WB4SON

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Trouble Setting up RMS Express with CF-31 Toughbook

Posted: 31 May 2021 09:52 AM PDT
https://wb4son.com/wpblog/?p=4412


After having a gloriously easy time setting up my Kenwood TM-D710G and
DRA-50 the other day with both the RMS Express Client, and eventually the
RMS Packet software to get my VARA FM gateway up and running, I ran into a
puzzling snag trying to get my IC-9700 working with RMS Express + VARA FM
on my CF-31 Toughbook.

Normally my IC-9700 and Toughbook are dedicated to satellite radio, but I
really wanted an alternative radio setup for VARA FM that I could use to
check my RMS Packet gateway was functional.Â* I figured it would be a no
brainer install VARA FM/RMS Express and use that setup.

Unfortunately, I ran into two problems.Â* The first was very minor VARA FM
only supports baud rates up to 19K.Â* The IC-9700 was set to 112K (Satellite
guys like a higher baud rate because of Doppler corrections).Â* That was an
easy change to drop the IC-9700 baud rate down to 19K.Â* As soon as that
happened, I had PTT access.

The next problem was not as intuitive.Â* While the rig PTT was working, no
modulation was produced, despite being in FM D digital mode and having the
DATA MOD set to USB.Â* I could tell VARA FM was producing the sound output,
because I could swap the output to the Toughbook speakers and hear the
modulation.

I ultimately fixed the issue by opening up Windows Sound Mixer and
discovering that the internal IC-9700 sound device USB Audio CODEC was
MUTED.Â* Why, I dont know, thats not something I would have done.Â* But I had
never used the sound interface in the IC-9700 before, and apparently when
Windows recognized that device, it muted it.

Nothing was wrong with VARA-FM or RMS Express at all.Â* It was entirely an
issue between Windows 10 and the CF-31 Toughbook.