has anyone found the negative spike problem affecting their mk2a units? the faq mentions that the mk2a's already have the diode in place - but heres my problem:

i have the unit set up so that constant power and igition power cables go right to the battery (well, to the power distributor block used for my amps etc) - i did this with the empeg and my previous head units so that i could have the unit continue playback even if i had the keys with me. (car is a semi-show sorta thing and at meets and events i usually have the car off, but doors open and music playing - so id rather not have the keys in there during those times)

this setup worked great but, for the empeg, it means it doesnt really go into complete power-off mode. does this then mean that the unit never has the inclination to save its state before i pull it? if i pull the unit while it is playing, there is a loud pop only from the left channel RCA, and player state is not saved. if i put it into standby, then pull the unit, no pop sound, but player state is still not saved. sometimes it goes back to songs i passed quite a long time ago, sometimes it loads completely different playlists that i was listening to a while back.

there is also a slightly lesser thump/pop thru the subs when starting the car while unit is playing.
2 types of pops here:
the "left channel pop" is a high pitched one, more like a sharp breif crackle, no low end thump thru the subs.
the "start the car pop" is a lower freq thump that comes thru the subs and only slightly thru the mids/highs speakers.

thats the setup and the symptoms.

given that the player is always getting power when docked, should this behaviour be expected? what can i do to force the player to save its states properly? less importantly, is there any way to get rid of the left channel pop? its only the left channel, and only when pulling the unit when it is on. i CAN go putting another diode in there, but it seems that it may not be the issue if my mk2a already has a diode built in.

thanks for any comments and help, im pleased to be a part of the community here

i have the unit set up so that constant power and igition power cables go right to the battery

I stopped reading the rest of your post as soon as I saw this sentence.

That is incorrect wiring, and will result in some unusual behavior on your player, including many of the symptoms of the negative spike bug. For instance, amplifier popping will happen when it is wired this way.

Go wire it correctly, then come back and let us know if you're still having any problems.

(car is a semi-show sorta thing and at meets and events i usually have the car off, but doors open and music playing - so id rather not have the keys in there during those times)

I read a little further to see if you explained why it was wired this way.

The above sentence is not a sufficient excuse to wire it this way. The player is different from other car stereos. It is designed so that you can remove the key and still have it playing, even when it is wired correctly. Please read this to see an explanation of how this works.

I gotta say, If you're worried about someone stealing your car, you shouldn't leave it. I sure as hell wouldn't leave MY empeg unattended in a car wide open with the music playing. It just slides out WAAAAAAAAY too easily.

"It is designed so that you can remove the key and still have it playing, even when it is wired correctly."

from what i understand, the player has a countdown function that will power off the unit after the seconds specified in the emplode player setup. the default was 7200secs/120mins. i decided at the time of installation that this wasnt enough and preferred knowing that i would not be restricted if i wired it how i used to the other units. yes, other units arent an empeg.. and yes, if indeed there is no upper limit to the number of seconds, then i will happily use that feature. can anyone inform me of the upper limit to the standby->shutdown timeout?

"The above sentence is not a sufficient excuse to wire it this way."
i really do appreciate the wealth of knowledge on this board and especially yours tony, but i really do feel that you may need to be more careful how you phrase your responses - in this case you really have no facility to deem my requirements as 'sufficient excuse'. i understand you do not intend to come off in this manner but nevertheless, you have.

given the variety of users and installations on this board i should think an open mind is the key. i doubt wanting the empeg to play indefinitely with the key removed from the car is as extreme as installing it on a bicycle.

neither would i. the car is not left unattended when opened, im within 10-50m of it all the time. the advantage is that not many realise the unit is a slideout. as a brief explanation i am one of the more solid members of the local honda club here in auckland, and we have the occasional member meet on the weekends which is more of a 'park up and come hang out' affair, and it seems to fall on me to provide the tunes, which i happily accept. its a balance of my own peace of mind for not leaving the keys in it, plus not worrying about the stereo clicking off without my control. thats all. just my own preference on how i like to use my empeg.

can anyone inform me of the upper limit to the standby->shutdown timeout?

