Volkslogger - No Log Download Success "data -transfer ready!"

I've used my Volkslogger (VL) for years. Lately, I've been unable to transfer or download IGC log files to my PC. I'm using various PC's (Desktop; notebooks, etc) to no avail.

With SeeYou Connection Wizzard and Streppla, using a USB Converter (usbconveters.com - model Ut-882)and custom cables, the LCD windows on the VL only shows "data-transfer ready!" with no further interaction to DL log files. I've used all this equipment in the past and it worked perfectly. Started having this problem in March 2013 when I thought it was solved by updating the FTDI device driver for the converter. Apparently, that probably wasn't the root cause of my problem.

Today, I made up new cables... and that didn't solve the problem either.

Has anyone out there seen this failure mode on the VL?

Walt Rogers, WX

On Tuesday, May 14, 2013 4:24:26 PM UTC-7, WaltWX wrote:
I've used my Volkslogger (VL) for years. Lately, I've been unable to transfer or download IGC log files to my PC. I'm using various PC's (Desktop; notebooks, etc) to no avail.



With SeeYou Connection Wizzard and Streppla, using a USB Converter (usbconveters.com - model Ut-882)and custom cables, the LCD windows on the VL only shows "data-transfer ready!" with no further interaction to DL log files.. I've used all this equipment in the past and it worked perfectly. Started having this problem in March 2013 when I thought it was solved by updating the FTDI device driver for the converter. Apparently, that probably wasn't the root cause of my problem.



Today, I made up new cables... and that didn't solve the problem either.



Has anyone out there seen this failure mode on the VL?



Walt Rogers, WX

I would suspect the converter first. FTDI based converters do not have a good reputation for reliability and have suffered from driver problems in the past. I would never recommend them. You can try uninstalling and reinstalling the drivers again, or just give up and get a better converter. Here is a likely much better converter (I use them on PCs and Macs for lots of uses). http://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-USA.../dp/B0000VYJRY


Whether that fixes your problem or not who knows, but I'd never waste time with an FTDI chipset based converter.


Darryl

Borrow a Volkslogger to Oudie cable - I find this method to be very reliable.

Mike

Hi,

I must respectfully disagree with you Darryl. I've been using and selling
the FTDI Chip USB to Serial Converter for several months now because it
works great with every soaring flight recorder I've tried it with.
http://www.cumulus-soaring.com/ftdichip.htm

The one I sold previously didn't work well with Windows 7. I'm using a
64-bit machine.

Best Regards,

Paul Remde
Cumulus Soaring, Inc.
_______________________________________

"Darryl Ramm" wrote in message
...

On Tuesday, May 14, 2013 4:24:26 PM UTC-7, WaltWX wrote:
I've used my Volkslogger (VL) for years. Lately, I've been unable to
transfer or download IGC log files to my PC. I'm using various PC's
(Desktop; notebooks, etc) to no avail.



With SeeYou Connection Wizzard and Streppla, using a USB Converter
(usbconveters.com - model Ut-882)and custom cables, the LCD windows on the
VL only shows "data-transfer ready!" with no further interaction to DL log
files. I've used all this equipment in the past and it worked perfectly.
Started having this problem in March 2013 when I thought it was solved by
updating the FTDI device driver for the converter. Apparently, that
probably wasn't the root cause of my problem.



Today, I made up new cables... and that didn't solve the problem either.



Has anyone out there seen this failure mode on the VL?



Walt Rogers, WX

I would suspect the converter first. FTDI based converters do not have a
good reputation for reliability and have suffered from driver problems in
the past. I would never recommend them. You can try uninstalling and
reinstalling the drivers again, or just give up and get a better converter.
Here is a likely much better converter (I use them on PCs and Macs for lots
of uses).
http://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-USA.../dp/B0000VYJRY


Whether that fixes your problem or not who knows, but I'd never waste time
with an FTDI chipset based converter.


Darryl

I started having this issue intermittently and then almost always running SeeYou Connection Wizzard and Streppla on an HP4700. It worked fine for years and then started having issues with no obvious major changes in the system.

I have switched to an Oudie same as suggested by Mike the Strike and find it works without issues so far.

John

On Tuesday, May 14, 2013 7:32:21 PM UTC-4, Darryl Ramm wrote:
FTDI based converters do not have a good reputation for reliability and have suffered from driver problems in the past. I would never recommend them.. You can try uninstalling and reinstalling the drivers again, or just give up and get a better converter. Here is a likely much better converter (I use them on PCs and Macs for lots of uses). http://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-USA.../dp/B0000VYJRY

Whether that fixes your problem or not who knows, but I'd never waste time with an FTDI chipset based converter.


I've suffered in past with FTDI issues, but current FTDI products and drivers seem MUCH better... YMMV ! There are a lot of dysfunctional USB-serial converters out there.

Please let us know when you find the source of your problem,
Best Regards, Dave

On Tuesday, May 14, 2013 6:25:17 PM UTC-7, Dave Nadler wrote:
On Tuesday, May 14, 2013 7:32:21 PM UTC-4, Darryl Ramm wrote:

FTDI based converters do not have a good reputation for reliability and have suffered from driver problems in the past. I would never recommend them. You can try uninstalling and reinstalling the drivers again, or just give up and get a better converter. Here is a likely much better converter (I use them on PCs and Macs for lots of uses). http://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-USA.../dp/B0000VYJRY



Whether that fixes your problem or not who knows, but I'd never waste time with an FTDI chipset based converter.





