Bugs That Bugs You the Most

Sergey KN7K

Asher - K0AU

After watching Maestro crash every couple hours on the same WiFi I use for hours of Zoom and FaceTime streaming every day, I ordered an Ethernet cable and the Maestro is much happier with a wired connection.

Now I'm thinking the Maestro barfs when the WiFi link resets, and I don't have any control over that. Using Ubiquiti SME-grade WiFi because they have a reasonable management console for multiple APs. Would be nice if Flex generated error logs or issued any kind of reporting to help troubleshoot. My typical Maestro latencies are in the 120ms range; about double my ping latencies. 

N8AUM

Similar problem when I run WSPR so I toggle the DAX off/on than it runs normal until next time rather than restarting everything. Receives ok all the time.
6600 3.1.8 with Win 7

N8AUM

Must be nice having a BUG free station !

Sergey KN7K

I have the same SW ver3.1.8, Windows 10 with all latest updates.
The strange thing is that I observe it sometimes only after my radio and PC are idle for a night...
KN7K

Mark_WS7M

Joe,

Interesting idea but I'm not sure the radio data presented would catch the problem.

IE the FlexAPI does broadcast some power info but the rate at which it comes may not keep up with 30 wpm dit/dahs.

I will do some more investigating though.

I've had local hams complain that I sometimes have keyclicks.   Usually when I get this report I have found my CW delay has been set to zero.  For some reason my amp doesn't like extremely rapid TX enable/disable during high speed CW.

So I just increase the delay slightly, even to like 10ms and the reports of the keyclicks seem to disappear.

I know that one big contributor to clicks is CW rise time but I see how way on the flex or in the API to adjust this.

When I look at my CW wave form on the LP-700 I can see that it has a pretty nice envelope shape with reasonable looking rise and fall times.

This capture from the LP-700 does show the CW rise time to be about 5ms:



I am wondering now if I can use the LP-700 to help catch the TX power loss event.  I will have to do some investigating

Mark_WS7M

Well I'm running 3.1.8 here.  I plugged in my straight key so I could play around and set my LP-700 to the fastest setting.

I've been sending dits out for about 15 minutes on 40m and I am not seeing the issue.  I have CW delay set to 0 so the radio is instantly switching back to receive but each dit is giving me the desired power output.

I wonder, are you guys that are having the issue using the internal radio tuner?  I am not.

Paul G4AFU

Mark,
I'm using the 6600 without the internal atu, ethernet connect to pc running Smart SDR 2.6.1. Not full fsk, about 300ms delay. TX dropout both with the bug connected to rear key socket or running CWX.

Bill -VA3WTB

What would happen if you connect directly to the radio, bypassing the network? as a test.

Asher - K0AU

Mark,

We don't have a ton of theory of operation info, but presumably the CW waveform is generated by one of the DSPs that may or may not have an RTOS or thread manager. Even if TX uses different cores than RX, it's conceivable they contend on memory buses or other I/O channels.

Might be interesting to see if the CW waveform correlates to RX DSP load. Turn on every pan, slice, TNF, NB, etc.

Lasse Moell

May I suggest to increase the hang-time. Each time the radio go back to receive it seems to reset something.... Not sure I have seen the drop-out on the first dit or dash. Try have 2-300 ms delay. Past weekend I did some simple tests as I had a hunch that it may be an interaction with my logging program polling. Once that was shut down I had no issues for hours, then out of the blue it started to show. So its a real tricky one... BTW keying is done directly at the radio

Russ Ravella

Bill -VA3WTB

The lose of settings is not a common problem. I think you have a corrupted data base that needs to be reset. your radio should be remembering all settings, so this is not a bug but something local.

Pat N6PAT

I have also experienced changed TX settings with my 6700. Sometimes I'll try to transmit but the amp is not getting keyed.

Every time this happens I see that a TX1 or TX2 check box in the band settings has become unchecked. This seems to happen after using the radio for a while.

It's a real pain in the **** when you're trying to chase down an ATNO and have to stop and reset the check box.

