Troubleshooting

Important

Make sure you always use the latest firmware version.

If you can’t find an answer to your issue, then please send us an email, or ask help in our community forum.

The web interface can’t be opened

Follow the steps on the Opening the web interface page.

The M1KE can’t connect to the Wi-Fi® network

Check if the M1KE is connected to the Wi-Fi® network by looking at the Status icons section on the display. If the device is not connected to the Wi-Fi® network then follow the steps described on the Connecting to a Wi-Fi® network page.

  • Make sure you have enabled 2.4GHz in your Wi-Fi® router (or mobile phone hotspot), not just 5GHz

  • Place the M1KE close to the Wi-Fi® router

  • Make sure the Wi-Fi® bandwith is set to max. 20Mhz in the Wi-Fi® router (see explanation here)

  • Disable band steering in the Wi-Fi® router’s configuration

  • If it still does not work, try switching Wi-Fi® channel on your Wi-Fi® router. Only channels 1, 6 or 11 should be used (see explanation here)

The web interface only loads partially

Make sure you use a supported browser (Chrome, Firefox or Safari), and that the browser is updated to the latest version.

Try placing the device closer to the Wi-Fi® router or mobile phone hotspot.

Connector authentication failed messages are displayed

See the server password information on the Homebrew/MMDVM® connector.

I’m not hearing anything or volume is low

  • Make sure the configured server is connected. The PTT destination section on the Main screen on the device’s display should not be blinking continuously, and the Status field on the Status page of the web interface should not show Connector connecting.

  • Make sure the volume is turned up on the device, and that the device is not muted. You can increase/decrease the volume by pressing the Volume Up/Down Buttons and on the top of the Settings page of the web interface

  • Check the Audio gain from network (dB) Mode settings on the Settings page of the web interface. If the used mode’s audio gain is set to a low value, then increase it

  • Turn off EQ at the Speaker FX settings section on the Settings page of the web interface

  • Optionally enable and increase the Loudness setting at the Speaker FX settings section on the Settings page of the web interface

Note

You’ll hear silence if the incoming transmission uses an unsupported voice codec and can’t be decoded (for example C4FM VW mode transmissions).

No one is hearing me on the network

If you are using the DCS/XLX or REF/XRF connector:

  • Make sure your callsign registration is valid on this page.

  • Check if your registered callsign exactly matches the callsign you’ve set in the connector settings

  • Check if your registered callsign exactly matches the callsign you’ve set at the Owner information on the Quick Setup page

  • There should be no suffixes or any whitespaces set in any of these callsigns

The M1KE can’t connect to the selected server

If the PTT destination section on the Main screen on the device’s display is blinking continuously, and the Status field on the Status page of the web interface shows Connector connecting, then the M1KE is trying to connect to the configured server.

Check if the M1KE is connected to the Wi-Fi® network by looking at the Status icons section on the display. If the device is not connected to the Wi-Fi® network then follow the steps described on the Connecting to a Wi-Fi® network page.

If it is connected to the Wi-Fi® network, then check the currently active connector’s settings on the Connectors page of the web interface, or use the Quick Setup on the device display or on the web interface.

If the server requires a password to connect then verify it at the connector settings. Check the callsign and ID settings, make sure they the callsign and ID are valid and registered. If you want to connect to the BrandMeister network, then read the Connecting to a BrandMeister server on the Homebrew/MMDVM® connector.

If it still does not work, then the server may be currently offline, or there may be a connection issue between your M1KE and the server. You can try using another server, or enable the Override DHCP DNS servers setting at the IP settings on the Network page of the web interface.

Internet connection error status message is displayed

Follow the steps described at the The M1KE can’t connect to the selected server.

Web interface call audio playback is choppy

Note that smooth call audio playback requires a Wi-Fi® connection with a good signal quality. If you have issues with call audio playback, then please try using different browsers and make sure they are updated to the latest version.

Browsers reduce CPU allowance on non-active tabs after a while. The tab of the web interface must be kept active, otherwise the audio will be garbled. This browser behavior cannot be changed. If the audio becomes garbled, activate the tab, and/or reload the web interface to fix it.

