AR-DV1 misbehaviour.

[Andy3]

I've had my new DV1 for about a week now and I'm very happy with it. There is one thing though - occasionally when I'm listening around MW(AM) and I go from AM to SAM, it starts making a loud screeching sound and nothing will stop it except a switch off & back on.
It's not a heterodyne type thing, it's more like something has crashed. As I say, it has only done it maybe 3 times in 8 days, but it's darned irritating. Firmware 1702d.
Anyone else had this?
Oh, and when I've been in AUTO setting for digital listening and I go back to analogue, the IF bandwidth remains set to 15KHz instead of reverting to the b/w that I was using before. Not a big problem, but surely it should recall the last-used analogue setting?

 

[marlbrook]

Puzzle

I've had my new DV1 for about a week now and I'm very happy with it. There is one thing though - occasionally when I'm listening around MW(AM) and I go from AM to SAM, it starts making a loud screeching sound and nothing will stop it except a switch off & back on.
It's not a heterodyne type thing, it's more like something has crashed. As I say, it has only done it maybe 3 times in 8 days, but it's darned irritating. Firmware 1702d.
Anyone else had this?
Oh, and when I've been in AUTO setting for digital listening and I go back to analogue, the IF bandwidth remains set to 15KHz instead of reverting to the b/w that I was using before. Not a big problem, but surely it should recall the last-used analogue setting?

I cannot help with the first problem, sorry (see below).

The second one first appeared a couple of Firmware updates ago. There are other occasion when similar things happen. The closest I could get was the radio seemed to be calling settings that were present in VFOZ, when A or B were subsequently called, instead of remembering the settings those VFO/s had previously.

I did mention it on my thread. A few people said they found similar results.I also found the problems were intermittent, which follows no logic at all.

I had hoped the latest firmware would address this but it has not.

In the end I introduced some software fixes in eSPYonARD, as a temporary measure. Up to you of course, but if you download the free trial I would certainly be interested if the software fixes I applied solves your second issue for the time being.

As the issues were intermittent I can never be sure if the 'fixes' work for all of the associated problems, but they certainly work for many of them. Applying software fixes for firmware issues was certainly not easy. There are still a few firmware issues that have been around for ages, and as I had managed to 'tame' several of them in the software, after a lot of work, I had some ideas what to do about this current one.

All the firmware 'fixes' I included in eSPYonARD over the last year are automatic and work entirely in the background, so nobody even knows they are operating in the background, usually.

Regarding your first problem, can you be a bit more specific. What exactly are you pressing to switch form AM to Synchronous AM etc? I would like to see if I can reproduce that on my AR-DV1 and investigate.

 

[Andy3]

Thanks for your interest.
It usually goes like this:
Tuning around MW in normal AM mode and find a weak AM station right next to a strong one. Press MODE and select SAH or SAL by turning the tuning knob to highlight. This is when all hell can break loose. Normally I would press ENTER to confirm the selection, but once the screeching has started there's no use in going on. Power off & back on, and try again. Very intermittent. Hope this makes sense.

 

[F5HPE]

ANDY3 :
In regard to your “sound” and as far as I understand your DV1 misbehaviour seems to be an epiphenomenon in front of the amount of DV1 in use. So, it it clode to impossible to imitate such phenomemnon. Also there is no Op Code on DV1 manual which can affect this. But any more détails from you is wellcome.

In regards to the auto mode revert to the analog mode, this is a totally normal situation. In fact, when your change from one wave form to another one, the DV1 revert to the “default” IF setting for the considered wave from. This is not a firmware bug.

 

[Andy3]

I don't have any more details regarding the sound, it just does it sometimes when I change from AM to SAM.
Re the b/w selection when changing back to analogue FM from digital. It may not be a bug as such, but it does not seem 'right' to me. Much of my FM listening is done in 6 KHz b/w to suit the 12.5 KHz channels which are common now. I would expect the software to put me back in that mode when I re-select FM the next time. It's not a big problem, more a minor annoyance. I think the same thing happens when I move from digital to SSB - it gives me 1.8 KHz b/w, which is too narrow. Why does it not give me 2.7 Khz which I was last using in SSB? Just a little annoyance.

 

[marlbrook]

Research for you and Hidden Agendas

So far I cannot reproduce the screech, however please try this. Before switching from AM to Synchronous, select FM first..

As you realise the Firmware is very complex, and I know too well that from time to time the radio can have a minor nervous breakdown in manual mode. I have lost count of the hours I spent when this sort of thing happens, finding a workaround in software, but in the end it was time well spent. I have a much clearer understanding of little 'tricks' that can be achieved. Well a lot of them quite complex in programming terms really, lol, but as they happen instantly in the background, nobody notices. Especially difficult as some are intermittent, as you have found.

As I could not reproduce the effect yet, this is a 'shot in the dark', but worth a try.

You will have to make up your own mind regarding whether the other thing is normal behaviour, or as I said, and have documented in other threads, it is an anomaly that started a few months ago after a firmware upgrade.

Sadly some people might think, from reading this thread and other very recent ones, that some posts are appearing which have a hidden 'Agenda' which is unfortunate, as they covertly try to cast doubt on my ability to give helpful and accurate advice re. AR-DV1 problems, and the 'program'. Your thread may have been inadvertently drawn into this.

If it helps, feel free to email me via the email icon at www.espyonard.com, so I can continue to try and help with both things, unhindered.

Perhaps it is not very 'professional', but I provide help and support 7/7 via the Web Site to anyone with an AR-DV1 problem, whether they use the program or not. Rather than clogging up threads on the Forum with intermediate 'problem solving' posts, I encourage people to email me. If, a problem is identified and solved, I then post on the Forum so others can benefit.

 

[Andy3]

Many thanks. My DV1 has been perfectly behaved over the last couple of days, no screeching at all! I'll keep my eye on it.