Screen went blank on KG-1000G. Powers up, has white illuminated screen with nothing on it.

[WRFH675]

I’ve had this unit installed and working fine for about 3 years. Main unit is under the seat and the faceplate is where I can see and access it. 

I had to replace the main and aux batteries in the Jeep and after I did that is when this issue presented itself. 

I’ve checked all connections, fuse, etc. I don’t know what else to do.

I reached out to BuyTwoWayRadios and they don’t have a clue and didn’t offer any type of troubleshooting or additional help.

 

[tcp2525]

2 hours ago, WRFH675 said:

I’ve had this unit installed and working fine for about 3 years. Main unit is under the seat and the faceplate is where I can see and access it. 

I had to replace the main and aux batteries in the Jeep and after I did that is when this issue presented itself. 

I’ve checked all connections, fuse, etc. I don’t know what else to do.

I reached out to BuyTwoWayRadios and they don’t have a clue and didn’t offer any type of troubleshooting or additional help.

 

It's internal to the radio. I'm not sure of your technical ability or if you feel comfortable to go into the radio and disassemble it to get to the display board and check connections around the display. A long shot is it can be a mechanical issue and get things seated again and it works, but you are most likely going to have to send it in for repair. Contact who you bought the radio from and ask if they have a repair facility they can recommend. That is a nice radio and I hope it doesn't fall into the disposable category. Good luck.

EDIT: One other thing you might want to try is check to connections between the radio and the remote head unit. I'm sure BuyTwoWayRadios told you about this. another long shot.

[MarkInTampa]

Probably not the problem, but is it possibly plugged into the wrong port on the radio? The face plate and the programming cable both use the same (RJ-45) connector. Make sure the faceplate cable is plugged into the front of the radio and NOT the side port (programming port).

[SteveShannon]

Assuming you’re in the right ports as Mark said, I would inspect the connectors on both ends of the cable that connects the head unit to the radio, both the sockets and the plugs. Cables are always the easiest thing to damage.  Look at the tiny spring contacts to make sure they aren’t broken or bent, or that a piece of something got into them. I have seen them get crossed in RJ connections before with bad results. You could even check every conductor for continuity, end to end, but the end connectors and sockets are the most commonly damaged. The good news is that they’re easily replaced as well.

 

[tcp2525]

27 minutes ago, MarkInTampa said:

Probably not the problem, but is it possibly plugged into the wrong port on the radio? The face plate and the programming cable both use the same (RJ-45) connector. Make sure the faceplate cable is plugged into the front of the radio and NOT the side port (programming port).

Would the radio even turn on if he has the cable in the wrong port? I suspect it would not. I am not familiar with that radio, so my information is generic. Also, do you know how the RJ45 is pin out? Can he hook up an ethernet cable between the head and radio?

[SteveShannon]

14 minutes ago, tcp2525 said:

Would the radio even turn on if he has the cable in the wrong port? I suspect it would not. I am not familiar with that radio, so my information is generic. Also, do you know how the RJ45 is pin out? Can he hook up an ethernet cable between the head and radio?

The KG-1000g and the plus model use a non standard cable, not straight through Ethernet. This post from Reddit explains. 

 

[tcp2525]

2 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

The KG-1000g and the plus model use a non standard cable, not straight through Ethernet. This post from Reddit explains. 

 

Great info that I will file away! I make cables for myself and others that need them for various radios. I never had a call for KG-1000 cables. Thanks!!

[SteveShannon]

26 minutes ago, tcp2525 said:

Great info that I will file away! I make cables for myself and others that need them for various radios. I never had a call for KG-1000 cables. Thanks!!

Also check out this thread. Continue reading beyond this linked post for further information: 

 

[tcp2525]

12 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

Also check out this thread. Continue reading beyond this linked post for further information: 

 

Interesting. So, another user had control head issues with the KG-1000. I'm surprised that one user had so much trouble making cables. Also, it seems length plays a big factor, which I'm still baffled why it would if one uses high quality cable and connectors. Maybe RF feedback is interfering with the signals and ferrites will resolve this. If I ever get a request for KG-1000 cables I will also physically trace conductors from the OEM cable to confirm that I am also hooking it up right. I wouldn't think a 60' cable would be problematic. Of course, I will always test prior to plugging into a radio.

