Ortovox S1 malfunction

[Mr. Toad]

Before I send it in to Ortovox I want to make sure I'm not missing something simple.

When I turn the unit on and its going through its self check, the transmission error symbol (!) comes on. When I check it against another transceiver, it transmits fine.

Any ideas?

[CMER]

You should check the users manual. I remember that my S1 gave that error symbol if the beacon was not held still while going through its self check. Also, it could be due to various metal objects around or a speaker system.

[Jonathan S.]

The Pieps DSP can return a false transmission error upon start-up when immediately adjacent to another transmitting beacon (which I’ve had happen many times to me), or apparently even just another long-ish metal object (never personally experienced, but Pieps says it can). This is because the DSP's self-check upon start-up includes receiving its own signal, and the presence of another signal or unaccounted amplification of its own signal can trick the DSP into thinking something is wrong with its own signal.

I’ve never had any such problem with my S1, but maybe something similar can happen under certain circumstances?

Even if that problem goes away though, you might want to return the beacon to Ortovox to get the latest firmware, i.e., 1.2.3074. This is not as much of a jump from the prior 1.2.269 as the prior 1.2.269 was from the original, but I’ve found some behind-the-scenes improvements in my testing.

[spindrift]

My S1 always pops a startup error whenever I fire it up within 5-10 feet of one of our cars. Just that one. Seems to work great otherwise. It is a mystery. I just walk a few feet away for startup... I'm pretty sure firing it up near heavy machinery or noisy electronics has a similar result. Mine has worked fine on checks & practice. Although I need to do more practice...

I'd call Ortovox & ask about your situation before sending it in. They were also responsive to emails when I had some questions a year or two ago.