KiwiSDR reset instructions using an SD card

Updated 11 July 2024

To do a complete factory reset of your KiwiSDR, power off the radio, open the case, then insert the SD card into the card slot (see picture below) and power it up.

It should start re-flashing the Beagle to restore the radio back to factory settings.

After 20-30 seconds the row of blue LEDs on the Beagle will start sweeping back and forth (see movie below). This indicates that the file transfer is working.

If the LED pattern does not happen you need to force the Beagle to read the SD card. To do this you have to power down the radio then hold down the little tact switch near the card slot (but underneath the Beagle circuit board) while you connect the power. Below are pictures of the button location. After a few seconds the LEDs will start to blink, then you can release the switch. This process is a bit tricky as there is not enough room to hold the button with your finger so you have to use a small pen or screwdriver and you really need three hands 😊

When the re-flash has finished (takes about five minutes) all the LEDs will go dark. Remove the power then remove the SD card (push the card in briefly and it will pop out). Then you can power the radio again.

It will boot up and connect to the proxy server within 1-2 minutes with the address XXXXX.proxy.kiwidr.com where XXXXX is the serial number of the radio. The serial number is contained in non volatile memory in the cape so this will work even if you are doing it with a different Beagle to the one originally supplied.

The temporary Admin password will be your serial number. Please change this very soon as it is not secure. You can change the password by going to the admin screen XXXXX.proxy.kiwisdr.com/admin or by clicking the ADMIN button under the USERS tab in the main radio console. Once in the Admin console go to the SECURITY tab and change the Admin password in the "Admin password" box. Hit enter and the box colour will change to green briefly to show that it has been changed.

Your radio will update to the latest code overnight (local time) if it has an Internet connection. Or immediately if you click the "Build now" button on the Admin console UPDATE tab. Updating can take up to an hour. You cannot use the radio during this time but you can connect to the Admin console and can watch the update process by going to the CONSOLE tab then clicking on the "Monitor build process" button.

Because the Beagle is mounted upside down inside the Kiwi the picture below shows the underside of the Beagle circuit board. So the SD card socket is on top and the BOOT switch is on the bottom, underneath the socket effectively.