brian47
Well-Known Member
As far as I can see, there are four ways around this:-
- Replace the head unit with a DAB receiver. This has been done by many owners, but there can be problems with feeding the external amplifier, if one is fitted.
- Convert the existing system to receive DAB stations. This is the option I went for, it allows me to retain the existing equipment, with the visual presentation, remote controls and the amplifier. This is how I did my Disco 2. https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/dab-in-the-disco-2.298913/ The full description is in the .pdf file attached to that post.
- Give up on the radio altogether and use a .mp3 or .wav player. If all you want is some sounds that you know you're going to enjoy, this could be the method for you.
- Buy a new vehicle which already has a DAB radio in it. You wouldn't really consider changing the vehicle just because the radio doesn't work. What about the ashtrays? Are they full yet?
brian47
Well-Known Member
They will eventually turn the analogue systems off, probably when the BBC multiplex can claim 95% coverage of the UK. The commercial stations don't seem to be considered in the evaluation.
It's all about efficient use of the available spectrum and FM for entertainment broadcasting isn't seen as an efficient use of the radio spectrum. The actual quality of reproduction figures very low down on the list of criteria.
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AceB
Active Member
No they won't become redundant all the time someone is manufacturing low power FM modulators.
Dab adaptor like this Amazon product
The switch off was due originally in 2015 this was then put back to 2018 the latest government and radio company meetings had the commercial radio companies trying to stop the change due to expense. There is now no set date but they are now wanting a higher percentage of people converted to dab before FM switch off.
Personally I think they should now ban sales of FM only radios and only sell those with dab as well.
Personally I think they should now ban sales of FM only radios and only sell those with dab as well.
brian47
Well-Known Member
Call me old fashioned, but I was brought up with what has been called "steam wireless"; pop music of the day on Radio Luxembourg, 208 metres medium wave, and boy did it wave about but we lived with it and loved it. Then we had "pirate radio", Radio Caroline, Radio London etc. It was all good stuff and all received on a tiny little transistorised portable radio probably using 7 transistors and one diode and a 2 1/2 inch speaker. Happy days.
So if I can listen to a radio station that doesn't pop and squeak and flutter and fade in and out (although DAB does tend to chop in and out in areas of low signal level) while I'm driving then I'm a happy bunny. It's just sounds in a Landy; a metal box given to a bit of rattling and banging, an audio theatre it certainly is not.
The only times I tend to listen to the radio at home anyway are programmes of old pop music, so I'm not going to be listening to the reproduction, just as long as it produces the sounds I remember. I'm not going to be sitting in front of a pair of concrete column speakers having measured out the perfect listening position for the best stereo effect complaining that "the trumpet is 1.385 dB below the level it should be for total harmony".
I just enjoy the "sounds" and not the sound.
As Neil Diamond once sang; "What a Beautiful Noise"
The main advantage of the move to DAB from FM is in the saving in bandwidth, which is under a serious overuse threat. One single FM broadcast quality signal has a deviation (the measure of the amount of audio which has been superimposed on the carrier) of plus and minus 75 kHz meaning that it occupies 150 kHz. Non broadcast stations such as radiotelephones (not mobile phones) can use a deviation as little as plus and minus 2.5 kHz. So in that respect it's reasonable to close down the broadcast stations to regain spectrum space once a viable alternative is available.
Owing to the way that multiplexing works, in a bandwidth of 150khz, a set of about 10 stations could be transmitted using FDM (Frequency Domain Multiplexing) and probably a similar number of stations using Time Domain Multiplexing
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The figures you are quoting are they for voice or Music - As music requires more "Data / Bandwidth" than voice due to the greater audio range
saxavordian
Well-Known Member
Have you notice with the pickup for DAB radio Flares and Sideburns styles have dropped. Currently I still use my in built radio with the cassette model in the Freelander 1. I still have hundreds of tape cassettes lying dormant as are my LP EPs. Yet I have tried DAB in the car and frankly gave this up as with either having to store away when not using to prevent crime also losing favourite channels to DAB. So now I am growing my sideburns and looking for flares trousers and tank tops and accept listening my local radio station Revolution 96.2
brian47
Well-Known Member
The figures I've given, not "quoted" are from experience, generalised assumptions.
