Puck Problems again!

[shakysen]

Do you remember a few months back. I suspected the bias tee to have packed in. Only to find the supplied lead faulty  .Replaced no problems since.

                                                                              Shaky

[Ian K]

I'm using the same active USB cable that I used to power the SBS1.

[Anmer]

I'm using the same active USB cable that I used to power the SBS1.

Chris Taylor is implying only the supplied Puck USB leads will definitely work

And if he's correct, here lies the problem.  How do we know an alternative lead should work and eliminate these dropouts?

[Nigel]

I started getting problems with the supplied lead just before Xmas, constantly losing contact and dropping down. I seemed to have cured this by plugging it the orginal lead into an active USB extension lead and that into my PC, until the problems started again this week. However, everything seems fine again at the moment...not dropped down for at least 50 hours.

[Chris-G0WTZ]

Nigel what colour is the lead please ?


Regards

[Nigel]

Hi Chris

The original USB lead that came with my Puck is grey.

Also Chris, received the N-type connector for my TMRF-BS on Saturday thanks. The antenna is in the loft at the moment and has resulted in a tremendous improvement in the range of my scanner. It goes on the roof next week so I anticipate even better coverage...many thanks

Nigel

[Chris-G0WTZ]

Hi Nigel

Glad the antenna is doing its stuff!
I wish more people would get an outside antenna :-)

OK so just to be sure you are using the grey puck lead?

Thanks

[Nigel]

Hi Chris

Yes I'm using the original grey Puck lead. However, it no longer works without problems (keeps dropping down/losing connection) if I plug the grey lead direct from the Puck into my PC. I cured this by plugging the grey Puck lead into an active USB extension lead and then the extension lead into my PC. This was working fine until it started playing up gain last week, within intermittent dropping down. However, I've not changed anything apart from unplugging and plugging in again the various leads and it seems to have settled down again, so I'm puzzled.

Thanks

Nigel

[Nigel]

Three weeks without a disconnection problem and it has started again. My Puck runs for varaiable amounts of time from 4-5 hours to a few minutes and then suddenly loses connection. It might be purely coincidence but it seems to happen after a Windows update, which I have tried to avoid my PC doing. I've checked the USB power settings and they seem to be fine. Has anyone else experience similar problems? I'm puzzled why it suddently starts after weeks without a problem. Had exactly the same experience over Xmas.

Thanks

Nigel

[Anmer]

It's possibly the Win update messing up the USB drivers.

Try what IanH proposed earlier in this thread:

Assuming the drivers are the same as for USB connection of SBS-1, the latest ones are here:

http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/D2XX.htm

Or as Mike has pointed out before, there is an older version that comes with BS - run CDM20814Setup.exe

You may need to disable the old drivers if they're showing.  Can you post a screen capture of the expanded USB services from Device Manager?

[Nigel]

I'm not very practical on technical updates or changes. Is this the right info about the expanded USB services?

Many thanks

[Attachment deleted by Admin to save file space]

[Anmer]

Remove or disable USB Serial Converter A and B.  Then install them afresh as IanH suggests.

[Nigel]

I'm a real novice at doing things like this. How do I go about getting the ones that come with BS? Please could you direct me to earlier messages about this if you know where they are. How do I run the CDM20814Setup.exe?

Sorry for the basic questions but things like this fill me with worry that I'll mees it up completely.

Many thanks

[Anmer]

The earlier posts are in this message thread, just scroll up and back a page.

If you have the CDM file, just double click on it in Windows Explorer.  It should be in your BseStation folder.

[Ian K]

Since a windows update on Wednesday my connection is dropping out more than ever, sometimes it lasts for a couple of hours other times just minutes. this is so frustrating !!!