[amsat-bb] Re: LVB Tracker

[Alan]

The LVB Tracker is a great little box... I have 2 for 2 separate ground
stations.  Both run on the USB.

I can force the lost of memory on one of the LVB's if I switch the G5400B
rotator controller off and on too fast.  If I leave the G5400b off for about
10-15 seconds before turning it back on, the LVB will usually not loose its
mind.  I have 2 different G5400b control boxes and the LVB reacts the same
on both.  Eprom 0.9 but also had this problem with 0.7

The second LVB is on a G5500 control box and does not display this problem.
Eprom 0.7

I have not switched the 2 LVB boxes to see if the problem is related to the
G5400 and not the G5500.

So I am now very careful when turning it OFF and ON.   The OFF/ON routine is
sometimes required when the  USB/Virtual Com Port goes brain dead on my
laptop and the VCOM port is lost.  Power OFF/ON causes XP to refind the
virtual comport.  The alternative is to unplug and replug the USB cable to
the LVB.  Either way the new virtual hardware ( comport ) is found and my
SatPC32 runs normally.

I also tend to avoid the eprom problem by leaving the G5400b on all the
time.

The other issue I have with one of the LVB boxes is the poor
ground/shielding of the control cable.  The elevation meter on the G5400b
would not go to 0 degrees when the antenna was horizontal.  This is after a
calibration 0 to 90.    Howard Long was super fast to come back by email
with a solution to this problem saying it was an indication of poor
shielding or grounding on the cable.   I replaced the cable with one with
more braid and foil and it improved somewhat.  When I run a jumper wire from
the chassis of the G5400b to the ground trace on the LVB PCB I then get the
needle down to 0 degrees.  The LVB on the G5500 is OKAY out of the box and
that is why I haven't flashed the eprom from 0.7 to 0.9

73, Alan VE4YZ
EN19kw
AMSAT LM 2352
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org 
> [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org] On Behalf Of Jeff Thomas
> Sent: March 6, 2009 5:00 PM
> To: amsat-bb at amsat.org
> Subject: [amsat-bb] LVB Tracker
> 
> I have been receiving errors:
> 
>  
> 
> "Warning Bad EEPROM Data" when I apply power to the LVB 
> Tracker rotor controller.
> 
>  
> 
> I have received this error 4 or 5 times now and it forces me 
> to re-calibrate the rotor controller.
> 
>  
> 
> Anyone have any idea while this happens over and over?
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Jeff - K7WIN
> 
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