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AGCT, Volume, and BW Select controls behaving oddly.

Mike Steventon
Mike Steventon Member ✭✭✭
in FLEX-6000 Signature Series

I hope this is the correct part of the community discussion forum........

I have a 6600M. VERY occasionally, I have noticed that the ACGT, or the Volume, or the Bandwidth select decide to change values without any instruction from me! I use Smart SDR for Mac, with the front "maestro" panel of the radio clearly visible to one side of my vision. On the occasions that it does occur, I catch a glimpse of the maestro panel showing that the control is being changed (as would usually happen if I were to operate the controls myself with my own hands). I can stop the events from occurring if I rotate the appropriate knob to "override" the control. I find this quite disconcerting as for example I may place the volume at minimum, go elsewhere, and return to find the radio has helped itself to some volume!!

I restate that this occurs ONLY randomly, as I cannot put a finger on what I might be doing to cause this anomaly. The behaviour is akin to what you might find with a capacitative effect, as sometimes I can approach the front panel with my hand, and the control will either become activated, or not. It is completely random, but when it does happen my hand proximity is extremely sensitive. Apart from this oddity, the radio is behaving perfectly.

It has nothing to do with transmitting, as I am far more likely to be just listening to the QSO's on the bands when it happens.

Does anyone have similar experience of this? Have I got an earth-loop?

Comments

  • Rich M5RIC
    Rich M5RIC Member ✭✭✭

    Hi Mike

    My 6600M has just returned from the factory in germany with the exact same issue. I would notice the volume changing on its own, no RF around and without me doing anything else with the radio - it was just sat idle. Same as yourself if I change the control it would stop.

    Norbert couldn't find anything wrong with the radio on the bench for a few days monitoring it so it was returned.

    I managed to get a video of the issue and logged a helpdesk ticket but no-one mentioned an exact cause and Norbert said he hadn't ever seen anything either.

    My helpdesk ticket was 45499 if you want to log one yourself and reference mine, maybe there is something up with the latest release?


    73


    Rich

  • Mike Steventon
    Mike Steventon Member ✭✭✭

    Hi Rich.

    Thanks for your reply. I have raised a help-desk ticket on your advice.

    Glad to see that I am not the only one with this issue!!

    73 de Mike G4GWH

  • Netas Ameba
    Netas Ameba Member ✭✭
    Hello

    Not only You have this issues.
    May be it's an internal (in the box) RFI? On the flat cable connecting e-coders output from
    the front plate socket to the main plate e-coders input socket are only one (1) ferrite choke.
    May be need much more?

    73,

    Netas Ameba
  • Mike Steventon
    Mike Steventon Member ✭✭✭

    Hi Netas!

    Thanks for letting me know you also have problem. Good suggestion for ferrite chokes!

    Tim at Flex is looking into my problem, but I do not think we shall get result for a couple of weeks.

    If anyone else has had this problem, please post it here, so that we can get something done to help all.


    73 de Mike G4GWH

  • Geoff_W8GNM
    Geoff_W8GNM Member ✭✭

    To All: I too, have experienced having both the AF gain setting and the AGCT setting on my 6600M front panel change randomly without me touching the front panel. It was almost as if someone had remotely logged into my radio, but I don't have the Flex server activated on my 6600M. It doesn't happen very often. The last time it happened, I was monitoring an FT8 slice and had the AF gain turned down to zero. I was in another room and suddenly heard FT8 tones from my monitor speakers. When I check the 6600M, the AF gain had changed from zero to 85 while I was out of the shack. 73, Geoff-W8GNM

  • Mike-VA3MW
    Mike-VA3MW Administrator, FlexRadio Employee, Community Manager, Super Elmer, Moderator admin

    This does happen from time to time, likely due to electronic noise.

    I had a 6600M that did it for a week and then I haven't seen it in over a year.

    Try resetting the radio and see if that helps.

    73

  • Mike Steventon
    Mike Steventon Member ✭✭✭

    Thanks for your valuable input, Mike.

    Yes the problem has just disappeared at this station. The only "new" thing I installed is Galvanic Isolation of the LAN cable, using a couple of DX Engineering Iso-Plus chokes. I am not suggesting that it is the answer at all, but your remark that it may be due to electronic noise kinda makes me hope that my action solved my problem. I know that others have modified the LAN connection into Optical Fibre, but I was not sure how to do that.

    Either way, if someone has this problem it might be worth a shot.....!

    73 de Mike G4GWH

  • Netas Ameba
    Netas Ameba Member ✭✭
    Hello

    May be that wide band noise (as mentioned Mike, VA3MW) are not only

    from LAN circuit, but from front panel panadapter plate too?

    73,

    Netas Ameba

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