I've suffered in past with FTDI issues, but current FTDI products and drivers seem MUCH better... YMMV ! There are a lot of dysfunctional USB-serial converters out there.



Please let us know when you find the source of your problem,

Best Regards, Dave

Its often a driver issue. FTDI's past drivers have really been garbage with awful support, and it seems to have taken them years to maybe finally address this. Congratulations if it works now, one little OS change and who knows how long it will take them to fix problems. I just would not touch them with a barge pole. The Trip-Lite converter I referenced has a nice TI chipset. Its much better regarded all round. Its a bit of a darling in the Linux hacker community where folks who have reversed engineered the adapter and worked out how to reprogram it. FTDI is the same company responsible for the USB adapter chip in the Cambridge 302. And that's not exactly been problem-free. They went out marketing this to lots of companies as an easy to implement USB to serial adapter for embedded use that they would deal with driver support, then really did a lousy job of fixing bugs and keeping drivers current.

Darryl

Hi Darryl,

I previously sold the Trip-lite converter, but it didn't work for me with
Windows 7-64 bit. They didn't have a driver for that system. I have been
using the FTDI Chip cable ever since with very good results.

Paul Remde
Cumulus Soaring, Inc.

"Darryl Ramm" wrote in message
...

On Tuesday, May 14, 2013 6:25:17 PM UTC-7, Dave Nadler wrote:
On Tuesday, May 14, 2013 7:32:21 PM UTC-4, Darryl Ramm wrote:

FTDI based converters do not have a good reputation for reliability and
have suffered from driver problems in the past. I would never recommend
them. You can try uninstalling and reinstalling the drivers again, or
just give up and get a better converter. Here is a likely much better
converter (I use them on PCs and Macs for lots of uses).
http://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-USA.../dp/B0000VYJRY



Whether that fixes your problem or not who knows, but I'd never waste
time with an FTDI chipset based converter.





I've suffered in past with FTDI issues, but current FTDI products and
drivers seem MUCH better... YMMV ! There are a lot of dysfunctional
USB-serial converters out there.



Please let us know when you find the source of your problem,

Best Regards, Dave

Its often a driver issue. FTDI's past drivers have really been garbage with
awful support, and it seems to have taken them years to maybe finally
address this. Congratulations if it works now, one little OS change and who
knows how long it will take them to fix problems. I just would not touch
them with a barge pole. The Trip-Lite converter I referenced has a nice TI
chipset. Its much better regarded all round. Its a bit of a darling in the
Linux hacker community where folks who have reversed engineered the adapter
and worked out how to reprogram it. FTDI is the same company responsible for
the USB adapter chip in the Cambridge 302. And that's not exactly been
problem-free. They went out marketing this to lots of companies as an easy
to implement USB to serial adapter for embedded use that they would deal
with driver support, then really did a lousy job of fixing bugs and keeping
drivers current.

Darryl

On Tuesday, May 14, 2013 7:54:44 PM UTC-7, Darryl Ramm wrote:
On Tuesday, May 14, 2013 6:25:17 PM UTC-7, Dave Nadler wrote:

On Tuesday, May 14, 2013 7:32:21 PM UTC-4, Darryl Ramm wrote:



FTDI based converters do not have a good reputation for reliability and have suffered from driver problems in the past. I would never recommend them. You can try uninstalling and reinstalling the drivers again, or just give up and get a better converter. Here is a likely much better converter (I use them on PCs and Macs for lots of uses). http://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-USA.../dp/B0000VYJRY







Whether that fixes your problem or not who knows, but I'd never waste time with an FTDI chipset based converter.











I've suffered in past with FTDI issues, but current FTDI products and drivers seem MUCH better... YMMV ! There are a lot of dysfunctional USB-serial converters out there.







Please let us know when you find the source of your problem,



Best Regards, Dave



Its often a driver issue. FTDI's past drivers have really been garbage with awful support, and it seems to have taken them years to maybe finally address this. Congratulations if it works now, one little OS change and who knows how long it will take them to fix problems. I just would not touch them with a barge pole. The Trip-Lite converter I referenced has a nice TI chipset. Its much better regarded all round. Its a bit of a darling in the Linux hacker community where folks who have reversed engineered the adapter and worked out how to reprogram it. FTDI is the same company responsible for the USB adapter chip in the Cambridge 302. And that's not exactly been problem-free. They went out marketing this to lots of companies as an easy to implement USB to serial adapter for embedded use that they would deal with driver support, then really did a lousy job of fixing bugs and keeping drivers current.



Darryl

Tripp Lite have an April 2013 driver bundle for Windows 7 and 8 (both 32 and 64 bit), you might want to try that. They also generally have the widest platform/OS support, including those implemented for Linux by third party hackers.


Darryl

I had this happen to my Volkslogger about 7 years ago; it was then 11 years old. I had it cal'd and had the internal battery replaced a year before. All indications were correct, except I couldn't get the flight to download. I sent it to a dealer in the US, who couldn't help, and I ended up having it shipped from the dealer to the factory (I tried everything I could think of - new converter (known to work with another pilot); new laptop known to work with another VL).

If I recall correctly, there was a component on the motherboard that had given up... This was on day 7 of a trip to Minden, with a 444 km flight - then my longest - on it. The first 6 days worked perfectly, same computer, same usb-to-serial adapter, same laptop...

You might try the battery (will need to electronically reseal at a dealer in US) first. Hope it's that... but this sounds very familiar, in a bad sorta way.

The only time it's ever failed me...

Dan
2D