[arm-allstar] Distorted audio.

Thu Aug 2 22:05:10 EST 2018

Bill,

 What you are seeing is not a normal thing and not experienced by me
running many nodes or anyone I know. I am not saying it is not a real thing
that is happening to you though. It sounds like you are doing everything
right. It also sounds like it is not maybe not a card problem but rather a
corruption of data on the card. Linux runs primarily from RAM once it comes
up. The card is used only to store permanent data so if the problem
survives a reboot then I guess we could say it was the card. There have
been known but very rare RAM issues on the Pi causing corruption problems.

Not know your environment I can't really say. The number one problem would
be a power supply issue. People run these things from all kinds of plug in
wall warts and there could be a multitude of issues like low voltage,
inadequate current, ripple, noise, etc.  Also Hi power RF can cause
problems. Like if you are running 2KW on HF or very high power on VHF/UHF.

Things like this are hard to find but I would say it is not an issue in
general with the hardware or software or it would be showing up on a much
larger scale.

If you have more info on what you think might be causing this let us know.
Also look in /var/lib/systemd/coredump for any files there. If you ever
have any forward them to us.

You also can do a -   e2fsck -n /dev/mmcblk0p2

on the effected server. It will at least tell you if it looks clean. You
could also take the card out and do this check without the -n and unmounted
on another Linux system. The dev name would be different though.

*73 Doug*

*WA3DSP*
*http://www.crompton.com/hamradio <http://www.crompton.com/hamradio>*

On Thu, Aug 2, 2018 at 10:13 PM, Mr. Possum (Bill) <flatpossum1231 at yahoo.com
> wrote:

