Issue with Maestro v1.8 (Part II)

Cal N3CAL

A big thanks to Flex for their top notch customer support!  My help desk ticket for my DOU (Dead on Upgrade) Maestro now shows solved.  After a week at Flex my Maestro is on it's way back to me. I should have it tomorrow.  My ticket does not explain what if anything was done to my Maestro and what version of software they loaded it with??  I'll assume it has been fixed but I need to know if I need to revert my 6500 back to SSDR v1.7 or stay at v1.8??  What's the path forward from here?  Some advise would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks again.   (This is a new post because the previous "Issue with Maestro v1.8" has been closed for further comments) 

Cal/N3CAL 

G4NRT

Lucky you Cal!

So you do not have any idea what they did to fix it?  

My Maestro has been gone for a week-and-a-half now (and it was over a week from when I had the problem that it was picked up!).  I have no idea where it is or what is being done to it!  

My retailer in the UK (who collected it from me) is also none the wiser!  

As far as I am aware it is still sitting with them in the UK and has yet to be sent to Germany - they were awaiting contact from FRS German distributor the last time I heard anything!

I updated my ticket to that effect but have yet to receive any reply!

I would just like to have some idea if I will be waiting days or weeks or even months until I get it back!

David G4NRT

Cal N3CAL

David I have no idea what Flex did?    Hopefully Flex can provide a little insight on what's next?

Cal/N3CAL

David Decoons, wo2x

Hi Cal,

Once you power up the Maestro it should show the latest version software on top of the list on the Maestro. If it is an older version than loaded in your radio it will prompt you to downgrade the radio (software for the radio is already loaded on the Maestro). If you did not uninstall the older version from your PC you can just launch that.

let us know if you have any questions. There are plently of people lurking here that can help.

Dave wo2x

Tim - W4TME

Your Maestro was fixed by manually forcing the PICs on the controller boards out of bootloader mode and doing the software update on them  We are adding logic to the PIC updater code to prevent the PICs from getting locked in bootloader mode.

The Maestro will come with v1.8.3 installed on it.  We recommend that you do not downgrade the Maestro to a lower version since the software to prevent the stuck in bootloader mode has not been added to the SmartSDR for Maestro software and the same problem could occur if you downgrade.

Jay -- N0FB

I received my e-mail last night.  It was much the same as your's "Flashed Processor W".  There was not any more information provided.  If they ship today, UPS has 2 day standard ground service between Texas and Kansas City.  I should have it Friday.   This will then be a 2 week excursion without my Maestro (The horror!).  :-)

Cal N3CAL

Thanks Tim!  That's what I needed to know.   I will stay at v1.8.3

Cal/N3CAL

K1UO Larry

Two weeks without Maestro must be like a day without sunshine....

Philip KA4KOE

My xyl K4SMN has her huge Ipad Pro....I have my Maestro....not too much differential in pricing.

G4NRT

You are not wrong!!

Tim - W4TME

David - we are working on getting your Maestro to Germany for the fix.  Sorry for the delay.

Peter

HI Cal,
 Should you knot have waited until it's back in you arms and working to your liking before you sing the praises, not that it's not fixed properly ?

Peter

Cal N3CAL

@ Peter,  there was no need to wait to praise Flex on their customer support!  They did a great job getting my Maestro back to them for a fix.  They paid for shipping both ways!   I'm confident it will be back to normal once it arrives tomorrow.   They deserve the praise. 

Cal/N3CAL

 

Jay -- N0FB

Here, here!!  Flex Radio customer support has been nothing except exemplary.  They are the rule that other companies will be measured by.

Cal N3CAL

My Maestro has returned!  It's back in the shack, up, and running V 1.8.3!   It powered up first time and connected directly to my 5Ghz WiFi network so it looks like it retained my password.  Thanks again to Flex for the great customer support!   I'm taking advantage of the current 6m openings... QRZ de N3CAL.......73

Cal/N3CAL

Steve-N5AC

Briefly, the issue that occurred is that the programming of an internal processor (happens to be  PIC from Microchip) did not successfully complete.  We had not seen this before in all of our testing and are still a little baffled as to how it happened.  At any rate, we updated our startup software in the Maestro to check for this problem and, if found, reprogram the processors.  In this case, the processor has the designation "W" in Maestro (there are six processors in Maestro).

In addition, we are now coding/testing a fix that will detect this issue during programming and work to fix it so the problem never occurs in the first place.  We have fixed and sent back all the Maestros we received in our Austin office and will continue to fix the remaining few that arrive here quickly.  A permanent fix with the upgrade should be released soon.  Our office in Germany has the necessary tools to repair any units in the EU (and countries soon to be exiting the EU) so I would expect your local distributors have or will be forwarding your units to our service center in Germany for the same treatment.

