Ooohkay. As I've been using my player more and more, both in-car and in 'home' mode, I've noticed a few things, and more and more of it's starting to make me wonder if I got a lemon. (Or, at least, a lime. A little sweeter.):

First off, I have the player process lock-up while selecting AUX-IN. Only way to reset it is to flash the kernel. While it's locked, my process times skyrocket.

Second, my remote. At first I thought it was a batter, but thried three batteries now, same reult. The remote stops working after a short amount of time. Sometimes after only two presses, sometimes I can do a whole search. After that, no response from the remote. Next time I try it (after work, the next day, etc) it works again, for a short while.

Third: My date & time. I've set it a few times, but it would never hold. I ignored it for a long time (4 weeks) because I rarely use it. But now, for kicks, I went to see what it was set at. It was up to July 1st, 2033! and over 13 hours off!

Fourth: Button presses. A couple different issues: Using the HiJack HTTP, If I send a skip forward command, it will, but then if I send it again, there's no responce for ~30 seconds, then the Empeg acts like I've been holding the button down, and starts FFW'in for a little bit, sometimes for ever until I reset. In the car (or home) when I use the panel buttons to FFW or REW, I'll hold the button down, it will start rewinding or ff'ing, then when I let the button go it will stop, then continur to scan until a undetermined point, then JUMP to the next or beginning of the track. I can abort it by hitting a button, but this will take it to the start of the track or the next track.

Lastly: On my cross-country trip, I noticed a few times the player froze when I turned it on - kinda like #1 above, but pulling the power and reapplying fixed it immediately. Almost like the HD was flaking out. Also, a few times now, the player's froze between songs waiting on the HD, once I got a "invalid file format" message on a song I had just listened to, and one MP3 is nutton but silence, even though I listen to it at home alla time. (I realize the latter two may be bad headers/data, but am including it in case it matters.)

Ideas? Should I call support and see if they can look at it?

(Running 2.0b11, HiJack 253, MK2a)
Many thanks..
Mike.

Hmm. Sounds like a support call to me.

Hey, I've had the identical problem wiht the remote on one of my units too. Tried the battery and all just like you. Let me know if you get any feedback on that problem, I would like to know. Thanks

Hah.. Now, I just turned it on at work, and the label across the top saying "Source: Player" is stuck on, and it wouldn't play the first song (the one that was playing when I turned it off). Had to jump to the next track.

So, I have to call support. Now I just have to get the courage up to part with it..

Hi

I've had the same problems. First, i copied some music to my MkIIa, and sometimes it locked up with a 'bad format file' message. After a few days, it started up with a 'no HDD' message, and i realised my IDE cable was bad. After changing it, it seems to be OK again, no error messages.
The same with the remote. One of them worked for a moment, then it seemed to be death. I called support and they sent me a new one, with the correct IDE cable.
The problem that I can't solve is the search function. As I push the right / left button (or |<< , >>| in the remote) to search into a song, sometimes it search, sometimes not and goes to the next / last song when I release it, sometimes it doesn't do anything and then (10 sec) begins to search. The same when I try to turn off. Sometimes it turns off, but most of the times (more often with the remote) it changes to AUX or pauses instead of turning off. I guess it's a Linux non-realtime proccess problem, but i suppose it has to be fixed (¿?)
I've noticed too sometimes it takes a long time searching a song, about 15 sec. with the clock in the screen...

It would be great to know a solution...

Cheers

Miguel
Madrid

Just a quick update:
Been talking to 'David' in support (he read these boards? Should I put his name in quotes?) and regarding the remote issue, he said that the battery contacts in the remote can sometimes be mis-adjusted, causing it to not make contact. He offered to replace it for me. Cool.
Regarding the wierd-acting buttons - I never thought of it before, but he asked me to uninstall HiJack, and test it. For the most part, everything worked fine. There was still a small issue where the player wouldn't 'see' me holding down the button until I let go, and then it would jump FF or REW a hair, and resume playing. (So, translated, that means that whatever HiJack does, it 'amplified' the issue with the buttons, to where it was a REAL problem, from something that was a strange occurance.)
Anyways, I shipped it off, and now I'm RIO-less. *sigh*

Hmmm maybe he'll replace my remote. Yeah its umm acting up. Actually its MIA (literally) used it to change the mood music and havent seen it since going on two days now...probably under the bed but ummm if its under there it might as well be in a black hole or something.

I think the "remote-control location uncertain" is a known bug, and unfortunately there's no simple fix (it's a hardware issue). The problem is known to be exacerbated by incompatible versions of Girlfriend, Husband, and similar systems, so one workaround is to remove or replace these if installed (once the remote has gone, it's usually too late for this remedy to have any effect). Other workarounds exist, but are only for expert hardware hackers.

A desperate last resort may be to get hold of a replacement - remote controls are naturally gregarious, and the presence of another may encourage the recalcitrant one to emerge from its sulk - if the new one is particularly attractive, jealousy may help to tease it back into your tender care.

Good luck!

i had the same problem with my remote. i figured out how to fix it and posted directions on how to do so here in this thread... http://empeg.comms.net/php/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Board=empeg_general&Number=75184&Search=true&Forum=All_Forums&Words=remote%20problems&Match=And&Searchpage=0&Limit=25&Old=allposts&Main=75184 I hope this helps.

Whohoo. I got my player back.. Actually, I got a new one, with my old HD in it. All problems fixed, except for one, and I'm wondering if it's a HD issue (considering the player itself has been replaced..)

The problem manifests itself with HiJack installed (currently on 266). However, it does not happen as often, and now, I think I'm getting it narrowed down to when it happens.
First, a quick overview of what happens - the Empeg either 'misses' a keypress, or thinks a keypress is occuring. For example: In the HiJack menu, I have the knob press redefined to show details. When this 'wierdness' occurs, hitting the knob will switch info modes. (The default action.) Almost like HiJack misses it completely. Another example, hitting the > button to FF, and no responce from player for a while, then (either at a random time, or when I release the button), it will start FF'ing, and not stop until I hit a button again.

BEFORE, It used to happen 75% of the time. NOW, it seems to only happen when the HD indicator either has "W" by it, or has a bright center. All other times, now, it works fine. (Including using the HiJack http commands, AND the remote, AND the Aux-in.)

Also note, if I install a non-HiJack kernel, no issues. (Since I, too, work in Tech Support, I know this may be misleading. I may just not be noticing anything.)

And, as a complete aside, Whoa, I am glad I have it back. Thoes 4 weeks were hell. and this has been probably the BEST freakin' purchase I made in a looong, looong time.. Now I JUST NEED A TUNER. Aargh.

Me.

The player sometimes taking a long time to respond to a button press is a known software bug that I'm pretty sure is in beta 11, and I'm having the same trouble in the internal beta 12 release. It's on the internal bug list, don't know its status.

I do not think this is a problem with your player. I'm pretty sure that if you installed the 1.03 version of the software, that this problem would go away. Currently, that is the only work around for this bug that I know of.

Ah, okay. I remember hearing of that bug, but somehow it never connected that that could be what I was experiencing. Gratzi!