DAB Radio

itsfrommark

...despite the low bit rate (mentioned above) reception can be excellent as here in Bournemouth; in fact reception on the FM band here is more patchy than DAB due to the low signal strength permitted close to the channel/france. Once you find yourself in a 'good' area for DAB settle for a RED DAB RADIO from Sainsbury at just under £40 they represent the best value with excellent audio. I have 39 stations to choose from including all the local ones plus 3 versions of BBC radio Solent - not that its my type of station though...happy new year....Mark

superscotsman

May wrote:

Hi everyone - not sure if this relates to the threads as above but I got bought a DAB radio for christmas. I have tried relentlessly to tune it in. The FM radio works on it but when it comes to tuning in the DAB - it's just not happening. Is it something i'm doing wrong? I live on the outskirts of the M25 and signal can be poor which why I thought a DAB would have no problems at all.

When they are flogging these DAB digital radios, they don't tell you the following, you take the set all round the room till you find a spot where it receives. It's like the indoor aerials with the old black and white tv sets all over again.

With an analogue radio you just turn the knob till you hit the station, with one of these digital b*****ds, the station you are tuning into comes up on a little screen, and if you wear glasses for reading, you have to be wearing your specs to see it. You can't get any foreign stations on these things either.
You can get extra stations on these things but most of these extra stations are not worth the carrier wave it comes in on. The one exception is the BBC World Service, which you can get without the waxing and waning that you get on analogue.
I wasn't born a cynic but I am wondering if they are pushing these things so that we all have them and can't tune into foreign stations to find out what is REALLY going on in Rip-off Britain.
You can't get your local FM stations on them either.

May

Hi there, I checked on that website to see if i can receive DAB for my area and apparently i can.

However, I am still nit able to tune the radio in. I've selected autotune as the instructions say and the radio just sits there for hours with the station name on the screen and a message saying 'tuning....'

I left the radio all day on christmas day and it refused to tune in.

Any ideas?

Ash3G

The problem here actually seems to be with people using poor equipment as opposed to the technology.

Surely things like screen size, battery life, aerial/tuner sensitivity is down to the manufactorer to sort out and not the broadcaster?

Some of the better sets...

Roberts Gemini 8 - large display
Freeplay Devo - wind-up DAB/FM radio
Pure Evoke 1xt - good all round (non battery) set

I think people's expectations are high because the retailers don't put the same emphasis on DAB postcode checking that they do with Freeview. Also many DAB transmitters are still being built, and will do for the forseeable future. In 2006 Ofcom, the broadcast regulator will be rolling out further local digital services and possibly an extra national ensemble of stations.

Ash3G

May wrote:

However, I am still nit able to tune the radio in. I've selected autotune as the instructions say and the radio just sits there for hours with the station name on the screen and a message saying 'tuning....'

I left the radio all day on christmas day and it refused to tune in.

Any ideas?

1. Have you tried tuning in any other stations?
2. Have you turned the set on/off and tried again?

If the above two don't work, the set may be faulty.

What set is it by the way?

penrhyn

Hello May,

It sounds as if its faulty, a full scan should only take 30 seconds or so.
Take it back and get an exchange or refund BTW, what Make and model is it?

superscotsman

May wrote:

However, I am still nit able to tune the radio in. I've selected autotune as the instructions say and the radio just sits there for hours with the station name on the screen and a message saying 'tuning....'
Any ideas?

Like I say, you try different parts of the house. There are parts of our house that are dead. You are probably in a marginal area.

Woby_Tide

superscotsman wrote:

You can't get your local FM stations on them either.

Either get a DAB radio with an FM tuner too or sugegst to your local FM station to purchase a licence to broadcast via DAB


*whacks Betamax tape into VHS video*

*moans about lack of picture*

*kicks dog*

Quasar

I must say that I have recently replaced my old Hi Fi and went for a really good Sony Microsystem with DAB tuner, which sorted itself out as soon as I connected the DAB aerial and switched it on. There are many stations to choose from and the sound, wow the sound!!!!!!

italiastar

superscotsman wrote:

I wasn't born a cynic but I am wondering if they are pushing these things so that we all have them and can't tune into foreign stations to find out what is REALLY going on in Rip-off Britain.

:beer:

Aparently they're not popular outside the UK - not even sure if they use them.