HI,

I have a problem with my player which doesn't seem to be specifically in the FAQ.

When the player is playing, it will sometimes stop playing for no reason. I have managed to work out that it does this mostly when it is about to change song so it may be a problem trying to cache the next song?

When this happens i can hear the hard disk. It spins up, clicks, spins down and repeats this every 10 seconds or so until eventually i have to pull the power. Sometimes after this I get a No Hard Disk Found.

If i give the player a little shake and reboot, mostly it works ok again for a while and then i get a repeat of the same problem. Often the player will start in a different position to where it left off, sometimes the same though.

It has been doing this for ages. The HD cable has been replaced about a year ago, but it's had little use since then and rarely moves position out of the lounge, so i don't think it is that.

Any ideas what it might be ? I like this little machine, even though my volume knob is completely wacky, it still works for what i want it to do.

Thanks

Seems like it might be a dodgy IDE header, which needs to be resoldered (by someone competent)...

Stig

Bugger ...

I suspected that. I will have a look later tonight, but it is showing all the signs.

Are repairs being done at Amersfoot this year ? I'm not going unfortunately, but i could trust my player to someone.

I don't think there will be any repairs being done this year, if remember correctly the hotel doesn't like people using soldering irons on the premises

The pebble remains...

ok, so No Hard Disk found is definately in the FAQ (if there was a bowing smiley i would have used that )

Anyhow my IDE Header seems fine, but i did find this in the shell prompt ...

Could not find CS4231A (version=80)

I take it this is bad ...

Then on some subsequent reboots i get this

empeg audio-in initialised, CS4231A revision a0d

which i take it is good ....

confusing ...

a0 is good, a0d should be impossible (typo?).

If it works intermittently, then I'd say the IDE header is definitely the most likely suspect.

The IDE header, ethernet chip, USB chip, and CS4231A are all wired together on the same internal bus. A fault in any one of them can affect the others.

Cheers

I agree, even if your IDE header seems fine, get it resoldered by someone with the qualifications to do so, just to be sure. All the symptoms point toward that.

Thanks fellas,

Anyone any idea of a likely cost of such a repair ? I am based in the UK.

Plus at the same time i would probably get my volume knob fixed too.

Thanks

I can, but you'll have to wait until after the empeg meet.

Or better still, bring it to the empeg meet...

I can't come to the meet unfortunately.

Could you give me a very very ball park figure for the repair of both the IDE and Vol Knod ?

ie. < £50, £50-£100, £100-£150, £150-£200, more ....

I wouldn't hold you to this figure but it gives me an idea whether i wantt o get it repaired or not, or just put up with it.

Thanks

Cable is E16, fit it yourself. Replacement decoder E16, usually about 1 hour's work @ E20/hr for replacement. Service and field mods thrown in free. Postage to Cambridge and back.

OK, so i only have to get the unit to Cambridge ?

It turns out i have a dim display too, which has only come on today in the hot weather. I had left the empeg on test in a pretty hot room, but i can't imagine it got above 40C in here.

According the FAQ this is a blown fuse which would need replacing.

So as a rough guide we would be talking 32EUR in parts and 20-40EUR in labour plus shipping, so probably less than 100EUR all in.

Is that correct ?

Yeah - except you now toss a dim display in! Blimey, you do know how to tease a girl.

I have no idea what this would cost as until I examine it - I don't know what the source of the problem is.

Sorry .. and thanks.

I must say i'm half tempted to sell as a spares or repair empeg ...

Unless you are utterly, utterly, barrel-scrapingly broke, I would recommend you DON'T sell, but repair.