Ver3 and Contest observation

Sergey KN7K

Ok, I finished 32h of WPX CW contest.
While overall my 6600 performed well, it took me some time to troubleshoot it on the fly and also lost few QSO's.

Here are some details:
1. I planned to use Desktop SSDR and Maestro as a client - SSDR to see all Band and Maestro zoomed in.
During first few hours of contest i had a lot of static noise during Maestro VFO tuning, was pretty annoying, until I decided to close SSDR.
I did not look before contest how to close SSDR and leave CAT and DAX running for N1MM, so, found it by experimenting during CQ-ing: Settings - Choose Radio.
Not very intuitive i guess, but it was my fault not to check it before contest.
Anyway, after i close SSDR static noise was gone.

I do not have any wifi connections, both Radio and Maestro on LAN.
I also worked all major contests with that radio on 2.4.9 from last fall and did not have that problem when run from either SSDR or Maestro. However, they are not happy together.

2. I had very annoyoing intermitent MOX lockups after I transmit.
After I send my call or report ,transceiver would stay in TX mode until i send another dot or dit. Sometimes it would change by hitting "Esc" button, but not always it worked. That whould happen on all bands once in a few hours.
I sould not find a dependance on anything when it happen, it is like Antenna relay is "sleepy". Over whole contest it happens at least dozen times and cost me few QSO.

3. One time during contest i completely lost my audio - it was just gone.
Tried to change bands, switch modes and so on - notihing helped until I restart the radio

4. One time I had intermittent Shift/Width changes by itself, until I touched it 
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1rZFX-Iskc5YCGWdOBFLcJY4YryKDBa1p

5. One last thing that I could not figure out - when SSDR was open, CAT and DAX set to run from Maestro, I could not switch from Steppir to another antenna on 160/80m until i closed SSDR. All bands was following frequency on my Steppir just fine , but no idea what was that with swtiching. I use Antennna genius 2x8.
I had no problem to switch antenna from SSDR (Maestro OFF) or fro Maestro (SSDR is down, but CAT and DAX are ON).

Bottom line:
Hope Flex will read it and try to understand where are the bugs.
I understand that some portion of learning in my hands, but obvious bugs should be investigated, understood and fixed.

I am not here to open any figth or complaining. Just sharing my experience.

Sergey, KN7K

DL4RCE

No 4. also happens to me time to time... (I guess it is the hardware here and not the software since it also happened on 2.49)

73 de Volker, DL4RCE

WX7Y

No. 2 Happens here too on my 6700 and 6600, This issue has been logged as defect number: GH7332
for your reference.

ctate243

sergey you are being heard.  I ran 6600-M X 2 during wpx cw as NR6O.  I will gather all data and work with the programming team on any issues.

Sergey KN7K

One more observation:

6. AGC was discussed many times and this is feature that I do not like.

I never touched AGC on my Yaesu FT5000 or any previous radio.

During contest ,many times when I tried to pull weak signal, strong signal would come and almost **** my hearing.

It is not practical to constantly adjust it during contest, you also can make mistakes and not necessary to be on the knee of AGC, so it will not properly.

It was many requests to fully automate it, make real AUTOMATIC Gain Control.

Dear Flex, if you do not have plan to make it Automatic, please give us a visual pop up screen with knee graph and user can be assured that he is on the knee of AGC-T and not out of the range of AGC! This pop up mini screen would be nice to have any time you touch AGC-T.


Sergey, KN7K

ctate243

Great points on AGC control behavior

Robby

No. 2 has happened to me for years using my K3 so maybe this problem is in N1MM+. In the WPX I noticed my RIT came on by its self several times. Sometimes with a 40 or 60 offset. Sometimes with nothing in the offset box. Small wonder no one was answering my CQ.
I was listening out of my passband.

Robby HP3SS

ctate243

I had this happen, but it was a qlf of some kind. I do have RIT programmer to a flex control button