Flex Radio 6400

k4kzy

Three Blinks Of Death


It's with deep regret and disappointment that I report the passing of Flex Radio# 3xx8-6xx9-6400-xx02 today at noon, she live a short but good three day life. She enjoyed a final night of 75 and 160 meter activity which must have been to much for her heart. She will be truly missed as was her brother Flex Radio# 3xx8-8xx0-6400-22xx who lived for 9 long days and still lies in waiting in my kitchen. There will be a memorial service tonight for the both of them as they are preparing to meet their maker.

Music playing in tribute:

Queen " Another One Bites the Dust " 
Daughtry " Gone Too Soon "
Guns and Roses " Knocking On Heavens Door "
Elton John " Candle In The Wind "
Blue Oyster Cult " Don't Fear The Reaper "
Metallica " Fade to Black "

k4kzy1@gmail.com

Rick WN2C

Resuscitate and move on. Ok, have you tried a re-start?

Good choices on the music by the way!

You can send them my as I run a funeral home for dead radios.

k4kzy

Did CPR with no luck. I'm just jinxed, what are the odds of getting 2 flex radios that have boot failures. Factory reset result in nothing. Just added it to the open ticket. Gotta grin and keep it lite.

Neal_K3NC

Try pulling out the power cable from the back of the radio (not turning off the power supply but actually removing the cable), count to 10, then plug it back in and see if it will power up.

I am so sorry that this is happening, I have been blessed with incredibly good luck with Flex radios but it does happen!

k4kzy

Well there always have to be "ONE". Looks like thats me!  So You're Welcome, I'm taking one for the team. Wait, thats' two for the team! 
Joking aside I've gone thru all the steps. Thanks for the reply. Still have faith in Flex.

Pat N6PAT

Kansas - Dust In The Wind

Neal_K3NC

Paul McCartney - Maybe I'm Amazed

Dave - N6XVZ

Am I reading this right that you have two new radios and both have died within days of power up/install?  What are the odds of that?  Have you considered something in your environment causing it?  Power? A wormhole in the room next-door? Bad kharma?

I loved the humor and the music, btw!

Best of luck.

K1UO Larry

WOW.  How much voltage does that station power supply have anyhow ;-)

k4kzy

13.83 volts I keep a fluke meter connect to the plug on the radio. PS is doing its job. 

W7NGA

Running on Empty - Jackson Browne
Won’t Get Fooled Again - The Who

k4kzy

Thanks, I'm sure Flex will do me right. Maybe 3rd time will be a charm.

Dave - N6XVZ

Maybe a gremlin that doesn't like your music choice.  Shoot that ****!

Neal_K3NC

You cannot depend, necessarily, on the measure of voltage at the power source (as illogical as it sounds), the real measure is what is happening inside the radio. I have seen instances where people using power distribution boxes were getting voltage drops, where the anderson powerpole connection (the blade has backed out a bit or dirt has gotten in the connector, etc.

The fact that you are not even getting it to boot doesn't necessarily sound like its power supply but something environmentally sounds askew so I would try a difference psu just to make sure. To be honest, I have returned 2 very expensive products for repair (my first FT1000DX and my Acom 2000a amp) and both turned out to be cable problems (and boy was I embarassed!) I only figured out the FT1000DX when it came back unrepaired and when I retested it, the problem was still there until I disconnected everything).

I am sure you have done all of this but I always **** the problem under test to the very simplest configuration possible (radio, power cable, PSU) and keep swapping things to see if I can get it to boot (different power cable since you have 2, different PSU). If your PSU has variable voltage, up it to 14 v (not higher) and see if it makes any difference.

I know there can be quality glitches but the harmonic convergence that would give you two rigs with exactly the same problem is horrible!

Mark WS7M

Isn't 3 blinks a fan failure?

k4kzy

Flashing a Morse "S" in Red indicates boot failure. 

Neal_K3NC

3 is a boot failure, 1 is a fan failure

Mark_WS7M

Ok. Could not remember. Was hoping it was a fan but oh well.

K1UO Larry

I just mentioned that as two radios with the same problem indicates to me something else in my shack environment may be the culprit.  The first thing that came to mind was the power is operating at either the high end, but most likely the low end, of the radio's power requiremets when under load.