DAB+ App: (real)zoulou's DAB-Z app (official support thread)

[Nordlendingen]

After i updated rhe app it does not start, shows a error message hardware failure

 

[rigattoni]

After i updated rhe app it does not start, shows a error message hardware failure

Well... would be good to get the log file and of course the error message as picture.

 

[realzoulou]

@Nordlendingen I know what error message you mean: It is a "Toast" stating "DAB hardware error" and DAB-Z closes itself.
This error comes when DAB-Z found the USB DAB device, but then was not able to communicate with it.
I assume this was an intermittent error only and a restart of the head unit fixed it meanwhile.
Am I right?

 

[Nordlendingen]

@Nordlendingen I know what error message you mean: It is a "Toast" stating "DAB hardware error" and DAB-Z closes itself.
This error comes when DAB-Z found the USB DAB device, but then was not able to communicate with it.
I assume this was an intermittent error only and a restart of the head unit fixed it meanwhile.
Am I right?

No, this error message can show up after 5-15 minutes after the dab z app has started and worked or just after startup, does not help with restart, other dab radio apps works without error

 

[realzoulou]

Then try a USB hub in between Head Unit and DAB Adapter. You can use the cheapest 2.0 HUB that you can find.
I cannot guarantee it will work, it is just a try.
If it then works better, I would not be able to explain why. It is a "lesson learned" from 4 years of supporting these USB DAB adapters...

 

[surfer63]

No, this error message can show up after 5-15 minutes after the dab z app has started and worked or just after startup, does not help with restart, other dab radio apps works without error

Also: Try to tighthen the uSB connection. I had a "wobly" connection on my previous sc9853i sometimes resulting in the same issue (bump in the road?). I pushed both USB-connections hard towards each other using a tie-wrap diagonally. Issue solved! (my issue solved)

 

[voxmagna]

One thing bugging me using DAB-Z (V 0.04) in my Android head unit is Station Logos. Although my Chinese head unit can connect to internet over mobile data I don't do it. Consequently I want to import station logos and have DAB-Z use them. I travel about a bit can't keep setting up an internet connection to update the local list. So I found the UK zip file with all I need, although the pngs are scaled smaller than if I download online (?)

What bugs me is where DAB-Z looks for the imported Station logos. On my setup screen it tells me they are in /storage/emulated/0/documents/DAB/logos. On my head unit this folder isn't accessible with the default Android file browser. Fortunately my head unit is rooted and I can access the folder with a root file manager. So when DAB-Z is first installed this folder is empty and I've proven that if using a root file manager to copy the pngs to it, apart from a screen scaling issue (small size) they are picked up when each DAB station is tuned.

If it's not a stupid question for realzoulou, why can't the default file location for Station logos (or favorites) used by DAB-Z be user selectable so I can have them on a folder on my external SD card? Even on the local storage /documents/ folder they would be easier to manage rather than down in root. If I have to re-install or update DAB-Z the storage location wouldn't be erased whereas the default location for Station logos always is.

The export and re-import of favorites has worked well after a clean re-install. I would just like Station logos to work the same way if possible?

I hadn't been using DAB-Z for a while and yesterday it went into a loop screen asking me to re-confirm storage permissions (which were already set and showing as enabling external storage.). I couldn't get out of the permissions request screen and had to do a clean re-install. I hope DAB-Z isn't expecting an 'always on' internet connection to continually ask for folder access permission, because my car head unit isn't internet on enabled. Too much data leakage to Chinese servers!

 

[voxmagna]

Then try a USB hub in between Head Unit and DAB Adapter. You can use the cheapest 2.0 HUB that you can find.
I cannot guarantee it will work, it is just a try.
If it then works better, I would not be able to explain why. It is a "lesson learned" from 4 years of supporting these USB DAB adapters...

Hi, Does that work for Android? I went to a lot of trouble to buy a rare 3 X USB head unit. I thought most USB hubs were sold with an embedded firmware driver only recognised by Windoze or MAC? Have you found a USB expansion hub that works with Android and are the APIs built into default Android to recognise them? Thanks

 

[rigattoni]

Hi, Does that work for Android? I went to a lot of trouble to buy a rare 3 X USB head unit. I thought most USB hubs were sold with an embedded firmware driver only recognised by Windoze or MAC? Have you found a USB expansion hub that works with Android and are the APIs built into default Android to recognise them? Thanks

I have 3 or 4 different USB hubs with 4 or 6 USB connectors. The big one has a separate 5V power supply wich is connected to a 12V step down regulator and provides 2Amp.
All hubs I bought are recognized correctly.... You just need to try some.

 

[TJF2]

Car-Radio (Android 11, horizontal format) - latest DAB-Z version: I have a problem with marking favorites: When the popup comes up, with star and trash, I can tap on the star how and where I want, it doesn't get saved under favorites. It was only possible for me with a station from Munich (BR-Klassik).

Any idea?

 

[TJF2]

It has been resolved. Works fine today. Don't know why...

 

[Il_Simo]

It's possible to have peronalized themes like original head unit?

 

[realzoulou]

You can select a background image in DAB-Z Settings->Layout

 

[townlema]

Slightly embarrassed to ask this but if I long press on the station logo by mistake and set it to the current playing image, how do I reset it to the default again?

 

[realzoulou]

Sorry to say, but you will need to use a file manager to delete the file from DAB/Documents/logos/user/ folder.

 

[Clandaries]

Hi @realzoulou

Could it happen, that your app will not work on some devices?
I have used it on my Dasaita with no problems.
On my Xiaomi smartphone it workes nicely.
But on my Hizpo S8 (Roco K706) i have massive reception problems.
Antenna is fine. Tried with my smartphone.
Any suggestions?

Thank you and regards

 

[realzoulou]

@Clandaries Yes, not every device is the same. Try a USB hub in between DAB USB adapter and Hizpo HU. Has helped for some users.

 

[Kullerkeks77]

Hello everyone

First of all a very good app.

Have had them for a good 3 years. Only on my radio with Android 8.1 did everything run smoothly. But since I got a new radio with Android 10, the app doesn't always connect by itself. It works about 2 times out of 10 attempts.

I've tried older versions and have the same problem.

Automatic start is also activated in the app. In addition, I have already tested both USB connections and set usb 1.1 and 2.0, the problem also exists there.

Do you have any idea what it could be.

 

[realzoulou]

@Kullerkeks77 I suffer from the same issue myself on my PX6 Android 10 Hal9k 5.2.0 device in my vehicle.
I analyzed several logs of such occurances and all showed the same (misbehavior):
At start (actually resume from suspend) Android enumerates the USB devices, finds the USB DAB adapter and also finds that it should start DAB-Z.
This happens at a time where Android itself is not booted fully. So it "buffers" the Intent to start DAB-Z for later processing.
And then Android somewhat "forgets" this Intent and does not start DAB-Z finally.

All of this is outside of what DAB-Z can influence and thus there can be no fix in the app itself.

 

[Kullerkeks77]

Thanks for the fast respond. So it is due to Android 10 since it worked perfectly on 8. The funny thing is that the music player (Neutron Player) starts automatically when it was last activated.

Kind regards