), from Chrome...but nothing from the radio. I'm using a Dell Optiplex 7010 with a new Signalink and MX Linux 19.2. I'm a Mac user...Linux Novice...and Window's 10 Pro user as a fallback. I hate to say everything works fine on the Windows OS... but I would love to get Linux as the primary driver. I see some have had better compatibility with Ubuntu or at least there's a larger community supporting it, but MX/Debian is an better flavor in my opinion. I'd entertain any suggestions or guidance in the quest!

Best,

Greg/K4PGD

[gnuuser]

I'm in the same stalemate with MX Linux. The Signalink works fine in the Windows environment I have, but running on MX Linux and trying to find the right combination of Pulse - USB Codec - input - output - Analogue - Digital configuration has been frustrating. I can get Pulse audio to feed the waterfall in WSJT-X but it doesn't seem to register cq's or transmissions. Further adding to that I cannot hear the output of the radio. I can hear other audio (Youtube..etc), from Chrome...but nothing from the radio. I'm using a Dell Optiplex 7010 with a new Signalink and MX Linux 19.2. I'm a Mac user...Linux Novice...and Window's 10 Pro user as a fallback. I hate to say everything works fine on the Windows OS... but I would love to get Linux as the primary driver. I see some have had better compatibility with Ubuntu or at least there's a larger community supporting it, but MX/Debian is an better flavor in my opinion. I'd entertain any suggestions or guidance in the quest!

Best,

Greg/K4PGD

mx linux while easy to learn and use has its own foibles to deal with.
debian ham radio pureblend, and andy's ham linux come with the software already built in.
andy's ham linux is easy to install and understand. but you may find some repository issues ( I havent yet)

debian ham radio pureblend while a little more involved has outstanding support. this one i use in my shack!
both come with tutorials in cw, practice tests for tech, general, and extra.
both come with a complete office suite, and both have logging software, fldigi and other goodies
and like mx its free!

im not going to get into a linux vs windows vs mac debate i see way too much of that over the years
I use linux because it works for me better than mac or windows.

[brandon lind]

I can't figure out how to make pavucontrol send the audio to both the Fldigi and the computer headphones at the same time

From what I understand, you want the mic or line input to go to both the program AND the headphone output. Have you turned on audio pass-through after installing pavucontrol?

Installing pavucontrol:
sudo apt-get install pavucontrol

Turning on pass-through:
pactl load-module module-loopback latency_msec=1

Turning off pass-through:
pactl unload-module $(pactl list short modules | awk '$2 =="module-loopback" { print $1 }' - )

Turn on passthrough then open the program and try configuring the audio device in fldigi. As for it sounding terrible, sounds like a level or impedance mismatch. For laptops having only a microphone input jack (no line in), there is often a setting that allows you to reconfigure the jack to be used as line in. If this is not the case for you, you may need an audio transformer or attenuator pad.