Troubleshooting

This page lists common issues and resolutions for toc-lp-kit deployments.

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1. RTL-SDR Not Detected

Symptom:

• rtl_test -t fails or shows “No supported devices found.”

Fix:

• Confirm the device is plugged into a USB 3.0 port.

• Ensure the DVB kernel driver is blacklisted:

  lsmod | grep dvb_usb_rtl28xxu
  # If present:
  echo 'blacklist dvb_usb_rtl28xxu' | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/rtl.conf
  sudo reboot
  

• Re-run detection:

  rtl_test -t
  

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2. No Audio in JS8Call

Symptom:

• JS8Call waterfall is blank or no decode peaks appear.

Check:

• Confirm SDR pipeline is running:

  docker logs toc_sdr
  

• Verify PulseAudio loopback:

  pactl list sinks short
  pactl list sources short
  

Fix:

• Restart PulseAudio modules:

  pactl unload-module module-null-sink
  pactl unload-module module-loopback
  pactl load-module module-native-protocol-unix socket=/tmp/pulse/native
  pactl load-module module-null-sink sink_name=js8loop
  pactl load-module module-loopback source=rtl_src monitor_sink=js8loop
  

• In JS8Call → File → Settings → Audio, select “Monitor of js8loop”.

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3. Clock Drift & Time-Slot Errors

Symptom:

• Decoded messages cross green time-slot lines or decode failures due to time misalignment.

Check:

• Chrony logs:

  docker logs toc_timesync | grep -E 'Freerun|System clock'
  

Fix:

• Allow chrony to step large offsets:

  In chrony/chrony.conf, ensure:
    makestep 1.0 3
  

• If off-grid with GPS, configure:

  Add to chrony.conf:
    refclock SHM 0 offset 0.5 refid GPS
  

• Restart chrony container:

  docker restart toc_timesync
  

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4. Container Startup Failures

Symptom:

• docker-compose up exits with error.

Check & Fix:

• View logs for each service:

  docker-compose logs sdr   # for SDR pipeline errors
  docker-compose logs js8call
  docker-compose logs toc_timesync
  

• Rebuild affected container:

  docker-compose build <service-name>
  docker-compose up -d <service-name>
  

• Verify file permissions on mounted volumes:

  ls -l /var/lib/docker/volumes/js8-log/_data
  

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5. GUI Won’t Launch

Symptom:

• Running js8call inside container does not display on host.

Check:

• Host allows X11 forwarding:

  echo $DISPLAY
  

• PulseAudio socket permissions:

  ls -l /tmp/pulse/native
  

Fix:

• On host, allow local X connections:

  xhost +local:root
  

• Ensure docker-compose.yml mounts /tmp/.X11-unix and sets DISPLAY.

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