Problem with USB connector.

[CoastGuardJon]

It's interesting that the "new" SBS-1e has replaced the BNC connector with an SMA connector.

Call me cynical, but if they come out a 5p per unit cheaper they'll use it.  Another example is Peugeot cars, we've had two 306s, the near-side rear fog light is all wired up and ready to go, but there's a knock out piece of plastic blocking the socket, take it out and fit a 21W bulb, you have 2 rear fogs instead of just the one on the off-side which can fail leaving you far less protected.   How much do 21W bulbs cost Peugeot with the numbers they buy?   They still fit fancy front fogs costing far more, in the interest of "fashion and style" which are then totally mis-used at night by most drivers!    Rant over for this week.........

[Terry]

Point taken CoastGuardJon,
                                        I bet you feel better getting that lot off your chest,don`t you?Does you good to have a bit of a rare up now and again.Have you looked at Glyns links and comments,its had me on the floor laughing,you couldn`t do that over there,oofh the backlash doesn`t bear thinking about!

[richardj]

I know a few people on the forum have had issues with the connector on the rear of the RB box for the antenna in so far as a small movement can have a big effect on reception be it positive or negative.

However I seem to have an problem with the USB connector on the RB box and was wondering if anybody else had anything similar. I noticed it this morning with a distinct lack of contacts on the screen. The USB and Signal lights were hardly flashing. I picked up the box and held it verticall with the connectors facing down and the screen lit up.

As soon as I returned it to its horizontal plane the lights stopped flashing and the contacts timed out by about 80%.

After a bit of expeimenting I came to the conclusion it was the USB and not the Antenna. By putting a clothes peg (very technical I know) under the USB connector to it seems to make the connection more solid and the contacts return.

I am intending to contact and return the unit as faulty to the supplier as its only about 3 months old.

Has anybody else experienced this fault at all and if so I have a ready supply of clothes pegs available!!!

Cheers,

Bob

[richardj]

I too had a problem with the USB which RB fixed very quickly to their credit, it goes everywhere I travel, and must have at sometime put stress on  the USB port which is only fixed to the circuit board, not the outer shell. It was returned very quickly, fixed, and since then I have "isolated" the unit  by placing it inside a clear VHS video box and buying a small USB male / female patch lead and made a 3 inch SMA lead with parts from Maplins, cut holes in the side of the VHS box to run the cables through when shut and glued them in place, so now I can never damage the actual connectors on the box, and some Velcro keeps the unit in place in the box.

[BobR]

Sounds like a good solution - just need some sticky back plastic and I am away. You should try and post a screen shot of the box.... or go into production!

Have you noticed any loss of performance with having the patch cables from the main antenna lead.

Cheers,

Bob

I too had a problem with the USB which RB fixed very quickly to their credit, it goes everywhere I travel, and must have at sometime put stress on  the USB port which is only fixed to the circuit board, not the outer shell. It was returned very quickly, fixed, and since then I have "isolated" the unit  by placing it inside a clear VHS video box and buying a small USB male / female patch lead and made a 3 inch SMA lead with parts from Maplins, cut holes in the side of the VHS box to run the cables through when shut and glued them in place, so now I can never damage the actual connectors on the box, and some Velcro keeps the unit in place in the box.

[richardj]

Bob, not sure how to post pictures, so here's a addresses to my Photo hosting site -Flickr where I've put two pictures of my unit, copy and paste them into your address bar. 
http://flickr.com/photos/jr55/2918366023/
http://flickr.com/photos/jr55/2918362557/

 as for signal drop, any extra cable length reduces strength but as these are ony a couple of inches long and in the case of the USB, gold plated contacts I've noticed no drop. My unit never gets warm so I've not drilled ventilation holes  and all parts are available from Maplins. I also secured the unit to the box with sticky velcro tape so it can be easily removed. John