Power Flarm Problems

On Wednesday, August 24, 2016 at 8:15:05 AM UTC-5, Charlie Flagg wrote:
The Butterfly shows
two red squares while the LX9000 shows the correct PF serial number and
firmware version, 6.06, but no nearby aircraft tracks.


Perhaps the GPS antenna is bad? Easy enough to try another one. With no GPS you will get the two red squares.

Kirk
66

Hello Kirk, Dan and Paul,
Thanks for the suggestions. Updated the BF to 3.4 and got the same
result. Perhaps the GPS has died as Kirk suggested although that would be
rather unlikely. I'll check it out.
Charlie

At 23:06 24 August 2016, kirk.stant wrote:
On Wednesday, August 24, 2016 at 8:15:05 AM UTC-5, Charlie Flagg wrote:
The Butterfly shows
two red squares while the LX9000 shows the correct PF serial number and
firmware version, 6.06, but no nearby aircraft tracks.


Perhaps the GPS antenna is bad? Easy enough to try another one. With no
GPS you will get the two red squares.

Kirk
66

On Thursday, August 25, 2016 at 8:00:06 AM UTC-4, Charlie Flagg wrote:
Hello Kirk, Dan and Paul,
Thanks for the suggestions. Updated the BF to 3.4 and got the same
result. Perhaps the GPS has died as Kirk suggested although that would be
rather unlikely. I'll check it out.
Charlie

At 23:06 24 August 2016, kirk.stant wrote:
On Wednesday, August 24, 2016 at 8:15:05 AM UTC-5, Charlie Flagg wrote:
The Butterfly shows
two red squares while the LX9000 shows the correct PF serial number and
firmware version, 6.06, but no nearby aircraft tracks.


Perhaps the GPS antenna is bad? Easy enough to try another one. With no
GPS you will get the two red squares.

Kirk
66


Easy way to check - borrow PF GPS you know is working and try it in your installation. They recommend GPS pucks, since they are semi-active, to be one foot apart (or as far apart as your installation permits up to a foot).

Alternately, you can see the inside of the GPS here https://sites.google.com/site/threeu...flarm-antennas with instructions on how to shorten it if you need to; using it, you could confirm whether the coax is soldered to the printed circuit board correctly. Same site, how to shorten the PF antennae - coiled coax can cause problems. I shorten the PF and GPS antennae for installations to make the whole thing neater. Bravo Zulu to 3U for a great site!

You say you updated the Butterfly - you MUST also update the flarmnet file, or it won't work - the old format file is not compatible, and it is there until you replace it.

Dan
2D

On Thursday, August 25, 2016 at 6:00:06 AM UTC-6, Charlie Flagg wrote:
Hello Kirk, Dan and Paul,
Thanks for the suggestions. Updated the BF to 3.4 and got the same
result. Perhaps the GPS has died as Kirk suggested although that would be
rather unlikely. I'll check it out.
Charlie

At 23:06 24 August 2016, kirk.stant wrote:
On Wednesday, August 24, 2016 at 8:15:05 AM UTC-5, Charlie Flagg wrote:
The Butterfly shows
two red squares while the LX9000 shows the correct PF serial number and
firmware version, 6.06, but no nearby aircraft tracks.


Perhaps the GPS antenna is bad? Easy enough to try another one. With no
GPS you will get the two red squares.

Kirk
66


Charlie,
You have not mentioned anything about the LED status lights on the PF Core. What do you see when the unit is on? From the Manual

GREEN: Core operates normally
ï‚¡
AMBER
during
up to 20s after power ON: start-
up sequence
ï‚¡
Permanent RED: Error condition, no operation possible (e.g. no GPS
receptio
n, low voltage)
ï‚¡
Permanent
AMBER
: Warning cond
ition, operation possible (e.g.
obstacle
database out of date)
ï‚¡
RED/GREEN flashing: on
-going data upload/download with USB memory
stick
ï‚¡
OFF: no power

Also from the manual,

Indications while reading FLARMCFG.TXT files:
ï‚¡
One long GREEN f
lash: USB stick detected
ï‚¡
One short GREEN flash for each command executed successfully
ï‚¡
One short RED flash for each command causing an error (verify
FLARMCFG.TXT in that case)

If this doesn't offer help try plugging in another GPS antenna.

