I'll probably restrain myself to simply writing a scathing letter to their boss.

ShadowMan was right. You guys are too proper.

He does write good scathing letters though!

C'mon, Rob could have just seethed under the surface in a highly british fashion, without showing any emotion.

As it is, I'm sure he'll complain in the *strongest possible* terms about the lack of professionalism we have seen from a company supposed to be a cable expert.

I just hope they're sitting down.

:)

Hugo

C'mon, Rob could have just seethed under the surface in a highly british fashion, without showing any emotion.

That's right Rob, suppress that anger in a tight little ball. push it way way down where nobody can see. then one day...

DiGNAN
13653

I'm sure he'll complain in the *strongest possible* terms

I don't suppose there's any chance you'll share that gem of a letter with us folks on the bbs, is there?

It might make instructive reading...

tanstaafl.

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

I think I was one of the lucky ones that got the wrong serial cable...

By the way - will those clients (or customers ) automatically get the correct cable or will they have to ask for it? Just out of interest - because I haven't used my serial cable yet.


TeeMcBee
Go my Mk2! # 080000143

Are the cable folks going to cover the costs? I would hope so.

Calvin

To properly educate you brits and non Americans out there on dope slapping, I included the following URL:

http://cartalk.cars.com/DopeSlap/index.html

Calvin

ROFL!!!

Of course, I got the term from Tom and Ray, I just didn't realize they had a web page devoted to it. That's fantastic.

Gotta send a few people one of those virtual dope slaps now.

___________
Tony Fabris

I guess we'll send a replacement cable automatically, or at least email everyone and find out who actually wants one.

Rob

I thought I should post a note to mention that we fixed the problem - the disk cable wasn't connected properly. I guess it was on just hard enough to pass testing, but then came off during transit. I'm going to take the issue up with the QA guys on the production line, but it doesn't seem to be a common problem.

Rob

Is it safe to assume that if I have not yet received an e-mail with shipping information (I have received my order confirmation but no notification that it has shipped) that I will receive the correct cable with my Mark II?

tanstaafl.

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

To follow up, my player is now working perfect. A thanks to Tony, Rob, Hugo and everybody else that helped guide me to the source of the problem. (and control my sobbing)

Alex Lear

You guys really shouldn't worry too much about the cable. It's easy to buy/scrounge/make a null modem cable, and any one will do.

___________
Tony Fabris

To follow up, my player is now working perfect. A thanks to Tony, Rob, Hugo and everybody else that helped guide me to the source of the problem.

You're welcome. I'm surprised that Rob gave you the OK to crack open the player and fix the cable yourself. I know they'll continue to honor the warranty and everything, I'm just surprised.

It was the right thing to do, of course, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Rob did the Right Thing.

___________
Tony Fabris

It's easy to buy/scrounge/make a null modem cable, and any one will do.

Oh, I know that, I was just looking ahead and thinking to eliminate any variables on the unlikely chance that I have problems with my empeg when it arrives. Knowing for sure that the cable either is or is not correct would be helpful. Don't really care too much which it is, just so I know!

Here's an idea... I betcha that there are modem to null-modem converters that you would just attach to one end of the incorrect cable (like a Dongle) that might be less expensive and less costly to ship than the replacement cables?

tanstaafl.

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

I betcha that there are modem to null-modem converters that you would just attach to one end of the incorrect cable (like a Dongle) that might be less expensive and less costly to ship than the replacement cables?

Such devices exist, yes. I'm guessing that they'd be just as expensive to ship as the replacement cables, though.

___________
Tony Fabris

they'd be just as expensive to ship as the replacement cables, though.

. . . and, most likely, you'll have to solder'm up yourself . .

best thing of a m<->f 'dongle-like' null-modem is that you know for sure you're not using a serial cable . . .

Henno
mk2 6 nr 6

Unless you accidentally plug it into a null modem cable by mistake .


Roger - not necessarily speaking for empeg

To put that in context, the cables cost about 65 pence each, so I doubt a converter would be any cheaper.

The expense will be in shipping the things - about 5 pounds to the US for example - which is even more frustrating given the low value of the item.

Rob

The expense will be in shipping the things

Do you know when this hick-up started, or will you need to ship a new cable for every Mk2?
My Mk2 runs fine on serial, for example. No need for a new cable.

(unsure if I'm using the shipped cable though )

Henno
mk2 6 nr 6

While awaiting the shipment of my player (see "Canada Customs" in the Main Index) I happened to follow this thread a bit. I put it out of my mind until I powered up my player and it stuck on the opening screen with the "empeg" logo and the penguin.

My first thoughts were: WHERE IS THAT THREAD?

It was comical reading through the thread:

- OK, just try re-imaging the unit
- ah, gee, my serial cable has cross-hatch pattern, not lines
- I *am* a geek with some null-serial adapters lying around...

So anyway, I plug in my own personal null-serial adapter and BANG-O the upgrade wizard starts to run.

So I continue reading the thread...while I see the progress bar progressing (heh) off to the side.

Then I read alear's post that "and it hangs on 'selecting pump device'" and a few seconds later THERE I AM LOOKING AT THE SAME THING.

It was like some sort of GRUESOME techie Cassandra complex whereby I was reading someone else's support history a few steps ahead of my own experience.

