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#70722 - 13/02/2002 06:38 Tuner waiting list...
Audio
stranger

Registered: 11/02/2002
Posts: 45
Loc: Italy
Hello all,

I read about the existence of a waiting/preorder list for possible Tuner modules for the empeg, but can't find it... Does anyone know where I could add my name? ;-)

I'm certainly not interested in looking for it on eBay... but would be an important add to my coming unit... Not only for traffic information, but for news in general...

Thank you,

Alberto (waiting for his Mk2.a)
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http://albertov.tripod.com

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#70723 - 13/02/2002 07:23 Re: Tuner waiting list... [Re: Audio]
andy
carpal tunnel

Registered: 10/06/1999
Posts: 5916
Loc: Wivenhoe, Essex, UK
There is no waiting list. The guys at empeg are in discussion with the orgininal factory about having another batch made and funded either by SonicBlue or more likely a third party. Nothing has been decided yet though.
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#70724 - 13/02/2002 08:37 Re: Tuner waiting list... [Re: andy]
huh
new poster

Registered: 23/01/2002
Posts: 15
Does anyone know the current realistic demand level for the tuners?

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#70725 - 13/02/2002 08:40 Re: Tuner waiting list... [Re: huh]
darwin
enthusiast

Registered: 10/01/2002
Posts: 205
The crazy people will pay over $300, the rest of us would probably pay $100. Even though I have a tuner in my car, I have not used it once in the last month.

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#70726 - 13/02/2002 09:04 Re: Tuner waiting list... [Re: darwin]
ElectricD7
member

Registered: 31/01/2002
Posts: 135
Loc: Indiana, USA
Sell it to me for $150 then, and we both win!
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ED7 --------------------- 20G Mark2A SN#: 010101680 1997 Chrysler Sebring LXi

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#70727 - 13/02/2002 11:07 Re: Tuner waiting list... [Re: huh]
loren
carpal tunnel

Registered: 23/08/2000
Posts: 3826
Loc: SLC, UT, USA
in the last unofficial poll, it was over 200 people at least.
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#70728 - 13/02/2002 13:39 Re: Tuner waiting list... [Re: loren]
blitz
addict

Registered: 20/11/2001
Posts: 455
Loc: Texas
Does anyone have a realistic idea of what a run of 200 would cost? I had heard SonicBlue had made essentially zero dollars at $100. I have no idea what their production run was. Also, does anyone know what the status of the (I am assuming) outside manufacturing firm is regarding the boxes, boards chips, harnasses, small parts, etc.?

I believe I read that the CarPlayer (is this correct) route might not happen at all.

When I said demand, I should have specified # not $. Is 200 a good #?


Edited by blitz (13/02/2002 13:40)

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#70729 - 13/02/2002 14:23 Re: Tuner waiting list... [Re: blitz]
andy
carpal tunnel

Registered: 10/06/1999
Posts: 5916
Loc: Wivenhoe, Essex, UK
If you have a search through Rob's posts over the last three weeks you should find one with details on the likely cost of a production run of ther tuners.
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#70730 - 15/02/2002 06:23 Re: Tuner waiting list... [Re: andy]
JoshMKiV
journeyman

Registered: 03/01/2002
Posts: 60
I offered to put up the cash for another run. No reply from Rob. Perhaps this is a sign that something is underway...


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#70731 - 15/02/2002 10:14 Re: Tuner waiting list... [Re: JoshMKiV]
The_Optimizer
journeyman

Registered: 04/11/2001
Posts: 59
Loc: Texas
You're not the only one. I know of some very affluent geeks (with empegs and tuners) that have expressed interested in backing a run if in the end they stand a chance of breaking even or making a small return - no desire to gouge empeg owners. On a small run like we are talking about, that's not always that easy.
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[green]-Matt Pritchard[/green] Riocar 60gig S/N : 010102081

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#70732 - 15/02/2002 10:41 Re: Tuner waiting list... [Re: andy]
tracerbullet
addict

Registered: 08/01/2002
Posts: 419
Loc: Minnesota
I've seen in in person, but only the outside. Is there anything special inside? Is this something that could be made with some parts from Radio Shack? I know it's not THAT easy, but if someone was to source and order all the parts, could they get a breadboard and spend a weekend making their own tuner?

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#70733 - 15/02/2002 10:48 Re: Tuner waiting list... [Re: tracerbullet]
Terminator
old hand

Registered: 12/01/2000
Posts: 1079
Loc: Dallas, TX
Theres a high quality oem tuner module inside. I doubt you could make one out of radio shack parts, or thats what would have been done in the first place. Dont let me discourage you though, im sure someone here could come up with something that works!!!

