6600M dead after update attempt - happy ending!

After updating my 6600M and Windows software to 2.5.1, I found that WSJT would key the radio but would never unkey. I then tried to downgrade to 2.4.9 on the radio and now it will not boot at all. Even after the second factory reset. The radio is now DEAD! Ticket started.

Joseph

33 Posts
5 Reply Likes

Posted 6 months ago

6 months ago

Mack McCormick, Elmer

538 Posts
180 Reply Likes

Remove the DC power. Wait one minute and try again. That should restore things to operation.

Comment

6 months ago

Joseph

33 Posts
5 Reply Likes

No such luck. (I had performed PORs before, but not for a whole minute). It goes to the "please wait..." page (with the "log in" button bottom right, then says shutting down, leaving a blank screen and the power buttom blinking red.

Comment

2019-06-12T23:24:12+00:00

Pat N6PAT

855 Posts
271 Reply Likes

Wow. That sucks!

2019-06-12T23:26:01+00:00

Joseph

33 Posts
5 Reply Likes

Indeed. No radio.

2019-06-12T23:26:43+00:00

Pat N6PAT

855 Posts
271 Reply Likes

I know what it feels like believe me!

6 months ago

Joseph

33 Posts
5 Reply Likes

There should be some magic button pattern that when depressed at least gets you to the window where you choose what version of software you want to run.

Comment

2019-06-13T04:08:13+00:00

Pat N6PAT

855 Posts
271 Reply Likes

You'd think that would be accomplished with firmware independent of the resident version of SSDR

6 months ago

K3SF

317 Posts
105 Reply Likes

hi Joseph

i also have 6600m and my updates went fine but that is not what you want to hear
but
let's see if i can help...

when you turn on the 6600M what sequence of colors did the power button go thru??

then we can check against the blinking light error set and figure out from here

also
note when down grading from 2.5.1 to 2.4.9 it is required to do a factory reset

you know the procedure for factory reset.
Hold power button until it start to blink white the let it go and see how it boots up.

Paul K3SF

(Edited)

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6 months ago

Joseph

33 Posts
5 Reply Likes

Slow flashing green thru 3 different screens, then red flashing as it says adios...

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2019-06-13T01:02:57+00:00

Joseph

33 Posts
5 Reply Likes

It is actually four different screens if you count the logo page (four slashes).

6 months ago

Joseph

33 Posts
5 Reply Likes

Did the factory reset.

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6 months ago

K3SF

317 Posts
105 Reply Likes

how many time doe sit flash red?

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6 months ago

Joseph

33 Posts
5 Reply Likes

Once it says "shutting down" it starts flashing red (same rate as the green was flashing) then stays flashing even after it has apparently shut down.

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6 months ago

K3SF

317 Posts
105 Reply Likes

from the manual

Power Button Color Codes

The Power button is used to turn the radio on and off and is illuminated with a number of colors to indicate the radio’s operational state:

FLASHING GREEN: Radio is starting or shutting down
SOLID GREEN: Radio is in receive mode
FLASHING RED: See Error Conditions below
SOLID BRIGHT RED: Transmitting on PA
SOLID DIM RED: Transmit engaged, but transmit interlocks are not ready. Refer to the SmartSDR documentation for description of the transmit interlocks.
SOLID ORANGE: Transmitting on XVTR port with low power
SOLID PURPLE: Radio is performing a software update
FLASHING WHITE: Radio is performing a reset to factory defaults
OFF: Radio is off

Error Conditions

Certain hardware and software error conditions cause the radio to stop operating and display an error code by flashing the Power button light as follows:

One red flash: Fan malfunction
Two red flashes: Software crash
Three red flashes: Boot failure
Four red flashes: Input power over voltage
Five red flashes: CPU overcurrent
Six red flashes: Input power under voltage

In the case of a software crash, the error code repeats for about 15 seconds, then the radio will reboot. In the other cases, the error code repeats until the Power button is pressed, then the radio shuts down. An additional press of the Power button is needed to restart the radio.

i know counting the number of flashes per sequence is not obvious
or
easy to do either

(Edited)

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6 months ago

Joseph

33 Posts
5 Reply Likes

So you think somehow the fan has failed coincidental with a software update?

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6 months ago

Joseph

33 Posts
5 Reply Likes

There is no (apparent) code sequence flash. It just says "shutting down" and the red flash starts at the same repetition rate as the green flash was using.

I have found that if I touch "Version" in the upper right I can go to the version selection window. If I select any of the versions loaded on the radio, it goes to the "Please wait..." window and then eventually shuts down. I am playing with that now. The typical sequence is for it to go through step 2..4 of the update sequence, then go to the "Please wait..." page, then shut down.

