A final update on this issue, which is now resolved.?

The manufacturer YIC accepted their mistake, they programmed the wrong firmware into the GPS engine chip, and for whatever reason best known to themselves it disables the 1pps output. They offered to pay for 2-way shipping back to their factory to fix the problem. However that would have incurred significant further delays, and again we would have had to deal with customs import to get them all back here.?

Group member Garland K6GOG has been very helpful, he perfected the way to re-flash the GPS engine firmware using a Raspberry Pi. The manufacturer provided the correct firmware file. I have now successfully replicated his procedure and I have tested re-flashed QLG1 GPS units to verify correct operation, 1pps output etc.?

Therefore as of today, we are resuming shipment of QLG1 GPS kit orders.?

182 of these defective QLG1 GPS modules from the current manufacturing batch were sold to customers before the problem was realized. These include mail orders as well as ALL of the QLG1 kits sold at Dayton FDIM vendor's evening and Dayton hamvention. I will now be emailing all 182 customers and offer the choice of one of the following resolutions:

1) You may re-flash your own GPS chip using a Raspberry Pi. I have documented the procedure here:

- OR -?

2) Email sales@... with your original order number and we will send you a new QLG1 kit (this costs you NOTHING)

- OR -?

3) Email sales@..., and we can arrange for you can send back your assembled QLG1 kit and we will re-flash it to fix it for you, and send it back to you. We will pay your shipping costs both ways. So this also costs you NOTHING). This final option is not my preference because the cost of you shipping it to me is not likely to be economic and paying you, retrieving it from the PO Box etc is a lot of additional administrative hassle.?

Unfortunately although this fiasco has cost me $thousands, YIC are not willing to compensate me for all my losses, only a small part. But, I believe the buck has to stop somewhere. It's my responsibility to fix this problem so the end customer does not lose. The buck stops here. So while I'm sure that some of you will wish to offer to pay postage or pay for another module or something... please DON'T! No need! I don't accept!?

Everything is under control and I am just happy that we can now move on!

Many thanks again to Garland K6GOG for making this possible! I've never used a Raspberry Pi before. The very old original model Raspberry Pi that I have here was a gift from Farhan VU2ESE (BITX fame) when I met him for dinner in Mumbai in 2013. It's nice to finally put it to good use here in the 'Labs HQ. For sure, you can do this kind of thing on a Windows PC too, but in my experience you start fighting with drivers, permissions, signatures, blah blah... big headache.?

73 Hans G0UPL

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