V3.4.21 problems- revisited

Trucker

The problem with the Persistence Database that I have been experiencing, and thought had finally been resolved by rolling back to v3.3.29, returned again this past Monday after consistently working correctly over last weekend. Monday morning, after working fine all weekend with several reboots, my 6600M, using v3.3.29 firmware and software, decided to pick and choose whatever band it wanted when I started up the radio instead of returning to the band it was on Sunday evening when I shutdown for the night. Since then, it continues to do the same thing over and over. It would help if others experiencing a similar problem with the Persistence Database, not providing the correct data on startup, would share their experience here in this thread. It doesn't necessarily need to be the exact same problem I am experiencing. Just problems with wrong settings ( band, mode, frequency etc) not returning from a previous session like it should when powered back on the next time you use your radio. I tend to think my problem isn't unique and it may be manifesting itself in different areas of the Persistence Database. I have read several posts here that all seem to have, what may be a common denominator, the radio not saving and retrieving Persistence data correctly. I feel ( and I could be wrong) that the Persistence Database has a problem that is causing other issues for different users. Unfortunately, Flex Radio does not provide a way for us, the end users, to view the Persistence Database to see if things are being stored properly. It is an encrypted file that no one can see or edit. ( I would think Flex Radio can see and edit it) I cannot imagine what type of information is stored in the Persistence Database, that is so secret, that we cannot even be allowed to view it. It would certainly help troubleshooting problems if the user had access to things like this. I would think the techs at the Help Desk, would like to have the information available for diagnosing problems that could be related to the database. As it is, they have to go through a long list of steps to find problems and hopefully, fix them.

Please, share any problems and thoughts here.

James

WD5GWY

Mike-VA3MW

Are you using MultiFlex at the same time?

Trucker

No, I rarely use MultiFlex. Most of the time, I just use the front panel. Sometimes, I do run SmartSDR on my pc. I have documented this issue for Tim, in a Help Desk Ticket. This has been going on for over two weeks now. Even using MultFlex, the radio may, or may not, remember the last band used settings. It may or may not come up at a different band and mode that when it was last used. There seems to be no common denominator that I or Tim, can find. He did tell me that it "might" be a rare issue with the Persistence Database. But, so far, it has eluded him. ( and me for certain) This morning I booted the radio up, and as usual, it came up on the wrong band again. I had left it on 10 meters and it came up on 20 meters instead. Sometimes, it comes up on 40, 80 or 15 meters. I had not had this problem occur until I updated to v3.4.21. Now, it doesn't matter what version I am using, the problem comes back. About a hour ago, I downgraded to v3.2.39. And at first, just like when I downgraded to v3.3.29, it seemed to fix the problem. After a couple of reboots, ( with the correct wait times) it is back to doing the exact same thing again. Something somewhere got corrupted in the radio itself. Tim felt like it was the SD card starting to fail ( just a year and a half old replacement from Flex Radio). So, he sent me another, new, SD card. At first, it worked just fine. Then after a couple of days or so, the problem returned. I have done Cold Boots, Factory Resets, using Tim's detailed instructions, ( well laid out by the way) and yet, nothing so far, has corrected the problem. If this turns out to be a hardware issue, I will be surprised. I cannot imagine what could be failing that could cause such a random and unpredictable problem. I have my Flex 5000A running for the moment as the 6600M could cause a problem. I use a Manual Antenna Tuner and a Doublet antenna. When I switch bands, I have to reset the antenna tuner. I need the Persistence Database to be reliable as there is always the off chance that I could forget what band I was on and start transmitting and causing a problem with the radio. For all of the testing I have been doing trying to track down this problem, I have kept notes each time I shutdown and restart the radio, just to avoid that type of problem. And also, when Tim communicates with me, I am able to provide documented steps etc and operating conditions as I go along and answer his questions. So far, it is a mystery why this is happening. I figure if it ends up going back to Austin, it will be my luck, it won't act up till it gets back home!!!

James

WD5GWY

Trucker

Continuing testing. Shutdown the radio. Waited several minutes and disconnected DC power from the back of the radio. Turned on the power supply, waited 10 minutes then powered on the radio. I then started SmartSDR , version 3.4.21 on my pc ( radio is on v3.2.39) . The radio chooser came up and said I needed to update the radio. So, I selected Update. It took several minutes to load v3.4.21. After a very long time, the radio finally updated. (again) It came up on 20 Meters @ 14.100Mhz. ( I had also wiped the Persistence Database according to instructions from Tim previously) I redone all my settings for microphone , SO2R etc. Finally, it came time to do the real test. I set the radio (along with my antenna tuner) to 40 meters. I then started SmartSDR on my PC. It came up on 20 meters @ 14.100 Mhz. I went thru similar settings changes and put it on 10 meters in the middle of the phone portion of the band. I waited a few minutes and exited SmartSDR on my pc. I waited a few more minutes and powered the radio off. I then waited about 20 minutes and restarted the radio. It came up on 40 meters where I had left it. I then started SmartSDR on my pc again. It came up on 10 meters, exactly where I left it. Does this mean the problem is solved? Odds are it's not. Reason being, I have done the exact same procedure several times over the last couple of weeks and just when things seem to be fixed, the problem happens again. So, the saga continues and how it will end is anybody's guess.

