• From: Redhill, Surrey UK
  • Registered: 2008-02-07
  • Posts: 30

Topic: Alarm fails when Radio Free Chumby list changes

Hi, I have my chumby wake me up with the radio in the morning and I use the radio station 'Virgin' on the Radio Free Chumby lists.
This morning the alarm failed to play anything (and therefore failed to wake me up sad).

I looked in the lists and Virgin is no longer listed.

Although I'd love Virgin back on the lists there is a more pressing issue of I need some kind of sound to wake me up! The alarm screen came up OK but sat there in blissful silence.

I'm running the latest Beta control panel and I believe all other updates are on the chumby.

Cheers

  • Duane
  • Duane
  • Blue Octy
  • Offline
  • From: San Diego, CA
  • Registered: 2006-08-24
  • Posts: 8,209

Re: Alarm fails when Radio Free Chumby list changes

The server for Radio Free Chumby periodically queries the various radio stations in the list to see if they're still operational - if it finds out it can't reach a station, it's disabled until it comes back online.  First it checks for a response from the URL, and then it checks if the response it what it expected, ie. streaming MP3.

If Virgin disappeared from the list, then that means that it went down.

When you choose a RFC station as an alarm, it actually makes a copy of the data from the RFC list - in other words, if a station disappears from the RFC list, the alarm is still using the potentially bad data.  In this case, it appears that the alarm went off and made an attempt to play Virgin, but was unable to do so - chances are very likely the URL worked, but did not return MP3.  Unfortunately, in the current firmware, it's not possible for the Control Panel to know that an alarm failed in that particular mode.

Essentially, we have a conflict - we want a high reliability system (alarms) built around an inherent unreliable system (the Internet).

The next firmware update will have a low-level "backup" alarm to handle exactly this condition.

Duane's Website

  • From: Redhill, Surrey UK
  • Registered: 2008-02-07
  • Posts: 30

Re: Alarm fails when Radio Free Chumby list changes

Thanks for this - the low level alarm should solve many alarm conditions I've seen posted and give the resilience required.

Nice work so far - I'm loving the Chumby smile

  • From: San Diego
  • Registered: 2007-10-25
  • Posts: 205

Re: Alarm fails when Radio Free Chumby list changes

Horsey,
I also wake to Virgin every morning.  I am actually streaming it though SHOUTcast and using it as an alarm. This may be an alternative for you.
Matt

Chumbymatt's Website

  • From: Redhill, Surrey UK
  • Registered: 2008-02-07
  • Posts: 30

Re: Alarm fails when Radio Free Chumby list changes

Thanks Chumbymatt - I'll look into that.