Frustrating AIS Quarkbox issue

[zachduckworth]

Hi,

A few months ago I installed a custom made AIS receiver using a Glomex active splitter and a Quarkbox A026. The VHF antenna plugs into the Glomex, which plugs into the radio and the Quarkbox. This worked great for a few weeks and it was nice to get AIS tracks on my phone via the Quarkbox wifi.

Then it suddenly stopped working. The Quarkbox lights won’t blink or do anything. The Glomex makes a clicking sound when I touch the positive wire to the positive power supply, but doesn’t do anything when the negative is hooked up or removed. Then the AIS plug from the Glomex to the Quark Box is connected it also makes the same click (there is a switch inside the Glomex although I’m not sure what it does, maybe switches from VHF reception to AIS). It seems like somehow current it flowing from the Quark Box back to the Glomex. The VHF radio works, bizarrely, when the VHF antenna is unplugged but the Glomex is plugged in. Is the glomex boosting the VHF signal?

I found this design online and it seemed incredibly simple but has become almost indescribably frustrating to trouble shoot. I spent $300 on it and I’d like to get it to work. Any advice is appreciated. Quarkboc has no customer service from whst I can tell, and Glomex was not helpful (“Change the fuse.” - Fuse was not the problem).

[wholybee]

Start be connecting the antenna directly to the AIS, no splitter and no VHF. Then try the same, the antenna directly to the VHF. That will confirm the AIS, VHF, and antenna are all ok.

[zachduckworth]

Originally Posted by wholybee

Start be connecting the antenna directly to the AIS, no splitter and no VHF. Then try the same, the antenna directly to the VHF. That will confirm the AIS, VHF, and antenna are all ok.

This is good advice except the Quarkbox takes a different plug for tge AIS, you can’t directly connect the antenna to it. The Glomex happens to have the exact plug needed for the Quarkbox. I’d need to order some sort of adapter.

[zachduckworth]

Originally Posted by wholybee

Start be connecting the antenna directly to the AIS, no splitter and no VHF. Then try the same, the antenna directly to the VHF. That will confirm the AIS, VHF, and antenna are all ok.

Ah, I found some adapters on Amazon. They are on their way.

[zachduckworth]

Ok,
I received the adapters. Plugged the VHF antenna cable directly into the Quarkbox A026.
No change.
Radio works.
So for some reason the A026 is not recognizing a signal.

The only thing that has recently changed is I had to extend the coax a few feet and I used one of those gold Shakesphere solderless connectors. But the VHF still works fine, so I don’t know if that would bd the issue.

[zachduckworth]

Update:
I think it's ----ed.
Apparently if the LEDs are all on and solid some ultra sensitive AIS component in the A026 is blown out. This is really disappointing. It took months to get my hands on the device after they mailed it via some weird Polish intermediary who asked for signature receipt, and when they didn't catch me the third time mailed the thing back to Poland instead of holding it at the post office. So they had to re-mail it to me, which I had to pay for. The unit ended up costing me over $350 with all of the shipping when all was said and done. And it's so sensitive that it blows up on me. From what I've seen online apparently if the LEDs on A026/A027s are all glowing solid (as mine are) it's dead and you need to mail it back to Quark Elec for repair. Which I can't justify doing at this point. I can't recommend it. I'll stick with a domestic product next time with easier customer service.

I have a RP and dASIy hat, I'll probably tinker with that...