James

WD5GWY

Trucker

Well, that didn't take long!! Right back to not remembering a thing again. I know I shouldn't be surprised. But, still it would be nice to find where, exactly, the problem is coming from. So, unless someone at FRS Help Desk can figure this one out, my 6600M will be sitting on the shelf for a while. My patience is about worn completely out!!

James

WD5GWY

Dan-N7HQ

James,

When the radio places you on a different band, if you switch back to the band you left it on, does it remember the frequency or is that data lost as well? I am trying to determine if we're dealing with a persitence precedence issue or a more generalized bug.

73,

Dan, N7HQ

Trucker

Dan,

Thanks for responding. When it goes to a different band than expected it usually goes to the frequency and mode it was on from the last time I was on that particular band. When I have downgraded or upgraded, I have not kept any settings ( using Export/Import in SmartSDR on my Windows pc) . I followed Tim's instructions including not Exporting and Importing the Persistence Database. Instead, I went through each band and moved to the phone portion of each band and adjusted settings for each band ( AGC-T, RF Gain, volume etc.) . Then I would go to a particular band and stay there for a while. Then, I would power off the radio ( but not the power supply) and wait at least 10 minutes. Then, I would power the radio back on. Sometimes, it would come back to the previous band it was on when powered off. Other times, it would come up on a completely different band. ( the mode etc would be what I had initially set that band to.) It will do this several times in a row. Also, the same problem when using MultiFlex. SmartSDR on my pc may or may not return to the correct band. And sometimes, the front panel would be wrong and SmartSDR on the pc would be correct. It would be very helpful if there was some way to see the data in the Persistence Database to verify it is being written to and copied from, correctly. I feel that is where the problem exists. But,not being able to see the data itself, makes it difficult to impossible, to be certain that is where the problem originates.

James

WD5GWY

Trucker

Problem still exists.......

Trucker

PowerSDR and Flex 5000A filling in till my 6600M's memory problem is resolved.

Trucker

Almost a month now and still no closer to finding the answer to this problem, much less a fix. I have downgraded to version 2.x versions of SmartSDR and the Firmware and the problem appears to be resolved. Maybe a day or two at most. Then, it comes right back being as unpredictable as before. I honestly believe this is something in the firmware that is common to every version of the firmware and SmartSDR. And when I installed v3.4.21 it triggered the problem and nothing seems able to correct it. I have even went so far as to start with a version 2 software that is on the version chooser and following installation instructions for each successive version, back up to version 3.4.21. With proper reboots, wait times, redoing settings etc. each time. A long, drawn out and tedious process. And still I end up with the same results, unpredictably of whether or not the radio will return to the last band it was on from a previous session. No one at Flex Radio Tech Support ( Help Desk) has figured this out. And they have not offered to let me send them the radio for first hand testing. I really don't think this problem can be solved using email questions and answers to track down the root cause of this problem. Without any hands-on testing, of some sort, it is not likely they can solve this problem. No one has asked to remote into my radio ( if that's possible) to examine it either. I guess they don't have the tools available to do such a thing as that. And I have no way to test the radio as far as the firmware is concerned. At a loss as to what to do now.

James

WD5GWY

Trucker

Opened a new Help Desk Ticket. I don't know if it will make a difference or not. But, I have to try.

Trucker

Now classified as a "Software Defect" SMART-9418.

So, no way to know when or if it will be solved.

James

WD5GWY

Trucker

I think I have Finally tamed this beast. This morning I downgraded to version 3.2.34. After rebooting the radio, I did a long press of the power button till it turned white. I had made no changes and had left the radio on the default band, 20 meters @14.100 Mhz in CW mode. I waited several minutes and started the radio again. ( quick press) I then waited a few minutes and long pressed the power button till it turned white again. I repeated this several times. Each time not making any changes to band or settings. Still on 20 meters. Finally, after powering up again, I selected 80 meters and made the settings I use for that band. I did not change any other band. I long pressed the power button for 4 seconds. Counting, 1 one thousand, 2 one thousand, 3 one thousand at 4 seconds, I let up the button. It took a total of 15 seconds for the radio to save the 80 meters settings. After waiting several minutes again, I powered the radio on again. It came up on 80 meters where I left it when I powered it off. I move to the next band and repeated the same process. And saving ( Powering off as explained) the settings one band at a time. I repeated this till I finally got to 6 meters. Now, the radio comes up where it was previously each time I have cycled the power. Hopefully, this will last!

James

WD5GWY