> Doug,
>
> I have had this recurrent problem on several of my nodes...  Each and
> every time it has ended up being a corrupted memory card.  I never used to
> have this problem, but it has popped up in the last year or so, several
> times.  Take that for what you will...
>
> My main hub node is doing it right now - and when it boots, it is all
> garbled when announcing the connections.  It's gotten worse over the past
> week or so.  Every once in a while, it will garble all the audio coming
> through it as well.  This is the HUB node with a couple of hubs and one 900
> MHz repeater hung off of it.
>
> It sounds like Donald Duck being being repeatedly pelted in rapid fire
> fashion by a Gatling gun full of Nerf bullets...  It's somewhat comical but
> it is also a pain in the assets...  If you want to hear it - gimme a call
> sometime and I will reboot the hub node for you and let you listen to it on
> my cell phone.  You will likely cringe...
>
> The latest trick, (and the reason I know it is about to roll over and die)
> is the astdb file is getting corrupted once or twice a day and I have to
> copy a backup file over on top of it for the repeater data to display in
> Supermon.  WinSCP tells me the file doesn't exist, but it's there in the
> directory listing, possibly listed as 0 bytes.  Every time it starts doing
> this on one of my nodes, it's time to stuff in a newly configed memory
> card...
>
> The card is only a little over 50% used, so it isn't a "disk space"
> issue...
>
> I'm lazy and busy and have places to go over the next few days - so I
> haven't gotten around to yanking out the card, taking the entire Texas
> Repeater Network down and putting a freshly burnt card in there and
> spending an evening editing config files, installing autosky, fixing my
> supermon to where it actually works again, editing a rather lengthy
> crontab, etc. etc. etc...   It's not all that hard - but I have to take the
> entire network down to do it and I really don't have the time in the next
> few days....  It can be rather time consuming.
>
> I figure by the time I get back home on Sunday - it will probably given
> up...  Rolled over and given up the ghost...
>
> Funny thing though, when I take the corrupted cards out and format them on
> my PC, I can then go ahead and reflash them and reuse them on another
> RasPi, no sweat....  No corruption...  Well at least not for a good long
> while anyway.
>
> This showing up on my nodes is a rather random affair...  There doesn't
> seem to be a "cause" I can put my finger on other than I know it's
> knackered when the astdb file starts flaking out and my Supermon display
> gets all hosed up with "*someones private node*" all over the screen!
>
> I've had this problem several times and it has always been the memory card
> getting corrupted - the garbled audio is soon followed by astdb
> corruption...
>
> I always use Sandisk class 10 8GB cards - I bought a BIG "BULK" pack off
> of Amazon and have a pile of them on the shelf for my Pi's...  (I got a lot
> of Pi's!)  When I need another one, I always have a few handy.
>
> Just my two cents and my experience - and a little FYI...
>
> Bill - N5MBM
> www.texasrepeaternetwork.net
>
>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* Doug Crompton via arm-allstar <arm-allstar at hamvoip.org>
> *To:* ARM Allstar <arm-allstar at hamvoip.org>
> *Cc:* Doug Crompton <wa3dsp at gmail.com>
> *Sent:* Thursday, August 2, 2018 7:44 PM
> *Subject:* Re: [arm-allstar] Distorted audio.
>
> Tom,
>
> Any time that problem occured it was always cleared with a restart or
> reboot. In oyu case I don't know and would need more info to analyse. Does
> it sound like clipped distorted audio or is it off pitch and/or going fast
> or slow in speed?
>
> Like I said before there is no general problem with this and it might just
> be something corrupted on the SD card. If it worked for a year and then
> stopped that would be my feeling. If you go into the client and use it does
> it show any errors or warnings there? If you turn down the TX audio (item
> 3) does the level go down? Is the TX audio level having any effect
> .
>
>
> *73 Doug*
>
> *WA3DSP*
>
> *http://www.crompton.com/hamradio <http://www.crompton.com/hamradio>*
>
>
> On Thu, Aug 2, 2018 at 8:09 PM, "Tom Eaton via arm-allstar" <
> arm-allstar at hamvoip.org> wrote:
>
> > Thanks for the comment Doug I did check the transmit audio and it is set
> > where it always has been this node has been on the air for almost a year.
> > If it is a codec problem is there a fix. I have tried multiple reboots.
> And
> > checked all the settings in simple-usb.
> >
> > Tom, KC4CBQ
> >
> > On Thu, Aug 2, 2018, 6:37 PM "Doug Crompton via arm-allstar" <
> > arm-allstar at hamvoip.org> wrote:
> >
> > > In reviewing this message again I missed the word distorted or at least
> > > what it normally means. Very occasionally a codec can get confused but
> > the
> > > result is use broken or chipmunk like audio. In your case distorted
> > > probably means overloaded. What you should do is go back to the old SD
> > card
> > > and go into simpleusb-tune-menu and check setting 3 for TX audio. I
> > suspect
> > > it is set too high.  Sometimes people forget that you need to save the
> > > settings in there with the 'w' option. If you don't it will work fine
> > until
> > > your next restart or reboot and then go back to the old settings.
> > >
> > >
> > > *73 Doug*
> > >
> > > *WA3DSP*
> > >
> > > *http://www.crompton.com/hamradio <http://www.crompton.com/hamradio>*
> > >
> > >
> > > On Thu, Aug 2, 2018 at 11:16 AM, "Ian via arm-allstar" <
> > > arm-allstar at hamvoip.org> wrote:
> > >
> > > >
> > > > Message: 2
> > > >> Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2018 19:41:06 -0400
> > > >> From: Tom Eaton <kc4cbq at gmail.com>
> > > >> To: ARM Allstar <arm-allstar at hamvoip.org>
> > > >> Subject: [arm-allstar] Tx Audio broken distorted
> > > >> Message-ID:
> > > >>        <CAJXZ5SLnReTjJE1TgFTkPfk2r90aDTJcDQ6HvQPmWQUJKZU-3A at mail.gm
> > > >> ail.com>
> > > >> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
> > > >>
> > > >> Node started having distorted audio on TX side only rx ok and across
> > > >> internet ok, tried  different transmitter, then new fob, and pi, no
> > > >> change.
> > > >> Changed SD card and audio now ok.
> > > >> What could it be in HAMVOIP that could have caused this, and can it
> be
> > > >> fixed or just start over with new SD card.
> > > >>
> > > >> It is running latest ver. as of last week when i did update.
> > > >>
> > > >> Tom, KC4CBQ
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > > Tom,
> > > >
> > > > My suggestion would be to check option three from simpleusb-tune-menu
> > and
> > > > adjusting the current setting downwards.
> > > > ---------------------------------------------------------
> > > > Please enter your selection now: 3
> > > > Current setting on Tx Channel A is 350
> > > > Enter new Tx A Level setting (0-999, or C/R for none):
> > > > ----------------------------------------------------------
> > > > I have found this necessary when changing or testing node radios.
> > > >
> > > > Regards,
> > > > Ian..
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > >
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> > > > arm-allstar at hamvoip.org
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> > > >
> > > > Visit the BBB and RPi2/3 web page - http://hamvoip.org
>
> > > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > >
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> > > arm-allstar at hamvoip.org
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> > >
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> > >
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> >
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> >
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> >
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