Radio 100%??? Really?

Portach King · 08-10-2006, 10:21

Is it just me or does anyone else find that the Rockbox FM Radio is weaker at picking up signals than the OF? It can be quite irritating particularily during journeys accross the city where it cuts back in forth with static. The OF FM radio never had any of these troubles on the exact same frequencies.

Mentat · 08-10-2006, 11:18

I have noticed the same thing. It does not find stations automatically at my place, because the signal is so weak.

HiMDforMe · 08-10-2006, 13:27

i haven't used the radio with either firmware...too bad it doesn't have am radio. thats weird the reception is that much worse, though, i would think its a hardware issue. but it must not be 100% if its that bad.

Lunar_Lamp · 08-10-2006, 13:53

I must confess, I'd rather have had an AM radio than FM, so haven't experimented too much - but I think you could be correct. It definitely has problems finding stations automatically, but that may not be due to reception, it may just be to do with how 'pure' a signal it is looking for (i.e. the OF may accept a station as found at 75% clarity as opposed 90% clarity with the rockbox one).

bk0 · 08-10-2006, 18:31

From what I understand, FM radio is entirely hardware-controlled (there's a dedicated FM demodulator chip wired directly to the antenna [headphone cord]).

I don't see why reception would be any different w/ Rockbox than it is with the OF provided your headphone cord is the same. However if scanning is software-controlled based on some sort of lower limit signal strength cutoff then conceivably if RB's cutoff is higher than Cowon's you might have more trouble scanning in RB.

RaeNye · 08-11-2006, 08:47

Both RB and OF freq scanning are software-based, so prolly the limits are different.
This means it's a general RB radio problem rather that a X5 specific problem.

Please submit a bug report on RB tracker.

bernych · 11-17-2006, 05:32

I also experimented poor audio quality with rockbox FM radio. Switching back to the original firmware give me a clear reception on the same frequency.

Probably the radio block is not correctly configured under rockbox.

cheers

Bernych
________
Dodge MAXXcab

RaeNye · 11-18-2006, 08:55

Did you try all region settings?
Except for changing frequency bar start, step and end, some other HW settings are changed by that (e.g., high side injection, whatever that may be).

bernych · 11-19-2006, 05:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by RaeNye

Did you try all region settings?
Except for changing frequency bar start, step and end, some other HW settings are changed by that (e.g., high side injection, whatever that may be).

Yes, I've tryied all region settings but problem persists.

I'm discussion the thing on the rockbox forum, who is interested, please look at:
http://forums.rockbox.org/index.php?topic=7411.0

Cheers

Bernych
________
Honda Vamos

bernych · 12-23-2006, 03:41

I've found a workaround for the poor audio quality.

Once I've tuned my radio station, I press the REC button to show the menu.
While in this mode the radio still sing and the noise is gone.
For me this work well.

I imagine that while in radio screen, the processor continue to "discuss" with the radio module and this add extra noise.

Hope this help

Bernych
________
Suzuki Intruder

madcow · 12-23-2006, 06:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by bernych

I've found a workaround for the poor audio quality.

Once I've tuned my radio station, I press the REC button to show the menu.
While in this mode the radio still sing and the noise is gone.
For me this work well.

I imagine that while in radio screen, the processor continue to "discuss" with the radio module and this add extra noise.

Hope this help

Bernych

Same for me.
Otherwise there is a lot of ticking noise.

hweb21 · 12-23-2006, 19:17

i wonder if the radio chip and feature can be disable to save battery life like the usb off patch, i mean if it will save battery life than just use the OF version of it, well i dont use the radio part anyway. if it can then i would probably get into compiling and patching.

bernych · 12-24-2006, 04:24

The radio is already put to sleep mode when the device boots. You can not save more power than that.

