AOR 8200 MK3 losing memory channels

dragon48 · Oct 25, 2017

This has happened twice in the last few weeks:

I added a channel (or 2 or 3) to memory on the J channel and it remained there while the radio was powered on for that session, but the next time I powered on the radio it disappeared.

What is causing this to happen and how can I stop it from happening in the future?

Thanks

marlbrook · Oct 27, 2017

Sounds like

I do not have this particular model, however if it has a memory backup battery, as most AOR scanners do, then it sounds as if it may have 'died'. They can usually be replaced with a little electronic knowledge, or sent to a Retailer for a replacement to be fitted.

dragon48 · Oct 27, 2017

marlbrook said:
I do not have this particular model, however if it has a memory backup battery, as most AOR scanners do, then it sounds as if it may have 'died'. They can usually be replaced with a little electronic knowledge, or sent to a Retailer for a replacement to be fitted.

Getting weirder as sometimes the saved frequencies do show up, but most of the times they do not. I prefer to deal with AOR USA directly as they have fixed another one of their models. I emailed their support asking about the issue and to get a price quote for a repair.

Ubbe · Oct 28, 2017

No batteribackup in 8200, it has a 29c512 flash memory. Flash memories has to erase and rewrite a whole block whenever anything needs to be changed in memory. That's probably why the memory banks are so many and only has a limitid storage capacity in 8200.

Flash memories have a defined lifespan of number of erases. That particular bank seems to have reach it's limit. Move the info in that bank to another one, preferable one that have less use, and your good to go. Or have the chip replaced.

/Ubbe

dragon48 · Oct 28, 2017

Ubbe said:
No batteribackup in 8200, it has a 29c512 flash memory. Flash memories has to erase and rewrite a whole block whenever anything needs to be changed in memory. That's probably why the memory banks are so many and only has a limitid storage capacity in 8200.

Flash memories have a defined lifespan of number of erases. That particular bank seems to have reach it's limit. Move the info in that bank to another one, preferable one that have less use, and your good to go. Or have the chip replaced.

/Ubbe

Thanks for the info.

It makes sense because the J bank is the only one that I edit, (I think it it the default user defined one)
so the "wear and tear" limit could be to blame.

I'll probably get the chip replaced. I'll wait until I hear back from AOR USA support.

dkf435 · Oct 28, 2017

Are you removing power from the radio or turning the radio off using the power switch. If you remove power from the radio any changes made to memory is not written to the EEPROM until you switch it off and then it does the write cycle tom the EEPROM if power drops from a low battery you may loose your changes.

David

dragon48 · Oct 28, 2017

Good catch - Maybe, I've been unplugging the unit from the wall instead of first powering it off. I'm testing adding some channels now and powering it off correctly. I'll reply back in a few days and report if they stay.

dragon48 · Oct 30, 2017

dkf435 said:
Are you removing power from the radio or turning the radio off using the power switch. If you remove power from the radio any changes made to memory is not written to the EEPROM until you switch it off and then it does the write cycle tom the EEPROM if power drops from a low battery you may loose your changes.

David

Once I took your advice and powered off the radio from the button instead of unplugging it, all memory changes were retained, so nothing is wrong with the radio.

AOR USA support gave me the same advice.

Thanks

dragon48 · Oct 30, 2017

dragon48 said:
Once I took your advice and powered off the radio from the button instead of unplugging it, all memory changes were retained, so nothing is wrong with the radio.

AOR USA support gave me the same advice.

Thanks

I take back everything I said - I just lost 11 channels for no reason at all. Going in for repair.

dragon48 · Oct 30, 2017

dragon48 said:
I take back everything I said - I just lost 11 channels for no reason at all. Going in for repair.

Sorry to be torturing everybody with replies to my own posts, but I FINALLY figured out the issue and it was user error:

There are 2 J memory banks. One of them is an upper case J; the other lower case. I had once added some channels to the upper case J bank and then added a bunch more to the lower case bank. When I scanned to the upper case bank, I thought things were missing, but when I go back to the lower case bank, I see all my changes.

Nothing wrong with the radio - just the operator

dkf435 · Oct 30, 2017

Went through some of this back in the mid 90s with the AR5K and AR8K.

David

AOR 8200 MK3 losing memory channels

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