A wish for everyone with a ragtop

At the Woodside meet today, I spoke with Rob about how the factory system in my Seibring Convertable automatically switches EQ depending on whether the top was up or down. His reply was that this wasn't something that could be done with a kernel hack. It would need to be coded in the player software. Providing, of course, an input was available. Rob did mention that there would have to be some demand for this before It would be considered.

I didn't think about it then, but maybe the cellphone line could be co-opted.

Glenn

BTW, The Chrysler folks did a good job on their EQ switching. I can't tell the difference top up or down.

At the Woodside meet today, I spoke with Rob about how the factory system in my Seibring Convertable automatically switches EQ depending on whether the top was up or down. His reply was that this wasn't something that could be done with a kernel hack. It would need to be coded in the player software.

We've heard similar statements before.

What does the Equalizer button do on the Rio remote? If it can drop you into the Equalizer menu from anywhere, then this might be very similar to the visuals hack.

Can somebody with a Rio remote post the codes that it generates? What does it do if you hold down a button? Drop me a note if you are willing to help out with this and I'll send you a kernel image that can print the codes out.

Thanks,
Borislav

I have a convertible and would love to have top up and down support.

Calvin

Does anyone know, weither the cellphone line, is a digital input, or is hardwired to the audio subsystem?

If the former then a player option on the use of that line would be possible.

Glenn

It's a digital input.

Hugo

That's a good idea, but how would you detect top up/down?

Calvin

That's a good idea, but how would you detect top up/down?

Oh, Calvin -- that's such a trivial question, I'm ashamed of you.

It's simple -- you take a rubber ducky and glue it to the inside of the top, right below the rear window. Now, when you retract the top, it folds up, squeezing the ducky which then makes a "quaaacckk" sound. (I do not advocate using a live duck for this purpose, or the PETA folks will be all over you.) Next, install a microphone in the vicnity of the ducky. This microphone is connected to the Voice Recognition input of the empeg. We all know that the empeg will be able to recognize voice commands Real Soon Now (tm), and it shouldn't be too difficult to have the "quaaacckk" command allocated to switching the equalizer preset, unless Rob or Hugo have already allocated that command for some other purpose. If that's the case, perhaps you could investigate connecting the pull-ring of a Talking Barbie to the top retraction mechanism, although complications will arise due to the variety of commands that would be issued randomly as opposed to a simple, uncomplicated "quaaacckk". Perhaps, though, a random assignment of different EQ presets would prove entertaining to some people.

I'm still working on how to detect when the top goes back up again, because while "quaaacckk" is a perfectly acceptable VR command, the "kkccaaauq" sound generated as the duck gets un-squeezed leaves something to be desired in terms of pronuncibility, not to mention phoneme recognition by the VR circuitry. Possibly something to do with a photocell to detect the diminished luminence inside the car would work if it were tied into the display dimmer circuit, but that idea loses appeal if you do any night time driving.

So there's at least half the problem solved. As you can see, simple solutions are usually the best.

tanstaafl.






"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"

Since Hugo has admitted, the cellphone input is digital. The only thing that stands in the way, is a will to implement a user selectable option on how that line is used.

Personally I don't expect to mount a cell phone in my car so the loss of cell phone mute is, well...... mute.

Actually my Seibring has, as a part of its factory sound system, top up/down sensing. It works so I haven't felt any desire to tear things apart to find out exactly how. Won't either unless this wish comes true. If possible I will tap into that. If not, I will add a lever/plunger/lanyard/whatever operated switch that will provide acceptable inputs.

Glenn

PS Hugo, That cellphone line. It wouldn't happen to be tied to an A/D converter would it? Even a simple one would allow multifunction use of that input.

No, it's digital!

If you wanted more inputs, the logical thing would be a pic on the serial port to send state changes as serial characters.

Hugo

ROFL!

Excellet sarcasm. I give it an 8.5. Incorporation of duck tape would have gotten it a 9.

-Mike

* duck brand duct tape of course.

Well, you must have one weird plastic bath ducky, 'cos mine goes wheeeesssshhh (rather asthmatically, I'm afraid) as it inhales again after a long sit-on.

Doesn't yours do that, then?

One of the few remaining Mk1 owners... #00015

Thanks. I'll go to the store to pick up a dubber rucky.

Calvin

Scooby Doo say's :

"Rubber rucky?? Ruh??"

"Rump r'your reg?? Row, way!!!"

Blind (and stupid) logic and pure silliness dictate:

(silliness)
A simple fix to the top-up/top-down problem would be rubber "mufflers" over the speaker cones.
Top down, mufflers on to "quiet" the music, top up, mufflers off and angled to deflect music towards the driver to create the proper "aumbiance" (say in a snooty way, aum-bi-aunce) for those sunny South Cali days, when the rest of us are freezing our cohones off!!!
Or you could just "pretend" there is an eq adjustment for the top.
(/silliness)

Ranting has been completed.



Smoker_Man
#080000449 MkII - 36Gb Blue

Ruthless, Absolutly Ruthless!

One Rube G. credit awarded for each indirection.

Glenn