New To Flex and Trans power

Ronw1vet

Bought from another Ham and read everything to get up and running. First contact was SSB and worked great then FT8 and was smiling. Today I turned it on and rec great but no trans. ATU seems to be working but can't tell just the sound. I see no output power at all when ATU is going and after done still no trans power. and I see SWR go off scale as soon as I up the power in turn a little bit. The power on radio show power as it drops but nothing on meters.
This is the Flex 6400/ATU

Any help Ron W1VET

John KB4DU

What power out is shown when using the tune button?

Butch

Ron - a few suggestions. (And sorry if some of this sounds obvious, as I don't know where you are with your learning curve.) First, make sure the "TX" on the Receiver Slice Flag that you have selected is Red (not grayed out). Also make sure the Receiver Slice is tuned inside the ham bands. Next connect the output of your 6400 to a dummy load, switch your ATU into the bypass mode (you should see "Success Byp"), then adjust your "Tune Pwr" slider mid-way, then click your Tune button for a short period. You should see a mid-scale RF indication on your RF Pwr meter, and SWR should be at or near zero. This will let you know if your transmitter section is working properly. Next test your ATU. Reactivate your ATU, and click on your TUNE button again and look for approximately the same power out with little or no SWR. Next adjust your RF Power Slider mid-way, select an active Microphone Profile and then its proper MIC connection (Mic, Line, etc). Key the PTT button on your MIC and speak into your Mic. If you are in the USB or LSB mode you should see RF Peaks indicated on your RF Pwr Meter as you speak.

KF4HR

Ronw1vet

Power out with rune button is 10

Ronw1vet

For ANT1 and ANT2 1 is Blue and 2 is red. I used a dummy load as well with same results, and I am a trouble shooter so ask away anything. I may have missed something, and this is the first Flex Radio.

KD0RC

Hi Ron, the red antenna indicator is for transmit. Change the red one to Ant1 and I think you will be OK (assuming your antenna is on Ant1).

Ronw1vet

No bypass ATU and into a dummy load no power and high SWR

KD0RC

Hi Ron, can you post a picture of your SmartSDR screen?

Ronw1vet

How can I get pic on here ?

Geoff AB6BT

Windows has a built-in tool called "Snipping Tool".

Open it and click "New" in the upper left.

Draw a box around what you want to capture. The image will be on the clipboard.

Just paste the image in your reply here.

.

Ronw1vet

I just get file failed to upload.

Ronw1vet

OK

Ronw1vet

Here is one more

Ronw1vet

One more SWR full scale

Geoff AB6BT

It looks as though you are not pasting the image from the clipboard.

Just right click in your reply and choose Paste or use ctrl-V.

You should see the image not a file name.

Ronw1vet

It uploads as a file as you see.

Geoff AB6BT

As a test I'll try something.

Random snipped image pasted in my reply...

OK, well that worked. I'm not sure what else I can tell you. Perhaps someone else can chime in.

At the bottom left of the reply window there is an icon for uploading an image. Perhaps that will work.

John KB4DU

IIRC, new members don’t get file upload capability right away.

if the tune power is showing 10, that is reasonable tune power out.

How are you generating the signal to check for power out?

KD0RC

Hi Ron, I think that you have DAX turned on. Turn it off and see if you get better results.

Geoff AB6BT

I agree The DAX button appears blue.

Butch

Ron - a few more things to try... Note your ATU "MEM" button is blue, click it and gray it out, then make sure your ATU indicates "Byp" then click on the TUNE button and retest your SWR into your RF Load. If your SWR drops to 1:1, make sure your Mode (on the Frequency Flag) is set to LSB or USB before you do your Mic test.

Also, if your Frequency Flag is indicating ANT 1 (blue, meaning receive) and ANT 1 (red, indicating transmit), make sure you have your RF output cable connected to the ANT1 port on the rear panel.

KF4HR

Ronw1vet

Nice try but no go. I think I am going to have to send it back for service. Great 2 contacts and love what this radio does, just wish I got more time with it.

Stan VA7NF

The notes you were given were all good. Especially check:

Often missed is Ant 1 is the inner of the PL259 connectors - See fine print on the back

Do a resistance check on your dummy load connecting cable - You didn't reply that you had a dummy load or it's type. The centre and shield should be 0 ohms end to end and not shorted together; I have seen many failed cables and connectors.

Measure the DC resistance of your dummy load for 50 ohms A) at the dummy load and B) with the cable connected.

Apologies if these statements are insulting, just trying to be all inclusive. The Flex SWR is calibrated 1:1 to 3:1 full scale. If you have a separate SWR bridge put that inline so you can independently see power and SWR.

If the cables and dummy load are good then cycle through the ATU settings (bypass and tuned). With a short pressing of the ATU button you should hear some clicks and the SWR reading adjust. When in Tuner bypass your external SWR should match the Flex SWR reading.

The most important readings are, on your inline swr/power meter, a power reading near your Tune % slider. Failing that repeat the test on Ant 2 to isolate that part of the flex power routing relays.

Ronw1vet

Hello Stan and everything you ask is fine and I know it is just incase I miss something so ask away. I have tested the cables and Dummy load, all are fine and next check was hooking my IC-7610 to the same coax and dummy load ( MFJ Dummyload ) and everything worked fine.
Tested ANT1 and then ANT2 I hear the relays on key up when using ANT2 but not ANT1. The power output is showing 10 to 15 watts on the radio screen but nothing into the Daiwa meter that is set at 20watts (2k meter). If I aply a little more power from the radio I then get a high SWR and the power out on the radio screen goes up but starts dropping slowly, and there is 0 output on the meter to the dummyload. This is the same on both ANT1 and ANT2 ports. The only thing I can think of that I have not tried is Factory reset but have not look on how to do that yet, what do you think?

Hey everyone thank you for all the help you are giving me.

Ron W1VET

John KB4DU

Time for a help desk ticket. They can access your rig to check on all settings , etc. very knowledgeable and helpful.

Butch

Ron - you can find the Flex 6400M Manual here: https://www.flexradio.com/documentation/flex-6400m-and-flex-6600m-user-guide-pdf/

Factory Reset procedures are in section 38, page 190.

KF4HR

Ronw1vet

Thanks for info and it didn't help so put in a ticket. It has me stumped.

John KB4DU

Let us know how this gets resolved.