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DAB Radio

Minivanman
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Registered: ‎04-11-2014

DAB Radio

Bought one of these a couple of years ago only to find that here is my area of west Wales there is coverage and I know, I should have checked first. Crazy2

However, a quick postcode check on the internet earlier tells me it is now available..... only it seems not, as when tuning all I get in return is "Not Available" Knuppel  

Reminds me of years ago when we had those radio pagers which would not work in so many areas around here - with BT telling my company "it ain't cheap to bleep sheep" Sad


Truth is like a threshing machine; tender sensibilities must keep out of the way.
Herman Melville
13 REPLIES 13
HairyMcbiker
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Re: DAB Radio

Silly Q but did you do a full scan on it?
Up here I get a few stations, in N. Yorks I get loads.
Minivanman
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Re: DAB Radio

I did, it has an auto scan facility on it. Sad


Truth is like a threshing machine; tender sensibilities must keep out of the way.
Herman Melville
HairyMcbiker
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Re: DAB Radio

Another point on them is that they are not particularly sensitive.
Try outside.
Minivanman
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Re: DAB Radio

Will do. Thumbs_Up


Truth is like a threshing machine; tender sensibilities must keep out of the way.
Herman Melville
MisterW
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Re: DAB Radio

However, a quick postcode check on the internet earlier tells me it is now available..... only it seems not, as when tuning all I get in return is "Not Available" Knuppel

Doesn't surprise me!. I've got a Dab radio in my car and it loses signal when in some out-of-the-way places. I've had problems in  Devon and parts of North Wales in the last year. Just checked the postcode for where I definitely had problems in Devon and it shows good coverage!Roll_eyes

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

HairyMcbiker
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Re: DAB Radio

I have a Pure add in one for the car (won it in a radio contest a few years back) last time I tried it, I could get about 50% coverage on the A7 to Edinburgh, 90+% FM coverage. I also have a pocket one that is as deaf as a brick. Unless the signal is really strong it just gives up.
twocvbloke
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Registered: ‎06-11-2014

Re: DAB Radio

Plenty DAB round here, we're between two main transmitters of national and local radio so it comes in quite easily, however, the low bitrates make the service sound worse than an early GSM mobile phone, with some music so garbled (even with excellent signal) that it's better just to hum the tune yourself, that and most of the stations are in Mono which makes it pointless for music listening anyway...

 

There are some tests with DAB+ which uses a different codec, but the bitrates are still low and the monaural thing is still there, so, stream from t'internet I say, far better quality available over the web than DAB...

 

http://www.radioplayer.co.uk/

shutter
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Registered: ‎06-11-2007

Re: DAB Radio

@Minivanman not a fan of DAB radio... however, most "portable" radios tend to skimp on the antenna/aerial design, due to the space limitations inside the box... Hopefully, your box has got an external aerial socket... and if so, then you could invest in a "proper" antenna/aerial designed to work with the DAB Frequencies.  You should mount this antenna as high as possible, preferably in "free space" as on the chimney stack, or a strong pole attached to the house... second best would be in the loft space across some roof timbers..  ( or screwed to on with a fixing bracket).

 

You will need to know the compass bearing from your house to your nearest transmitter, your local radio/tv shop or antenna fixing guy, will know where that is..  and you point your antenna towards it.

 

if you have a scroll down this page, it shows the kind of antenna suitable for "fringe" areas, such as you seem to be in...

 

http://www.stevelarkins.freeuk.com/dab-reception.htm

 

OR......If you are able to solder some wires together... you could make your own 1/4 wave ground plane antenna.

 

http://www.hamuniverse.com/2metergp.html

 

you will need to work out the maths for the mid frequency range of DAB is at 225 mhz... 

 

I built one of these in about an hour... and hoisted it up to the rain gutter on our house, and it improved vhf reception over the normal internal antenna.

 

since then I have invested in one of these, now mounted on my chimney stack, and it is a big improvement on the home made version..

 

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/scanking-discone-antenna-qt28f

 

I did add my own "vertical element" to it as can be seen in the pic

SpendLessTime
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Re: DAB Radio


@MisterW wrote:

I've got a Dab radio in my car and it loses signal when in some out-of-the-way places.

Obscure like driving on the M1 which is why my Pure DAB car device sits in a drawer. And on a regular commute I did, the signal would stop about 1 mile out of town and always at the best part of the program

Ex - Plusnet Customer (2009 - 2023) now with BT
gleneagles
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Re: DAB Radio

Not a fan of DAB radio either, number of stations I can get is limited and VHS sounds much better.

A number of websites seem to be in general agreement that the government have not fully supported DAB radio as there are much better options out there, why mess about with DAB radio when you can get thousands of radio stations via the internet, I use a Cobra internet radio which stores my favourite stations but there are plenty of other makes out there.

For good quality sound get a soundbar or speakers and access a lot of radio stations via you TV.

Years ago I would have gone down the route of making a aeriel as it's quite an interesing subject but for DAB radio with it's poor bitrate is it worth it ?

We are born into history and history is born into us.
twocvbloke
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Re: DAB Radio


@gleneagles wrote:

but for DAB radio with it's poor bitrate is it worth it ?



Nope, as far as I care DAB is a dead format, like 8-track and Video2000, except there are no collectors and enthusiasts of DAB products, the currently used MP2 codec is over 20 years old and hideously outdated, and even on the internet where is used to be common (in the 90s I must add), is a dead format, the only thing DAB offers over the likes of FM is a little screen that has information on it that nobody really looks at, and compared to internet streaming, well, DAB's a lost cause... Smiley

Minivanman
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Re: DAB Radio

Well I must say, after reading all these comments it does seem like a lost cause and what a pity eh? It was sold as the best thing since sliced bread when at the end of the day it's no better that the usual FM radio - actually it's worse, as at least that works.

I've been dabbed, dubbed, and dusted!


Truth is like a threshing machine; tender sensibilities must keep out of the way.
Herman Melville
shutter
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Registered: ‎06-11-2007

Re: DAB Radio

As mentioned in my other post... you can seriously improve your FM reception by using an external antenna... so , put your DAB box on Ebay... ( start off at £5.00 to cover your fees ! ! ..) and then invest what you get in a "proper" antenna.