DAB Radio question

[silly billy]

Can anyone help me with a question I have. I'm looking at getting a DAB radio but the question is do all DAB radios cover AM and FM or do some do just FM and others do FM and AM? My personnal radio does both but isn't DAB. Thanks in advance for any help.

[silly billy]

[froglets]

It's basically that they do what they say on the tin.  My DAB radio only does DAB, but also plays CD's if you want other features, I'd check that it has them listed on the product spec.

[GodfreyRob]

I was looking forward to getting a digital radio but then found out that the coverage in our area is very patchy -can't get half the stations.  Already we can't get channel 5 here.
Also there are NO plans to upgrade the local transmitters for digital TV either. When I go to the digital UK site they say its OK - you can get sky! So it looks like we are going to have to pay a full licence for a service we can't get AND then pay sky to see anything at all when the analog is switched off.
This seems like areal rip off to me! Has anyone else found this out in their area.

We are only 14 miles north of Leeds too- it s not like we're out in the wop-wops!

[cambourne7]

i am getting one myself that i can use on the allotment

The one i am looking at is Revo Pico+ DAB Radio (http://www.revo.co.uk/digital-radio/revo-pico-plus.php) which is a DAB and FM radio and has an SD card i can put music on and listen to and with withstand the weather. I can charge this up in the car or by plugging it in at home.

my allotment neighbour has a pure oasis ( http://www.pure-digital.com/Products/Product.asp?Product=VL-60775 ) and it seams to hold up.

Good luck but if you can wait till after christmas then i would as the prices usaly drop in in jan.

[isbister]

One thing I found out after buying a DAB radio and a digital tele is that these things use 12 to 20 times more power than the old analogue...!

[caroline7758]

I wouldn't dare spend that much on something I was taking to the allotment, camcourne!I'd probably leave it behind  and never see it again or leave it out in the rain! ;D

[cambourne7]

if you look around you will find them cheaper, i am getting a dab radio for mother in law.

I found one 50% cheaper on http://www.ebuyer.com/search/?qfind=dab+radio

[Larkshall]

Hi, Louise!
Good idea, waiting 'til after Christmas.

The trouble is that as time goes by the service gets worse, true, sound quality gets better (if you can get it). The old Long wave station (Droitwich 1500metres) could reach most places in the world. After the war it was used to beam broadcasts into the Soviet Union. When running full power it was too loud for listening at home. Now the FM stations cannot reach 50 miles in many cases because they use "line of sight" transmission, AM stations used refection off the heavyside layer. In "Line of sight" transmission, a hill can shadow everything beyond it and they won't get reasonable reception. You won't get back to such good coverage until you use satellite stations.

[cambourne7]

i know what you mean we have one of those metal water towers at the slip road onto camboure, this often slits the tv signal and we have had to get the ariel adjusted when building help to use the water tower to affect the signal.

[SamLouise]

You cannot really think of DAB in terms of AM/FM radio. Traditionally, radio broadcast stations have transmitted signals using analogue modulation : either AM (amplitude modulation) or FM (frequency modulation). FM stations have superior sound quality but the signals do not travel as far. Each station is broadcast on a separate frequency and you tune to the frequency of the station required.

DAB (Digital Audio Broadcast) is totally different in that it uses digital modulation. The “content” of many stations are digitised and combined into a single digital transmission (an “ensemble”). A DAB radio receives the whole digital signal and extracts the station that you select.

In theory, DAB should be capable of delivering better sound quality than traditional FM stations but over greater distances. BUT, 98% of the thousand or so DAB stations in UK and Europe use low “bit rates” to digitise the audio content, actually resulting in poorer sound quality!

Unless you specifically want to receive a wider selection of stations or you have a reception problem, stick to traditional FM radio. There are no plans to stop analogue radio transmissions like there are for analogue TV. Also bear in mind that the new incompatible DAB+ system is under development which will replace DAB and render your expensive DAB receiver obsolete!

[kenkew]

Well, I certainly learned a thing or two reading this thread. I thought DAB was the bees knees especially after all the hype.
(Here's me struggling to receive BBC 'anyradio' in Belgium. Maybe I ought to hook-up my Kenwood receiver via 60' wire again!)

[Lauren S]

I just listen to my fave radio station via the comp.

[tim]

Bluey's hit the nail!!