UPDATE - sBitx V3 with Firmware version 5.4
So the dev team working on the sBitx software suite (unpaid I might add so I suggest you drop in on them and give them a donation for all this time and enegry they have put into this for the community) has dropped ther latest version of the sBitx SDR firmware and it is version 5.4 and let me tell you, this is incredible!
Highlights of the new firmware for the sBitx Software Defined Radio
This is taken directly from the drexjj GitHub repo page so I dont get something wrong. Goto this link to see more about this project and to help support the team.
Here is the list for JUST THIS RELEASE!
v5.4
New Features:
sBitx IQ improvements
enhanced VFO, complex mixing and down-converting
improved processing of I and Q data in the sBitx receiving pipeline
AGC function and AM detector changes to work in updated pipeline
FM Mode and Squelch
Added FM mode and squelch control for use on 10M and transnverters
Text console can scroll back to view and work with up to 500 lines of history, in all modes
Added support for Touch Display 2 and larger displays
Makes it easier to touch and see the buttons on a Touch Display 2 or external display
New file is read upon sbitx startup called display_settings.ini where you can set the display type or resolution
display_type=1 is for the original, older 7 inch touch display
display_type=2 is for the newer 7 inch touch display
ui_scale can be changed for use with a larger display
Added styles option to customize the sBitx application.
Text size, font, color, and types are now supported.
Styles templates are stored in the data folder as tpl files.
If there is a file named user_style.tpl in the sbitx data folder, then it will load it on sbitx startup.
If the user_style.tpl file is not found then it will load default_style.tpl if it is present.
If none of these files are located, then it will load the factory style we are all used to.
There are sample styles in the data folder that can be loaded. Just have to rename one of them to user_style.tpl
Added mode_bal to hw_settings.ini to balance LSB and CWR to USB and CW.
0.8 is a reasonable value.
Also harmonized filter band edges.
removed old ssb_val
Controlled Envelope Single Sideband (CESSB)
enable via the button in menu 1 or the '\cessb on' command
Added Tune function to FTx modes
Added NBFM mode with CTCSS and Squelch
Added squelch control to AM mode
Added option to use USB audio devices for sound routing (speaker/phones and mic input)
The options are in the Set dialog box in Menu 1
Added Out-Of-Band and license class indicators
Shows color strips or shading for bands edges and US license class
Each file can be customized outside the USA
More details and instructions in the oob_limits files in the data folder
Added ALC power limits by band, if RF power exceeds limit it is folded back to limit
Default is off until a limit is set in hw_settings.ini by adding line max_watts=nn to band data after f_stop
When activated message is given in spectrum between Power and VSWR
Power reduction is released when RF power drops below bamd limit
Added swrsweep
usage: select a band then either
enter cmd \swrsweep n, n where n is the number of sample frequencies or
in menu 1 set SWRSTEP to the number of samples and click on SWRSWP
uses TNPWR to sample vswr at the n sample points evenly spaced between band limits
displays results in console
esc key cancels sweep
Added time out feature to SWR alert
SWR alert ends after 10 seconds without needing to first transmit with SWR less than max_vswr
Added HPSDR 'Protocol 1' support to provide sbitx I and Q data to external SDR apps over WiFi or ethernet
Starts when sbitx starts, console will show "hpsdr: streaming STARTED" when SDR app discovers and connects
Good support for SDR app receiver functions
XMIT not yet supported, will require CAT/Hamlib connection
Changes:
GUI
Moved Direct Frequency Keypad to a new button called PAD and added quick buttons
Swapped button placement on main display
Moved eptt & vfolock to menu 2
Menu 1 is reserved for mostly audio related controls
CW Decoder
Fixed colors of sent and received text on console, use new lines when doing T/R switch
Only displays cw stats (WPM, dot/dash ratio) when they are meaningful
Less garbage ouput when only noise is present
Replace sliding window in denoise function with EMA filter
Improved accuracy with better weak signal performance
Replaced viterbi with simpler classifier
Simplified code of own TX decode process
Set BW to 50 when using decoder is recommended
Web interface
Added more controls
Gridmap new options: Square or round Grid dots; Seen Grids; Unlogged Grids;
Power and VSWR readings updated more often, from every second to every 1/2 second
Updates are now as fast as bridge reads allow
Minimum power for VSWR calculation increased to help eliminate invalid reads at very low powers
Fixes:
APF init Bug
Fixed a bug where APF would not initialize properly
Audio Cleanup
Made a small change to cleanup the static between TX to RX
APM sampling improved for better regularity
VSWR initialization when user disabled fixed
max_vswr=0 now restored as no max vswr protection at startup
Fixed scope intensity where it now loads and restores previous setting
Fixed Macro loading and F1-F8 buttons when changing modes
Web Gridmap red Grid dots now shown when QSO is logged
Fixed expansion of SENTRSTCUT in macros
Downloading and burning an image to your microSD card
Firs thing you need to do is go download the new image. The new image is a zip file so you have to extract it and then you can move on to step 2… This is where you use a tool like Balena Etcher to write the disk image to a micro SD card. I use 32GB cards since it is what the radio started out with. They seem to work just fine to be honest. I did have to write the image twice for some reason. The first time the image would not boot past the splash screen so I reburned it and then it worked fine. Balena Etcher is an easy to learn tool that makes this process pretty simple to be honest. If your using Linux it might take a little to get it running, but google will tell you what to do here as well. I ended up running it in my terminal so I could shutoff the sand box feature. I know this is probably a bad idea to remove the sandbox but I have confidence in Etcher so I am good with it. Launching it from the terminal, you are presesneted with this panel. The first one is where you choose the disk image you want to burn, the second one chooses the media (hard drive, memory card or the like) and then you click flash and wait… It will take a few minutes and you are presented with a ready to use version of the sBitx software ver. 5.4. You still need to copy a couple of files from your existing version of the sBitx you are using. It is not a big deal to do this as you just need to copy them to a USB memory stick so you can put the back when you swap micro SD cards in the radio.