Regarding the ATU: I only use the ATU once in a while on 160. It can take 5 or more tries before it tunes. Not sure why that is because my LDG tunes up immediately.

James Del Principe

Bill, it may not be common but it does happen once in a great while that one of my profiles changes..... and I am still at release V1.12....    a mystery.

Bill -VA3WTB

James, yes it is, If I may make a suggestion? You should move up to at least V2. I think I understand why you would not want to. I myself are staying on V2 and not moving to V3 because I would not make good use of the new features as great as they are. But please think about it. You may not need everything that V2 offers but there have been hundreds of improvements and fixes that you will not see in V1. I believe many of the things you are having trouble with were worked on in V2.

Russ Ravella

That is obviously not correct.  Reports of various versions of this problem by many different folks have been common for a long, long time.  My comment wasn't that they aren't being reported its that I'd think they'd be reported even more often because they're so disruptive.  It's clearly a bug.  More likely, a LOT of different bugs.  Inventing the issue away doesn't actually make it GO away.  If it did, Flex Executive Management's policy of "All talk, no action" would be working.  It isn't.

Bill -VA3WTB

Russ, unless every customer has the same problem, then it is not a bug. If the cause is created in the software than everyone would have the same problems,,but we don't. Most people don't have the same set of problems you mentioned,,I don't, how come? So, not a bug. Many problems people have are local to their system caused by many things. It is a very good idea to move from V1 to V2 for the reasons I said before. 

Mike W9OJ

"there have been hundreds of improvements and fixes that you will not see in V1."

Such as what?

Bill -VA3WTB

Mike, have a look at the change logs for version 1 and Version 2. V1 support ended, none of the changes made in V2 were back ported into V 1. And many improvements and features, take a look.

James Del Principe

Bill, wouldn't going to V2 cost the same as going to V3?     The only reason I might upgrade to V2 and NOT V3 is because of the save on exit 'feature' for profiles on V3.
That does NOT sound desirable to me. I know this next issue might sound petty but at V2 the panadapter is filled in like other manufacturers do. I really don't want this to look like my TS 990.      Thanks for the input and one of these days I may have to break down to get the bug fixes. I don't use the Flex remotely and have no plans to share it....that is why I have stayed with V1.

Bill -VA3WTB

Yes, I think your right James. If your going to upgrade, going to V3 makes sense. The point I'm really making is, even though V1 is working ok for you, there are tones of things that have been addressed In V2. And V3.

James Del Principe

Thank you, Bill. I fully understand your point. It is not really expensive to upgrade but it irks me to have to do that just to get bug fixes when I really don't need the new features and some of them are undesirable like the save on exit 'feature'. I'd rather have paid for the V1 bug fixes but that is my problem. At some point I'll bite the bullet (byte the bullet?) and do the upgrade. Thanks again for your input.    73, Jim

Russ Ravella

Russ Ravella

Pat N6PAT

@Russ,

Very well said. The generic responses such as "it's Microsoft's fault" or "It works for me so it must be your fault" don't work anymore.

Russ Ravella

Yes, totally agree.  I'm ordering yet ANOTHER trap because my 6600 has randomly reset my 40M power to 100W - AGAIN - causing my amp to **** it up and this guy is telling me, despite not actually knowing anything, that it's not a bug.  Absolutely AMAZING...  He just knows that.  By magic.  And all of us who are reporting such bugs are simply idiots who require his correction.  Problem solved.  That fourth burned up trap on my antenna isn't really there.

Exactly as you say, a generic "it isn't true because I don't WANT it to be true" couldn't possibly be less constructive.  Especailly when it comes to the interminable Flex Executive Management bug problem.

James Whiteway

James, the fill color for the panadapter is adjustable. You can make it almost any color you want. James WD5GWY

James Del Principe

Thank you, James. That is encouraging. I may order it on that information alone. I know it sounds petty but it really is an issue for me.   Now if they fixed the save on exit, I would buy the V3.   Best 73, Jim

N8AUM

Just curious, how many "BETA TESTERS" are there ?