There are dropouts in calls, voice is stuttering

Please note that dropouts can happen when there’s an issue/interference with:

  • The server

  • The server’s internet connection (most amateur radio servers are running on unstable home internet connections not suitable for international links)

  • The link between the server and your Wi-Fi® router, or your internet connection

  • Your Wi-Fi® router

  • The Wi-Fi® link between your M1KE and your Wi-Fi® router

These issues cause dropped packets, which are indicated on the Dejitter queue graph on the M1KE’s Status page as invalid seqnum errors. They may cause dropouts in the voice transmissions.

If there are no invalid seqnum errors, but the Dejitter queue graph shows that the queue gets empty during a call, then you can try increasing the dejitter queue length.

Make sure you use a server nearest to your location to avoid network dropouts and high latency. Please keep in mind, that packet loss and high latency can occur in VoIP (Voice over IP) streams even if you have a really high quality network connection.

What you can do to avoid dropouts are:

  • Use a different server, which has a stable connection (try BrandMeister servers, as they have a lot of servers worldwide with good quality international connections)

  • Place the M1KE close to the Wi-Fi® router

  • Make sure the Wi-Fi® bandwith is set to max. 20Mhz in the Wi-Fi® router (see explanation here)

  • If it still does not work, try switching Wi-Fi® channel on your Wi-Fi® router. Only channels 1, 6 or 11 should be used (see explanation here)

  • Try using a different Wi-Fi® router or internet connection

DMR ID is not in the database warnings

A valid DMR ID is only required by the network/server you use. The device only displays a warning about that and does not care if your ID is valid or not.

The device does not turn on

If pressing and holding the Power button for 1-2 seconds does not turn on the device, then connect it to a USB power supply and then try turning it on again.

If this does not help then:

  • Try using a different USB charger, a different USB cable or a different USB port on the computer

  • Try flipping the USB-C connector of the cable upside down for charging

  • Charge for at least an hour to make sure the battery is not drained

  • Hold the Power button for at least 8 seconds to perform a hard reboot.

If the charge LED next to the USB connector is blinking fast, then there’s an error with the currently connected charger. In this case try using a different USB charger, a different USB cable or a different USB port on the computer.

If the status LED on the top of the device blinks 3 times and the device immediately turns off, then the battery is overheated, and its protection is active. Avoid exposing the device to direct sunlight or any heat source and wait a few minutes so the battery can cool down.

Firmware recovery

If you’ve performed the steps at the The device does not turn on and the device still does not turn on, then perform a firmware recovery through the USB port by connecting the device to your computer and click on this Connect button:

The browser will open a dialog where you can select the serial port that corresponds to the M1KE (usually labeled as USB JTAG/serial debug unit).

After the device is connected by the browser a dialog shows up. Select the Install firmware menu item to start the recovery process. You can find more information about the USB serial console here.

If the device is not listed then:

  • Try using a different USB cable

  • Try using a different USB port on your computer

If these don’t help then press and hold both the Power button and the Volume down button on the device at the same time for 10 seconds to enter it into bootloader mode before clicking on the Connect button above. Nothing will be displayed on the device’s screen and the status LED will be off while it’s in bootloader mode.

Note that the device will stay in this mode until you perform a hard reboot by holding the Power button for at least 8 seconds.

The device turns off even when it’s connected to a charger

Make sure you use a USB charger which can supply enough current for the device while it’s operating (min. 1500mA).

Battery depletes too quickly

Make sure the battery is charged completely. If the battery is fully charged then the charge LED is off and the charging status displays ready. Length of the discharge time is affected by a lot of things.

The battery will discharge faster if:

  • Display is on

  • The device is playing back or sending a call

  • There’s traffic on the connected Wi-Fi® network (even if the traffic is not to/from the M1KE)

  • Wi-Fi® signal quality

  • Web interface is opened

The device display is not working

Press a button to wake up the display. Open the web interface and check the Display brightness setting at the Display / keypad settings on the Settings page.