Is there a memory bug in 6600 firmware?

ve7ovy

Hi, I have a 6600, extended TX board and an UNLK turf file from Flex for my CFARS/MARS ops. Latest Ver3 firmware/software. When i recall a memory in Smart SDR for Mac, it occasionally recalls to LSB mode, even when the memory is clearly written and displays as USB. I reported this to Marcus, thinking its SmartSDR for Mac but he says it happens randomly in SmartSDR for Windows too. He suggested I ask Flex community if other users have experienced this. Its only started happening the past several months or so (guessing) it might be a random bug that was introduced. It didn't used to happen. Has anyone else experienced this? I can click the mode and change it from LSB to USB and that works. I deleted memories and started fresh, same issue. I can recall memories 99% of the time correctly and frequencies are always correct, but every so often it recalls the wrong mode.

John WA7UAR

Hello @ve7ovy ,

I have a 6700 and use the radio for both MARS and SHARES.

It is a "feature" that is a bit annoying… when a frequency is chosen the software applies the mode (USB/LSB) that seems most relevant for Amatuer operation on the band. Typically, LSB for 160-40 meters and USB otherwise. But MARS frequencies close to those bands are also impacted by this design issue.

I do use GLOBAL profiles to select my most often used frequencies… and these seem to come up correctly almost every time.

I use ION2G for ALE and, sometimes again, the mode is "conveniently" shifted on the radio for the frequency selected… but, after I make a manual change it usually sticks (until it doesn't).

I also use FRStack… and that program will always set things correctly when choosing a frequency.

I hope this insight helps.

ve7ovy

Hi John. Thank you for your comments and observations. Sounds like I’m not the only one that experiences these occasional anomalies in the memory recall.

Interesting point that it may be related to a rule in firmware that 40 m and below must be LSB. Most of my issues have been with frequencies below 40 m, But not always / that’s the puzzling part! I have a specific frequency just under 7 MHz, which consistently comes up as LSB when I do a recall memory. Maybe it’s close to the band edge and those band edges are perhaps not hard and fast at exactly 7 Hz for example.

Perhaps I’ll put in a helpdesk explaining my observations and commenting that I’m not the only one and see what happens. it is quite annoying when you are on a net that changes frequencies and this happens randomly.

73,
Kevin