Sean

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#70734 - 15/02/2002 16:36 Re: Tuner waiting list... [Re: Terminator]
Shonky
pooh-bah

Registered: 12/01/2002
Posts: 2009
Loc: Brisbane, Australia
So who's willing to crack open a tuner module and have a peek inside?
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Christian
#40104192 120Gb (no longer in my E36 M3, won't fit the E46 M3)

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#70735 - 15/02/2002 17:04 Re: Tuner waiting list... [Re: Shonky]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31597
Loc: Seattle, WA
Cracking open the tuner module wouldn't do you a lot of good. It's not something you can build from Radio Shack parts. There are some expensive parts in there which aren't available just anywhere. Also, there is som custom firmware programming which goes into the chips on the Tuner board, and you can't duplicate that programming without some serious work.
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Tony Fabris

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#70736 - 15/02/2002 17:16 Re: Tuner waiting list... [Re: tfabris]
Shonky
pooh-bah

Registered: 12/01/2002
Posts: 2009
Loc: Brisbane, Australia
OK Well that finishes that idea I guess. I didn't realise that the tuner module had any "brains". I though it would be a dumb module driven by the empeg and that the modules although not impossible to get would have been easier to get than a tuner at the moment.
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Christian
#40104192 120Gb (no longer in my E36 M3, won't fit the E46 M3)

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#70737 - 15/02/2002 17:17 Re: Tuner waiting list... [Re: tracerbullet]
ClownBurner
member

Registered: 05/09/2000
Posts: 174
Loc: Irvine, CA USA
..You could certainly take a cheapo tuner and hook it to the AUX ports though, but it's not going to be controllable by the Empeg...
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_____________ James Mancini

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#70738 - 16/02/2002 05:50 Re: Tuner waiting list... [Re: ClownBurner]
jane
enthusiast

Registered: 10/10/2000
Posts: 350
Loc: Copenhagen SW, Denmark
It would take some work, but it is possible to make one from parts bought from different places.
1) Controller (PIC?)
2) Radio receiver (for instance from phillips)
3) RDS decoder

The Radio receiver must have an "audio-out" that is compatible with the audio in to the empeg. (This was discussed here some time ago). (Where it my philips
components catalogue?)

The the PIC would have to take care of the protocols, RDS decoding, tuning of the frequency etc.

This probably wouldn't give us all the functionality of the current empeg tuner, like for instance signal strength. I don't know how accurate the frequency reading would be either.

Marius

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#70739 - 17/02/2002 07:26 Re: Tuner waiting list... [Re: jane]
altman
carpal tunnel

Registered: 19/05/1999
Posts: 3457
Loc: Palo Alto, CA
There is no RDS decoder in the tuner, it's built into the empeg's DSP in the main box. It's really not worth trying to replicate the design - it'd cost more and take a lot of your time!

We're still working on having another batch made by whatever means we can. Things are looking quite promising at the moment, fingers crossed & wait for an announcement...

Hugo

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#70740 - 17/02/2002 11:36 Re: Tuner waiting list... [Re: altman]
jane
enthusiast

Registered: 10/10/2000
Posts: 350
Loc: Copenhagen SW, Denmark
Cool!
I think you'll make a lot of people happy if you do...
The DSP in the empeg player must be designed to work with
some Radio circuit like the Phillips TEA6824T (The first one I could find while browsing my 1996 Philips semiconductor CD).

But as you say... It will take too much of my time to be worth the trouble. I could probably achieve the same in a shorter time with some standard radio connedcted to AUX in and the serial port, and do all the work by hacking the kernel...

(Or maybe I should take on the challenge, just to show I have a master's degree in digital system design (Including VLSI and microelectronics) ;-)

Marius (Escort Cab + Mark II)

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#70741 - 17/02/2002 14:47 Re: Tuner waiting list... [Re: loren]
AlB
member

Registered: 06/02/2002
Posts: 149
Loc: SF
Could we set up a poll on this list and send them the results (i.e. how many units and what we would pay). maybe this would help influence them to move on it!!!

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#70742 - 17/02/2002 16:07 Re: Tuner waiting list... [Re: AlB]
drakino
carpal tunnel

Registered: 08/06/1999
Posts: 7868
A poll has been suggested (and even tried here) many times. When the time is right, Rob will use official channels to get an accurate count.

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#70743 - 18/02/2002 01:34 Re: Tuner waiting list... [Re: AlB]
andy
carpal tunnel

Registered: 10/06/1999
Posts: 5916
Loc: Wivenhoe, Essex, UK
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#70744 - 18/02/2002 03:32 Re: Tuner waiting list... [Re: AlB]
rob
carpal tunnel

Registered: 21/05/1999
Posts: 5335
Loc: Cambridge UK
We don't need to be influenced.

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