Sansa e280 radio problem

[rockboxuser01]

I have a Sansa e280 with the FM radio, running Rockbox r13742-070630.

My problem is that the FM radio option on the main menu will only appear after I've disconnected the Sansa from my computer and it's rebooted itself. If I switch the player off and on again, the radio option won't appear. If I set the Start Screen to the FM radio, I can browse through presets but I don't get any sound.

Can anyone shed some light on this problem? Is there a way around it, or is it a bug? Thanks in advance!

[cpchan]

My problem is that the FM radio option on the main menu will only appear after I've disconnected the Sansa from my computer and it's rebooted itself. If I switch the player off and on again, the radio option won't appear. If I set the Start Screen to the FM radio, I can browse through presets but I don't get any sound.

Strange, never had this problem myself with either the current build or any of my custome builds.

Charles
 

[rockboxuser01]

Going to the "Debug (Do not enter)" screen, tells me that it doesn't detect the radio hardware!

I have a UK model (if it makes any difference) and even after updating my build at least twice a week (currently on r13903-070715), I'm still getting this problem. I hadn't used the Debug screen before, but the radio hardware isn't being detected on my player either.

EDIT: I tried reverting back to the first version I used (070619) and that didn't fix the problem either.

[pixelma]

I have a UK model (if it makes any difference)...

Are your sure that yours has a radio (from using the original firmware perhaps) or have you ever used the radio under rockbox? As far as I know, the european Sansa models don't have a radio (the hardware is missing) and thus the message you quoted wouldn't be surprising.

Edit: sorry, just saw that you are the original poster... *g*  
I don't know then but maybe you don't have a real UK model...

Edit2: But still an interesting question if you could use the radio with the original firmware... I remember that for some Archos RecorderV2 which were the successor to the FM-Recorder, the radio chip was still mounted but just disabled in the original firmware. Maybe yours is something similar with the chip still in and a small change somewhere that causes yours to work sometimes, sometimes not? (just a wild wild guess though)

[rockboxuser01]

I don't know if there are separate models for the UK and US - all I know is that I bought it from a UK dealer (advancedmp3players.co.uk) and that if I boot into the original firmware, the radio works every time without having to plug the Sansa into the computer.

[scdlsam]

The European models do have radios, the European OF just can't record FM. Something about it not being legal or something, I can't recall...

[Llorean]

Have you opened a European Sansa and verified this? Because all evidence points to the contrary.

[cpchan]

Have you opened a European Sansa and verified this? Because all evidence points to the contrary.

Older European versions have the radio- there have been many user on ABi who have enable it with a change to the American firmware. However, it seem like Sandisk took it out in the newer versions.

Charles
 

[Llorean]

Well, apparently nobody who's actually done this in person has bothered to update the wiki page with that information. The only Euro Sansas that have been opened and reported to us have been missing the chip entirely.

[cpchan]

Well, apparently nobody who's actually done this in person has bothered to update the wiki page with that information.

AFAIK, the people who have done this are not Rockbox users. I will update the wiki later on today.

Charles

[cpchan]

I will update the wiki later on today.

Wiki updated.

Charles

[dzr]

I still have my radio come and go from the menu. Most of the time radio is not in the menu - and it says I have no radio in the Debug screen.  When the radio does appear, the Debug screen does show it.  I just updated to the latest official Rockbox and still have the same problem.

I have a US version- which does have a radio.

Thanks

[Vortex]

Older European versions have the radio- there have been many user on ABi who have enable it with a change to the American firmware. However, it seem like Sandisk took it out in the newer versions.

Actually you can buy two different versions of the player here in Europe. One with the radio and one without. And I never heard anything about recording from radio not being legal in Europe (such a law would be kind of stupid), so I wonder why Sandisk has taken this functionality out of the OF...

[cpchan]

Actually you can buy two different versions of the player here in Europe. One with the radio and one without.

This is true now with the 2 versions. However, that are older versions which does have the radio in HW, but it is disabled by the firmware.

Charles