RDS TA/TP bug in 2.0 b 11

Hi,

running the empeg in mp3 mode, TA/TP active on tuner.
traffic announcement on radio, but the empeg switches to radio mode too late (I only get the END of the announcement) and also doesnt switch back to mp3 mode.


bye
[L]

Hi Lemmy,

This problem might not be a bug in the Empeg software.

In my car I have a fairly high end Sony single CD player (as well as the Empeg), and sometimes it exhibits the same behaviour.

I believe that this is caused by user error on the part of the announcer on the radio station. From what I remember, it is down to the radio station to make sure they send out the TA message when they are putting out traffic information. In some cases, this is as simple as the announcer pressing a button when he starts to read the announcement.

If he doesn't do this quickly enough, then you miss the start of the broadcast. Likewise, if he doesn't turn it off when he's finished, then the stereo keeps tuned to the station.

In my local area, some stations actually abuse the TA feature, and switch it on when adverts are running so as to maximise the number of listeners. Not good!

Andy.

with EVERY announcement, and on SEVERAL radio stations??
don't think so.

bye
[L]

Okay, so it might be a bug, but it would have helped if you'd mentioned that it was all the time on every radio station in your initial post.

It would also help if you could provide information of where you are, what radio stations exhibit the problem, and what the reception conditions were like.

In my area, the signal strength can sometimes be almost perfect (one or two sections from max.), but the Empeg tuner still doesn't show the RDS symbol solidly. If this happens, then I suspect that you might also miss the beginning of the TA broadcast. Only when RDS reception improves, does the tuner detect the TA signal and switch.

This still doesn't explain why it never switches back to the player, though.

Andy.

Hi,


AFAIK the TA broadcast itself is NO rds feature, but when the TA starts, the radio station just changes the pilot tone which indicates the separation between stereo channels.

btw, Location: germany, stations: all (ok ok ffn, ndr2, EnJoy radio, hr3, ffh, antenne etc etc)
conditions: all bars on, RDS indicator steady on.

bye
[L]

I was out today, and the tuner was listening to BBC R4 in the background while I played MP3s. It switched to a TA broadcast on BBC Camb reasonably promptly (I know one sometimes misses the beginning of a TA due to broadcasters not flipping the switch soon enough, or the first TA signal not being received).

But at the end of the broadcast, it didn't switch back; I let it play radio for 5 or 10 minutes, then parked the car and put it to sleep. When I came back, the player cold-booted into Tuner mode, still listening to BBC Camb.

So something is going wrong - BBC stations are usually good at flipping the switch as soon as the TA has ended.

BTW, can I confirm that if TA mode is turned on, and I get in the car with the player in MP3 mode, and never switch to Tuner, I should get traffic announcements? I've not had one on the occasions I've done this, and I'd like to be told that it's just down to luck (I only drive 20 minutes each day on workdays, so it's very possible there weren't any TA broadcasts - though if the weather's good, I'll be doing 20 hours or so at the weekend, giving me more chance to test this)

We know about the bug with not switching back - its fixed internally.

Rob

Not switching back from TA, or not switching back to MP3 mode? Or not switching back after a power-cycle?

Whichever, it's good to know you're on top of it. Cheers.