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Messages - wb7ely

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31
WiFi board was installed in my 1258 Control RRC and worked fine for 5 months. Then went intermittent and now shows "not installed" on the control RRC status page. Unplugged it and replugged it several times. -no change- I do not have another contol RRC to try it in. Located the original invoice from HRO dated last May and called them. They said cannot help you. "Please work with the manufacturer". Sent a note of Mikael at Microbit and he said to call HRO. So I am caught in the middle here. Each company says the other one should replace the defective WiFi board. Any comments /ideas from the forum? Or should I just "bite the bullet" and buy another WiFi board...?
Thanks
De Dave
WB7ELY

32
HI Mitch-- I did request a copy of your checklist, about a month ago..you never sent it.
Please FW a copy to daveingeb@comcast.net
Thanks

//Dave

33
Been tearing my hear out getting my small office router set up for the RRC to communicate to the outside world.
I have read and reread the RRC1258 manual page 238.
I have attached a screenshot of my port forwarding page.
I have inserted the IP address of the radio RRC 192 168.1.51 but I am not sure what to insert into the boxes, 13000 to 13002 but then what about port 80?
When I enable DMZ, all internet access is shut off.
Any assistance would be much appreciated.

Thanks
//Dave
WB7ELY

34
OK I fixed  it!

There were three problems which really made troubleshooting a nghtmare

1) The RigBlaster advantage had a bad RJ45 (mike) cable, a short to ground in or near the RJ45 plug
2) My RRC module strapping was shoddy and needed to be redone with new wires
3) The WSJT software was not outputting any modulation tones.

Thanks to all who offered assistance!

Dave
WB7ELY

35
Thanks for all the help and staying with me on this.

-I have not checked the power supply ripple. It is a new Alinco DM330MV right out of the box. Seems to run everything fine without the RRCs but I will get out the scope to check the ripple. I know every possible detail needs to be checked and verified as part of good troubleshooting.

-Reconnected the TS480 through the RRCs as before and now when powering up via the control panel, the relays click in the R/T every two seconds and there's a "click" in the speaker. Rechecked the cables, swapped the control RJ-11 to a different cable and no change. When disconnecting the control RJ-11, the clicking stops and the red LED on the R/T stays lit. When taking the RRCs out of the system and connecting up normally, the R/T and radio power up normally.

-So I am stopped from performing the EMI check due to this new odd problem. Took the RRC covers off and rechecked everything and nothing found. Any ideas? Has anyone else had the power cycle on and off every 1 second?

-RRCs verified in program mode 5 TS-480

//Dave
WB7ELY



36
Mitch-- Thanks for your continuing efforts to track down the source of my troubles.

-The RJ-11 "long" cable appears to be a part of the Kenwood extension cable kit PG-42 http://www.kenwood.com/usa/com/amateur/ts-480sat/accessories.html

-I have three of these RJ-11s and all check good with meter and by using the radio with the RRC out of the system. I can make HF contacts using these cables without the RRCs in the loop.

-I took the Control RRC cover off and rechecked  the jumpers: JMP1=0 and JMP2=1, JMP=3, JMP5=1, all per the manual page 185.

-I checked the Control RRC 8V power jumper strap carefully, and the others and all good.
-Checked for debris and foreign objects in the case and board=clean. Jumpers all per page 185 of the manual.

-Reconnected the TS480 through the RRCs as before and now when powering up via the control panel, the relays click in the R/T every two seconds and there's a "click" in the speaker. Rechecked the cables, swapped the control RJ-11 to a different cable and no change. When disconnecting the control RJ-11, the clicking stops. When taking the RRCs out of the system and connecting up normally, the R/T and radio power up normally. 

Any ideas?
Thanks
//Dave


37
Thanks Mitch and Mike- I have tried a different power source for the control RRC and no change. Panel lights are dim, all other modes and selections work. I will go back and check the strapping for the 8V power on the control RRC.
On the RJ-11 cords, both are Kenwood stock. The short one is 6" and the long one is the standard control panel 10'.
Could there be a problem with my units? Since I am having so much trouble with the same symptoms using two different radios, I am starting to wonder if it is "not me"???

//Dave
WB7ELY

38
Thanks for the feedback Mitch. Here's what I've done:

--I did find a broken jumper wire!
--The strapping setup in the RRC sucks--I found a couple of IC pin solder headers in the junkbox and strapped them for mike config 1:
--Plugged everything in and the same problem exists:
  =dim panel lighting
  =horrible noise on transmit as monitored in separate shack receiver w/no antenna.
  =receive OK
  =network portion appears good

--I am ready to throw this whole thing in the garbage can. Went through similar symptoms with my IC-706 4 weeks ago and redid the modified the separation cable several times. Never found a smoking gun.
--Bought this TS-480 and a new power supply for a whole new start with the RRC and $800 later I am back to square 1. (with a little nicer radio hee)
--No RF in the shack. Running from a basement shack 75' RG-213 to a "no radial" 5 band vertical on a 10 ft tower section. It is resonant with<2:1 SWR on all bands.