[SteveShannon]

4 minutes ago, tcp2525 said:

Interesting. So, another user had control head issues with the KG-1000. I'm surprised that one user had so much trouble making cables. Also, it seems length plays a big factor, which I'm still baffled why it would if one uses high quality cable and connectors. Maybe RF feedback is interfering with the signals and ferrites will resolve this. If I ever get a request for KG-1000 cables I will also physically trace conductors from the OEM cable to confirm that I am also hooking it up right. I wouldn't think a 60' cable would be problematic. Of course, I will always test prior to plugging into a radio.

Length of control cables is always a factor, especially with small conductors. Voltage drops proportionately with current and length, so what starts at 12 volt may be 11 volts at 30 feet but only 10 volts at 60 feet.  The head unit gets all its power via those relatively small wires so current is higher than it would be for a strictly logic level cable. 

[WRUE951]

give it a few slaps on one side.  If that don't fix it, toss it get something different.   Pretty much why I stoped buying Fords years ago 

[SteveShannon]

6 hours ago, WRFH675 said:

I’ve had this unit installed and working fine for about 3 years. Main unit is under the seat and the faceplate is where I can see and access it. 

I had to replace the main and aux batteries in the Jeep and after I did that is when this issue presented itself. 

I’ve checked all connections, fuse, etc. I don’t know what else to do.

I reached out to BuyTwoWayRadios and they don’t have a clue and didn’t offer any type of troubleshooting or additional help.

 

Did you verify that you still see 13.8 volts at the power supply to the radio? Try moving the head closer to the body and switch to the shorter Wouxun cable. 

[WRYZ926]

The pinout for the control head cable I posted in the other thread is correct. 

Here is the control cable pinout

• 1 - 1
• 2 - 2
• 3 - 3
• 4 - 4
• 5 - 7
• 6 - 6
• 7 - 5
• 8 - 8

I have tested both the short and long control cables on several KG-1000G radios using a network cable tester.

The maximum length for CAT 5/6 cable is 300 feet. That length is for computer networks. You will have to consider voltage drops over longer runs. The long cable that is included with the radio is 15 feet and voltage drop is not a concern at that length.

I highly recommend using shielded CAT6 cable and shielded RJ45 connectors if you decide to make your own cables. Avoid the flat 8 conductor cables as they will pick up all kinds of RFI.

I have not had any issues making my own custom length control cables using shielded CAT6 cables and shielded RJ45 connectors. A cheap network cable tester is good to have so that you can test the cables for the correct pinout and for any opens/shorts.

I did the math for voltage drop over a 15 ft 23 gauge CAT6 cable at 13.8 V. You are looking at a voltage drop of 0.07 V a 1 amp. The voltage drop at 2 amps is 0.15 V. I could not find the actual amp draw of just the head unit so I just used 1 and 2 amps.

Note on voltage output of modern vehicles with the Auto Stop Start systems: You can see anywhere from 13.8 v to 15 v depending on the state of the battery charge. You should only see between 14.6 and 15 volts at startup and the voltage normally drops to around 13.8 - 14.2 volts within a minute or two.

[WRFH675]

Messing around with it some more I've found that the radio does actually work to send/receive. It appears to be stuck on channel 5 though. The channel selector knob does not work. However, the volume knob does work.

I've looked over the cable and the cable ports, they appear to be in excellent condition. I no longer have the shorter cable so I can't swap them out at all. I did reach out to BuyTwoWayRadios again and asked if they would be able to send out a replacement.

I'm not too comfortable with taking the entire unit apart and looking inside right now. But if the replacement cable doesn't work then I guess that will be my next step to try.

As far as checking volts, that's above my pay grade. I don't know how to do all that. I actually paid someone to install the whole thing for me and connect the unit to the Jeep's batteries and run/hide all the cables perfectly. But I'm guessing the voltage must be correct if it powers up and I can send/receive?

Thanks everyone for your replies. I'll keep you posted.

[SteveShannon]

21 minutes ago, WRFH675 said:

Messing around with it some more I've found that the radio does actually work to send/receive. It appears to be stuck on channel 5 though. The channel selector knob does not work. However, the volume knob does work.

I've looked over the cable and the cable ports, they appear to be in excellent condition. I no longer have the shorter cable so I can't swap them out at all. I did reach out to BuyTwoWayRadios again and asked if they would be able to send out a replacement.

I'm not too comfortable with taking the entire unit apart and looking inside right now. But if the replacement cable doesn't work then I guess that will be my next step to try.

As far as checking volts, that's above my pay grade. I don't know how to do all that. I actually paid someone to install the whole thing for me and connect the unit to the Jeep's batteries and run/hide all the cables perfectly. But I'm guessing the voltage must be correct if it powers up and I can send/receive?

Thanks everyone for your replies. I'll keep you posted.

