Digital Radio

dreamdaisy

I love my digital radio, crystal clear reception and a wonderful selection of stations. I adhere to BBC 7, Radio 4 and Radio 5 live - but now all is quiet because we have just had a heavy downpour and my radio has flounced off. It does this in moderately bad weather - decides it cannot be bothered to make the effort to broadcast and off it goes. Sometimes it flounces for no reason at all. We have a digital telly too and that has its moments, usually when white van man or pizza delivery boy whines past. The picture jumps and flickers all over the place.

If they are going to roll out this service nationwide they have to ensure that they can provide a service that is not subject to weather or engines. It is most provoking. DD

skezier

Hi DD,

Would boosters help? W went totally digital here a while back but I don't often listen to it on a radio setting (have to use the tv for it) except now and then 1 Extra...... I do have the radio on a lot but its kinda locked to..... Radio1...... Cris xx

dreamdaisy

Possibly they would but I live in an urban environment, we had digital unrolled here more than five years ago now. It is generally a good service but they do have to improve it - some signals are weaker than others and the fact it disappears at the drop of a hat is so frustrating! I expect the world at my fingertips when I want it and where I want it. Is that so unreasonable?! DD

livinglegend

DAB radio has not been popular at all for the reasons that you describe, with many complaints from users of fluctuating dead zones and rainfall causing dropout and loss of signal. Check that you don't have your home portable or mobile phone close to the set, as this is one of the biggest causes of signal loss.

Basically, 20 years old and thus terribly out of date for audio digital processing, DAB is a very expensive failure. Only the UK and Norway use DAB and many other countries have no current plans to use the newer DAB+ which is not compatible. Due to the restricted bandwidth DAB cannot compete in sound quality even with FM. While only 14% of people listen to DAB, http://www.rajar.co.uk/docs/news/data_release_2009_Q4.pdf then no changeover to digital will happen, even though the government intends to spend £millions on pushing a failed system.

TV signals in many areas are still broadcasting on analogue and because of cross interference to digital, the digital signal has been much reduced. When they finally shut off the analogue TV signal, (to sell off the frequencies for TV on mobile phones, which on launch failed to attract many users and has shut down), then the digital signal can be increased and you should get far fewer problems with TV interference.


Joseph 8)

dreamdaisy

Thank you, my technical guru. I read your post with interest, because I have been wondering whether to invest in a DAB for my car. Pure do one, I bought it for The Husband, but he broke it. That was a waste of £70.

I shall wait and see what happens. It certainly appears to be a fragile signal - we receive channels that my brother-in-law cannot and he lives only a few streets away!

I hope you are felling well today. Do you have a tech background, or are you just interested in these things? DD

frogmorton

I love our digital radio

We have two now as we had one in our satic caravan which we got rid of earlier this year.

Nevre loose that signal - always loos my TV in bad weather though.

Hey Joseph - had a booster....is Heath Hayes particularly bad area for reception??

Love

Toni xx

livinglegend

dreamdaisy wrote:

Do you have a tech background, or are you just interested in these things? DD

I do indeed have a techie background, but I am interested in all things electronic, computers, etc.

Toni, Can't help with DAB reception in Heath Hayes, no idea at all. Reception can be all over the place from one street to the next with DAB and where you put the set and even which way round.

However, there is a Get Digital Radio checker at http://www.getdigitalradio.com/whats-on-dab/in-your-area Just enter your postcode and it will tell you which stations you MAY get.

Joseph 8)

rondetto

dreamdaisy wrote:

I love my digital radio, crystal clear reception and a wonderful selection of stations. I adhere to BBC 7, Radio 4 and Radio 5 live - but now all is quiet because we have just had a heavy downpour and my radio has flounced off. It does this in moderately bad weather - decides it cannot be bothered to make the effort to broadcast and off it goes. Sometimes it flounces for no reason at all. We have a digital telly too and that has its moments, usually when white van man or pizza delivery boy whines past. The picture jumps and flickers all over the place.

If they are going to roll out this service nationwide they have to ensure that they can provide a service that is not subject to weather or engines. It is most provoking. DD

We bought one at Christmas, a radio alarm. It's brilliant. Like you, we love Radio 7, all the old comoedies like Jimmy Clitheroe.
I can leave it on at night for 70 minutes and I'm usually asleep before the radio goes off. The best buy in ages, and so clear too.

dreamdaisy

Mine's flounced off again. DD

rondetto

I must tell you that these radios are very fragile. The first one we had packed in after a month, the technical guy told me it was because I had our LCD tv on the same time as the Digital radio, that lost the entire signal.
They replaced it and it's been great ever since, just got to remember not to put it on while the tv is on in the same room. I think it's ok as long as they're not too close to each other.

dreamdaisy

That sounds a bit daft to me - I need my electronic guru, livinglegend!

Analogue and digital are different systems, does one cancel the other out? The DAB in the kitchen is getting on a bit, but when it gets the signal, it's fine. We have a viaduct a litle way down the hill from us and that interferes with the signal.

I heard today that there will be a trade-in deal for old radios for a new DAB so I might take advantage of that. I understand what livinglegend posted above about antiquated technology but I do want a DAB for my office! I'm glad yours works now. DD

rondetto

I'm told it's about the signal to your set, I meant to say that I have my digi radio on my dressing table in the bedroom, and the TV just above it, maybe when I had the tv on and set the alarm on the radio it knocked the signal off.

livinglegend

dreamdaisy wrote:

Analogue and digital are different systems, does one cancel the other out?

I heard today that there will be a trade-in deal for old radios for a new DAB so I might take advantage of that.

They can cancel each other out if one set of signals is much stronger or close to the same frequencies. Also, if a TV and a radio are close together then you can get cross-interference between them. So they should be at least 6 ft. apart when in use.

I have heard that the discount is available from next weekend, with 10% off being given.

This looks like a pending financial disaster for commercial radio. It's somewhat less of a problem for the BBC, which can assign funds to DAB, and which has already subsidised the massive cost of DAB's progress through free TV advertising.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/jul/01/dab-fm-digital-switchover

DAB has been around for 11 years, but DAB launched in the UK in 1999 and currently accounts for 13% of all digital listening. http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/News/MostEmailed/981667/Plans-digital-radio-split-commercial-sector Nowhere near the level required for a proper changeover to DAB.

Joseph 8)

rondetto

I agree that DAB is still in it'early years in the UK. But it is the future of broadcasting.
Like everything that is based on satellites, there is always going to be the problem of receiving the signals.
For example: My mother lived directly below the arrivals and departures of Manchester airport. I cant remember how many times she lost signals due to overhead planes.
We only need a sun spot or solar storm to knock out our signals and the entire country would be without tv or radio in the present day.
It's not a question of IF it happened, more like WHEN it happens, because it will happen sooner or later, just like a volcano that sooner or later will erupt.