Here we go again - gone u/s again

[daveg4otu]

Title says it all....

Box  has been  back with me 2 weeks(after 2nd repair in 3 weeks) - working beautifully  until about 1400BST today when - as I  watched - the screen  suddenly changed to a load of timeout symbols ...incoming messages  dropped from  approx 250 per sec to about 10 or less....number of"My Flights" to 1 or even zero at times.


  This with an antenna that  is earthed .....

Weather was rain - but no t-storm activity within several hundred miles.

If this is the norm then I've just about had it .

£400 for a piece of gear that packs up 3 times in 5 weeks....I think I'll be asking the supplier for my money back on Monday morning.

[malc41]

Dave

Sorry to hear your problems are back, you really have had no luck at all.

Will be sorry to see you go if you do carry out what you say on the last two lines

[tarbat]

If this is the norm then I've just about had it

This can't be normal.  I've run my RB for well over a year, every day, without any such problem.  Maybe something to do with your antenna setup?  Or just very bad luck.

[malc41]

tarbat

I have to agree, my box is well over the year old to and like wise, but this is no compensation to Dave. I can understand his frustration completely

[daveg4otu]

Malc - seems a shame but I can't really see much point in yet another repair....every time I send it back  to W&S  - that is another £7 P&P....how long do I go on?

The shame is that it is an excellent thing - when it works ..but obviously I seem to have a rogue  box that is determined  not to play ball.

I'll have to see what the people  where I bought it suggest on Monday - but  if push comes to shove  I'll  just insist on a return/refund.

Still got it running now and the screen shows just 4 a/c all within about 15 miles - if anything that is worse than previous "deaf" episodes.

Tarbat - the antennna  is a  MD1105 Magmounted  antenna - on a tin GP- about 4 feet above the flat roof here - 10 meters of coax (as supplied with the antenna ) and the coax shield is earthed to a  earth stake in the ground..... the first time the box failed was with the supplied antenna -otherwise with the MD1105.

I'm sorry but I do not believe that the"Static " theories really hold water...if that was the case  I should have suffered multiple  equipment failures over the past 30 years or so.

[malc41]

Oh well, best of luck on Monday, keep in touch and tell us how you get on

[bratters]

Sympathies Dave - been down that road and faced similar decisions but currently all OK touch wood.

You actually have a couple of alternatives. Yes, you can get your cash back - there can be no argument about "not fit for purpose" - but if, as I understand it, you've already had the box repaired twice, then you could request a brand new replacement.  Assuming you haven't tampered with it, your box is incontestably a basically faulty item.

Personally I would try this latter option. It's a shame to deprive yourself of so much pleasure just because you've got what is clearly a one-off rogue box.

You need to go back to the retail outlet you got it from, you need to show them proof of purchase and written details of your repairs. You should claim quoting Supply of Goods Act (below) not "Airnav Warranty" because unless you got a document with your box, there isn't one.

http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/consumers/fact-sheets/page38311.html

Hope this gives you some hope.

 

[EMA]

Dave

I have a similar aerial setup to you although mine is positioned at the apex of my loft, I have run mine since last November with no issues and it is not grounded.

I suggest requesting a new replacement radarbox, as has been stated you need to take it up with the retailer not the supplier.

Any problems contact Consumer Direct.

[daveg4otu]

Bratters ...yes - that idea of asking for a replacement  is now in my mind --

Initially after it died I was more than a little  P-ed  off and  fed up enough to go the refund route ...but after  cooling down for a while  I am coming round to the idea of asking for  a replacement.(not been tampered with - in fact  when it arrived  back 2 weeks ago - I connected it up and haven't so much as touched it since- it just sat there on the windowsill  doing it's thing quite happily.)


The retailer is  well aware of the problems this box has had - the initial return  for repair was done via them  - the 2nd repair  direct to W&S but with the retailers  knowledge - and  they have been sympathetic when I have spoken to them(they are 300 miles from me)so I would hope they would "do the right thing".

