¶ BB3 first setup and quick start procedure
Because BB3s have been in storage for a long time, it is necessary to do a few checks to avoid future problems. All these tests MUST be done by trained engineers and the results should be written down for future comparison. For any questions, contact Pavel if necessary. Do not attempt anything if you are not sure what you are doing! Battery tests are especially important and can be potentially dangerous (fire hazard)
Note: It is recommended to do these tests on a yearly basis.
Prerequisities:
- Engineers only
- BB3 training absolved
- multimeter (voltmeter)
- dummy load 100W with cables or suitable transmitter antenna
- AC wallplug
- Suitable solar panel(s) ( >150W, 25VDC open voltage MAX!!)
Conditions:
- all protection switches are off
- BB3 is NOT inserted in wall plug or to solar panel(s)
- antenna(s) not connected
Procedure:
- observe if box itself ins not mechanically damaged
- check if battery cover is placed right on its place
- check all mainboard connectors
Conditions:
- all protection switches are off
- BB3 is inserted in wall plug
- antenna(s) not connected
Procedure:
- switch AC main switch ON
- mainboard should get running
- as it boots, check voltage displayed on service display. The voltage should be in range of 13.8V - 14.4V
Conditions:
- all protection switches are off
- BB3 is NOT inserted in wall plug
- antenna(s) not connected
Procedure:
- disconnect loudspeaker plugs
- slightly move up front of the cover and disconnect 12V lighter connectors
- slowly remove battery cover from the box
- check each cell's voltage; do it carefully, as the batteries are interconnected. If anything shortcircuits, inter battery fuses will be blown. In such case, the fuses must be replaced. This allows both batteries from shaft must me removed and its not very easy, so be careful with that.
- You should measure voltage ranges:
- >3.3V means cell is charged on safe value
- 3.0-3.3V cell is discharged, but safe operational value
- 2.7-3.0V cell is undercharged, still should get charged internally from BB3
- 0-2.7V cell is at dangerous level, might be damaged. There is a probability that cell can't not be charged by internal charging system. External charge to minimum level 3. might be necessary. Contact head engineer with discussion about proper way how to do it
Note all initial voltages! Save them to compare the battery health over time
Conditions:
- BB3 powered by wall plug
- AC main switch ON, other left OFF
- antenna(s) not connected
Note: Mainboard should BOOT. If not, contact Head engineer(s)
Procedure:
- check mainboard service display voltage, should be equal as in 2.
- then turn Battery switch ON, wait for roughly 10s and check voltage again. Voltage should be equal or higher than all cell voltages combined.
- let it charge to full voltage (should take aproximately 5hrs). Observe voltage, it should rise up to >13.8V (fully charged). Maximum charged voltage MUST NOT exceed 14.6V
- let BB3 work for about 1 Hour on idle to stabilize cell voltages
- check all cells' voltages
Note all full charge voltages! Mark down the original battery state; then compare at least once per year of usage
Conditions:
- Battery switch ON, other left OFF, (switch the AC switch OFF)
- antenna(s) not connected
Note: Mainboard should still be running without interruption. If not, contact Head engineer(s)
Procedure:
- let BB3 work unless service display displays LOW battery
- check all cells' voltages
Note all discharge voltages! Mark down the original battery state; then compare at least once per year of usage
- let charge to full again (should take a maximum of 6 hours while on full charging power)
Conditions:
- BB3 not powered by wall plug
- all switches off, Battery switch ON
- proper solar panel(s) ready to be connected
- antenna(s) not connected
Note: avoid running BB3 with battery switch off. Although it should work in IDLE and with
enough solar or AC power it should even work when transmitting, the voltage is unstable and can
potentially cause issues when it fluctuates.
Procedure:
- check BB3 voltage before connecting the solar panel. It should be in a range of 10.8-13.5V (if the voltage is higher, batteries are fully charged, so a full load solar charger test cannot be performed)
- connect panels, observe voltage. It should rise slowly up to 14.6V maximum. If it is >13.5V, batteries are fully charged
- check charger temperature by hand, it should not rise over 50°C under full load (battery voltage <13.4V and solar panel of >150W is fully exposed to sunlight)
After successful power and battery tests, a set of functionality tests is recommended. All mainboards should be equipped with a USB stick with all sample music needed for tests.
Note: if you note some issues with the USB FLASH stick, don't hesitate to try to exchange it for a different one. Size does not matter, FAT32 format smaller than 32GB is recommended. Although we test all USB sticks through output tests, lately, we have found that some USB sticks from this supplier sometimes have issues such as: not starting after boot, must be removed and inserted again or they will have a mismatch in FAT table.
Conditions:
- at least Battery switch ON
- transmitter switch is OFF or dummy load installed
- battery is charged enough to work.
- FM receiving antenna connected
- dummy load for FM transmitter properly connected
Procedure:
a) Temperature sensors test
- check mainboard temperature and humidity, should be on some reasonable value
- check service menu0 bottom, there are 6x temperature sensors' values.
- first four are internal sensors, should be equal or similar to ambient temperature within a few degrees (if BB3 is in idle and not charging/transmitting)
- fifth sensor is a spare one which is inserted in plug space
- sixth is not installed
Note: DO NOT save any sensor settings, they should be assigned properly already. If you have
suspicion that something is wrong, ask the Head engineer. You can adjust FAN temperatures according
to local conditions.
b) Ventilator tests
- press the reset button on the mainboard and listen. You should hear FANs blowing for a few seconds while booting
- go to FAN assign menu
- ensure ambient temperature is LOW enough that no FAN is blowing currently
- change temperature for one of four fans to some HIGH temperature, 10-20 deg. lower than ambient is the best. You should hear it start blowing within a few seconds. After it is checked, return the temperature setting to the previous value. Do this sequentially for each of the four FANs
c) Receiver tests
- install receiving antenna
- tune receiver to proper frequency
- turn ON volume knob and listen
- check if you hear proper station, check stereo label
d) MP3 player test
Conditions:
- at least Battery switch ON
- transmitter switch is OFF or dummy load installed
- battery is charged enough to work (if not, service trigger is not permitted)
- microSD or USB memory with proper music inserted
Procedure:
- press the manual trigger button (service menu 0 must be active)
- you should hear music from the speakers, service menu should show player info
e) Transmitter tests
Conditions:
- at least Battery switch ON
- transmitter switch is ON and dummy load or Tx antenna installed
- battery is charged enough to work (if not, service trigger is not permitted)
- microSD or USB memory with proper music inserted
Note: do NOT!! switch on Tx switch if dummy load or Tx antenna are not connected. Although BB3 has a protection system, there is still a potential risk of damage to the transmitter module if there is no proper load installed
Procedure:
- press the manual trigger button (service menu 0 must be active)
- you should hear music from the speakers, service menu should show player info
- you should see transmitted power at service display, value should be +- 1W equal to preset value in Transmit menu, you should hear your music from the transistor radio tuned to your frequency