AIS tranceiver QK A042T - I can not program it.

[SY Amalie]

Hello Forum!
I am hoping that some of you fine sailors and computer-wizards might be able to help.

I have bought a Quark QK A042T transponder that is not doing too much ...transponding.
It basically works as a very expensive receiver.
The problem is the programming of the unit, name, MMSI, etc, it does not write to the transponder or at least it does not «stick»
After typing everything and hitting «connect» it works as it should, I have confirmed that with a receiver, but the second I end the config program it stops sending and I disappear from the receiver.

Is there anyone out there that can point me to at least new things to try?

Everything checks out ok, driver for USB port is ok, I can connect to the unit and get received AIS targets, and it is sending as long as it is connected to my laptop and the config program is running.
I am having a hard time getting reply from support, and I am in a bit of a hurry as I am about to go for a three weeks sailtrip in just a few days.
The other Quark products have been exellent, so the culprit is probably me or my laptop’s.
Have a good summer all of you!

 

[Ningaloo]

I am not familiar with this device but many transponders have a switch or software option to suppress transmission. If the unit transmits when being configured, my guess is you have this turned off.

 

[RichardS]

When you go back into the configuration page are the boat details still there or are the fields blank again?

If the fields are blank, the info is not being written to the device and it will not transmit. It could be user error or a firmware glitch. If the data is still present, then stealth mode is a possibility.

Richard

 

[SY Amalie]

Hello Ningaloo!
Good guess, but the software silent mode is not used, other than that, the unit itself only has a on/off button.
Today I am going to try a new USB cable, just to rule that out.
Thank you anyway!

 

[SY Amalie]

Hello Richard!
The boat details are not there when I open the configuration program.
At this moment I wonder if it can be some sort of write protection lurking somwhere, but user error or firmware glitch are probably better guesses.
I am trying a new USB cable just to try something, I can tinker with the USB port settings, but I am on very thin ice then, I really don’t know what I am doing apart from setting very basic port settings, as per the manual.

Thank you for your reply, at least I know that the data is not being stored.

 

[RichardS]

Hello Richard!
The boat details are not there when I open the configuration program.
At this moment I wonder if it can be some sort of write protection lurking somwhere, but user error or firmware glitch are probably better guesses.
I am trying a new USB cable just to try something, I can tinker with the USB port settings, but I am on very thin ice then, I really don’t know what I am doing apart from setting very basic port settings, as per the manual.

Thank you for your reply, at least I know that the data is not being stored.

This might sound mad but its happened to me more than once .... it might be that the screen resolution of the device and your PC are incompatible and you either need to scroll right down to see the "Save" button or you need to change the screen resolution of either the device or the PC in order to show the chopped off "Save" button.

Richard

 

[pvb]

The problem is the programming of the unit, name, MMSI, etc, it does not write to the transponder or at least it does not «stick»
After typing everything and hitting «connect» it works as it should, I have confirmed that with a receiver, but the second I end the config program it stops sending and I disappear from the receiver.

The manual shows the configuration tool having a box in the bottom right corner saying "Start Code" with a button next to it saying "Config" - is this the button you've been using?

 

[SY Amalie]

Hello pvb!
The «Start code» and «config» button are grey and I can not access them. When I mentioned this to Quark Support they sent me a different program for programming the transponder, but still no luck. The thing is; it works with the original configuration program when I have the USB plugged in and hit the connect button, I have confirmed this with a AIS receiver, but for some reason it does not write to the transponder, so the second I end the program it stops. Why I can not hit the Start Code and config button I don’t know.

 

[SY Amalie]

It does not sound mad at all. I have had this issue myself(I turned on portrait-mode, it looked weird but it worked), but I have checked now and it is not the case as far as I can tell.
I tried with the new USB cable and it actually came up with three nmea sentences in the nmea(i guess, I have never seen anything there before.) window. Do you think I should do this in a certain order? Like turn off everything and start the computer and connect and then the transponder? Does it matter, or rather, could it matter?