crap radio

[RichD]

I bought an armband radio last week, for
wear when jogging. It's a digital scanning
model; you cannot select a particular station,
it just scans until it finds a signal strong
enough to lock.

It operates via a squelch. ok, I can live with
that. The problem is, when the signal drops,
it doesn't merely shut off, it starts scanning
again! Like "I'm so smart and helpful, we lost
this station, let's find another another one".
No, stupid box, STICK with this carrier until
the signal returns! If I want another station,
I'll press the scan button!

So then I have to reset, and re-start the scan
sequence from the lowest frequency. This
happens every 2 minutes, it's annoying as hell.

Anyway, I just feel like ranting. I trust no one
in this group would ever design anything so asshole.

 

[[email protected]]

I bought an armband radio last week, for
wear when jogging.  It's a digital scanning
model; you cannot select a particular station,
it just scans until it finds a signal strong
enough to lock.

It operates via a squelch.  ok, I can live with
that.  The problem is, when the signal drops,
it doesn't merely shut off, it starts scanning
again!  Like "I'm so smart and helpful, we lost
this station, let's find another another one".
No, stupid box, STICK with this carrier until
the signal returns!  If I want another station,
I'll press the scan button!

So then I have to reset, and re-start the scan
sequence from the lowest frequency.  This
happens every 2 minutes, it's annoying as hell.

Anyway, I just feel like ranting.  I trust no one
in this group would ever design anything so asshole.

Hopefully not the guys here but it _is_ annoying that it is designed
so poorly at all. I have lists of stupid designs from many
manufacturers including Sony, Toyota, Magnavox, Samsung, Panasonic, VW
and numerous others. Oh well.

G²

 

[TheM]

You didn't pay more than $5 for that radio though, did you? Hopefully not more than $2.99?

I don't own any of those "one button" radios -- I agree the design is stupid!

Its a free-running VCO with AFC and simple ramp for station search.

I doubt it can hold a station for long or re-lock with AFC, if the signal drops out.
Maybe that is why it looks for the next station.

In every case you get what you pay for.

M

 

[Jan Panteltje]

I bought an armband radio last week, for
wear when jogging. It's a digital scanning
model; you cannot select a particular station,
it just scans until it finds a signal strong
enough to lock.

It operates via a squelch. ok, I can live with
that. The problem is, when the signal drops,
it doesn't merely shut off, it starts scanning
again! Like "I'm so smart and helpful, we lost
this station, let's find another another one".
No, stupid box, STICK with this carrier until
the signal returns! If I want another station,
I'll press the scan button!

So then I have to reset, and re-start the scan
sequence from the lowest frequency. This
happens every 2 minutes, it's annoying as hell.

Anyway, I just feel like ranting. I trust no one
in this group would ever design anything so asshole.

Consider carrying a small oscillator with you, set
it to the wanted station's frequency, but a bit weaker in
strength.
Then when the watch loses the station, it should still lock on your oscillator.
Not simple, but it could work.
Alas for all that design you could buy a real radio.

 

[Rich Grise]

I bought an armband radio last week, for
wear when jogging. It's a digital scanning
model; you cannot select a particular station,
it just scans until it finds a signal strong
enough to lock.

It operates via a squelch. ok, I can live with
that. The problem is, when the signal drops,
it doesn't merely shut off, it starts scanning
again! Like "I'm so smart and helpful, we lost
this station, let's find another another one".
No, stupid box, STICK with this carrier until
the signal returns! If I want another station,
I'll press the scan button!

So then I have to reset, and re-start the scan
sequence from the lowest frequency. This
happens every 2 minutes, it's annoying as hell.

Anyway, I just feel like ranting. I trust no one
in this group would ever design anything so asshole.

Why didn't you return it to the store as soon as you discovered
that it's crap?

Thanks,
Rich

 

[Rich Grise]

You didn't pay more than $5 for that radio though, did you? Hopefully not
more than $2.99?

I don't own any of those "one button" radios -- I agree the design is stupid!

I got one about the size and shape of an ear, for about three bucks,
BATTERIES INCLUDED! I.e., the radio with batteries was cheaper than the
batteries themselves! Ironically, it's got an edgwise pot with a switch
for volume a la 1960's transistor radios, but only one button for tuning;
fortunately, it stays in one place so stays locked onto whatever station
it stops on. But I really don't like having to scan through two dozen crap
stations before I find somehthing I like.

