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Retuning Pure "The Bug" not working


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Old 22-04-2016, 19:00
chrisw99
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The Manchester area has had a DAB change, I have 3 Pure DAB radios, one of which is the Bug which is not picking up any of the new stations.

It is currently sat next to a Pure Evoke Flow, and if I autotune both at the same time, same place, the Evoke gets all the new stations, the Bug is just picking up the old ones broadcasting "you need to retune".

Latest software, factory reset done. Is it possible the Bug is now so old it can't get the new frequencies or something?
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Old 22-04-2016, 19:09
Hacker Harrier
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Pure Digital Radio - DAB+ Software Upgrade and Compatibility
http://www.pure.com/digital-radio/dab/dab-plus-upgrade

Sad times for the Bug.
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Old 22-04-2016, 19:20
omnidirectional
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It won't pick up the 3 DAB+ stations but it should be possible to receive everything else.
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Old 22-04-2016, 19:28
LaurelandHardy
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I'm not saying that The Bug is outdated, but there is one such radio in a little nostalgia museum here in Shropshire.
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Old 22-04-2016, 19:33
Hacker Harrier
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On the plus side, the O.P. won't have to spend £9.99 on a software upgrade that's quite a big faff anyway.

Oh and the AAC codec actually costs...
http://www.vialicensing.com/licensing/aac-fees.aspx
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Old 22-04-2016, 19:35
Hacker Harrier
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I'm not saying that The Bug is outdated, but there is one such radio in a little nostalgia museum here in Shropshire.
Wayne Hemingway design classic (of sorts!).
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Old 22-04-2016, 19:55
chrisw99
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Pure Digital Radio - DAB+ Software Upgrade and Compatibility
http://www.pure.com/digital-radio/dab/dab-plus-upgrade

Sad times for the Bug.
Ah well, it was probably time to retire it. The backlight in the top bit went years ago so I've not been able to see the screen for a long time unless you shine a bright light at it. It was relegated to the kitchen where it has been on Planet Rock 100% of the time (one of the sadly now missing channels) which I listen to when cooking.

For such an old one, it was ahead of its times. The ability to pause and rewind up to 5 mins and then start recording to mp3 to the SD card. I've got loads of rare stuff on mp3 now that was recorded on that many many years ago.

It still has a few channels, the BBC ones, but not much else.
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Old 22-04-2016, 20:09
omnidirectional
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It still has a few channels, the BBC ones, but not much else.
You should be able to pick up everything except Jazz FM, Fun KIds and Magic Chilled. Have you tried a full retune? According to the manual for the Pure Bug, it has an Autotune button. Try pressing and holding it until the scan starts.

Or try Menu > DAB Options > DAB Region > select "Rest of World". Then try Autotune again.
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Old 22-04-2016, 20:24
Hacker Harrier
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Has the O.P. tried retuning the radio in a place where digital radio reception is very good? On a window ledge upstairs perhaps (if possible)?
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Old 23-04-2016, 01:05
vinnielo
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Or try Menu > DAB Options > DAB Region > select "Rest of World". Then try Autotune again.
^^ That. You won't get the SDL stations or the minimux stations, otherwise.
My Bug radio is just about surviving.
The backlight is dim and flickers a bit.
It loses all station info when it feels like it (mostly when it powers up).
Recordings frequently fail.
What can you do? It's getting old.
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Old 23-04-2016, 01:32
KnobTwiddler
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^^ That. You won't get the SDL stations or the minimux stations, otherwise.
My Bug radio is just about surviving.
The backlight is dim and flickers a bit.
It loses all station info when it feels like it (mostly when it powers up).
Recordings frequently fail.
What can you do? It's getting old.
This may help!
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Old 23-04-2016, 02:44
vinnielo
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You wouldn't cremate a dog that's still limping. Or would you?!
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Old 23-04-2016, 07:57
Eitshal
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^^ That. You won't get the SDL stations or the minimux stations, otherwise.
My Bug radio is just about surviving.
The backlight is dim and flickers a bit.
It loses all station info when it feels like it (mostly when it powers up).
Recordings frequently fail.
What can you do? It's getting old.
Meanwhile, my Evoke-1 is still going strong and works perfectly - it doesn't receive the DAB+ channels, of course, but aside from that there are no issues with it at all.

A relative has a fairly modern Pure One Classic Series 2 (they really went catchy with the name on that one) and it too has the "randomly loses all stations and does an autotune on power up" fault.

The Bug was never a great radio - mine always had a dodgy 'rocker' button meaning you had to press over and over to scroll through the station list, and slow software with lots of hanging and random restarts. Come to think of it, I have the same complaints about the Highway with the faulty rotary switch and crashy software - Pure build quality isn't wonderful these days. My next radio will be a Roberts.
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Old 23-04-2016, 08:38
Inkblot
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My Bug is the only DAB radio I never use. I wanted to use it as a clock radio but could never get the volume low enough for late night listening so I bought a Roberts instead. That one had the same problem but the manufacturer had a fix for it so I kept it.
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Old 23-04-2016, 08:43
njp
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My Bug is still in daily use as a bedside radio. Everything works as well as it ever did - meaning I still curse the idiot who designed the multifunction wobble button whenever I fail to press it at the right angle! I also have unfond memories of how fussy it was about the PC it needed to connect to in order to apply software updates - none of mine worked, so I had to take it to a friend's house, where the chipsets were more to its taste.