Comment

6 months ago

K3SF

317 Posts
105 Reply Likes

not likely...the fans are quite substantial ...

more likely software crash or boot error

this is the best info i can provide you...

if the factory reset and power disconnect does not clear the problem
i think Flex Help desk will get thru the problem..
i saw above that you did submit help desk ticket

sorry i could not have been more of a help

Comment

6 months ago

Joseph

33 Posts
5 Reply Likes

Thanks so much for trying!!

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6 months ago

Michael Walker, Employee

1111 Posts
328 Reply Likes

Joe

Just to let you know, your ticket is in and no one is near a computer that can actually work through this tonight. So sorry. We had many upgrades and down grades, so it is very possible a very unique event. I assume your initial upgrade was 2.4.9?

Anyway, we will jump on it in the morning.

Mike

Comment

6 months ago

Cal Spreitzer

449 Posts
113 Reply Likes

My 6600 recently had the 1 Red Flash and wouldn't boot but it wasn't fan related. Turns out my external 10mhz reference was causing the the issue. Once I disconnected the external reference the radio would boot! My reference signal was about .25 volts over the max allowed voltage. I had to pad the signal and since it's working fine. Just thought I would pass that on in case your using the external 10Mhz reference in?

Cal/N3CAL

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1 person likes this

6 months ago

KJ7G

7 Posts
0 Reply Likes

I have issue with 3.0.27 upgrade too. I updated radio remotely and it is working fine but after I returned home and upgraded front panel its screen is blank after booting.
Radio itself still fully operational from SmartSDR. I performed cols restart and factory reset but it does not recover from panel. During boot process front panel display shows Flexradio logo on black background followed by Welcome to Flexradio screen with blue background followed by blank screen. Radio part is fully operational from SmartSDR but I lost all setting trying recover front panel.

Comment

2019-06-13T03:27:46+00:00

KJ7G

7 Posts
0 Reply Likes

Could anyone with 6600M or 6400M verify if radio information tab in setting shows 6600M in model info? I do not remember what was shown before but now it displays 6600 without M.

2019-06-13T15:00:26+00:00

K3SF

303 Posts
99 Reply Likes

think this is info you are looking for

i tried 2.5.1 and 3.0.27 and run fine on the radio
BUT
i use a Mac and xdax/xcat by Mario do not work with those two version

Paul K3SF

Image httpsd2r1vs3d9006apcloudfrontnets3_images1793211RackMultipart20190613-77701-x24e1o-radio_Tab_6600m_inlinejpg1560437907

(Edited)

2019-06-13T15:29:09+00:00

KJ7G

7 Posts
0 Reply Likes

Thank you, Paul !
I actually meant similar tab from SmartSDR since my front panel is not working but the info should be exactly the same. My radio now thinks that it is 6600 model:
Image: https://d2r1vs3d9006ap.cloudfront.net/s3_images/1793217/RackMultipart20190613-98903-1hfhbw1-Capture_inline.PNG?1560439692

Image: https://d2r1vs3d9006ap.cloudfront.net/s3_images/1793217/RackMultipart20190613-98903-1hfhbw1-Capture_inline.PNG?1560439692

6 months ago

Robert Lonn

418 Posts
147 Reply Likes

I am one of those that turn off the DC power at the end of the day.. Occasionally I find that when I turn on power and booting up might place the radio in a strange mode, so before I did the upgrade, I powered up the radio and it booted to the Software load screen.. I then shut off the radio, kept the power on, and then booted up and it booted up to the normal ham band screens..

I then went into the menu and downloaded the new software and it loaded all 4 steps with no problems.. After playing around for 10 minutes I am calling it a night as I need to do a few things for the wife before bed time comes around.. OH, this was Software version 2.xx.xx.. If the reports on the most recent 3.xx.xx version are favorable, will go ahead and contribute my $200 to Flex and do the next update..

Robert

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6 months ago

Rich McCabe

1143 Posts
245 Reply Likes

Just as a test try booting without the Network cable. I had a 6600 that would not boot because of my wireless thermostat on the network. Ended up setting a static IP on the Flex to fix it. Was getting messed up in the DHCP process.

Not likely the case here but my only non boot issue was related to the network.

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6 months ago

Joseph

33 Posts
5 Reply Likes

I disconnected everything except the power and it did the same thing. Working thru it with Eric now. Waaaaaiii! I have no radio!

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6 months ago

Joseph

33 Posts
5 Reply Likes

End of story: After attempting to communicate with the radio with Teamviewer (no joy), Eric over-nighted a replacement SD card for the radio (versus the front panel Windows processor) and up it came. No idea how it got corrupted, but so happy that it is back in operation. Anyone who has ever complained about the Flex customer service certainly had a different experience from mine. Couldn't be happier! After that the upgrade to 2.5.1 went as planned. The original problem I saw with WSJT failing to release the transmit, disappeared as well. Now if I just had the PGXL in the mail (17 months so far)...