But, mainly, it's for when The Big One hits.

Cheers!
Rich

 

[Rich Grise]

Rich Grise wrote:

Huh? An AA cell costs me about 20c, or so.

These are button cells, about 3X as thick as an actual button.

And I could have been using hyperbole - I'd have to check. ;-)

Cheers!
Rich

 

[RichD]

 > I bought an armband radio last week,
 >
 > The problem is, when the signal drops,
 > it doesn't merely shut off, it starts scanning
 > again! .
 > No, stupid box, STICK with this carrier until
 > the signal returns!  If I want another station,
 > I'll press the scan button!
 >
 > So then I have to reset, and re-start the scan
 > sequence from the lowest frequency.  This
 > happens every 2 minutes, it's annoying as hell.
 >
 > Anyway, I just feel like ranting.  I trust no one
 > in this group would ever design anything so asshole.

Hopefully not the guys here but it _is_ annoying that it is designed
so poorly at all. I have lists of stupid designs from many
manufacturers including Sony, Toyota, Magnavox, Samsung,

I have seen this several times - purcahase a
product which is unusable, and clearly no one
at the manufacturer has ever tried. They build
and peddle it, but don't use it.

VW

VW?

 

[RichD]

You didn't pay more than $5 for that radio though, did you?  
Hopefully not more than $2.99?

$12

 

[RichD]

Why didn't you return it to the store as soon as you discovered
that it's crap?

I did.

Then what? The retailer will notify the supplier,
or return it, but they might think it's a defective
unit, rather than recognize it's hopeless junk.

What should happen, the retailer should drop
it entirely. I guess they need a lot returns, or
zero sales, before that...

 

[RichD]

Its a free-running VCO with AFC and simple ramp for
station search.

I doubt it can hold a station for long or re-lock with
AFC, if the signal drops out.
Maybe that is why it looks for the next station.

I don't think so.

It has a digital readout of the station (I use
FM band only), which means a PLL and
frequency generator. So it has logic and
memory. It should be trivial to fix the register
of the freq. generator, whenever it locks. But
instead, it does that assole scan...

Otherwise, it's a nice packahge. It's a cylinder,
the size of a large cigar, with 2 buttons:
Reset, and Scan; and digital display.

In every case you get what you pay for.

It's worth less than what I paid.

 

[James Arthur]

I don't think so.

It has a digital readout of the station (I use
FM band only), which means a PLL and
frequency generator. So it has logic and
memory. It should be trivial to fix the register
of the freq. generator, whenever it locks. But
instead, it does that assole scan...

Otherwise, it's a nice packahge. It's a cylinder,
the size of a large cigar, with 2 buttons:
Reset, and Scan; and digital display.


It's worth less than what I paid.

Or more plainly, worthless.

(I bought several at the dollar store...I use
them for project cases with built-in switch &
potentiometer!)

Cheers,
James Arthur

 

[Jan Panteltje]

Actually, it doesn't -- there are some FM radios today that are of the regular
old varactor-tuned superheterodyne architecture that have a digital frequency
readout that's really just a frequency counter. I would guess they needed a
clock for some bits of digital logic anyway, and someone said, "aha!"

Then you also have to add or subtract the IF frequency...
More logic needed, may as well do the PLL thing.

 

[Spehro Pefhany]

Then you also have to add or subtract the IF frequency...
More logic needed, may as well do the PLL thing.

Back in the seventies I did that by preloading the counter with the IF
frequency. Very simple.

 

[Jim Thompson]

Which reminds me... I still haven't found an optimal web/Internet
radio _tuner_. Is there anything out there.

Sometimes I listen to Bluegrass music on the PC and purposely select
32kbps. Good enough for the lab when working on stuff plus I don't want
to be a bandwidth hog on the web. But it sure ain't CD quality.



HD radio is still around? I thought that had fizzled by now just like
AM-stereo. I have never seen a radio advertized with "HD" in any of the
local stores here. Must be niche stuff. I wonder how the stations
finance the programming.

A number of Phoenix AM stations tout "HD radio", but I've never seen
such a receiver.