G4NRT

Thank you for including those of us who, after far too long, are finally going to escape the EU!  

It will take us two years to leave but I am hopeful that my Maestro will return before that happens!

David G4NRT

KY6LA_Howard

Of course there will be a special Brexit Tarrif on units returning to the UK (2 pints of bitters)

G4NRT

As long as you understand that we drink it at room temperature!  None of this foreign chilled **** rubbish here you know!!!

KY6LA_Howard

I lived in London for a year so I got used to drinking WARM ****. I always figured it was warm because English Publicans were too cheap to pay for refrigeration so they convinced the public that warm **** was drinkable. Before we get too far in the debate, American **** is the worst mainly because it is targeted to housewives who pick up **** at the supermarket as part of their regular shopping. At least UK warm **** is targeted to guys who drink ****.

Walt - KZ1F

Nothing, however, beats a frosty cold Euro Heineken! The stuff imported to the states has too many things added that distort its highly drinkable state.

G4NRT

One benefit of driving to Friedrichshafen as I did, was that I was able to bring some cloudy German Weizenbier back with me and I just happen to be sipping one right now. A steal at Eur4,00 for a six pack!! German **** is allowed only four ingredients and no chemicals or preservatives!!

KY6LA_Howard

@Walt.. agreed the Imported ones have too many shipping additives which **** the taste.

@David.. We are back in France at the end of August... Our local grocery has great steals on Belgian, German and Czech beers (all better than USA ****) as those countries are still in the EU.  BTW.. loved the very civilized been garden in Friedrichshafen 

Is it so much more fun to talk about **** than to kvetch about Flex

G4NRT

As the Germans would say... Genau!

Steve-N5AC

I once did a software project for Electrabel (90% electricity supplier for Belgium) and my host there said that the USA uses 2x the electricity per-capita compared to Belgium.  I said "How's that possible?"  He said "It's all the ice you guys use."  This was shortly after I was served a Coke with no ice in a restaurant. 

Walt - KZ1F

@Howard, all tolled I spent about 6 weeks in Rotterdam as technology lead to a joint Nedlloyd Softbridge futures trading system. The application lead and I did have the occasion to take the train to Amsterdam and tour, which is to say drink, at the original Heineken brewery. That is an awesome drink. They simply don't know how to make **** over here.

KY6LA_Howard

@Steve

Try asking for Ice in a drink anywhere in Europe.. Impossible and they look at you very funny..  if you finally get ice (glaçons in French).. they bring it in a bowl with only 2 or 3 ice cubes...

@Walt

Drank at that brewery.. also Guinness Brewery in Dublin is best part about working in Ireland and don't forget Pilsen Urquell **** in Pilzen Czech Republic...or the dozen or so great breweries in Munich.... 

OT...maybe we should start a topic on the community about where to get the best ****... now that would be really controversial and even the trolls for once might have something positive to contribute

Or even better.. How about Breweries on the Air Contest - to see how many breweries you can operate from - (I can start it off with Karl Strauss Brewery tomorrow lunch in San Diego)   I bet Flex would love to sponsor the trophy

Richard McClelland, AA5S

Don't forget Brussels...  I lived two blocks from the Augustiner brewery in Munich and my toupee spun when I realized how good the **** in Belgium was. Not to say the **** in Munich wasn't excellent, just that the variety of **** in Belgium was greater than than what I was used to.

Richard McClelland, AA5S

Or was it the Paulaner brewery?  I'll have to ask the XYL when she gets home. East side of Munich, south of Orleansstrasse & Rosenheimer.

Walt - KZ1F

@Howard Oh, I don't think their do much drinking. You heard Steve, in Belgum (on someone else's dime) and he drank Coke? I mean, what's with that???

Next trip to EU, we'll do Dublin, Scotland, more UK, more France, Rotterdam, Munich, and Switzerland. 3 weeks should do it. If you're around, you buy.

KY6LA_Howard

Agreed... Coke in Belgium... has to be against one of the many EU laws..that the UK is escaping... maybe the EU threatened to have the refrigerate their **** which caused the Brexit...

3 Weeks... Each country is worth at least a month on their own except Switzerland which is twice as expensive as the EU...

As you know we are always in France in June, Sept and Dec.   Friedrichshafen 2017 is in July 17th - terrible time to be in EU as everyone is on holidays.- Hopefully they will move back to June in 2018...