Hello Dan, Paul, Kirk and KM,
Following up on the GPS issue I found a pinch in the GPS cable. Should
have spotted that early on but in my defense, all the problems coincided
with attempts to update all the firmware. And I have 20+ year old GPS
units that are fine. Well, I know a lot more about these units now than
before thanks to you.
Thanks again, Charlie

At 14:33 25 August 2016, K m wrote:
On Thursday, August 25, 2016 at 6:00:06 AM UTC-6, Charlie Flagg wrote:
Hello Kirk, Dan and Paul,
Thanks for the suggestions. Updated the BF to 3.4 and got the same
result. Perhaps the GPS has died as Kirk suggested although that would
b=
e
rather unlikely. I'll check it out.
Charlie
=20
At 23:06 24 August 2016, kirk.stant wrote:
On Wednesday, August 24, 2016 at 8:15:05 AM UTC-5, Charlie Flagg
wrote:
The Butterfly shows
two red squares while the LX9000 shows the correct PF serial number
an=
d
firmware version, 6.06, but no nearby aircraft tracks.
=20

Perhaps the GPS antenna is bad? Easy enough to try another one. With
no
GPS you will get the two red squares.

Kirk
66


Charlie,
You have not mentioned anything about the LED status lights on the PF
Core.=
What do you see when the unit is on? From the Manual

GREEN: Core operates normally
=EF=82=A1
AMBER
during=20
up to 20s after power ON: start-
up sequence
=EF=82=A1
Permanent RED: Error condition, no operation possible (e.g. no
GPS=
=20
receptio
n, low voltage)
=EF=82=A1
Permanent=20
AMBER
: Warning cond
ition, operation possible (e.g.
obstacle=20
database out of date)
=EF=82=A1
RED/GREEN flashing: on
-going data upload/download with USB memory =20
stick
=EF=82=A1
OFF: no power

Also from the manual,

Indications while reading FLARMCFG.TXT files:
=EF=82=A1
One long GREEN f
lash: USB stick detected=20
=EF=82=A1
One short GREEN flash for each command executed successfully
=EF=82=A1
One short RED flash for each command causing an error
(=
verify =20
FLARMCFG.TXT in that case)

If this doesn't offer help try plugging in another GPS antenna.

On Thursday, August 25, 2016 at 8:30:04 PM UTC-4, Charlie Flagg wrote:
Hello Dan, Paul, Kirk and KM,
Following up on the GPS issue I found a pinch in the GPS cable. Should
have spotted that early on but in my defense, all the problems coincided
with attempts to update all the firmware. And I have 20+ year old GPS
units that are fine. Well, I know a lot more about these units now than
before thanks to you.
Thanks again, Charlie

At 14:33 25 August 2016, K m wrote:
On Thursday, August 25, 2016 at 6:00:06 AM UTC-6, Charlie Flagg wrote:
Hello Kirk, Dan and Paul,
Thanks for the suggestions. Updated the BF to 3.4 and got the same
result. Perhaps the GPS has died as Kirk suggested although that would
b=
e
rather unlikely. I'll check it out.
Charlie
=20
At 23:06 24 August 2016, kirk.stant wrote:
On Wednesday, August 24, 2016 at 8:15:05 AM UTC-5, Charlie Flagg
wrote:
The Butterfly shows
two red squares while the LX9000 shows the correct PF serial number
an=
d
firmware version, 6.06, but no nearby aircraft tracks.
=20

Perhaps the GPS antenna is bad? Easy enough to try another one. With
no
GPS you will get the two red squares.

Kirk
66


Charlie,
You have not mentioned anything about the LED status lights on the PF
Core.=
What do you see when the unit is on? From the Manual

GREEN: Core operates normally
=EF=82=A1
AMBER
during=20
up to 20s after power ON: start-
up sequence
=EF=82=A1
Permanent RED: Error condition, no operation possible (e.g. no
GPS=
=20
receptio
n, low voltage)
=EF=82=A1
Permanent=20
AMBER
: Warning cond
ition, operation possible (e.g.
obstacle=20
database out of date)
=EF=82=A1
RED/GREEN flashing: on
-going data upload/download with USB memory =20
stick
=EF=82=A1
OFF: no power

Also from the manual,

Indications while reading FLARMCFG.TXT files:
=EF=82=A1
One long GREEN f
lash: USB stick detected=20
=EF=82=A1
One short GREEN flash for each command executed successfully
=EF=82=A1
One short RED flash for each command causing an error
(=
verify =20
FLARMCFG.TXT in that case)

If this doesn't offer help try plugging in another GPS antenna.


Fix the cable by shortening it using 3U's instructions.

On Wednesday, August 24, 2016 at 6:15:05 AM UTC-7, Charlie Flagg wrote:
Paul,
I have gotten the PF to work briefly in the past but no longer. The
indication that the configuration was lost has been that neither the LX9000
nor the Butterfly show the presence of the PF data. The Butterfly shows
two red squares while the LX9000 shows the correct PF serial number and
firmware version, 6.06, but no nearby aircraft tracks.

