Sartup Behavior for 6600M

Dawg Fan

Since upgrading and hooking my 6600M direct to ethernet switch my radio now goes into M standalone mode on most startups.  I can shutdown via power button, two or three times and it finally will go to screen where it allows one to select SMART SDR or Stand alone (M Mode). Has anyone else seen this behavior?  Did it manifest this behavior after upgrade to latest software?

Bill -VA3WTB

Perhaps do a cold restart, shut down pull power cables out for 20 seconds or so, re connect. Just to clear the processors and put everything on same page

Dawg Fan

I am doing cold starts.  It takes two or three to get to the correct startup page.  I shutdown, restart with power button, power supply shut down but it will revert back to M mode.  On subsequent restarts I have simply used the power button, power down, then restart about a minute or so later.  Usually on the third restart it will go to correct mode selection page.  It never did this behavior prior to latest upgrade.

Eric-KE5DTO

I think what you're describing is the intended behavior.  If you want to go to the startup screen on demand, you can do that by going to the Main Menu > Radio Tab > Switch Version.  This will take you to the startup selection.

Dawg Fan

I don't understand what was wrong with the way 3.1.7 operated on the 6600M.  Why mess with it in 3.1.8?  In 3.1.7 and previous my rigs at bootup went to the screen which allowed connection by smart SDR and if you wanted to operate in (m) mode you selected operate from the screen.  Now one must allow it to boot up into (M) mode and then select radio, switch version, then go to top left hand side and select operate.  I have two 6600Ms both that boot up different with 3.1.8.  One I can sometimes get it to boot up direct to the screen which allows software control....Why is that? same software, same model radio - two different boot up behaviors...Doesn't make sense.

Eric-KE5DTO

The startup behavior wasn't changed between v3.1.7 and v3.1.8.  Like yourself, I would expect 2 M models to behave in the same manner provided they are running the same version of software.

I can tell you that the auto-start behavior (where an M model or a Maestro boots up directly into the operational screen with the Panadapters and Slices) has a fair number of gates that it has to jump before it will make the decision to do the auto-start.  If any of those gates fail, you will be presented with the Radio/Software Version selection screen.

Here's the complete list of variables:
Is the EULA updated and needs to be shown/agreed to? (only happens on a newly installed version)
Is the last connected serial number present?  (always yes on an M model)
Is the network interface up? (this is only about the hardware talking to the OS)
Is the radio running the same version that is installed on the M model/Maestro?
Is the radio in use (or with v3.x is there an open multiFLEX slot)?
Has the version list changed and there is a new version available?

Dawg Fan

Both running same 3.1.8 software and neither booted directly up to m operational screen with 3.1.7. They both booted to screen which allowed selection of operate to go into m stand alone mode and from that screen I simply started smart SDR.

Harold Rosee

There is no difference in the way 3.1.7 and 3.1.8 boot up.

What I would suggest is to downgrade to a lower release like 3.0.27 or 3.1.7 then upgrade to 3.1.8 again.  That works for me when something goes wrong.  Also do a factory reset on the radio after the upgrade. That should get you going.

It's what I would do if I had your problem.