HW issue with my radio - NOT receiving on VHF.

[W4TAB]

Well... I just received a brand new RT3S, took it out of the box, installed OpenGD77 and the exact same thing still happens. It does not receive on VHF, I tried swapping atennas but that did nothing. I have other radios in the house (HT and base station) adn they both receive VHF, not the RT3S with openGD77

[VK3KYY]

Well... I just received a brand new RT3S, took it out of the box, installed OpenGD77 and the exact same thing still happens. It does not receive on VHF, I tried swapping atennas but that did nothing. I have other radios in the house (HT and base station) adn they both receive VHF, not the RT3S with openGD77

Sounds like a codeplug problem

[W4TAB]

well...
That is what I am trying to figure out... is there any chance it could be the CPS?

[W4TAB]

Sounds like a codeplug problem

I just installed an old codeplug from a friend who is using Gd77 with no issues and the radio still won't receive on 2m.

[W4TAB]

Upon some testing replacing antennas and using other radios on simplex it seems like my Rt3s is calibrated correctly as far as listening to the correct frequency but the s-meter only goes about 1/2 way up with a base station transmitting 30 watts and 15 meters away from the radio...

[VK3KYY]

Upon some testing replacing antennas and using other radios on simplex it seems like my Rt3s is calibrated correctly as far as listening to the correct frequency but the s-meter only goes about 1/2 way up with a base station transmitting 30 watts and 15 meters away from the radio...

Re-install the official firmware are retest

[KB8YKF]

I know this is likely not helpful, but I've put OpenGD77 on two RT3S in past ~6 weeks or so. One ordered from retevis.com and shipped from China to USA, the other from Amazon Marketplace with Retevis Direct as the seller.

There is little 2m repeater activity near me (everyone is on 70cm), but I've used APRS 144.390MHz and a station 11 miles away can hear my beacons - transmitted from inside my house, and I hear the immediate responses to my beacons on the radio speaker. I also hear plenty of other beacons throughout the day around me from other stations as well. I only have to have my radio on <15s before I hear an APRS beacon, there seems to be a fair amount of activity near me.

I can hear NOAA channels on my radio too but I need to wait for when they are transmitting, and I need to be outside. I looked up locations they transmit from and its outside the county I am in so pretty far away. NOAA might be another VHF test if you are in USA.

Where did you purchase your radios?

I have a few antennas, Signal Stuff Signal Stick is my favorite, I also have a Diamond Antenna RH77CA and a Retevis RHD-711 (not the rubber duck radio came with). The Signal Stick and RH77CA are BNC antennas and I use them with an adapter. I can hear APRS traffic on 144.390MHz with any of them.

[W4TAB]

Hi,

I bought both radios from amazon, the first radio didn't seem to have an issue until sometime in the fall (I normally update firmware when they come out).

I also have a couple of antennas and have tried the stock rubber duckie, a signal stick and a nagoya 771 all with the same result.

I just reset the new radio to the original software and it seems to receive on VHF just fine. I am still puzzled at this one, I have another local ham running gd77 on a tyt 380 and 390 with no issues.

[LZ2PAJ]

I got my radio fixed and it receives as before the issue happens. It turned out that the VHF RF preamp wasn't powered and find out on the opposite side of the board this element in the RF power line was not properly soldered by the manufacturer...

If you guys having issue with the RF preamp you will still be able to receive signals, but with significantly lower sensitivity and in that case the antena is just not helping. You will be able to receive from only few meters.

[W4TAB]

Thank you for the information on the preamp and photos, those are way to small for my eyes and current soldering iron. I may send it to a friend who is more talented that me and give it a try.