I agree that you shouldn’t disassemble it. Checking the pins in the RJ jacks can be done visually after unplugging the cable. 
And I also agree that your voltage is good if it transmits and receives. 
So, the problem is most likely either the cable or the head end unit but it could be the radio. If it’s in warranty I would send it in. 
Buy Two Way Radios sells a replacement head unit for $69.95 on eBay. 

[tcp2525]

5 hours ago, WRFH675 said:

Messing around with it some more I've found that the radio does actually work to send/receive. It appears to be stuck on channel 5 though. The channel selector knob does not work. However, the volume knob does work.

I've looked over the cable and the cable ports, they appear to be in excellent condition. I no longer have the shorter cable so I can't swap them out at all. I did reach out to BuyTwoWayRadios again and asked if they would be able to send out a replacement.

I'm not too comfortable with taking the entire unit apart and looking inside right now. But if the replacement cable doesn't work then I guess that will be my next step to try.

As far as checking volts, that's above my pay grade. I don't know how to do all that. I actually paid someone to install the whole thing for me and connect the unit to the Jeep's batteries and run/hide all the cables perfectly. But I'm guessing the voltage must be correct if it powers up and I can send/receive?

Thanks everyone for your replies. I'll keep you posted.

Please let us know either way if you get it working or not. Good luck.

[WRFH675]

Update:

I tried plugging the computer/software into the unit to see if there was a way to reset the device but there wasn't. I was able to download/upload files to/from it.

Then I decided to hold down on the lock button on the mic to see if that was the reason I couldn't move through the channels. Turns out it was the reason. I was able to move up from channel 5 to 6 and it worked with my handheld. I then tried manually typing known channels into the mic and they all worked as well. So the unit itself seems to be working perfect except for the screen issue.

BTWRs contacted me and they offered a replacement cable and head unit for $65 (including shipping) but they said it would have no warranty with it. Now I'm debating if I want to risk that $65 or not.

Or I'm thinking I'll just buy the newer plus unit of this model to replace it with.

[WRUE951]

56 minutes ago, WRFH675 said:

Update:

I tried plugging the computer/software into the unit to see if there was a way to reset the device but there wasn't. I was able to download/upload files to/from it.

Then I decided to hold down on the lock button on the mic to see if that was the reason I couldn't move through the channels. Turns out it was the reason. I was able to move up from channel 5 to 6 and it worked with my handheld. I then tried manually typing known channels into the mic and they all worked as well. So the unit itself seems to be working perfect except for the screen issue.

BTWRs contacted me and they offered a replacement cable and head unit for $65 (including shipping) but they said it would have no warranty with it. Now I'm debating if I want to risk that $65 or not.

Or I'm thinking I'll just buy the newer plus unit of this model to replace it with.

sounds like its time to 

[WRFH675]

Update:

It seems that there is some kind of electrical issue in the Jeep which is causing this. I was messing with the batteries some more and then the screen came fully on and it all worked great. Then I finished up with the batteries and put everything back together and the screen went very dark but still slightly readable.

The person I had install the unit had connected to some electrical lines behind some panels instead of to the battery itself. I don't know much about anything in this domain but at some point I'll try and see if I can connect to the battery directly. Right now they have one end of the power cable split like 3-5 ways and spliced into multiple existing lines in the Jeep. But that still doesn't really explain why all of a sudden I'm having these issues after 3+ years.

I took the Jeep into the dealership after the battery swap because the start/stop feature wasn't working. I hate that feature and always disable it but the Jeep kept dinging and warning me about and it was getting annoying. While in there, they told me the aux battery was completely dead and needed replacement in order to fix the start/stop. I told them both batteries were just replaced. They assured me it was dead. I didn't have them do any additional work and I left.

I took the battery out again, went up to O'Reilly's and had them test it. They showed me the testing device and said it was in perfect condition. After getting home I put the battery back in, drove back to O'Reilly's and had them run their diagnostic scanner thingy. It came back saying "System Low Voltage". So I really don't know what is going on.

Jeep already charged me $250 for running their diagnostic and they want another $500 to replace the aux battery (which is a perfectly good battery) and fix everything.

They reason I went to Jeep directly is because I have an extended warranty with only a $100 deductible. So I thought I'd get everything fixed for only $100. But no, they said since the battery is dead (again, it is not) that the warranty doesn't cover it because it is considered normal wear and tear (which I would normally understand).

[GrouserPad]

Yep these kg1000’s will shut themselves down or reset over and over if the voltage is sensed as too low.