The deviation for BBC radio 2 I can quote as being +/- 75kHz.
As to dynamic ranges, a normal voice channel is for reasons of spectrum economy often limited by the use of filters to between 300Hz and 3kHz.
There are very few radio channels, if any broadcasting music which would do so with a dynamic range of up to 15kHz, after all, very few people can hear up to 15kHz, although I s'pose the family pet dog might appreciate it. I am aware of the need to transmit some of the harmonics of various instruments so that they actually sound correct, the trumpet is harmonic rich whereas the flute and violin can be almost a pure sine wave.
Overall the figures I used were as an example, and not intended as a complete scientific paper.
That's a bit of a selfish attitude as there are many people, like ourselves, who are not in the bracket of 'lucky' listeners who can receive the digital signal - and it looks as if we never will.
We needed a new radio for the home and a considerable amount of time was spent trying to find one.
Eventually our local electrical dealer came up trumps.
brian47
Well-Known Member
I know exactly what you mean, the "coastal plain" of S Wales is well covered by Wenvoe, St Hilary and Kilvey Hill main transmitters. Onwards towards deepest, darkest West Wales there's the Precili and Haverfordwest main transmitters, hardly blanket coverage. But as in the olden days of BBC and ITV television, the owners still say "you're not going to play on my transmitter" so you end up with the smaller repeater sites which are needed for the "deep" cover not carrying all the channels. For instance if I were 5 miles down the road I could receive all the BBC channels and almost all the commecial ones too but in my little valley, all I can get is the main BBC channels and nothing else.That's a bit of a selfish attitude as there are many people, like ourselves, who are not in the bracket of 'lucky' listeners who can receive the digital signal - and it looks as if we never will.
We needed a new radio for the home and a considerable amount of time was spent trying to find one.
These days instead of a radio in the home, I have my FreeSat decoder connected to my hi-fi and receive all the radio I want off the satellite.
Yes, this is where we get our signal from. Although we live many miles away from it, we have a very powerful booster in the loft which enables us to get it. Our nearest transmitter is, 'as the crow flies', Carmel, but, because of the hills, trees, our low location (a bungalow) we are unable to receive that. Incidentally, our nearest neighbours are able to receive it but they are just that little bit higher! We always fear strong winds as they knock our very fragile signal out of the line of sight. We are from the age of the dinosaurs and do not have need of hi fi units. We do have Sky - limited subscription! - to enable us to get any reliable TV but only in the one room and as we both listen to different things in different rooms we need a portable radio. In all rooms we have TV analogue - now obsolete - sockets!
We value our analogue radios!
That's a bit of a selfish attitude as there are many people, like ourselves, who are not in the bracket of 'lucky' listeners who can receive the digital signal - and it looks as if we never will.
We needed a new radio for the home and a considerable amount of time was spent trying to find one.
No it's not selfish if you read what I said it was ban FM only radios and sell those with dab as well.
So it won't stop you getting FM it just makes you have dab available.
You get digital TV ? Then you get digital radio, you will get dab when they convert all the old radio transmitters to it.
I'll point out I live on the coast of Norfolk i get terrestrial TV only by having an amplifier in the roof, some parts of Norfolk only got Yorkshire tv until the advent of digital.
We get mobile phone signal by standing up stairs in the bath room near the window, And I have yet to get dab at home it appears on the way to Norwich.
No, I don't get reliable digital TV, I have Sky to get TV,
No, We don't get any mobile phone signals at all!
For the radio we rely on LW for any programmes as the FM is very 'hit and miss' depending where you are in the bungalow and what the weather is like!!
A sad tale of woe! But, we do have wonderful views all about us.
The car radio picks up an FM signal when I go down from the hills but it does not last long and as I travel east it disappears and I have to retune to AM to get anything.
No, We don't get any mobile phone signals at all!
For the radio we rely on LW for any programmes as the FM is very 'hit and miss' depending where you are in the bungalow and what the weather is like!!
A sad tale of woe!
But, we do have wonderful views all about us. The car radio picks up an FM signal when I go down from the hills but it does not last long and as I travel east it disappears and I have to retune to AM to get anything.
