Looks like my Node2 is dead, now what? Time to fire up the Boulder Squeezebox again?

[240sx4u]

Hope I'm not thread jacking you @240sx4u @JohnVF what would you do differently? The modular approach... what does that look like to you?

I like the RPi idea, but no Amazon support. If it was me I'd switch to Tidal, but other family members.
Don't want to curate a stand alone server. I gather I might be able to store on my NAS and connect to an RPi endpoint using additional software. could work.
I wish an RPi could wear two hats without me having to become a software coder. It'd be nice if I could have both SPDIF out and Analog In.

I think I would look at the alternatives before buying another node, especially if you don't want to run an external DAC. I don't care for having to run a server and all that business, I've been there and done that, and didn't care much for it. Perhaps I can better the implementation this time if I go that route again and run something less buggy like a RPI instead of a windows PC that sits idle and freaks out after a bit.

 

[MikeyFresh]

It does work correctly now, which is why i am considering going back to it and slapping an external DAC in the future. Strange they seem to have "come back to life" but still good news.

Actually they never went away, only the hardware did. The software was (thankfully) made open source and there have since been an army of Linux developers that have carefully maintained and improved it over time. It's likely LMS/Squeezelite is the most stable it's ever been for that reason.

 

[MikeyFresh]

I don't care for having to run a server and all that business, I've been there and done that, and didn't care much for it. Perhaps I can better the implementation this time if I go that route again and run something less buggy like a RPI instead of a windows PC that sits idle and freaks out after a bit.

You can, and it will run stable using piCorePlayer on an RPi, which unlike most Windows installs, won't be asked to multitask or do anything else other than be a music server.

Windows is difficult to configure in that way, very complicated getting all of those unwanted/needed processes killed so that the unit functions only as a music server and stops worrying about anything else. It takes an advanced Windows user to get that accomplished on that platform.

 

[prime minister]

There is something to the idea that Bluesound may have inadvertently somehow trashed our Nodes. Mine work beautifully for a couple of years before this happened. Has anyone poked around on the Bluesound forums?

 

[OldNuke]

Lots of the same comments, either the Node locks during a software update (as mine did) or fails to connect after a software update and needs a reset or fails to reset after a lockup or software update. There's something common to this but I can put my finger on it.....
I have a service request with Bluesound, we will see how that goes...

 

[prime minister]

My update seems to have gone ok. Mind just keeps cutting in and out constantly.

 

[JohnVF]

My update seems to have gone ok. Mind just keeps cutting in and out constantly.

Mine did that when the Node was on my main WiFi and the iPad was on an extender/booster off the same WiFi.

 

[prime minister]

Mine did that when the Node was on my main WiFi and the iPad was on an extender/booster off the same WiFi.

Mine did it with both my old router, and my new super duper mesh network.

 

[240sx4u]

While we're on the subject, what's this Mesh network business?

@MikeyFresh when the software was first being phased out and unsupported it wasn't pretty. I am really glad to hear there are alternative ways to run it and get away from the Windows platform. I think running it all via windows was the Achilles heel in reliability for me.

@OldNuke let us know how it goes. I am not even sure how to submit a service request with it bricked. I have seen that updates can be installed via USB stick. Perhaps I should try that.

 

[JohnVF]

I did some quick poking around and it seems a lot of Node2 owners are experiencing failing capacitors in the power supply. I'd suggest anybody with the red-light problem who wants to salvage the unit to contact BlueSound support. It does seem like they can be repaired if this is the issue somebody has, but at what cost, I don't know.

I'd also take back my recommendation of BlueSound for anybody looking for a plug and play server setup. There's far too many people with issues with these things.

Here's one short thread on it:

Continous red light on Node2

Since a week I have a continous red light on the Node 2. Disconnecting and connecting the power does not work. Could you please help me fix this problem? Thanks in advance

support1.bluesound.com

And another:

Node2 red light problem

My Node2 stopped suddenly and has a red light in the front and at the top. Restarting doesn't work; restarting with the cable directly on the modem doesn't work; trying to go back to the factory se...

support1.bluesound.com

 

[240sx4u]

I did some quick poking around and it seems a lot of Node2 owners are experiencing failing capacitors in the power supply. I'd suggest anybody with the red-light problem who wants to salvage the unit to contact BlueSound support. It does seem like they can be repaired but at what cost, I don't know.

I'd also take back my recommendation of BlueSound for anybody looking for a plug and play server setup. There's far too many people with issues with these things.

It may behoove you to have those caps replaced before you start having problems. Thanks for the update. I will follow up with support. I am capable (maybe) of changing the caps if that is the problem.

 

[JohnVF]

It may behoove you to have those caps replaced before you start having problems. Thanks for the update. I will follow up with support. I am capable (maybe) of changing the caps if that is the problem.

