Losing Connection - At Startup and While playing

[osbornsm]

I have music Keg 910 which:
 - has been formatted
 - re-setup on FAT32, for both drives/ partitions
 - Plays in the car... sometimes.
 - both xml files are present
 - Controlled by Kenwood EZ-500 (fully compatible)
 - No visible burns / issues on the circuit board
 - Have tried with old and newer 13.01 Firmware
 - Cartridge fully in holder and Plug directly in back of Kenwood HU
 - Chkdsk gives no errors (from dos and the windows Vista version)
 - Unplug cable and replug cable gets it working until i turn the car off then the same crap again.

= DMS Doctor has one error:
 - Checking for system files: FAIL: Could not find the system file F: \
 - Windows has access to that drive so it shows up in my computer.


Please PLEASE let me know if you have things to try!!
 ~ Sean

[osbornsm]

Ahh, i have reset the head unit already as well.
Just hitting source skipps where HDD EXT is supposed to show!!

[markbowen]

Ignore DMS Doctor.  It looks for an HTML file that only worked when the Phatnoise servers were online, which they are not.

Has the Keg ever worked properly?  Is your Keg hacked?  Hacked or original DMS?  What do you mean "re-setup on FAT32?"  You formatted the drive?  Did you delete or resize either of the partitions?

It works until you turn the car off?  Is this a new head unit install?  Does your HU retain other settings?  My thought is that is if it works until the car is turned off, something is not wired properly.

[osbornsm]

1. Has the Keg ever worked properly? 
 - Yes, up until most recently it started hanging up.
2. Is your Keg hacked? 
 - I have the original Hard Drive in the unit
3. Hacked or original DMS?
 - I formatted the drive to FAT32 and re-partitioned them with the PHtools Utility
4. Is this a new head unit install?
 - It has worked fine with this head unit for 1-2 years so far.
5. It works until you turn the car off? 
 - I get the same sporadic usability if the car is on accessory as i do when the car is running. 
6. Does your HU retain other settings? 
 - Every setting, system q, station name is retained on the HU with car on / off / acc

[markbowen]

So, it was working before.  Did the problem start before or after you reformatted the DMS? 

I assume when you used the PhatHack Tools, you checked the box to load the NON-hacked firmware.

I'm still inclined to think this could be a hardware problem.  Could be a kink or a short in the cable, a loose connector in the Keg, etc.  See also this post:  http://forum.phathack.com/index.php/topic,751.0.html

Someone with more experience on the hardware side of things may be able to suggest what else to check.

[VorTechS]

One thing worth checking, is the presence on PHTSYS of an TXT/LOG files - if it's an issue with the PhatBox dumping out there could well be a log there.  Otherwise I'm inclined to agree with you Mark....

[osbornsm]

Problem existed before the format.  Only started messing with it because it was not being found by the HU.
Have the Kenwood Firmware on there, non hacked.

I've been all over that thread, they never really had any solutions to the issue so I decided to try my own.
: http://forum.phathack.com/index.php/topic,751.0.html

And would u like to see the log file, i gotta take a couple to get that setup.

So u guys are thinking cable or the motherboard eh?   Where does one acquire a cable?

[markbowen]

I don't recommend rushing to get a new cable (which is part # KHD-5L1, FYI), as that is only one of many things that could be the problem.  It could be the cable, but it could also be a loose internal connection, or the Keg or even your head unit could simply be failing.  There could be an electrical fault in your car.  Depending on your location, it could even be too damn cold to use the Keg!

If you have any log files, you can post them and maybe Stuart or Sam or someone can decipher them.  (If posting, use the "attach" option under "additional options" when replying rather than posting the whole log as inline text.)

If you know anyone else with a Keg/PB, borrow a known working DMS to test in your Keg.  If you get the same symptoms, you will be sure that the problem is not related to the DMS.  Likewise, you could test your DMS in their system.

[osbornsm]

Additional data:

During one of the connection losses i ran back to check the keg and saw no red power light.  So it would seem i am losing power intermittently, not necessarily just the connection.

Additional thoughts with this new information?

Thank you guys so much !!

[VorTechS]

So the power comes from the cable... but this still could be an internal issue with the box. 
If you have easy access to the box and cable, I would first remove the cable and check it out for any signs of physical damage.

If the cable appears undamaged, you should also open the box up and just check there are no loose connections inside - as PhatBoxes are a little notorious for this.

[osbornsm]

I had the Box open/apart and did not see any noticable burn marks or bent connectors.  Should i be looking for something specific... i don't do electrical, past plugging one wire into another.

So it is in fact a power issue:


::Inside box::
How/what do i check ?

::Cable::
How do i check ?  Voltmeter?

[VorTechS]

Inside the box, look for ribbon cable connections and just check they are all secure.
Also check the point at which the cable plugs in to make sure the connections/soldering looks solid.

On the cable side, start by physically checking it for damage.

[osbornsm]

Inside the box, look for ribbon cable connections and just check they are all secure.
Also check the point at which the cable plugs in to make sure the connections/soldering looks solid.
 - Checked the box inside and out and my amature electronics knowledge did not find anything erroneous.

On the cable side, start by physically checking it for damage.
 - The Cable looks good, removed completely to check for kinks or tears... works all good.  Upon re-plugging the cable to the HU and Keg the whole system worked great... for 45 min.  And then would just give me the "Reading..." when i try to change song.


Does this mean i need an ipod or whacha thinkin here???  This s*cks !

[Brian C]

Just my twopenneth having repaired many many items of consumer electronics with intermittent faults though not a Phatbox.

Assuming it doesn't come back to life after a little while which would tend to point to a component overheat problem, my observation from what you've said is that it's likely something you've disturbed when taking it to bits/removing cables that is at the root of this. I'd be inclined to do simple things like use a contact cleaner on the relevant cable interfaces as a first off (those inside and outside the box and both ends of the cable) - though removing and re-plugging often resolves such issues. Consider looking inside the cable plug see if there's anything loose/suspect there - if it's not a moulded on unit which I suspect it is. Re-make solder joints on the board (Sounds like you might have to get someone else to do that for you) where the main cable comes in just to guard against dry joints - they will look ok but are internally fractured. All these places will have experienced continued vibration over time and this can cause failures - even small tracks on the circuit board can go that way. Another general failure mode is electrolytic capacitors in particular can start to fail leading to intermittency but that would need a bit more proficiency to diagnose. Then it's time to wield a multimeter and scope but again that requires proficiency and the tools. The same applies to the HU end as well, the fault may lie in the HU but it having recovered for 45 minutes after what you did seems to point to the bits you've disturbed as a first guess.

Also, having experienced a problem recently with a 'new' disc in my DMS that appeared to work then deteriorated I wouldn't rule out entirely a problem with the disc itself or indeed the interface in the DMS cartridge/Phatbox socket.