GD-77 Please help - Radio hangs permanently

[DL9XN]

Hello dear radio friends,

After I had to take a longer break, I dug out my GD-77 devices again. While reading the latest news, I realised that my firmware and software for programming are very old.
I wanted to bring this up to date and downloaded the new firmware from Radioddity (Ham version) and updated the firmware.
Unfortunately, my GD-77 now has a bug:
It hangs up immediately after switching on. Nothing works any more.
Restoring old firmware does not help either. I have tried several versions.

Is there a way to reset the device so that it is in the factory state?

I have read about a firmware that can revive the very serious cases but unfortunately I can't find the download link?
I am desperate. Does anyone know any good advice?
Thank you very much for your efforts.

Vy 73 es gl de
Dieter

[G4EML]

The safe power on option may be set. This prevents the radio from being accidentally turned on.

Hold SK1 while powering on in this condition.

You can then change the Safe Power On option in the general options menu.

Personally I think this option is more trouble than it is worth but I guess someone requested it.


Colin G4EML

[F1RMB]

The safe power on option may be set. This prevents the radio from being accidentally turned on.

Hold SK1 while powering on in this condition.

You can then change the Safe Power On option in the general options menu.

Personally I think this option is more trouble than it is worth but I guess someone requested it.


Colin G4EML

The problem is not the option, is people dicking around settings without even knowing what they are doing.
This setting is OFF by default, many people are using it.

Thanks.
---
Daniel

[F1RMB]

Hi,

Hello dear radio friends,

After I had to take a longer break, I dug out my GD-77 devices again. While reading the latest news, I realised that my firmware and software for programming are very old.
I wanted to bring this up to date and downloaded the new firmware from Radioddity (Ham version) and updated the firmware.
Unfortunately, my GD-77 now has a bug:
It hangs up immediately after switching on. Nothing works any more.
Restoring old firmware does not help either. I have tried several versions.

Is there a way to reset the device so that it is in the factory state?

I have read about a firmware that can revive the very serious cases but unfortunately I can't find the download link?
I am desperate. Does anyone know any good advice?
Thank you very much for your efforts.

Vy 73 es gl de
Dieter

Can you tell us which firmware version(s) are you using (the OpenGD77 one, and the one as donor ?).
Have you updated everything, CPS included, it's mandatory.

it's not clear, to me, if you're flashing the Radioddity firmware, or the OpenGD77.


Cheers.
---
Daniel

[G4EML]

I missed that part of the post. If you are talking about the official firmware then the answer regarding safe power on is irrelevant.

We can't really help much with the official firmware.

Colin G4EML.

[DL9XN]

Hello Colin and Daniel,
Thanks for the tip about switching on safely. That is definitely not the problem.
Previously this firmware was installed:
OpenGD77
build May 4 2020
(ada9153]
OpenGD77 CPS version 0.0.0.94

I then tried an update with new software to the Ham version:
GD-77 V4.3.9 (Ham version) from the Radioddity site.
I used the firmware update function within the software. I had to add a BIN file.
Here I downloaded the file "OpenGD77.bin" from the path: downloads/GD77/Latest/.
When I use the latest OpenGD77 CPS and update the firmware with it, the radio starts with the message: "Settings update". But the radio does not respond to any keystroke, it hangs.

I have tried all this again.
But when I install the firmware "GD-77_V4.3.6.sgl" with the special update programme (Update.exe), the radio shows two frequencies after switching on, but it does not react or reacts extremely slowly and hangs up after pressing second or thee times. Transmitting funktion still works..

I have tried everything but the radio always seems to hang up.

Any ideas?

vy 73 es gl de Dieter, DL9XN

[G4EML]

Unfortunately you are confusing things by switching back and forward between OpenGD77 and the radioddity firmware. You can't do that without the chance of problems. You must always use the correct download program. For the .sgl files from radioddity you must use update.exe, for the .bin files from OpenGD77 you must the the OpenGD77 CPS.

When loading OpenGD77 and the radio said "Settings Update" you should press the green key to acknowledge and it should then work OK. If it still doesn't respond then it sounds like you may have a hardware problem.

Colin G4EML.

[DL9XN]

I cannot imagine that the hardware is defective.
When I switch it on, the display shows two frequencies and I can receive and transmit on them.
I have to find a way to reset the radio to factory settings, but the corresponding keyboard combination has no effect.
I guess that importing the *.bin file is the trigger.
Could it be successful if I use a different bin file?
I read an info that you should use a special firmware from radioddity to fix unsolvable problems. But I can't find older versions of the firmware from radioddity's site.

73 de Dieter DL9XN

[VK3KYY]

I cannot imagine that the hardware is defective.
When I switch it on, the display shows two frequencies and I can receive and transmit on them.

Your first post said the radio didnt work at all

It hangs up immediately after switching on. Nothing works any more.

You are now saying it does work.


When you say factor settings, what do you mean. OpenGD77 default settings or official Radioddity firmware settings.

Following the OpenGD77 installation information, you should be able to restore the Flash and EEPROM chip memory which you backed up after installing the OpenGD77 firmware

This will restore any official data, before you then reinstall the official firmware


If you mean default opengd77 firmware settings, this is achieved by holding SK2 when turning on the radio

[F1RMB]

Hi,

I would add à reminder here:
Never do à factory reset on GD-77/DM-1801/RD-5R, depending on the official (manufacturer) firmware, it will kill the protection bytes and turn the radio into something you cannot flash anymore unless you flash a modified bootloader using a hardware programmer.

Cheers.
---
Daniel