FM/DAB digital radio - THAT WORKS!!

Hi Craig

I purchased a Albrecht DR 403 DAB/DAB+ USB stick a year ago when DAB+ was switched on in Australia. Go here www.hobbyradio.de and follow the prompts to find details inc software.

When the DR 403 worked it worked very very well. Unfortunately it kept crashing and which the manufacturer would not provide a fix for as it seems it was something peculiar to DAB+/Aust, and not Euro DAB and only handful of people like me had them here. I still use its internet radio function from time to time albeit in Win outside the front end.

Craig I would love one of your complete DAB+ set ups (to use in CF3) however before doing so 2 issues I see and maybe common to many are.

1. Like many people I don’t have a spare 3.5mm Line In jack. Can you do a version using “CD In” (like the HQCTi)? Would a separate on board power connection (via molex) help any with sound quality issues using USB?? As a matter of interest the DR 403 was powered/audio all via USB and the digital sound was CD quality (when it worked).

2. For integration of your PCB inside the case the overall size is pretty important. The HQCTi is a good guide on max size. (I suspect a lot of people will be replacing their in case HQCTi PCB with a DAB PCB where rollout of digital is widespread by existing FM/AM transmitters and so making HQCTi obsolete).

Great work Craig.

Changes Since the Last Release
1. Suspend now releases the serial port.
2. Funky new icon.
Download the plugin here: DAB_CFv31.3.zip

Centrafuse 2.x and 3.0 Support
1. None.

User Manual
1. None - someone needs to do this or a small explanation how the buttons work.

BUGS
1. Various
2. The text parser duplicates some of the station characters.
3. The code used in this plugin is slightly different to that used in RoadRunner - I think it will pick up channels more accurately.

Thanks
1. Chris31 for his conception of the firmware.
2. MitchJS for being an absolute star with his coding.
3. MikeB & nrgizerbunny for their good egg attitude.
4. Mr Monkey for the splended modifications to my crap graphics.
5. Craig for the funky icon.

Andy

Hello Everyone,

As privately mentioned to several customers, soon after we listed this for sale, one customer purchased all stock we had built up for a fleet build and we were then waiting for more boards, more components and more Venice chips. We now have these but are having problems with the new RF choke inductors we have (we had to get these from a new supplier due to the old one stopping doing them). I am waiting on more from another supplier which I suspect will work fine arriving Tuesday / Wednesday next week.

Anyone wanting a refund should contact me and I will action this right away. Trust me, though, the wait will be well worth it!

Best Regards,
Craig Brass

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by craigbrass

Hello Everyone,

As privately mentioned to several customers, soon after we listed this for sale, one customer purchased all stock we had built up for a fleet build and we were then waiting for more boards, more components and more Venice chips. We now have these but are having problems with the new RF choke inductors we have (we had to get these from a new supplier due to the old one stopping doing them). I am waiting on more from another supplier which I suspect will work fine arriving Tuesday / Wednesday next week.

Anyone wanting a refund should contact me and I will action this right away. Trust me, though, the wait will be well worth it!

Best Regards,
Craig Brass

---

Craig, you've stated before you were waiting for venice chips, you then stated you were waiting on software, now you are waiting for RF chokes?

What gives?

Dave: Initially we were waiting on the Venice chips and boards after our initial stock was purchased. I then mentioned that the software that worked with our previous units was not working with our new units and this was nailed down to the RF chokes we were using (ie not a software problem but a problem powering the Venice chip up at all). These will be here next week. As mentioned, I am not stopping anyone getting a refund if they want one - just contact me directly via our help desk.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Craigbrass

Anyone wanting a refund should contact me and I will action this right away. Trust me, though, the wait will be well worth it!

---

I will wait. I am looking forward to try something else than HQCT. :dance:
But please keep us posted on progress. I was starting to think that something had happend

One thing i was thinking about. As I understand that at least for now there will be no enclosure around the module. Can I have this DCDC-USB module in same enclosure? For example something similar to this?
The reason that I am thinking about using this type of enclosure is because that the company that I work for here in Iceland are selling those.

Just to let everyone know, the inductor issue has been fixed and the majority of orders have been sent out. E-Mails will be sent shortly with tracking information if your order has been dispatched.

Anyone who doesn't get an email, we are waiting on more USB modules arriving hopefully near the end of next week and they will go out then.

Software will be emailed tomorrow to anyone who has had their unit dispatched.

Once again, let me apologise for the delay but trust me, the wait is worth it as you will soon see!

Added photos to http://www.coolapplab.com/ultimate_c...ona/index.html at request of customers (forgot to get high resolution photos of the last finished batch).

Also added the size of the unit (8cm Length / 7.5cm Width / 3cm Height).

looks good,

Hi

Does indeed look good. Nice to see that the Venice7 is bolted down, on my nrgizerbunny board, its held in place by a foam pad on the lid of the box I've put it all in!

Might be worth coming up with some fixing mechanism for the USB module also (unless you have, and I cant see it from pics). Strangely enough it has no holes so it cant be bolted. I have ended up securing mine with a couple of cable ties through holes drilled in the main board - crude, but it works!

Any chance you can suppliment those existing pics with some screenshots of the supplied software?

Maybe some folk who box their's once recieved would like to upload a parts list and drilling pattern - make it easier for others?

Nigel