Dead Pro Stick?

Just today I decided to plug my FA Pro Stick into a USB slot on my Lenovo laptop running Windows 10…
nothing happened.
Browsing around, read the instructions for using Zadig. Followed those instructions but Zadig is not seeing the stick because it doesn’t show up in the list of devices. Is it possible I have a “dead” stick or should I try something else?

@gcopter

Common fault under Windows10 is the incorrect detection of 2 devices perceived as SDR devices. The real SDR is often the 2nd un-selected by default one

Found 2 device(s):
0: T■, ©■, SN: T (currently selected)

1: Realtek, RTL2838UFA, SN: 00001000
usb_open error -12
Error opening the RTLSDR device: No error

Please also see this this thread:

Is My DVB-T / Pro Stick / RTL SDR Dongle OK?

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I contacted the seller of my stick. He advised that, the FA Pro stick is made to work only with Piaware and a Raspi 3. I already have one of those on the way but it seems strange to me that a USB device would not be seen in a PC. I did try the second option from the link you provided (the Zadig route). Still, my laptop did not see the stick. In the list of devices shown, there was a bluetooth and a Qualcomm Aeros. Nothing else.

Your seller is talking nonsense. The Pro Stick and Pro Stick Plus work fine on Windows 10.

This problem is specific to Windows 10.

Try your Pro Stick on a Computer with Windows 8.1 or Windows 7. If the ProStick is OK, it should show in these versions of Windows (after you install driver Zadig).

If the ProStick does not shown in Win 7 or Win 8 also, then most likely it is defective.

You are right, but sometimes Windows 10 picks an imaginary garbage device as device #0, and real device (ProStick or DVB-T) as dvice #1.

As the decoder software look for device #0 by default, these cannot find a device. The workaround is to change device=0 to device=1 in settings of decoder software.

1 Like

The seller has given wrong info.

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  1. Did you click menu item Options, and placed a check mark besides “List All Devices”?

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    zadig-2

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  2. When at stage shown in screenshot below, if in the drop down box you dont see RTL2838UFA, look for and choose Bulk-In, Interface (Interface 0). Make sure that WinUSB is selected as the target driver and click on Reinstall Driver.

    zadig-3

Yes. I did. I followed the instructions.

And it still did not show RTL2832UFA, STRANGE!!!

I have just now tested on my Windows 10 Laptop, and it shows the Pro Stick as RTL2832UFA


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Going back a step (you may have done this, but it doesn’t make it clear in your first post). When you insert the dongle does it show in Windows Device Manager at all? My Pro Stick Plus shows just as a RTL2832U (not a UFA).

If its not showing in device manager or Zadig, then its looks more like a defective dongle.

I have launched device manager and looked into the USB devices list…is not there. I took out an RTLSDR dongle I have laying around, plugged it into the same pc and it does show up so, I’m leaning towards the PS being bad. Wrote again to the seller, hopefully I’ll get a reply sometime today.

Good luck; hopefully he was just mistaken in the wrong info he gave you.

@belzybob
@gcopter

Just to test, I simultaneously plugged-in one Generic DVB-T and one Pro Stick in Windows 10 Laptop on which Zadig is not yet installed.

  1. None of the two Dongles were shown in Device Manager.
  2. In task bar, Only the Generic DVB-T (RTL2838U) was listed, but was dimmed out, and only the Infrared Remote Receiver appeared as active. The reason is that generic DVB-T is supplied with an IR remote control receiver, while Pro Stick does not have the IR receiver.

Click on screenshot below to see larger size.
First click on image will moderately enlarge it.
Second click on image will show full size image.

I did the same test and found them both shown under “USB Serial Bus Devices” not under “USB Serial Bus Controllers”. Its the same on both of my Windows 10 PCs.

DM

@belzybob

My Windows 10 laptop did not display “USB Serial Bus Devices” category. It displayed only “USB Serial Bus Controllers" category. May be this is because the screenshot is from the Win10 laptop on which Zadig is NOT installed.

Is your screenshot from a Win10 laptop on which Zadig has been installed?

Tonight I will plug DVB-T and Pro Stick in the other Win10 laptop on which I have installed Zadig, and see if these are shown in the Device Manager and the Taskbar

As the OP has already said that he had installed drivers with Zadig, it seemed more relevant to the actual situation to check with it in-situ.

Yor are right, will do it tonight and post results.

@belzybob
@gcopter

Tested by installing Zadig.
Had to install TWICE,
In first installation, selected RTL2832UFA (=Pro Stick)
In second installation, selected Bulk-In, Interface (Interface 0) (=DVBT)

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Zadig installation step for ProStick
zadig installation for ProStick

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Zadig installed for ProStick.
Note that Device Manager is showing only RTL2832UFA (Pro Stick)
Task bar is showing only RTL2832UFA, and RTL2838UHIDIR (DVBT) is dimmed, and its HID Infrared Remote Control Receiver is shown as the detected device

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Zadig installation step for DVBT
zadig installation for DVBT

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Zadig installed for ProStick + for DVBT
Note that Device Manager is showing both RTL2832UFA (Pro Stick) and Bulk-In, Interface (DVBT)
Task bar is also showing both RTL2832UFA, and RTL2838UHIDIR (DVBT)

Its strange that you have so many issues with the RTL devices, maybe I’m just lucky with both Windows machines.

Anyway, hopefully @gcopter will have enough info now to confirm one way or the other that his dongle is working or not.

Hey all, thanks for your replies. Currently I’m in the process of returning the stick to the seller. I have no other Windows laptop to test it. I have followed all the instructions you provided and there’s no sign of the stick showing up anywhere. I have an RTL2832 dongle that I use routinely with the same laptop with no problems whatsoever. Because I currently live in an apartment, I plan to install the ProStick along with a Raspi 3 up in the attic. Whenever I get the new ProStick back, I’ll repost here the results. I’m convinced the one I’m returning is defective.