BB1 display the time

[roghar...@gmail.com]

When it's not playing, sometimes my BB1 displays the time, sometimes it displays "brennan". How can I control this?

btw, the Vention USB DAC puts my BB1 on steroids!

[PMB]

Hi roghar...,

The BB1 displays the clock when it can see the internet. To do this it must be connected to your WiFi network, which it sounds like it does most of the time if you do see the clock. So it maybe that the WiFi signal is too weak where you have the BB1 sited. This can be checked on the BB1 - 

Use the top control to go to Settings & Tools >> Maintenance >> Advanced >> WiFi Strength. The usual advice is this needs to be around -50dBm to maintain a reliable connection. Let us know what figure you are getting.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[J Rathbone]

This has been puzzling me. When I move my BB1 into the kitchen:

- dbm displays around -75

- date / time displays quickly

- radio seems to work fine (BBC 3 + 4 show “98.2%” but I don’t know what that means??)

- iPad signal strength shows a full set of “bands” when I move it all around the BB1

So I’m wondering if the BB1 and iPad “meters” are accurate / measuring the same thing?

Also, presumably, signal strength is only as good as the receivers built into each device?

[roghar...@gmail.com]

Hi Paul,

Thanks - as ever - for the clarification, I would never have guessed this. Following your instruction, my BB1 displays -88 dbm, and it's displaying the time, so I assume a figure greater than 50 is good for this issue.

Roger

Brennan fan

[PMB]

Hi Roger,

Actually the way the signal strength is measured -88dBm is much weaker than -50dBm - the higher the negative number the weaker the signal.

The -50dBm figure is quoted based on user experiences with the B2, we (the Forum) haven't as much data on the BB1 yet, so it may work in the real world, with a weaker signal compared to the B2.

If you can find a location where the clock doesn't display please check the WiFi Strength and let us know the figure.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[PMB]

Hi J Rathbone,

The 98.2% figure shows how full the internal buffer memory is - the radio downloads data and stores some of it in the buffer memory. This is then decoded and played on a first in first out basis and the buffer is topped up constantly. If there was no buffer the sound may stop and start - you may notice this if the buffer display goes to 0%.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[J Rathbone]

Thanks Paul

I take it that 98.2% full buffer memory is a good thing and indicates a decent internet connection which, presumably, must also mean decent router signal strength. So, if buffer memory % were to drop significantly below this then that might indicate that the dbm signal strength is not so good or possibly that there is another issue with the internet connection?

Thanks

Jim

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

A radio broadcast is continuous signal and can therefore simply be translated into sound in real time.

An internet dataflow of a radio station is not real time and may be routed through multiple paths of varying delay to get to you.

Any non local radio station data source, if processed into sound without a buffer, would be susceptible to the variability of the flow of digital information to the Brennan unit. You would be able to hear this.

Therefore the Brennan starts by receiving the data stream and storing this in a small section of memory (a buffer) before actually starting to play this.

Variability in timing of how the music is coming to you therefore gets hidden from you by the fact that there is a "perfect" buffered section of music that is available to play.

The more variable the data flow packet timing, the the larger this buffer needs to be.

Therefore 98.2% buffer full is telling you how much of the allocated buffer memory space is in use, a filled buffer is an ideal condition. One would not want to see large fluctuations in this % measure, as this would indicate problems with the digital dataflow to the unit.

Fred.

[J Rathbone]

Thanks Fred 

So a nearly full buffer (98.2%) is good - which is encouraging given the not-so-good -75 dbm in the kitchen. Which might suggest the BB1 can tolerate poorer dbm than the B2 (perhaps the BB1 has a designed higher operating tolerance being a portable device?)

Jim