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How to Calibration uBITX

How to Calibration uBITX

This document will be incrementally added or changed as needed.

I have received many questions about Calibration. Let me write about the experience that people and people around me have done so far.
The calibration method of CEC Firmeare is the same as the original firmware.
Most of the following are my experiences.
I thought uBITX failed after calibration failed. After analyzing the source, I noticed that the calibration was quite difficult to succeed.



Below are my uBITX settings.
Since I did not perform any calibration after receiving uBITX, I think it is the factory default for my uBITX.



A.Must Read Before Calibration
The calibration method of CEC Firmeare is the same as the original firmware.
Therefore, the following precautions apply to both the original firmware user and the CEC firmware user.

1. do not calibration
If your uBITX does not have a big problem with transmitting or receiving, do not calibrate. Perhaps your Calibration results will be terrible.
No one around me succeeded.

2.The calibration method is the same (Original and CEC Firmware).
My firmware has so far retained its original calibration method (source code).
If you have successfully calibrated the original firmware, you can try it in KD8CEC firmware. This is because the calibration logic is maintained.
You do not need to learn a new calibration method to use CEC Firmware.

3.Firmware update does not recover the calibration.
Even if you replace the firmware, the wrong calibration will not be recovered. This is because most firmware maintains the calibration value. It is useless to update the firmware several times.

4.Even if you update the firmware, the calibration does not become abnormal.
Sometimes somebody updates the firmware and says Calibration is wrong.
Perhaps uBITX would have had the wrong calibration value from befor update.
Some people say that they updated the firmware and that the 2 ~ 3 Khz frequency is wrong. (Before Version 1.06)

There is only one such case.

Firmware (both original and CEC firmware) will work with the default calibration value if the BFO Calibration value is within the range where the transceiver is difficult to operate.

CEC Firmware has improved the default value a bit, but for the convenience of users, after Version 1.061, the default is the same as the original firmware.


5.LSB and USB seem to have swaped.
Please read number 4 above.
Your uBITX BFO Calibration value is one of two.
  - uBITX's BFO Calibration value is not in the specified range, so the default value has been applied forcibly. (number 4 above)
  - Your BFO Calibration value is too high.

6.The frequency seems to be under 2 ~ 3 Khz.
Please read number 4 above.

Your uBITX BFO Calibration value is one of two.
  - Your BFO Calibration value is too high.
  - Master Calibration value is low.

7.Factory Default Value
I've seen quite a lot of uBITX factory default values.
Many people share backup files of uBITX.
When you open the backup file with uBITX Manager, you can see the factory default value of the other users.


B.How to Make Calibration Successful
There are different ways for each user.
This article assumes that there is no Signal Generator (including a simple oscillator).

1. do not calibration
I'll talk again. Do not calibrate if uBITX is not a big problem. Calibration of uBITX is not suitable for general users.

2. Please use uBITX Manager.
Back up your uBITX settings with uBITX Manager. Then perform calibration.
You can always come back when you think the calibration is wrong.
Note, I have mailed my backup file of uBITX to myself.
When I develop the firmware, all of my Calibration values are set to zero.
It does not matter.
I have a backup file so I can restore it at any time.
Be sure to backup before performing calibration.

The reason I created the uBITX Manager was to back up the calibration values.
So the OMsin the uBITX community are still calling uBITX Manager as uBITX Memory Manager.

3. Default Value
When uBITX is shipped from the factory, it is set to perfect condition.
uBITX is calibrated separately.
However, the calibration range of uBITX is not much different.
Do not worry if your uBITX is strange.
Try setting the BFO to 11996500.
It's not optimal, but it's not terrible.

4. Reboot every calibration step
Always reboot after calibration
If master calibration is finished, be sure to reboot.
This is because the BFO is increased during Master Calibration.

Be sure to reboot every time you calibrate.
After rebooting, you can hear the results of your calibration.

5. Calibration can be done in various ways.
Below is an example.
I use the results of running WSPR nowadays to adjust the Master Calibration.
I can also set the BFO while communicating with FT8.
There are many ways to calibrate.
However, please note only one.
Be sure to back up to uBITX Manager before performing calibration.


Below is the How to calibration using uBITX Manager created by Dave.
I will upload some Sample uBITX backup files soon. 
============================================


Hi all, 

Calibration has been challenging for me. 
In case the below will be helpful, here is the procedure that has ultimately worked well for me. 

Thanks to Ian Lee (KD8CEC) for his nice firmware and uBITX_manager utility, and to others who pointed me in the right direction on a different thread. 


Step 1: 
Downoad:  http://www.hamskey.com/2018/04/ubitx-firmware-cec-version-1073-beta.html

Within the Zip file you'll find a file name UBITX_CEC_V1.073_16P.hex   (This is the file you'll need with the standard display that ships with the board)  - extract that out; you'll use it in Step 2. 


Step 2:
You need to update your factory radio to Ian's firmware which is accompanied by a nice UI to load the parameters easily from uBITX_Manager utility. 
Follow the instructions here (using xloader): 
http://www.hamskey.com/2018/01/how-to-upgrade-ubitx-firmware.html  but ultimately pointing to the firmware that is referenced in Step 1 above. 


Step 3: 
Download and install the file here:  https://github.com/phdlee/ubitx/releases/download/v1.073/uBITX_Manager_1.04.zip 
Note - when you run uBITX_Manager; the uart speed is 38400 and not the 57600 used by xloader. 


Step 4: 
Connect uBITX_Manager to the radio
"Read from uBITX"
Press "Decode =>"
"Load from file" using the .btx file that I attached as screen images and text file.  These are my final numbers and they will get you close.  My factory-fresh calibration values seemed to be out and it was very difficult for me to bring them to something that is "sane" simply by ear. 
Press "<=Encode"
Press "Write to uBITX" - click through the next couple of dialogs
Press "Rest"  (Reset)) - your radio is now running with the new firmware and my calibration figures.  It should start to sound right. 

Step 5: 
See this post:  https://groups.io/g/BITX20/message/47482 for the 7074 LSB/USB "trick". 

With the attached file for my radio, the BFO calibration should be "close enough" so the calibration function accessible via the radio's menu will work ok now.  Then, I adjusted the BFO frequency for the best unwanted sideband suppression. 


Step 6 
Now that the BFO is set properly, I then calibrated the main frequency by setting CW frequency (in uBITX_Manager) to 700 Hz which is the same as my commercial rig CW sidetone.  I also ensured that the commercial rig was receiving CW on the same sideband as the uBITX ( lower sideband "CWL" for 40m ).
I then tweaked the main calibration setting  until the CW note of the received signal was the same on the commercial rig and on the uBITX.  I used an antenna switch to flip back and forth.  

Step 7
Fine-tune the BFO setting by using the 7074 "trick" and the radio's BFO calibration setup menu item. 


Good luck! 
Dave
AE6RQ

-- 
Dave Beal
AE6RQ






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