But that is the whole point it is only the transition from standby to shutdown that is affected. i.e. if you wake up the player from standby it will play until your battery runs flat. And if it shuts down after waiting in standby for 2 hours, you can just turn the ignition to ACC and back to off and you're back in standby from where you can wake up the player.

I don't know what the maximum time is but something like the maximum value of a signed 16-bit integer would be logical to me (32767 seconds). Has anyone ever bothered to try?

The only timeout is when the player shuts down if you havn't turn it back on. Once you turn the car off and turn the player back on, it'll play till your battery dies. The timout can be set to something quite large, though I'm not sure what it is... I really don't think there is any reason to leave it wired permanently...

A feature that would be nice is a way to have the player play until a door is opened. I just discovered this feature after driving a '01 tahoe around for a few weeks, and it was a nice feature.

Matthew

That makes sense. How difficult would it be to add a lock to the empeg? Something like a lock used on shitty cabinets, where when you turn they key, a little bar slides into a notch you dremeled out of the case? It seems it could easily be mounted under the dash, to be used only when at a show. I guess it's not a big deal, but I'd feel better knowing it wouldn't just slide out. Oh, and the deal with the turning the empeg on after your car is off is correct. It will play till you're out of juice. Been there, Done that.

That reminds me, I used to have a car that you could start, then take the keys out, or put on ACC, then remove the keys. I loved it. If they sold that in the stores I'd buy one in a heartbeat. Mine was just a worn out lock. Oh, and you could turn it to OFF, but no further, either way. So if it was on ACC, you could turn it off without the key, but it wouldn't keep on going to start. Man I miss that "feature".

"The only timeout is when the player shuts down if you havn't turn it back on. Once you turn the car off and turn the player back on, it'll play till your battery dies."

"Oh, and the deal with the turning the empeg on after your car is off is correct. It will play till you're out of juice. Been there, Done that. "


ok! this is exactly what i was after, in terms of how the standby feature worked. i was under the impression that, the timeout function was there as a solid unshakable thing, as in, once the key goes off, the timer starts, and no matter what you do during that time, turning on or off, once the timer clocks itself, the unit goes right off completely. and stays off. i was under the impression that the unit would then NOT be able to be awakened (after it is completely off) until the key is reinserted and returned to ACC or ON, and you turn the empeg on again, then back to standby, then remove the key, thus giving you another 2 hrs (or whatever its set to).

however, if, after you remove the keys, the empeg can be turned on (obviously *within* the timeout period) and left on *permanently*, then this is perfect! and the timeout limit doesnt mean jack all! i just didnt want to be governed by some timeout ticking over and stopping everything.

well given this info (and do correct me if im wrong in my interpretation of what will happen?) i will have to take to stripping my dash again to get to the wires (such a pain! half the reason im reluctant to test it out unless i know whats going to happen)

thank you!

(Yeah, i've got this bad habbit of starting a post, walking away for five minutes, then finishing the post... this isn't the first time someone's beaten me to the answer)

Yeah, you'll realy be happy with it wired "right". It'll be worth the troubble of opeing up the dash. I've been making a list of all the things I need to do, so hopefully I can get them all at done at once and avoid the reopening. I think I'm up to four things to do the next time I open up the dash.

Matthew

Tony may come over all dictatorial sometimes, but his advice (in this case anyway) is absolutely correct. Shame on you for not assuming we would have designed the product to do exactly the right thing

Rob

You really shouldn't be hearing anything when the unit is in standby (even as you're pulling it), as when the display is blanked, the amp remote line is off. It sounds like you have your amp permanently on (which I doubt, as you'd soon notice!). I sometimes get a mild pop if I pull the unit while it's playing, as the amp doesn't shut off quickly enough, but nothing to complain about.

Player state should be saved in either event. I assume it works correctly on AC power?

Perhaps the amp remote line is drawing a lot of current (measure it)? That would reduce the time available for saving state, and possibly account for pops when starting the car. If so, you might need to isolate it with a relay or a little transistor circuit. See if it saves state when the amp line is connected to positive instead of to the player.

i was under the impression that, the timeout function was there as a solid unshakable thing, as in, once the key goes off, the timer starts, and no matter what you do during that time, turning on or off, once the timer clocks itself, the unit goes right off completely.

I apologize for not making the FAQ clear enough on this point. I will go correct it now.