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[BUG] Signal/sound cuts right after starting rtl_airband #500

@Followflux

Description

@Followflux

initial sound (icecasat and mp3).zip

Describe your environment

  • RTLSDR-Airband version V5.0.12.
  • Raspberry pi zero W v1.1
  • Raspberry pi OS (lite).

What happened?
Whenever i start the program with rtl_airband -f, it starts up normally, apart from "PLL not locked" message, which i am working on figuring out.
However, for some reason the sound/signal cuts right after starting. I just get to hear some noise for a few milliseconds, and then it cuts out. I've got no squelch settings on. I benchmarked with rtl_fm and here i could at least get some noise.
Now here comes the odd part;
If i tune in to a local radio station at 100mhz, i get sound and i can even barely hear the signal, that's even while being in AM mode, when the radio station is FM.

This is what led me to make a bug report.
Or maybe RTLSDR-Airband has some feature i dont know about, but i couldn't find anything obvious reading the documentation.

What you expected to happen?
I expected to at least hear noise, or the ATIS i am tuning in on.

Additional context
In my test enviroment, the SDR is connected via a unshielded micro usb. Using a short cable. I understand this will give me noise, but right now i am more worried about getting the software to even output sound.
I have tried various sampling rates, in the khz range as well. I found a spot at 1.024mhz, where the CPU of the Pi Zero is running at around 75-85%, so a little bit of headroom.
The SDR works perfectly fine when connecting to my laptop running on SDRSharp, here i can even get a very good S/N ratio, so i know it's possible.

I am starting to think it's the Raspberry Pi Zero W that just cant handle it? I swear to god i read somewhere on reddit that someone had done the same. I needed the Zero for the size.
Or it literally is a bug. I have tried so many different settings and no matter what i do, the sound/signal cuts on the .mp3 file and on the icecast, while listening on the active ATIS on 122.750.

The goal is to eventually stream to liveatc. I might give up soon tho :/.

Your rtl_airband.conf file
devices = (
{
type = "rtlsdr";
index = 0;
gain = 30;
mode = "multichannel";
centerfreq = 122750000;
correction = 180;
sample_rate = 1024000;
channels = (
{
freq = 122750000;
bandwidth = 12000;
modulation = "am";
squelch_threshold = -85;
outputs = (
{
type = "icecast";
server = "127.0.0.1";
port = 8000;
mountpoint = "airband";
username = "source";
password = "2468ssX3";
name = "Airband";
genre = "Airband";
description = "Airband";
},
{
type = "file";
directory = "/home/torx0148";
filename_template = "airband";
continuous = true;
}
);
}
);
}
);

Console output while it's running:
rtl_airband -f -e
RTLSDR-Airband version v5.0.12 starting
Connecting to 127.0.0.1:8000/airband...
Connected to 127.0.0.1:8000/airband
Found Rafael Micro R820T tuner
Enabled direct sampling mode, input 2
[R82XX] PLL not locked!
Disabled direct sampling mode
Device #0: gain set to 29.70 dB
RTLSDR device 0 initialized
122.750

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