On unloading the configuration file, the PF creates a CVS and a TXT file.
Both of those look reasonable with no obvious error flags. The Butterfly
has firmware version 3.3 and took the updated flarmnet file, ...4978.bfn.
But still no flarm activity from either the LX9000 or the Butterfly.

Thanks, Charlie


At 00:40 24 August 2016, Paul Remde wrote:
Hi Charlie,

What is your source of information that tells you that the configuration
data has been lost?

Best Regards,

Paul Remde
Cumulus Soaring, Inc.

"Charlie Flagg" wrote in message
...

After addressing other issues with a new ship, I tackled the Power Flarm
early this summer. I read the manual, talked to folks and generated a
configuration file using the online flarm configuration tool on the
flarm.com site. After some hesitance, the configuration loaded and the
Power Flarm and Butterfly worked as I expected. A week later I turned
the
system on and the configuration was gone. I have done this now three
times
in the past couple of months and the configuration always disappears when
I
check it a day or two later. The system consists of an LX9000 powering
the
Power Flarm which, in turn, powers the Butterfly. Batteries are fully
charged. Any suggestions as to what is going on?



I have seen several PowerFlarm Cfg files that have this command that is supposed to set the defaults in the PowerFlarm.

$PFLAC,DEFAULTS

This command is not correct and will not set defaults so if at one time you have set the stealth on and then used a different config file that did not have any stealth commands or and other commands that you want to change the unit would still have the old settings.

The correct Command to reset the defaults is $PFLAC,DEF

Richard
www.craggyaero.com

On Friday, August 26, 2016 at 7:09:48 AM UTC-7, Richard wrote:
On Wednesday, August 24, 2016 at 6:15:05 AM UTC-7, Charlie Flagg wrote:
Paul,
I have gotten the PF to work briefly in the past but no longer. The
indication that the configuration was lost has been that neither the LX9000
nor the Butterfly show the presence of the PF data. The Butterfly shows
two red squares while the LX9000 shows the correct PF serial number and
firmware version, 6.06, but no nearby aircraft tracks.

On unloading the configuration file, the PF creates a CVS and a TXT file.
Both of those look reasonable with no obvious error flags. The Butterfly
has firmware version 3.3 and took the updated flarmnet file, ...4978.bfn.
But still no flarm activity from either the LX9000 or the Butterfly.

Thanks, Charlie


At 00:40 24 August 2016, Paul Remde wrote:
Hi Charlie,

What is your source of information that tells you that the configuration
data has been lost?

Best Regards,

Paul Remde
Cumulus Soaring, Inc.

"Charlie Flagg" wrote in message
...

After addressing other issues with a new ship, I tackled the Power Flarm
early this summer. I read the manual, talked to folks and generated a
configuration file using the online flarm configuration tool on the
flarm.com site. After some hesitance, the configuration loaded and the
Power Flarm and Butterfly worked as I expected. A week later I turned
the
system on and the configuration was gone. I have done this now three
times
in the past couple of months and the configuration always disappears when
I
check it a day or two later. The system consists of an LX9000 powering
the
Power Flarm which, in turn, powers the Butterfly. Batteries are fully
charged. Any suggestions as to what is going on?



I have seen several PowerFlarm Cfg files that have this command that is supposed to set the defaults in the PowerFlarm.

$PFLAC,DEFAULTS

This command is not correct and will not set defaults so if at one time you have set the stealth on and then used a different config file that did not have any stealth commands or and other commands that you want to change the unit would still have the old settings.

The correct Command to reset the defaults is $PFLAC,DEF

Richard
www.craggyaero.com

Sorry it should be $PFLAC,S,DEF

Richard
www.craggyaero.com

The FLARM default reset configuration file can be automatically created at https://flarm.com/support/tools-soft...guration-tool/ by clicking on the "Factory default" button. It will email you a FLARMCFG.TXT file that contains the text shown below with the key command string (like Richard said above). Save the file to the root of a USB memory stick, insert it into the FLARM and power it up. Of course, then you will need to manually configure the FLARM for your ship.

################################################## ############################
# This configuration file must be text only and reside in the top directory
# of the USB stick, SD card or FLARM Tool.
# This configuration file must be named FLARMCFG.TXT
# If you wish to change the settings, you can revisit the online
# configuration tool at any time: http://www.flarm.com/
################################################## ############################
$PFLAC,S,DEF