OK about the SOGA - Thanks -yes I've got all that info here anyway but hope I don't ever have to start quoting from it to anyone .

Let's see what Monday brings - can't get hold of anyone  other than shop assistants till then.

[bratters]

Dave,

As annoying as these things are when they go t*ts up, the after-sales service is very good. I'm sure you will get nothing less than 100% response from both dealers and supplier.

You'll soon be back in business.

[tarbat]

I'd agree with others - best to ask for a replacement.  Maybe that's good advice to anyone with a faulty RB soon after purchase.

[GlynH]

That's not good news Dave...but definitely not the norm.

I was one of the unlucky ones as I purchased my box around July last year and it went deaf after a few weeks.

I contacted AN who advised to go back to Wally & Standoff where it was purchased from.

They wanted to repair it but I insisted it was replaced not repaired - if it was 6 months or more I might have settled for a repair...

Mind you I did have go back to the shop and did have to work my way through the heirarchy and insist that it was replaced as they were not very helpful but I did get it replaced.

Touch wood it has been OK ever since - but then again I stopped using it last September and only got interested again within the last couple of months so it is still early days yet!

Seems to me that you have done the hard bit i.e. paid for it and as you are obviously interested in this hobby it might make sense to insist on a brand new one before throwing in the towel altogether.

Either that or make headline news by yours being the second RadarBox to be launched into space - I know mine very nearly was the first last year! ;^)

The supplied antenna is 'supposed' to be one of the best when it comes to protection for the box so don't know what else to suggest to your installation to help improve matters.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do but don't do anything hasty...as I said it is definitely not the norm.

Kind regards,
-=Glyn=-

[daveg4otu]

Thankyou Glyn - yes - I'm definitely moving towards the replacement  idea.

However- if anyone wants to apply their mind to all this ...what follows is a precise  rundown on what exactly has happened and  when/circumstances...

April 25th ANRB arrived...set up  with supplied antenna on flat roof on biscuit tin - literally  just above the PC at the end of the supplied coax.ANRB is on windowsill about 8 feet from PC fed  by extended USB cable.

Worked  nicely(average 50-60 a/c in Myflights at any  time  during day) for 4 days.... but on the 5th day - sudden deafness. Weather at that time  -showers -no thuunderstorms within  70 miles- winds  light- moderate (gusts to about 15-20 mph).

Box returned for repair -  came back "Dry joints on SAW filter and USB".

Worked well - as before  straight out of box - but this time with new MD 1105 antenna(all joints etc  waterproofed) - 10 meters coax - which enabled me to place the antenna at the end of the roof - better view and 3 feet higher.

After one week - died again-weather this time - dry sunny/cloudy - windy (occasional gusts to about 25/30 mph) no thunderstorm activity within 200 miles..

Returned again for repair...back with me in 72 hours!- "Replaced SAW Filter".


Worked   better than ever before - probably 30/40 %  more flights detected at any time...antenna - as before except coax outer earthed.


2 week(today) - failure - weather this time- heavy rain - light to  moderate wind- no thunderstorm activity within 200 miles.

Now maybe I'm missing something - but  so far I can't see anything there that is consistent with static from the antenna  - or anything else for that matter.

[EMA]

As I said in a previous post I use the same antenna and don't ground it without any issues so far.

If you get a new box and that dies then it must be something at your location.

[daveg4otu]

If you get a new box and that dies then it must be something at your location.

Yes I've thought of that as well but can't honestly see what it could be.....

The PC is stable- USB slots all work properly - running a range of items (Scanner/printer/Webcam/Joystick)all with no problems....PC voltages (which of course supply the ANRB via USB) are all stable and within 5% of nominals.
House wiring is recent - in good order .Other equipment (Radio scanner etc)  all  have no problems(and with much higher  antenna ).

So -I really think this one may  just be a duff box .