Keep the unit plugged in all the time?

[dale001]

Newbie question here (just got Radarbox)....

I'm guessing that it does not hurt the unit to keep it plugged into my PC, even when Radarbox is not being used for long periods; is that true?

Secondly, do most of you disconnect the USB during a thunderstorm, even if your PC has a surge protector?


Dale

[cray725]

No harm to the RadarBox if you leave it plugged in and not run the software. I run RadarBox software whenever my PC is powered up. That's the whole point of having the RadarBox I guess?
As regards lightning, I unplug everything if a thunderstorm is near. The most damage I suffered was from a very close lightning strike to my underground telephone cable. It blew up my then Home Highway box. And my Sky Sat modem.

[cray725]

I had surge protectors at the time of the lightning strike. The direct telephone connection to my Home Highway box and the Sat Box was the weakest link I guess!

[dale001]

I woke up this morning (after installing it for the first time yesterday) and the USB and Signal lights (the blue lights) on the unit were blinking about once per second. Shouldn't I be seeing a steady green light? It was working fine yesterday---both locally and network. The only way I can get it working again is to disconnect the USB and reconnect the cable to my PC tower.

[dale001]

Yes, while both blue lights still blinking, I tried starting the software and "hardware: unconnected" displays (no data). I checked my drivers and have the latest (2.2.4.0)
drivers.

[ANDREJ767]

I  noticed that at mine RB,too sometimes - It helps to unplug RB from USB and reconnect again.

[dale001]

I just wanted to know if there is something I need to download or am I doing something wrong because it was my understanding that when I close out and exit the software, there should only be a steady green light on the unit. I shouldn't have to keep detaching and re-attaching the USB cable---or maybe that's what everyone is doing;

let me know, please.


Dale

[Fenris]

Check that the USB root hubs are not set to allow power saving.

[dale001]

Thanks, Brian. I will try that, restart the software, exit, and then see what happened when I get home later tonight. Hopefully, we will have a steady green.

[dale001]

Ughhh!

I put the USB root hubs out of power saving mode and reconnected USB cable and then exited the software--at 1:30. Just got home (8 hours later) and it is blinking blue again---both lights. As such, I am unable to start software, unless I go in the back again and disconnect cable and reconnect it.

Other suggestions?

[shouriken]

I've experienced the same "hardware unconnected" problem and I replaced the provided USB cable with another one ( from my Nikon D80) and everything works well since.

Liviu

[dale001]

Ok, more info in an effort to solve this:

I rebooted my PC, disconnected and reconnected the USB cable, and got a steady green on the box. I intentionally didn’t want to start the software just to see if only the green light would remain lit overnight. Well, it didn’t. The box was back to blinking blue once every second when I awoke this morning: the “USB” and “Signal” lights are blinking.

Need some help guys. Thanks. The responses are appreciated.

---Dale

[Fenris]

Note that you may need to find all the root hubs and disable power saving on them, not just on one.

[dale001]

Did that, and just verified that all of them are not on power saving---the box is unchecked on the "allow this computer to turn off this device to save power" for the four "USB Root Hubs" that are listed.

I just can't figure out why this is happening. Only after a certain amount of time has elapsed do both lights blink: the usb and the signal lights on the box and once per second.



---Dale, on Windows XP

[Fenris]

What amount of time? Can you measure how long it is? It may be that the time relates to some setting on the PC, it may give you a clue as to what it is.