The next step for me, involved me taking my radio apart some what. I use the on board Raspberry Pi micro SD card slot on the Pi. This means I have to take the front of the radio loose from the chassis and open the radio enough to be able to swap out the two sd cards. Dont make my mistake and use the same card for both images. Make sure you use a new card for the new image and save the old one in case somethng goes wrond so you can go back to the working version while you solve the problem. This is pretty easy and only requires you to remove 4 screws to succeed. Once the new card is installed, you are off to the races! just power up the radio as normal, being sure to have either a dummy load or a tuned antenna attached as it will auto launch the radio app and if it is on FT8 it just might start answering a CQ if your not ready! HaHa! The card really is easy to reach, just be careful to not unplug anything like the video cable you see right next to the card. I have my cable wrapped in copper tape and grounded to help reduce RF hash fro the Pi, this is a hack that actually works really well. This cable is one of the prime culprits of rf hash in this radio so just doing this one mod will improve your experience a lot.
This is the new splash screen that you are greeted with while the software package loads everything. I really like this new look the dev team brought to this release. Once the software loads, it will auto lauch the sBitx radio app and you will have the view below. It is in FT8 mode here since I was last using this mode and band. There are some tihngs you need to do before you start using the radio, such as entering into Menu 1, then touching the “Set” button and in here you will enter your callsign and grid locator you are currently operating in. This is used for logging and digital modes. But it helps to do this first thing so you dont forget. I also keep a note about this in my case so I dont forget to do this step when I am out traveling and activating POTA parks with this radio.
Personal thoughts about the HF Signals sBitx SDR radio
I only use my sBitx for a couple of modes. FT8, FT4 and CW. I rarely use SSB or any other voice mode for that matter. I just prefer CW to be honest. That being said, I tested out the keying on the current release and it works perfectly for me. I normally dont run over about 22WPM thoguh so if you work faster than me, just know I wont be speeding up with this radio…lol. I can get decent code out of it at 25WPM, but now we are getting into the realm of my skills not being up to the task too… sooooooo. I dont know which is to blame past this point.. HAHA!
I like FT8 as it will work when the bands seem to be closed for evey CW. That is nice if you are activating a POTA park and the band closes with 8 calls in your log. This way I can hop over on to FT8 and more ofter than not, I will get those needed calls in the log and probably more. This in spite of the fact that the output power on a band like 15 meters will only be about 12 to 15 watts depending on battery level. I can get a lot more on the low bands but on the higher bands I will not get a lot of power out. This just further soldifies my stance on using FT8 in poor band conditions and the ability to make contacts with it natively in the radio. I will be say something else about this radio. I really like the community around it. Sure there will be the occasional disagreemnt here and there. It is a group of humans after all… But for the most part, it is a group of experimenters and coders and general operators that love to tinker with their machines as much as operate them.
Speaking of images on disks. Over the last few years I have amassed a small collection of different images. You might think this is silly, but there is a method to this madness. You see, for one, I have a full collection of images starting with the factory shipped version that came with the radio. The factory version is the one with 381 written on it, as this is the serial number of my radio. I have a copy of the Field Day release and the first 64 bit release. As time passed and new versions were released, I get them and burn them to a new card and save the old one. I can install any one of these cards and it will instantly become that version radio again. That is pretty cool. Honestly though, the other reason I keep them all is that there is logbook data stored on them as well as the later versions all have my config files on them that I can get to should the card in the radio die for some odd reason.
Another really good idea for a person getting one of these radios is to use the disk copier app and make a backup of your image on a new micro SD card. This way should the one in the radio die, you can simply replace it and keep going…right after you make a new back up. The reason I keep circling back to this is that these card are not the most reliable on earth. All of mine have worked well, but there has been some people that have had their card get corrupted and dont have a backup. That is tough spot to be in to be honest. Anyway, I thought I would share a little about one of my favorite radios and what is going on with it.
73
WK4DS - David