Jerry,

Dan Taylor, N7VE and Steve Weber, KD1JV were responsible for putting this dipper package together.  Both of them show on QRZ with email addresses.  Perhaps they can help ?

V2 would’t be the battery voltage by chance ?

Good luck,

John

KK4ITX 

On Aug 5, 2020, at 22:17, bleepingbeep <bleepingbeep@...> wrote:

Chapter Two:  One step forward and one step back

 

The PIC wasn't to blame for the silence. I put a scope on the output from the 74HC00 (pin 3) to the speaker.  Pressing and holding the program button produced a stream of 

raggedy but lovely square waves (amplitude ~2-3Vpp).  Clearly the PIC was sending Morse as it was supposed to.

 

The problem had to be a faulty speaker. I removed it and temporarily put an LED in its place. It clearly flashed Morse. Then I connected a different speaker.  It worked fine, and I thought I had the problem solved.

 

But no.  On power up, the chip sends "V2".  Oops, that's not the right ID.  According to a note that came with the kit, it indicates the PIC was one of an early batch that were 

incorrectly programmed.

 

So I'm back where I started, still needing a correctly programmed PIC, or alternatively, the code.

 

Thanks for reading.

Jerry AA6KI
Tucson

John and Jerry:
I just checked the kit page on the 4SQRP website and the "builder's alert" clearly states that if it sends V2 at startup, it is one of the early chips that had been incorrectly programmed.  However, it also states that it may still function, but not as stably as the corrected chip, so Jerry probably has a functional device, only not as good as it would be with the corrected software.

You are right that contacting Steve, KD1JV, might be the best way to get the updated chip, if it is still available.  Or, as Jerry suggests, if Steve doesn't mind, he could send Jerry the code so he could reprogram it himself.  He may not wish to do that if the code is "proprietary" to someone.

DON'T FORGET!  The August Second Sunday SPRINT is this Sunday night, 7:00-9:00pm CDT.

72,
John, AA0VE
4SQRP Contest Coordinator

On 8/6/20 7:27 AM, John - KK4ITX via groups.io wrote:

Jerry,

Dan Taylor, N7VE and Steve Weber, KD1JV were responsible for putting this dipper package together.  Both of them show on QRZ with email addresses.  Perhaps they can help ?

V2 would’t be the battery voltage by chance ?

Good luck,

John

KK4ITX 

On Aug 5, 2020, at 22:17, bleepingbeep <bleepingbeep@...> wrote:

Chapter Two:  One step forward and one step back

 

The PIC wasn't to blame for the silence. I put a scope on the output from the 74HC00 (pin 3) to the speaker.  Pressing and holding the program button produced a stream of 

raggedy but lovely square waves (amplitude ~2-3Vpp).  Clearly the PIC was sending Morse as it was supposed to.

 

The problem had to be a faulty speaker. I removed it and temporarily put an LED in its place. It clearly flashed Morse. Then I connected a different speaker.  It worked fine, and I thought I had the problem solved.

 

But no.  On power up, the chip sends "V2".  Oops, that's not the right ID.  According to a note that came with the kit, it indicates the PIC was one of an early batch that were 

incorrectly programmed.

 

So I'm back where I started, still needing a correctly programmed PIC, or alternatively, the code.

 

Thanks for reading.

Jerry AA6KI
Tucson

On Aug 6, 2020, at 9:00 AM, John - KK4ITX via groups.io <jleahy00@...> wrote:

Thanks John for stepping in, I had checked the 4S site and did not see the page you referenced, I found my information on Duck Duck Go.

Is the “Builder’s Alert” Page a general resource ?

I’ll be there for the SSS but the noise here at this campground is is a real challenge.

John

KK4ITX 

Visit:  www.zaarc.org.   👁

On Aug 6, 2020, at 09:46, John Lonigro <jonigro@...> wrote:

John and Jerry:
I just checked the kit page on the 4SQRP website and the "builder's alert" clearly states that if it sends V2 at startup, it is one of the early chips that had been incorrectly programmed.  However, it also states that it may still function, but not as stably as the corrected chip, so Jerry probably has a functional device, only not as good as it would be with the corrected software.

You are right that contacting Steve, KD1JV, might be the best way to get the updated chip, if it is still available.  Or, as Jerry suggests, if Steve doesn't mind, he could send Jerry the code so he could reprogram it himself.  He may not wish to do that if the code is "proprietary" to someone.

DON'T FORGET!  The August Second Sunday SPRINT is this Sunday night, 7:00-9:00pm CDT.

72,
John, AA0VE
4SQRP Contest Coordinator

On 8/6/20 7:27 AM, John - KK4ITX via groups.io wrote:

Jerry,

Dan Taylor, N7VE and Steve Weber, KD1JV were responsible for putting this dipper package together.  Both of them show on QRZ with email addresses.  Perhaps they can help ?

V2 would’t be the battery voltage by chance ?

Good luck,

John

KK4ITX 

On Aug 5, 2020, at 22:17, bleepingbeep <bleepingbeep@...> wrote:

Chapter Two:  One step forward and one step back

 

The PIC wasn't to blame for the silence. I put a scope on the output from the 74HC00 (pin 3) to the speaker.  Pressing and holding the program button produced a stream of 

raggedy but lovely square waves (amplitude ~2-3Vpp).  Clearly the PIC was sending Morse as it was supposed to.

 

The problem had to be a faulty speaker. I removed it and temporarily put an LED in its place. It clearly flashed Morse. Then I connected a different speaker.  It worked fine, and I thought I had the problem solved.

 

But no.  On power up, the chip sends "V2".  Oops, that's not the right ID.  According to a note that came with the kit, it indicates the PIC was one of an early batch that were 

incorrectly programmed.

 

So I'm back where I started, still needing a correctly programmed PIC, or alternatively, the code.

 

Thanks for reading.

Jerry AA6KI
Tucson