In short, the "empeg-car upgrade wizard" is looking at me with a "The upgrade failed. Error 'BADPUMP' occurred during stage 0x25" and I have read further down the thread to hear that alear is happy, having been given the OK to open the case and seat the hard-drive cable tighter.

To recap: what happened to alear is word for word what I have experienced. Here are some further details:

- I have Serial # 080000141
- I can hear the hard-drive spin up and the head thrash around a bit (obviously looking for boot-sector)
- the screen STAYS at the "empeg" and Linux-penguin logo
- I have seen nothing BUT the above
- I have a 12GB green MK2 unit

It is Friday night, I have half a pint in me already and planning on adding one or two more to drown my geek-toy-fetish-disappointment-delay woes while I away the OK to open this thing and re-seat the IDE cable myself.

So, take alear's case a step futher: I KNOW what is going on thanks to his experience and I KNOW exactly what the solution probably is (re-seat IDE cable) and I have to wait for someone at empeg to re-enter the office on Monday morning to give me the A-OK to pop open the case and do what needs to be done...to retain my warranty status.

The only thing I can do in the meantime is take odds on whether or not I could open the case BEFORE Monday and hope they read this message, believe me, and STILL honour my warranty.

Signed,

Ansty-geek-fetish-toy-boy-getting-toasted-in-meantime,

Ryan (Fogduck)

- -- ----- -- -
Queue # 57xx

Anyone taking odds on whether I could go ahead and fix my unit myself, given he above thread? Maybe I could find Tony's ICQ # again and have a tete-a-tete with him, re: odds, dismantling, etc.

p.s.: empeg -- can you send Tony (tfabris) some money for his outstanding un-official support efforts?

--------------------
Reg #57xx, Ser #080000141, Rec'd Aug.11/00

Out of criosity, have you tried unplugging the power on the empeg before starting the upgrade? I've had this happen to me once, where the upgrade failed as you describe - solution for me was to unplug the empeg's power until the upgrade program prompted me to plug it in... I think the upgrade does more low-level stuff if you upgrade it that way...
-mark

...proud to have owned one of the first Mark I units

It didn't respond at all using the existing cable, which (see earlier in the thread) we've confirmed is in fact a regular serial cable (I have a cross-hatch pattern).

When I supplied my own null-modem serial cable, the upgrade wizard was finally able to "see" my unit. However, it eventually hung just as alear described.

I ran it twice, just to make sure, and did notice what you've said: the second time, I needed to flash the power while it was looking for it.

Thanks, but (see entire thread) I've diagnosed it beyond that point.

--------------------
Reg #57xx, Ser #080000141, Rec'd Aug.11/00

FWIW, Rob mentioned in another thread that he may be sending out some more order invites tomorrow. So, assuming he will be at the Empeg office to do that, you may not have to wait till Monday.

Cheers,
Mike

Wow, we are up to 3 players with this loose cable problem. I guess mine wasn't an isolated problem. At least you guys know it's an easy fix, when you don't have a clue its a major disaster. With the passion empeg owners have they should set up a crisis hotline for empeg owners that are freaking out :) Its funny how this is the only product where that might be conceivable.

Alex Lear

Wow, we are up to 3 players with this loose cable problem. I guess mine wasn't an isolated problem.

Okay, I promised myself I'd bring up this idea as soon as the number of reports hit 3.

The Mark2's come with a dual-head cable, one end of which dangles loose inside the unit. I don't own a Mark 2, so I have to ask: Is the loose end of the cable (after the first connector) secured in any way, or does it dangle loosely from the first drive? Is it this very design which causes the first connnector to work loose in transit?

___________
Tony Fabris

p.s.: empeg -- can you send Tony (tfabris) some money for his outstanding un-official support efforts?

Empeg has been kind to me, but if they gave me any money, then my support wouldn't be un-official, would it?

You have to understand that technically, I'm not even a customer of Empeg, Ltd. I didn't buy my Mark 1 from them- I got mine second-hand. So they have no obligation to me at all. Still, they have been really nice in all the dealings I've had with them. Some of my feature requests got implemented just because I made a strong case for them. They've let me try preview software and utilities that haven't been released to the general public. Rob's given me sneak previews of his web sites before the rest of the public. Hugo showed me one of their OEM projects, and I got a hands-on preview of the Mark 2. Hugo didn't even have me whacked when I almost leaked some NDA stuff on the BBS. But even without these perks, my involvement with the Empeg community has been very rewarding in and of itself, and I think it will continue to be.

As far as monetary exchanges, the only thing I ever bought from Empeg was a green faceplate (which I promptly cracked). Rob bought me a carry case (which I promptly broke the zipper on) in exchange for some extra Disney World passes I sent him (which he hasn't had a chance to use yet). I'm afraid that if there were any more exchanges like that, they'd be disastrous, too.

___________
Tony Fabris

That could be the problem, but there are a few other possible causes as well. On Monday I'll instruct the assemblers to glue the connectors in future.

Rob

Sounds to me like Tony's already getting paid... It may not be money, but he sure is getting some nice perks. Can anyone say "illegal campaign contributions"? Or, more simply, "payoffs" or "bribes"? Hey, it's not WHAT you know, it's WHO you know!

Seriously, more power to ya, Tony. You've more than earned your right to those things and apparently the guys at Empeg realize that, too.

George