Can’t hear any stations with my Maestro

jeff grey

Hey Folks, I just picked up a used 6500 and Maestro and I cannot hear any stations on air at all. Not even WWV. I’m a bit concerned. I can the background noise, that’s it. Any idea if it’s operator error?

Richy

You need to use powered speakers, there's no internal speaker. Did you try with the headphone jack too ?

Rich
n2ry - 6500/Maestro B

Neal Pollack, N6YFM

Hi Jeff:

Fairly vague question, but don't panic, there are lots of possibilites.
Have you been through the docs yet?
Is your speaker hooked to the 6500 speaker jack or the Maestro?
If hooked to the 6500, are you aware that it is not a speaker  output, but really
a line level output and needs an amplified speaker, like computer speakers.

Have you read up on the AGC-T threshold, the input attenuators, and the antenna switching?
It works very differently than a traditional superhet radio.

If switched to 20m during the daytime, do you see stations on the waterfall?  SSB, FT-8, CW
band-plan areas?

Have you tried not turning on the  maestro, and putting SmartSDR on a PC?

Let us know more details.

Neal

James Del Principe

are you saying you can hear the background noise or that you can see the background noise?
With headphones or powered speakers and having them selected and the volume turned up, now do you hear anything?

Next, no reception without some antenna. That is the next step.    So please let us know.  73, Jim

Mike-VA3MW

Hi Jeff

You don’t say too much about your experience so I hope you don’t mind that I pass on a video that starts at the beginning but might help you with  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJteC7p59ZU

[Deleted User]

You do NOT need to use powered speakers with a Maestro. It has a built in speaker. Read his title to his post. Cant hear stations on Maestro

[Deleted User]

You need to go into the Maestro Menu then click on audio and set main audio out to Maestro.

WX7Y

If it's a used Radio, then the FIRST thing you should do is do a HARD reset so you aren't starting with some weird settings and it is the same as you would get from the factory. 
Then I would install on a computer if you have one the Latest version of SmartSDR that the Radio is licensed for (if your in doubt start with version 1.12.1) , Plug a set of Computer speakers into the Radio, then plug the Radio, Computer and Maestro into the same Ethernet router once the Computer see's the radio it may want to do a upgrade on downgrade. 

With the Antenna plugged into ANT port 1 see if it runs and you have a working radio.
After this you can turn off SmartSDR and fire up the Maestro and once you click on the SAME software version that is on the radio the radio should come up and work fine on the Maestro if all is well with the Radio and Maestro.

This is the best place to START in my opinion that will give you the least frustration and a SURE place to start so others can help you too.

73's 
Bret
WX7Y
 

AH0U

He says he heard noise so it’s not speakers... I wonder if you have selected an antenna???

Ha Gei

I also think so..probably connected to ant1  and last time pre owner used ant2 ???

Mike-VA3MW

Jeff

How did you make out?  You had a bunch of ideas and we would love to help you out.

Mike

jeff grey

Hi Mike, It seems like every signal even from WWV is very weak. I turned the pre-amp all the way and turned the audio gain all the way up. I’m using a Maestro and I have discovered a problem with it too. If I disconnect the charger it won’t connect to the radio and if I am connected at the time the audio drops out. Any suggestions?

[Deleted User]

The charger is the power unless you have  installed a battery in the compartment in back. That is the way it works. My suggestion is to download and read the user guide to get yourself familiar with it. There is a lot of great info in there.

Mike-VA3MW

Hi Jeff

If you are connected by a LAN cable you must have externally powered supplied.  To save energy the LAN connector is depowered when on Battery.

Can you send a screen shot of your Maestro while trying to operate as it will tell us some of what you seeing.  

Make sure the AGC-T is set correctly.  It is the outer ring of the Volume control.  Try setting it to about 25-30.   

Are you sure you have the right antenna selected?

Mike

jeff grey

Ok, here are my screen shots. I cannot connect to the radio on WiFi if I unplug the charger. Something is wrong with the Maestro. I get this error. Yes, I have a battery in it.

jeff grey

[Deleted User]

I noticed you are on antenna 2. Do you have your antenna hooked to antenna on your radio 2?? You might want to try another band like 40m as 10 m is pretty dead here and you might not hear anything.

jeff grey

Yes, I’m physically connected in the rear to ant 2.

[Deleted User]

Also does your USB Battery "auto start" if it does not you might get that error. I have gotten that in the past with non auto start batteries. I don't think there is an issue with the Maestro at this point

jeff grey

Ok, my bad. I had no battery in it! Duh!!! I guess I’ll have to purchase one. Receiver seems dead. WWV is in the noise @ 10 MHz.

WX7Y

Yep looks like Port 2 is  deef, Have you tried port 1? and then the next test is the" BNC RX IN" port and then change your radio Receive ANT to the RX antenna of course.
If the RX port works and not the TX/RX ports 1 and 2 then looks like there has been a surge that took them out, if the RX port works then the SCU is probably OK which is the good news but the solid state relay's maybe shot, Either way it will take a trip back to Flex for repair .

Make sure you do a Hard RESET of the Radio just to make sure if you haven't done so yet.

73's
Bret
WX7Y

jeff grey

Yes, dead on both ant1 and ant2. I don’t have a BNC adapter. I’ll have to get one. The problem is I bought this used, so I’m a bit annoyed at this point.

Bill -VA3WTB

Can you show us a picture of the radio? Is your ant 2 selected in the slice flag?

WX7Y

Yep can't blame you for sure, there are some real lids out there, It's one thing to sell a used radio but to NOT disclose it has problems and misrepresent the equipments condition is a very crooked thing to do especially if you asked about it and they lied about it. 
If it was me I would put the fellows name and call sign on here so some one else won't get taken to the cleaners.
Anyway do a trouble ticket with Flex and they will contact you in a few days hopefully.
73
Bret

jeff grey

I’m not going to jump to conclusions yet. I’ll reach out or Flex and see what they say. I paid with PayPal, so I do have some recourse. Maybe he didn’t know. I’ll try to work it out first with him if it needs repaired.

jeff grey

jeff grey

jeff grey

Did hard-reset. WWV @ 10 MHZ is in the noise. Oh boy! Uggh!

WX7Y

Just thought of something from you previous picture, You don't have the LOOP selected  ON do you. 
The loops breaks the RX out to the two BNC's on the back for external filters.
Bret

Bill -VA3WTB

Is you 6500 slice flag set to Ant 2? and can you receive ok on the 6500? settin the Meastro a side for now?

jeff grey

No loop.