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FlexRadio 6600 – Network Port Issue (Fix)
Borrowing the Radio
A FlexRadio 6600 transceiver was borrowed from a fellow operator, as its network interface card (NIC) was believed to be faulty. At first, the issue was thought to have been caused by strain on the Ethernet cable connection. The abundance of ferrite beads, combined with cable movement, may have contributed to stress on the Ethernet port. As a result, the 6600 was being disconnected and rebooted with even the slightest touch.
Initial Observations
The Ethernet cable itself was not found to be defective. Instead, the fault appeared to originate inside the FlexRadio Ethernet port. Frequent radio disconnects and reboots were being observed, which made a deeper inspection necessary.
Disassembly and Inspection
To investigate further, the FlexRadio 6600 was disassembled. Fortunately, the design is modular, so the radio repair process was completed without difficulty. Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the Ethernet connector had been hand-soldered rather than wave-soldered. In fact, the solder joint was found to be fragile and likely responsible for the instability and network dropouts.
The Repair
Therefore, the solder joint on the Ethernet port was repaired and the unit was reassembled. After that, no further FlexRadio network disconnects were observed during testing.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the FlexRadio 6600 network issue was resolved by addressing a simple soldering fault. The radio is now operating reliably without Ethernet disconnects or reboots. This case demonstrates how even a small weakness in Ethernet soldering can result in major FlexRadio connectivity problems.
The module is a Bel Magnetic Solutions 0862-1J1T-43-F
The two main boards are interconnected between an interface connection ive never seen before though the two SCU’s ) spectral capture unit’s have to be removed for the sub board can disconnect. I marked which scu was on which side.
A few screws on the main and sub board, sub board easy slide out and mainboard removed.
Was very interesting to see that this plug seems to have been hand soldered and not put on a wave.
Quality flux and solder, job done.
Re-assembled and no more disconnects. Feel free to contact me if you are curious on dissasembly etc.