What can possibly be wrong?
sign me,
ready to throw the RRC IN THE GARBAGE CAN..
//Dave
WB7ELY
 

39
Hardware, Cabling, Installations / TS-480 Config Problems
« on: 2017-07-22, 06:08:09 »
I am setting up a new installation TS480. The xceiver works fine without the RRC but when I connect  the RRC1258 I am getting some odd indications-need some help.
The RRC manual states that there are two possible configurations for the RRC hardware mike connector straps. I have tried both configurations and still having problems. This is a test setup using my local network. All setup parameters are per page 186 of the manual.

Config type 1 (page 185 of the RRC manual)
Terrible buzzing sound on transmitted audio signal
Received audio OK
TS480 control panel lights and backlight are dimmer than normal (~50%)

Config type 2 (RRC manual page 186)
Unable to key radio
Receive audio OK
TS480 control panel lights normal brightness

Other notables:

Radio side
short RJ45 cable from RRC AUX/MIKE to the radio mike input
short RJ11 cable from RRC TTL to Radio control panel jack on radio

Control side
long control cable from control panel to TTL on RRC
rigblaster advantage output RJ45 to AUX/MIKE on RRC (verified good audio and keyline)

Power
1 Amp wall wort powering the control RRC
30 Amp power supply powering the RRC and radio

Please advise
Thanks
//Dave

40
General discussion forum / Re: Strange Noise on Transmit
« on: 2017-06-13, 05:46:19 »
Thanks all for your inputs
I have tried a dummy load connected to the antenna and still l have a hum on the transmitted audio
I think Mike nailed it with his suggestion to go over the Icom 706 separation cable and splices to the RJ45 connectors
But I have redone the splices three times with particular attention to the mike audio and shield. (no help!)
I have shortened the radio side cable to the bare minimum of 12" and shortened the RJ45 pigtail to 3" (no help!)
The modified cable works fine (no hum) when connected through a "double female" RJ45 connector and run the radio.
So I am about to give up and sell the 706 and buy a TS480.
Any further suggestions would be greatfully accepted.

De Dave WB7ELY

41
I do not think the RRCs will work when connected together via a CAT5 Cable. You must connect them with CAT5 cables through a router after setting each up with a unique IP address and other setup menu items from the owners manual.

De Dave WB7ELY

42
Thanks Mike-- Checked the modified separation cable again.
1- All conductors check good pin to pin,  higher resistance than I'd like: (0.5-0.9 ohms)
2- Screens show OK especially the red screen (copper )
3- Connected the modified sep cable with double female RJ45 between radio and front panel and monitored transmitted audio, it was clean.
4- There is no RF in the shack, antenna (no radial vert) is 50 ft away
5- Checked the small red jumpers  in both RRCs, all are good.

De Dave WB7ELY

43
What about Ferrites to stop EMI from entering the RRC?
Troubleshooting indicates theRRC is getting some EMI into it. The 1258 manual states to keep the radio to RRC cable short due to hum may be interoduced. Is this what I am seeing?
My favorite surplus store has these clamshell ferrites on sale for a buck: http://www.mpja.com/040in-ID-Ferrite-Clamshell-EMI-Filter/productinfo/17842+FL

1-Has anyone used these ferrite filters in an installation with RRCs?
2-Would this be the logical next thing to try?
3-I am thinking I should install one of these on each wire going to the radio-side RRC?

sign me
...still cannot get on the air
DE Dave WB7ELY

44
Guys-- Here's some additional troubleshooting info:
- The RRC's perform fine with the IC706 -all functions work great ..except for xmit audio.
- I am running (JT65) digital mode.
- There is a raspy 60 cy tone on top of the modulation when running the RRCs.
- I am monitoring this on a separate receiver (with a 2 ft antenna) 50 ft from the main vert antenna
-The modified separation cable works fine when each RJ-45 is connected to a double female connector and the radio run without the RRC's in the loop.
-I have shortened the radio-side sep cable to 15"
-The problem occurs whether I am connected to a dummy load or not.
- Should I give up,dump the 706 and buy a K3?

-any thoughts would be helpful-

Thanks
De Dave WB7ELY

-

45
Hello-- I am having one heck of a time with the IC-706 Separation Cable modification. I consider my self a fairly good technician but I cannot get the separation cable to work. Even taking the RRC out of the loop and using a double female RJ 45, I am getting a raspy loud hum noise on my transmit audio as monitored on a sep receiver. I have checked the continuity through the two  cables  terminated with RJ45s and all is good. I read that the radio side pigtail should be short to reduce interference and mine is 3ft total.
Question:
Is the modified cable (radiio) @ 3ft too much?
Could that be causing the loud hum?
If the two shields (white shield and red shield) touch, is that bad?
Should the separation cable ("drain?) wire be connected to the station ground?

Any wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

De WB7ELY




 witha 2 ft

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