[Skimmertalk] My QS1R died during CQ WW CW

[W3OA]

Hi Bob -

I also had a problem with SkimServer/QS1R during CQWW.  Don't know if 
it's related to your problem.

I was running 192 Khz on the six contest bands and I noticed that 
periodically the number of decoders shown would drop drastically to 
practically zero.  Some times that number would go back up to normal 
values but other times it didn't.  I tried restarting SkimServ and 
cycling the QS1R power but neither prevented the problem from 
recurring.  I finally cured the problem by dropping to just five bands, 
still at 192 Khz.

I suspect this may be a power problem.  I do have the bigger power 
supply Phil sells for use with SkimServ.  Maybe there were so many 
signals on the bands that our QS1Rs worked harder than ever before.

73 - Dick, W3OA

[Skimmertalk] My QS1R died during CQ WW CW.eml

Subject:
[Skimmertalk] My QS1R died during CQ WW CW
From:
"Bob Wilson, N6TV" <n6tv at arrl.net>
Date:
12/2/2014 11:21 AM

To:
SkimmerTalk Reflector <skimmertalk at contesting.com>


It appears that my QS1R had a hardware failure just after 0947z November
30th (during CQ WW CW), after it ran Skimmer Server continuously for a
couple of days.

Rebooting Windows and power cycling the SDR makes no difference.

Skimmer Server reports an error and repeats "Reloading FPGA."   CW Skimmer
reports "FpgaCommand/usb_control_msg failed."  HDSDR reports "Cannot read
from SDR".

The red PWR LED on the QS1R is lit, and the USB device is detected OK by
the Windows device manager (under "libusb-win32 devices/QS1R Direct
Sampling Receiver", so I suppose the power supply is OK (it's the 2A
supply).

Maybe it overheated?  Time for a new QS1R board?  It's an older one, not of
recent generation.  Has anyone else on this list experienced a similar
failure?

73,
Bob, N6TV