But for me rockbox gives me already much more battery runtime than the OF, so the choice is easy

Bernych
________
cloudy trichomes

is that a boat? · 12-29-2006, 21:17

Also confirming that the radio has a much weaker signal in Rockbox than OF. I get a fairly weak signal as it is, and if I want to listen to the match on the radio I have to boot into the original firmware to even understand what is going on.

08-10-2006, 10:21	#1
Portach King Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 54	Radio 100%??? Really? Is it just me or does anyone else find that the Rockbox FM Radio is weaker at picking up signals than the OF? It can be quite irritating particularily during journeys accross the city where it cuts back in forth with static. The OF FM radio never had any of these troubles on the exact same frequencies.

11-17-2006, 05:32	#7
bernych Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 102	I also experimented poor audio quality with rockbox FM radio. Switching back to the original firmware give me a clear reception on the same frequency. Probably the radio block is not correctly configured under rockbox. cheers Bernych ________ Dodge MAXXcab Last edited by bernych; 02-01-2011 at 23:38..

12-23-2006, 03:41	#10
bernych Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 102	I've found a workaround for the poor audio quality. Once I've tuned my radio station, I press the REC button to show the menu. While in this mode the radio still sing and the noise is gone. For me this work well. I imagine that while in radio screen, the processor continue to "discuss" with the radio module and this add extra noise. Hope this help Bernych ________ Suzuki Intruder Last edited by bernych; 02-01-2011 at 23:40..

12-24-2006, 04:24	#13
bernych Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 102	The radio is already put to sleep mode when the device boots. You can not save more power than that. But for me rockbox gives me already much more battery runtime than the OF, so the choice is easy Bernych ________ cloudy trichomes Last edited by bernych; 02-01-2011 at 23:41..

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08-10-2006, 11:18	#2
Mentat Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Berlin, Germany Posts: 77	I have noticed the same thing. It does not find stations automatically at my place, because the signal is so weak.

08-10-2006, 13:27	#3
HiMDforMe Rockbox5 Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 995	i haven't used the radio with either firmware...too bad it doesn't have am radio. thats weird the reception is that much worse, though, i would think its a hardware issue. but it must not be 100% if its that bad.

08-10-2006, 13:53	#4
Lunar_Lamp Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 30	I must confess, I'd rather have had an AM radio than FM, so haven't experimented too much - but I think you could be correct. It definitely has problems finding stations automatically, but that may not be due to reception, it may just be to do with how 'pure' a signal it is looking for (i.e. the OF may accept a station as found at 75% clarity as opposed 90% clarity with the rockbox one).

08-10-2006, 18:31	#5
bk0 Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 183	From what I understand, FM radio is entirely hardware-controlled (there's a dedicated FM demodulator chip wired directly to the antenna [headphone cord]). I don't see why reception would be any different w/ Rockbox than it is with the OF provided your headphone cord is the same. However if scanning is software-controlled based on some sort of lower limit signal strength cutoff then conceivably if RB's cutoff is higher than Cowon's you might have more trouble scanning in RB.

08-11-2006, 08:47	#6
RaeNye Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 125	Both RB and OF freq scanning are software-based, so prolly the limits are different. This means it's a general RB radio problem rather that a X5 specific problem. Please submit a bug report on RB tracker.

11-18-2006, 08:55	#8
RaeNye Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 125	Did you try all region settings? Except for changing frequency bar start, step and end, some other HW settings are changed by that (e.g., high side injection, whatever that may be).

12-23-2006, 19:17	#12
hweb21 Web User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: USA Posts: 505	i wonder if the radio chip and feature can be disable to save battery life like the usb off patch, i mean if it will save battery life than just use the OF version of it, well i dont use the radio part anyway. if it can then i would probably get into compiling and patching.

12-29-2006, 21:17	#14
is that a boat? Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 13	Also confirming that the radio has a much weaker signal in Rockbox than OF. I get a fairly weak signal as it is, and if I want to listen to the match on the radio I have to boot into the original firmware to even understand what is going on.