But other than that, it's been great. I especially like the ability to rewind live radio in order to repeat something I heard the end of while still half asleep. Is this now a common function on new DAB radios, or would I struggle to replicate it?

Edit: the volume on mine goes as low as anyone could possibly want, so it's perfect for late night listening.
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Old 23-04-2016, 08:57
Inkblot
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Edit: the volume on mine goes as low as anyone could possibly want, so it's perfect for late night listening.
Strange. Mine, if I remember correctly, could be heard right across the room on its lowest setting. Even the Roberts is loud enough to hear every word when the volume is set to 1.
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Old 23-04-2016, 09:15
gomezz
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My Bug is the only DAB radio I never use. I wanted to use it as a clock radio but could never get the volume low enough for late night listening
I am still waiting for a decent alarm clock DAB radio that: a) Has lots of physical preset buttons that can be found and used by feel alone; b) Has a large (and I mean large) time display that can be read without my glasses; and c) Has multiple alarm settings that each be set for different days or pattern of days (I use an old mobile phone for this at the moment).
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Old 23-04-2016, 09:41
njp
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Strange. Mine, if I remember correctly, could be heard right across the room on its lowest setting. Even the Roberts is loud enough to hear every word when the volume is set to 1.
Different hardware revisions, perhaps? On mine, the volume seems to adjust fairly linearly right down to the point where it disappears into the noise. And since I was never even aware of a noise base until just now, when I had my ear pressed up against one of the speakers, that's pretty quiet! It goes quite loud without distortion too - I've realised I normally use only a small part of the range.
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Old 23-04-2016, 11:43
KnobTwiddler
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You wouldn't cremate a dog that's still limping. Or would you?!
Never!!!! But I can think of a few humans though that I would, but I love animals and I would spend my last penny on an animal if necessary.

As for old radios they are like us and only have a limited time on this earth, you have to be realistic vinnielo, it's time to part with your faithful Bug and send it to that great radio museum in the sky.

R.I.P. Little Bug it's time to go into the light.
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Old 23-04-2016, 18:24
chrisw99
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You should be able to pick up everything except Jazz FM, Fun KIds and Magic Chilled. Have you tried a full retune? According to the manual for the Pure Bug, it has an Autotune button. Try pressing and holding it until the scan starts.

Or try Menu > DAB Options > DAB Region > select "Rest of World". Then try Autotune again.
Thank you very much, changed DAB region to rest of the world and now have all the channels back again!
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Old 24-04-2016, 09:22
GoodBuddy
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My Bug is still in daily use as a bedside radio. Everything works as well as it ever did - meaning I still curse the idiot who designed the multifunction wobble button whenever I fail to press it at the right angle! I also have unfond memories of how fussy it was about the PC it needed to connect to in order to apply software updates - none of mine worked, so I had to take it to a friend's house, where the chipsets were more to its taste.
.
Yeah I remember having issues when I tried to upgrade my bug years ago. I had to take it to someone down the street who kindly let me use their laptop to upgrade it.

Mine is still in use and works as well as day one. The multi function button is horrible though but after almost 10 years I have learnt to live with it. The speakers do become a dust trap so would recommend popping off the grills occasionally to blow out the dust as this will have an effect on volume levels.
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Old 24-04-2016, 10:35
njp
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Thank you very much, changed DAB region to rest of the world and now have all the channels back again!
Can someone who follows DAB developments more closely than me please explain if there are any upsides or downsides of making this adjustment if one is not living in Manchester (or some other regions)?
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Old 24-04-2016, 10:44
omnidirectional
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Can someone who follows DAB developments more closely than me please explain if there are any upsides or downsides of making this adjustment if one is not living in Manchester (or some other regions)?
Many old DAB radios only scan a limited number of frequencies, and won't pick up certain multiplexes unless you change the setting to "rest of the world". There's no downside, and you may pick up more stations.

Multiplexes which might need the radio to be set to "rest of world" include:

Sound Digital (New home of Planet Rock, Absolute 80s and others)
Bath & West Wilts
Derbyshire
Gloucestershire
Herts, Beds & Bucks
Liverpool
NE Wales & West Cheshire
North Wales
Northampton
Norwich
Oxford
Somerset
Surrey & North Sussex

Trial local muxes:
Aldershot
Birmingham
Brighton & Hove
Bristol
Glasgow
London
Manchester
Norwich
Portsmouth
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Old 24-04-2016, 10:52
njp
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Many old DAB radios only scan a limited number of frequencies, and won't pick up certain multiplexes unless you change the setting to "rest of the world". There's no downside, and you may pick up more stations.
Thank you. I'll see what happens! Then again, since I mostly just listen to Radio 4, Radio 4ex, and World Service, with occasional forays into Radio 3 and 6, I might not even notice any changes...

Edit: And thanks for the extra information you have just added.
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Old 24-04-2016, 22:43
David_Rushmer
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It's interesting but having bought my wife a new Pure Evoke DAB/FM radio for bedside use as a Christmas present, I put the Bug into another bedroom as I thought it had quit working. However, having fiddled with it only a couple of weeks ago by using the Rest Of The World setting for re-tuning, I am amazed that here in Wisbech in the flat fens, that as well as all channels from Peterborough MUX, the Bug has now picked up BBC Radio Lincolnshire, Compass & Lincs FM from Belmont MUX, plus BBC Radio Norfolk and Heart Norfolk from the Stoke Holy Cross MUX, both of which are a good 60 miles away to the North and the East. Therefore I will not be dumping my Bug as it's working as well as it ever has!
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