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Title: SBS-1 stopped working - red lights only!
Post by: No Comment on March 08, 2020, 11:33:00 AM

Hi all,

Sorry my first post has to be an appeal for help but this looks like the right place!

I've had an SBS-1 for years. Didn't use it for a while but finally last week installed Basestation on a new laptop. Plugged everything in, found a nice high spot, updated a nice big Sqb file and had a great couple of days using it! All was good.

However mid-session the box dropped all blue lights and now I only see two red LEDs. The far left one and the reserved one!

When starting Basestation now I also only get a white panel where the a/c list used to be.

Tried various USB ports, aerial position, but I don't even get the yellow or green light on the front of the box!

Any ideas anyone?!

Cheers,
Jeff

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Title: Re: SBS-1 stopped working - red lights only!
Post by: Anmer on March 08, 2020, 05:10:14 PM

Welcome Jeff.

Sorry for the relay in replying but I appear to have gallstones. If anyone has had it, they'll know how debilitating it can be. Especially at the weekend with no surgery open.

Your SBS symptoms suggest an antenna and or cable issue. With a good antenna connection you should see blue lights even with BaseStation not running.

Check the antenna connections - tight, free of moisture or corrossion?

Title: Re: SBS-1 stopped working - red lights only!
Post by: No Comment on March 09, 2020, 11:14:46 PM

Thanks for getting back to me and hope you're a bit more comfortable - I've heard how bad they can be.

So after I posted the message, I fired up the SBS and laptop this morning and everything worked for about 5 hours before the aircraft list showing on Basestation gradually reduced to nothing. It was painful to watch. At that point there were still 3 blue lights remaining too.

I restarted everything and the unit went back to the two red lights - not even the yellow USB connector even though it was connected.

Could the unit be overheating I wonder? Or something else appears to make it just give up!!

Title: Re: SBS-1 stopped working - red lights only!
Post by: Anmer on March 10, 2020, 06:45:10 AM

Thanks for the update. And I feel a lot better but not fully recovered.

Did you check the antenna, cables and connectors?
I've never heard of an SBS overheating. But that doesn't positively rule it out.

Blue lights equate to antenna and signal reception. Moisture enering the antenna or its connection can drmatically gegrade the signal.

What make antenna do you use and is it internal or external? It sounds like it may be an internal one?

Title: Re: SBS-1 stopped working - red lights only!
Post by: No Comment on March 12, 2020, 08:08:56 PM

Thanks for the suggestions - looks like it may be the antenna. It is the same one that came with the unit all those years ago and, when I started unscrewing it from the magnetic base, all 4 blue lights came on. Inside was some mild corrosion which I picked at a bit and it appears to have done the trick.

Will start looking at some different antennae!

Thanks again, so glad it's up and running once more.

Cheers
Jeff

Title: Re: SBS-1 stopped working - red lights only!
Post by: Anmer on March 13, 2020, 07:53:48 AM

Thanks for the feedback and in identifying the source of the issue. Well done.

Do you need an internal or external antenna as a replacement?

Radarspotting

Mode-S Receivers => Kinetic's SBS-1 => Topic started by: No Comment on March 08, 2020, 11:33:00 AM