Did you add a heat sink on top of the RM521 when you had it in the 5G2PHY?
I’m running the same here, idle temp on average is around 34c, hottest i’ve seen it is 44c.
Depending on the network and connected band/s (LTE) the mcu boards work ok. Beyond that, power delivery to the module is an issue. Becomes more obvious comparing the two pcbs… essentially nothing in the way of a stable vrm on the mcu board
Good luck trying to reattach the antenna connector, hope you manage to repair it.
LAN settings is missing because it’s not ready yet
Versions are coming with simpleupdated;
Each directory will have a .rev file indicating what revision number it’s on. Simpleupdated will check for updates based on user preferences and revision numbers.
That’s available in the console menu under Apps–> Open Task manager/View CPU load
Will look into it adding to the regular UI
Yes, same heatsink I use in the MCU is still attached. The Fan is definitely what’s making the large temp difference. I’ll probably keep the RRM521 in the MCU kit as the speeds I’m getting where I’m at are in the 200-450Mbps range and the other kit doesn’t improve on that. If I get bored and grab an RRM551 I’ll probably install it in the 5G2PHY, hopefully someone has found a fan kit that works by then.
Ordered some IPEX4 connectors and will give that a go. Found a good video and it doesn’t look terribly hard. I’ve done similar repairs.
i tore 1 antenna port on my rm521f. the pad is really close to the shield. the connector should be mhf4 for m.2 module. it is pretty hard but giving that i am not that skill. i think it is easier for amature to solder the antenna wire directly but hotglue the cable to bored. but 1 antenna tether to rm521.
That video I posted is a different connector type. They are way bigger than the ones on the RM521 modems. I didn’t notice until I saw him flip it with his fingers. You literally can barely pick these up they are so tiny.
Also there isn’t really and metal left where the signal pin would solder to, so it’s basically a lost cause. I gave up after a couple hours trying. I’ll just use the modem with just two antennas connected as two pads actually came disconnected. It is slower , but fortunately it’s just a hobby and my backup ISP with a phone Sim.
the red circles are signal wires. ground is ground. the correct connector is mhf4. get a professional to solder them or just solder the antenna directly to the pads. these rm521f is good but end of life.
i broke my ant3 due stiff antenna pigtail. now swapped with lower thinner ant pigtail after i soldered it back and hotglue it.
I tried just soldering the antenna wire, but there’s no metal there at the pads where you circled the wires in red. It’s just circuit board so the solder is not sticking.
I briefly managed to get it to solder to the pad to the right, but not sure if it’s even connected to the one on the left. Even after hot gluing it it came loose when I was putting the modem back together.
i have 3 mcuzone boards that I have no use for. The rework boards are amazing. Other than the link lights not working, these boards are fast and very stable. I am running 2xRM521F’s and 1xRM551E. they are very solid, stable and fast using the rj45 port.
I have an assortment of antennas that I’ve used as well as the Waveform 4x4MIMO panel antennas. the mcuzone boards are just garbage. it was never a signal issue for me.
Thanks, bmanahan, for sharing your hands-on experience with both MCUZone and rework.network–it’s a huge help as I weigh my options going forward (and maybe save the few hairs I have left on my head dealing with this MCUZone box).
I attest to this. Once I have installed the simpleadmin and enabled IP Passthrough, it has been running for 7 days without any disconnections. I hope the supplier keeps making these units because it is currently not in stock.
re: “I have an assortment of antennas that I’ve used as well as the Waveform 4x4MIMO panel antennas.”
I forgot to ask what you think of the Waveform 4x4 MIMO panel antenna models (the smaller omni one and the larger directional one)?
I was seriously considering the pretty new Taoglas TGX.04 4x4 MIMO antenna. It has support for more 5G bands than any other 4x4 MIMO I have found currently on the market, and the price is in-line with the competition.
In the end I opted not to get it because it’s omnidirectional, and I think I’ll have to go with a directional panel antenna, for which there are very few options at this time. And I was never 100% sure signal was the problem because I could always take the exact same SIM out of the MCUZone box+Quectel modem and put it in my smartphone and get reliable (albeit always slow) data.
Current plan is to buy a rework board, if that doesn’t work, buy a GL-M2 board with brand new Quectel RM520N modem, and if that doesn’t work, buy a 4x4 MIMO directional antenna capable of 5G band 71 support.
Other than the bulkiness of the waveform 4x4, it’s quite solid. I don’t have the specifics on SNR, but I mounted it on the side of a rural property in central texas. cell phone service would register a single bar on an iPhone13 with 5G. Using the RM521F without the Waveform, I could expect 10-25Mbs down. With the Waveform 4x4 panel antenna, I consistent get 300Mbs. I am about 5 miles away from the tower and I do not have clear Line of Site. There are some elevation changes and some trees. The Waveform is legit. Their kit is pricey and to be honest, I wish I had less cabling to deal with, but that’s a small price to pay for stable 5G connectivty.
I also wouldn’t spend time on the RM520N. I’d spend a little more on the RM551E. Aliexpress is your fren.
Thanks, bmanahan! Our situation is similar to yours: 1 bar of service on an iPhone, max of 25Mbps down. Add to that the unstable MCUZone box and it’s sheer frustration. The directional Waveform 4x4 MIMO panel antenna sounds like it’ll be perfect for my situation.
I’ll order a rework box as soon as they come back in stock in Sept. per all the advice in this thread plus snowgum’s advice in another thread.
Thanks for the tip about the RM551E–I will check it out.
I just got the RM551 and it has openwrt on it. Can I get simpleadmin to run on it? do you have plans to add/features similar to rooter GO (ex splash.html, luci pages for band/tower lock, etc)?
update: just saw your video that give more info then github. quecmanager package installed.