Help - Autotune Failed - Barrett 910
Submitted: Thursday, May 19, 2005 at 11:02
ThreadID:
23120
Views:
7202
Replies:
14
FollowUps:
7
This Thread has been Archived
Tony J
I've just installed a second hand Barrett 950. The tune
test for the autotune antenna returned 'Autotune Failed" on each frequency tried. A friends antenna gave the same results a few weeks ago after he fitted his radio. He is away for 2 weeks so I can't ask how he fixed it.
Does anyone here know anything about this. The cable connections have all been checked, earth strap from antenna base to vehicle body is OK, earth strap from radio body to vehicle body OK, radio does receive/send although reception and tx is poor. Power cable, antenna cable and cable between head unit and radio are not near each other, vehicle battery has sufficient charge. There's not much info in the radio manuals so I hope someone here can point me in the right direction.
TIA
Tony
Reply By: Footloose - Thursday, May 19, 2005 at 11:10
Thursday, May 19, 2005 at 11:10
Tony. I'm more familiar with the Codan stuff, but here goes. There are 2 main sources of problems with this kind of aerial, earthing and RF power. (lack thereof).
Check your aerial cable to see if there's a short. More than likely you have a poor earth connection somewhere. Make sure all aerial earth points are clean and making good contact. Don't rely on the thing just being there.
You can
check to see if its the aerial by listening on the auto to a shortwave broadcast station. Then pull the coax out and plug a long piece of wire in instead. If its louder with the wire its definately the aerial.
Hope this helps.
AnswerID:
111915
Reply By: Member - Banjo (SA) - Thursday, May 19, 2005 at 11:17
Thursday, May 19, 2005 at 11:17
Had the same on
mine a year or so back - had to send it back to the factory for some warranty work. They are very (very) complex inside - lots of widgets in there - they are a very reliable item of technology but on occasions issues can develop of course.
Mine had moisture inside - this can be an issue with the earlier cases - the new blue cases are heavier/stronger - they old ones can get a hairline crack at the top (as the antenna drags under trees etc) and temperature changes can suck the moisture in. Your symptoms were exactly what I had - poor TX and RX - failing to tune properly. Anthony Benbow at the factory in WA is right up on it - he fixed
mine in a trice - being a second owner you may be out of warranty - even so, it might not costs heaps - whatever the cause, a module or two soldered in might fix it - freight via Aust Post is cost efficient for this size of pacel - as you say, it would be good to
test the radio with another antenna, to make sure that the 910 is the snag.
AnswerID:
111916
Reply By: Rob - Sunday, May 22, 2005 at 13:53
Sunday, May 22, 2005 at 13:53
Try checking the options on the menu. The Radio Unit must be correctly configured to work with the Autotune antenna.
If the radio unit thinks there is something other than an autotune connected (e.g. a seperate RF power-amplifier) then you will get auto-tune failure each time.
Sorry - I cannot remember the correct sequence - something like "options" or "accessories" in one of the LCD menu items.
I discovered this while playing with the radio trying to find hidden menu options and thought I had stuffed the unit. Fortunately I retraced my steps and got the radio to recognise the antenna once again.
Hope this may be of use...
Rob
AnswerID:
112290
Reply By: Member - Landie - Monday, May 23, 2005 at 16:11
Monday, May 23, 2005 at 16:11
Hi Tony
I had a similar problem with a brand new antenna that I had professionally installed a couple of years ago. We checked absolutely everything, connections, the works and to no avail.
We then exhanged the antenna for another new one with a similar batch number and had the same problem. Finally we changed it for another with a a completely different batch number. I have not had a problem since.
The auto-tune failed (on the original) after a short period of time and appeared to be a heat problem. We pointed this out to the factory at the time and sent the original unit back to them. I suspect there was a component that was possibly faulty in a particular batch series that was sensitve to overheating.
I posted a report at the time, however I cannot locate it as it was some time ago.
AnswerID:
112438