What USB device works on Passion+ for recording

[tjl]

I don't usualy record from my reciever as I keep getting " FAT32 not recognised " but the other day through boredom I had a play around and found that a Pony 2gb pen stick was not FAT32(yet it clearly is) but a giveaway 595 mb (make unknown) by the local bank worked and I was able to record using direct and timer recording,and reading previous posts on this site about this and saw how hit and miss it is(my reason in the first place not to bother recording material) as left me wondering what other users who do record programes use on there machines as some are recognised and others are not,I have emailed Fortec technical hoping for a reply(still waiting)on this but am reluctant to splash the cash on a external HDD if I get the dreaded "FAT32" not recognised symbol when I plug in.....Tony

 

[juclarie]

I messed around with connecting lots of different makes of USB drives and eventually found an IOMEGA drive that works sort-of fine. But I have to be very careful with it... occasionally it comes up with your error. I've worked out a solution to this - I keep a short recording on the drive that I don't need to preserve and the moment the error appears (usually once a week), I connect the drive to a PC and delete that file... then reconnect it to the passion and it all comes alive again. It's most screwy, I know

I have a brand new IOMEGA USB drive doesn't work after the first format and shutdown - same message as you - NOT FAT32 or NOT RECOGNISED etc.

I have another drive of some origin that doesn't work, period.

I have no answer for any of this other than, now, it amuses me rather than riles me...

You emailed fortec star??? I've sent them at least 3 emails, rung the UK number, left messages and even contacted their customer care somewhere across a pond that's somewhere else (I think Canada).

 

[tjl]

Thanks for your input,I have been reading back posts on this site and as I thought there is a cross section of what works for some and not for others,yes Like you I smiled inwardly as I pressed the send button with my email to Fortec knowing that it was sent probably never to be replied to.but somewhere down the line all it would take would be a update to rectify this problem as there are so many users out there pulling hair out of heads because they have FAT32 HDD but there stupid machines fail to see them,unlike you it riles me more than amusing me...Tony

 

[juclarie]

It is obviously a fault.

Let's hope you or I (or anyone reading this thread and wants to contribute by contacting Fortec Star) gets a response to this problem.

 

[juclarie]

I've had this response from their nibs -

Please download the above dated firmware from our site. (Must UNZIP the File, you will got a file ) put that file ( not folder) into USB.

please read carefully below given method:

1. Power OFF (from the front panel) first your receiver.

2. Insert the USB either to front or rear port.

3. Then power ON your receiver.

4. Wait until it shows “FILE 1” in the front panel.

5. Press OK button. ( Front Panel only- don't OK from remote)

6. It will show you the specific file (ie: pn2_av126fs_20091203)

7. Then wait until it finished.

Thanks

Best Regards,

Fortec Star


May be just a different way of achieving the same thing? I'll give it a try later.

 

[tjl]

I find this strange in as much I have downloaded the latest update from there site Dec 03,but pardon me if I'm wrong but this deals with the changing the layout and epg and not FAT32 errors on your USB

 

[juclarie]

Well either way it's made no difference at all... have sent a message back to that effect. Have you had any luck with them?

 

[tjl]

As of yet No,but it looks as though this may turn out to be a constant email thing if they can't/won't sort it out as surely it as to be a glitch with their programing,it's to hit and miss to be any thing else....Tony

 

[tjl]

It's been a week since I sent the email ref this FAT32 problem and as of yet NO reply,I may have to send them a reminder,God this company's after sales service is hard work.....Tony

 

[juclarie]

I've had great success with a bus-powered portable usb drive. Giving the Passion+ complete control over recording/startup-startdown/switch-off and power control seems to have done the trick.

Still no reception of talksport.

My latest reply (received 2 days ago) was not really worth posting but here it is for everyone's amusement...

After upgrading the software please make factory rest and rescan you receiver again.

Thanks

Best regards

FortecStar

 

[tjl]

It Beggars belief.I was under the impression that these are educated,but obviously they cannot understand the problem we are referring too by the way what make is your drive....Tony

 

[juclarie]

I'm not really sure what make it is... it's an old portable drive that's got a 40gB HD in it. I've thought of upping it to a higher gB but at the moment it does the job nicely. I can't crash it. I can plug it in, unplug it, unplug and plug in the passion+ via the mains to my heart's content and it still works. It's got one of those mini usb connectors on the back - no power supply (all bus powered). PC World & Maplin do these sort of drives for about £40.

 

[tjl]

Thanks for the info my sons mate is into computing and I will see if he as something I can experiment with before I spend my money........Tony

 

[juclarie]

Let's all know how you get on... would be interesting to find if this could be a possible answer to the elusive external drive problem.

 

[tjl]

Well my son's mate loaned me a Fujitsu External(sounds like a gastric problem)38 gb HDD and I received the FAT 32 notification as soon as I pressed record.I then played around with the cables and pressed the usb button on the remote and selected Device Manager and to my surprise the info was there informing me of how much disk space I have,so on I went to the EPG to record the next program of the station I was on and left it,came back after 1/2 an hour to view the result and load and behold the prog was there for all to see I played it all the way through and no faults were found,true it's early days yet but I will play around some more but on first impression it looks as though I have found what I'm looking for,

 

[juclarie]

Yes, bus-powered drives seem to work best. I'm glad you've sorted your problem out

 

[tjl]

That's what I thought initially,but having spent more time and played around I'm left with this conundrum,it will record if I press record a programme that is on while machine is on,but as soon as I go for the timer option the machine starts up and the record to usb is shown on the display but the hard drive gets switched off and so NO recording,this seems to be what past posters on this subject have had happened to them.also I have noticed that if I unplug the usb lead into the HDD and re-plug it the HDD will power up but it causes the No Signal No Video to appear on the screen which means I have then to reboot the receiver which amounts to a lot of effort for no recording.which although wasn't my intention when I purchased the player as it was so I could watch Hi Def and as I live on the fringe of Sutton Coldfield's transmitter it is useful when free view plays up even though I have a top notch aerial,so much for TV of the future,is there a work around for this problem re HDD not powering up,as it takes me back to original post of "what is the usb hard drive that works for you"

 

[juclarie]

Hello tjl, wonder what progress you've made (if any). Still using my 40gB bus powered drive with no probs.

 

[tjl]

Still having the problem that is my last post above I cannot get the blighter to power up having selected the timer mode,It works fine if I select a prog and leave it switched on but as soon as I select timer it will not power up

 

[juclarie]

When you say 'timer mode' do you mean set a recording off the epg & switch off the box?