Yaesu VX-8r VFO B Stuck in Duplex Mode

[bluepythons]

Hello everyone,

Long time reader, very new poster. First of thank you for the tons of information I have gotten off of this site. With your info I recently purchased a Yaesu VX8r The main drive was my FT50 was getting old and needed to get passed over to a good cause and so I got to upgrade.

Just a quick node, my local middle school engineering club launched a high altitude ballon today. We made to 104600 feet and recovered the payload, the kids thought it was awesome. My radio with a mag mount antenna worked great to communicate with the other vehicles, stations, and receive APRS packets for the recovery.

Anyways here is where I need your help and my problem. I use the radio for search and rescue/EMT use and HAM use. As such I have a variety of frequencies programmed on the radio. I reset the radio, and the problem goes away FYI, so I know its somewhere in the programming or a setting.

I have a mac and use CHIRP to program my radio memories, works great once I figured the out the cable driver and settings. After I send all of the memories to the radio, VFO B is stuck in DUPLEX mode. No matter what, VHF or UHF, it transmits to a set frequency. This frequency was one of the odd split inputs I entered. I removed that from the radio programming and still same problem. I can not get VFO B out of duplex to go to simplex, or to use a 2m repeater. I am stumped. I have tried re entering the offset freq, its frozen, tried changing the menu items for repeaters no luck.

Can anyone help or have any ideas??? Like I said when I do a reset, all is normal. Once I hit "upload to radio" VFO B gets stuck on a VHF frequency and the + over - symbol indicating an odd split is stuck on.

Thanks guys and I look forward to hearing from you.

Dave

 

[bluepythons]

I called Yaesu tech support and told them what was happening, and that I was using a Mac and CHIRP software. They said to stop using the CHIRP software immediately and kind of bashed it and Commander software, basically saying that anything but RT systems will brick my radio. He said that something with the programming is not working with the processor and if I continue use I will have to send my radio back to get re-flashed.

Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Dave

 

[KE5MC]

They are being conservative or possibly know different 3rd party programmers work better than others. I use RT System on five different radio with no problems.

Start will a very small version of your radio load. Like the first 5 or 6 memory locations. Check operations as you go and increase the load list until it crashes. That should give you an indication of where the problem is.

When you say odd split do you mean something other than .6MHz or 5MHz?

After a reset to get back to normal operation, manually load the odd split and see if it works. If it does read the radio back and see what it looks like compared to your original programmed odd split.

 

[Moleculo]

I like KE5MC's approach to troubleshooting this. I also think that it's something that is being sent to the radio by CHIRP in one of the memories. It could be a bug that, when figured out, could be sent to the developers to fix.

 

[KE5MC]

bluepythons

I took a look at the manual and another idea surfaced for you to look at.

I don't know how chirp lays out the information so I am going to work from RTS layout.

RTS has a column for transmit freq., receive freq., offset size and direction. For your odd split channels make sure the freq. difference and direction match the offset size and direction. My thinking is that's a good way to push bad data to the radio and get it confused if they don't match.

Mike

 

[bluepythons]

Thanks guys I'll start doing the above. My biggest question is why is the software programming a VFO mode, not just the memories like it should. I'll keep playing around with it. I also sent a request to CHIRP as well.

I really would love to find a programming sollution for the Mac. I have been told more then once to just buy a used laptop or net book but I have enough stuff laying around so I would like to stick with one computer. I haven't tried boot camp or the emulators but may if this doesn't work out.

Thanks again guys
Dave

 

[KE5MC]

I don't believe the symptoms directly support trying to program the VFO. Its just the result of trying to load the memory and something is wrong in the data stream. Your symptoms are the end result.

Another point to check. Wish I could get it all in one posting. :blush:

On my VX8DR the column choices are "Simplex, DUP-, DUP+, Split". Using an odd split and having the frequencies correct in the receive and transmit column, but using DUP- or DUP+ then maybe that confuses the program or the radio. The manual states using odd split repeater option the transmit frequency is stored with the other information. If you are using "split" and don't have a transmit frequency then again program or radio is confused and it reset time.

Keep us posted.

Mike

 

[KF7RUQ]

I called Yaesu tech support and told them what was happening, and that I was using a Mac and CHIRP software. They said to stop using the CHIRP software immediately and kind of bashed it and Commander software, basically saying that anything but RT systems will brick my radio. He said that something with the programming is not working with the processor and if I continue use I will have to send my radio back to get re-flashed.

Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Dave

I have had RT Systems software and cable make my VX8 do the same thing. Then I had to do a hard reset and reload. Then the RT Systems caused some type of bug that made the Transmission power be reduced. It still received, but wouldn't transmit. I did a Hard reset, while volunteering and in the field, and "magically" my transmit power came back.

I suspect that RT Systems does this, on purpose, to forcefully capture the "Programming Market." Kind of like how they put a "Chip" in their version 4 stuff. The chip makes you buy only their cables and software.

I now have to reprogram, but won't do it with anything RT, cable or software. And this is on all of my gear. They kind of remind me of the Motorola games, of the past.

Good luck, though.

 

[KF7RUQ]

I forgot to add....

I use a Mac and I am waiting on my new "chip-less" Yaesu cable.

Chirp has worked for me, on my other radios.

Thanks Dan Smith!

 

[bluepythons]

I did find a solution, the fine folks at Chirp helped me out. While the cause is not known, something got corrupt and crossed somewhere, using the Memory to VFO function cleared up the stuck VFO B. Since then I have not tried to reprogram but will soon. So far so good, even if every time I have to do that Im ok with it.

On a side note, and I can make another post if need be, I just bought a Kendwood D700. Anyone have any luck with a usb to serial cable, mac, and Chirp?

Thanks for all the help guys!
Dave