Currently my Node is in a box buried under an entire house of belongings. But I can only assume they used the same faulty capacitors in the Vault2 I think maybe I'll back it up again to get any CDs I ripped since the first backup.

 

[240sx4u]

Currently my Node is in a box buried under an entire house of belongings. But I can only assume they used the same faulty capacitors in the Vault2 I think maybe I'll back it up again to get any CDs I ripped since the first backup.

An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. I read how to open this thing up and plan on doing it when I have some free time.

Failing PSU also makes some sense with Erik's issues too.

 

[kirk57]

You do, just not integrated into the unit itself. The touch screen would be a phone or tablet, which is really more suitable anyway as you can access it from your easy chair or anyplace else you want, whereas the integrated touchscreens only allow access at the hardware/player itself, and not from a remote location.

Yes, I use Squeezelite on my I-Pad and I-phone for that. I meant the user interface at the location of the RPi. I don't always have my phone handy so it's nice to have the option of starting the stream without having to find my phone.

I'm surprised to hear the touchscreen for RPi would disable the use of a remote. That seems like a bug to me.

 

[MikeyFresh]

I did some quick poking around and it seems a lot of Node2 owners are experiencing failing capacitors in the power supply. I'd suggest anybody with the red-light problem who wants to salvage the unit to contact BlueSound support. It does seem like they can be repaired if this is the issue somebody has, but at what cost, I don't know.

I'd also take back my recommendation of BlueSound for anybody looking for a plug and play server setup. There's far too many people with issues with these things.

Here's one short thread on it:

Continous red light on Node2

Since a week I have a continous red light on the Node 2. Disconnecting and connecting the power does not work. Could you please help me fix this problem? Thanks in advance

support1.bluesound.com

And another:

Node2 red light problem

My Node2 stopped suddenly and has a red light in the front and at the top. Restarting doesn't work; restarting with the cable directly on the modem doesn't work; trying to go back to the factory se...

support1.bluesound.com

I wonder if Bluesound would just sell someone a new power supply board, it looks easy enough to replace with no soldering, just one click-in wiring harness from what I see in pictures.

Fidelity in the U.K. makes an LPS drop-in replacment PSU upgrade, but it's £549 without shipping.

 

[kirk57]

I can tell you as a person who works in telecom that there were electrolytic capacitors from one supplier (a few years ago) that would in time leak electrolyte onto the board they were mounted on, causing all kinds of fun problems. This affected multiple manufacturers.

If that is the case, you should be able to see this leaking if you take the cover off.

 

[JohnVF]

I can tell you as a person who works in telecom that there were electrolytic capacitors from one supplier (a few years ago) that would in time leak electrolyte onto the board they were mounted on, causing all kinds of fun problems. This affected multiple manufacturers.

If that is the case, you should be able to see this leaking if you take the cover off.

The threads I've looked at, where folks opened up the units, suggested visible leaking was occurring. I generally do not at all possess a jingoist/nationalist type of personality but at some point I'd love to just cut China out of the supply chain of everything I own. Good luck with that, right?

 

[MikeyFresh]

I can tell you as a person who works in telecom that there were electrolytic capacitors from one supplier (a few years ago) that would in time leak electrolyte onto the board they were mounted on, causing all kinds of fun problems. This affected multiple manufacturers.

If that is the case, you should be able to see this leaking if you take the cover off.

Or even just a bulging but not yet leaking cap, that too is toast, but easily enough replaced with a hot soldering iron, a bit of flux, and a solder sucker. The lead-free solder can really be a big pain in the neck to remove due to it's higher melting point, wimpy solder stations won't get it done.

 

[kirk57]

The threads I've looked at, where folks opened up the units, suggested visible leaking was occurring. I generally do not at all possess a jingoist/nationalist type of personality but at some point I'd love to just cut China out of the supply chain of everything I own. Good luck with that, right?

This one one vendor, and they corrected the problem. Most of the other vendors are Chinese, too, you know...

 

[prime minister]

The threads I've looked at, where folks opened up the units, suggested visible leaking was occurring. I generally do not at all possess a jingoist/nationalist type of personality but at some point I'd love to just cut China out of the supply chain of everything I own. Good luck with that, right?

We have been seeing that in a lot of areas with our equipment. Suppliers being driven out of business because the parts they purchased from China were not what the specs state they should be. And 5 years down the road, the party they purchased everything from is gone. Won’t go into details here, but It’s stuff that needs to be accurate and should last 20 years in the field.

It’s a much bigger issue then people like to pretend it is. And a deeper one too, as yes, you can test stuff to see how it works, but There are no easy tests when they lie about the actual materials used in the construction of a part.