Some people naively believe this stuff. One neighbor told me that our TV
would stop working soon because it all goes digital, only cable and
satellite would carry the digital signals. Another said that if we don't
get a digital antenna the "old analog one" will not let digital signals
through.

I was told, many years ago, at Radio Shack, that you had to have a
special antenna to receive color signals ;-)

When politely telling them that it ain't so they both became a
bit huffy. Because they'd seen it explained on tee-vee so it must be
true. I told them that it probably was a plot or an ad by cable
companies but they wouldn't have any of that. No, it had to be true.

There are leftist weenies up in your remoteness ?

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | |
| Voice480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

"The way I see it, anyone thinking our prospects are better
because of Obama has the body part farthest from the ground lodged
in the bodily orifice closest to the ground... The tide is begin-
ning to turn. The Marxist Messiah may crash to earth in 2012, the
Bolshevik donkeys perhaps as early as 2010." - Chuck Rogér

 

[Jan Panteltje]

Some people naively believe this stuff. One neighbor told me that our TV
would stop working soon because it all goes digital, only cable and
satellite would carry the digital signals. Another said that if we don't
get a digital antenna the "old analog one" will not let digital signals
through. When politely telling them that it ain't so they both became a
bit huffy. Because they'd seen it explained on tee-vee so it must be
true. I told them that it probably was a plot or an ad by cable
companies but they wouldn't have any of that. No, it had to be true.

Ask them if they did see it on analog TV.
If so, explain that analog is not very precise, and the info
on digital will be much more accurate ;-)

 

[Baron]

Some people naively believe this stuff. One neighbor told me that our
TV would stop working soon because it all goes digital, only cable and
satellite would carry the digital signals. Another said that if we
don't get a digital antenna the "old analog one" will not let digital
signals through.

When politely telling them that it ain't so they both
became a bit huffy. Because they'd seen it explained on tee-vee so it
must be true. I told them that it probably was a plot or an ad by
cable companies but they wouldn't have any of that. No, it had to be
true.

Join the club... Just seen a flight of pigs go by !

 

[Jim Thompson]

I seem to recall the Roku units were looking closest to what you wanted when
that thread ended... did you have a chance to try one out?

I was going to, but couldn't find one in stock. I see they're
available again

Amazon has several new items under "internet radio tuner" these days.

I'll check that out, Thanks!

Good to know these sorts of shenanigans are nothing new!


The current administration emboldens them to come on out of the woodwork and
from under every rock.

---Joel

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | |
| Voice480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

Stormy on the East Coast today... due to Bush's failed policies.

 

[Jim Thompson]

I seem to recall the Roku units were looking closest to what you wanted when
that thread ended... did you have a chance to try one out?

Amazon has several new items under "internet radio tuner" these days.


Good to know these sorts of shenanigans are nothing new!


The current administration emboldens them to come on out of the woodwork and
from under every rock.

---Joel

Anyone know anything about the Logitech Squeezeboxâ„¢ Receiver?

Also: Though not a fan of wireless networks, I need to go wireless to
an Internet radio, to avoid pulling more CAT-5 thru the attic :-(

What do you lurkers recommend for wireless networking? I already have
a LinkSys 8-port router in use, with 3 spare ports available)

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | |
| Voice480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

Stormy on the East Coast today... due to Bush's failed policies.

 

[Greegor]

I got one about the size and shape of an ear, for about three bucks,
BATTERIES INCLUDED! I.e., the radio with batteries was cheaper than the
batteries themselves! Ironically, it's got an edgwise pot with a switch
for volume a la 1960's transistor radios, but only one button for tuning;
fortunately, it stays in one place so stays locked onto whatever station
it stops on. But I really don't like having to scan through two dozen crap
stations before I find somehthing I like.

But, mainly, it's for when The Big One hits.

Cheers!
Rich

Millions of those sold at Wal Mart in various case designs.
I even got a few at .25c each closeout, with batteries.
Use hearing aid style pill sized coin batteries.

Do you keep it in a safe with three inch solid iron walls?

EM Pulse would end it otherwise, like most other electronics.

But when The Big One hits, the annoyance of
scanning through so many stations would
no longer be an issue.

The cheapies with the scan button only do FM.