DAB+ or FM reception on a radio?

[stevensfo]

Hi,

We seem to visit Malta quite often and I read that the University Campus Radio broadcasts BBC World service from 9pm till next morning. Apart from a few dreadful music stations, it's the only decent one I can find in English.

After playing around with FM tuners on my mp3 players and mobile phone, I've come to the conclusion that I need a good radio with a LONG aerial.

But then I read that the station also broadcasts via DAB+.

So if I buy a digital radio, will I get better reception, or will it be as changeable as FM?


Steve

[AleisterCrowley]

Difficult to say, depends on power outputs, locations etc
The DAB isn't necessarily co-sited with the FM, so may have a different coverage area

[Breelander]

I read that the station also broadcasts via DAB+.
So if I buy a digital radio, will I get better reception, or will it be as changeable as FM?

The difference between FM and DAB reception as the signal gets too low is that DAB will appear to provide a good sound until the signal is so poor that the error correction gets swamped. Then the reception falls off a cliff. With FM the sound begins to get distorted and noisy as the signal strength falls until at very low signal strength eventually it becomes unlistenable.

As many DAB radios also include an FM tuner you'd have a choice, so buying a DAB radio would make sound sense (pun intended).

Note that DAB and DAB+ are not the same thing. A DAB+ radio can receive DAB stations, but a DAB-only one can't receive DAB+. This should only be a problem for an old DAB radio, any new one you buy today should be a DAB+ one.

Any radio with a Digital Radio tickmark will receive DAB+ without any problem. If buying a DAB radio, you should ensure it has the Digital Radio tickmark somewhere on the packaging...

https://media.info/radio/opinion/dab-an ... -in-the-uk

[scotia]

After playing around with FM tuners on my mp3 players and mobile phone, I've come to the conclusion that I need a good radio with a LONG aerial.

FM and DAB are broadcast on VHF bands, so the actual aerial size should match the band for optimum signal. However the higher you can place the VHF aerial, the more likely it is to pick up a good signal. From the aerial you need an appropriate down lead to the radio. This may be a coaxial cable or twin pair - you will need to check your radio to determine which it supports.

[stevensfo]

Thanks guys. I didn't realise that you can buy all-in-one DAB+/FM radios, so that's what I'll do.

The only other thing I'd like is for the radio to let me stick a USB stick in have a screen to allow me to select what I want.

Having just visited Amazon, I'm surprised and a bit irritated that, although there's plenty of information about what the radio can do, the majority don't seem to give the speaker wattage. Having grown up in the HiFi era when the shelves of newsagents were full of magazines full of 'Which Amplifier' and articles about the right gold-plated cable to use for your speaker (my Dad was very proud of his enormous speakers) I know a bit about power, and the last thing I want, as Mrs Bucket (pronounced Bouquet) would say, is a tinny speaker.


Steve

[XFool]

Having grown up in the HiFi era when the shelves of newsagents were full of magazines full of 'Which Amplifier' and articles about the right gold-plated cable to use for your speaker (my Dad was very proud of his enormous speakers) I know a bit about power, and the last thing I want, as Mrs Bucket (pronounced Bouquet) would say, is a tinny speaker.

Ooh! Hi-Fi died a death. Sometime between the invention of MP3 and DAB(controversial!).

[csearle]

FM and DAB are broadcast on VHF bands, so the actual aerial size should match the band for optimum signal. However the higher you can place the VHF aerial, the more likely it is to pick up a good signal. From the aerial you need an appropriate down lead to the radio.

True for resonant aerials. For non-resonant aerials the bigger the better as the aperture is greater. Totally agree though that the height of the aerial makes a huge difference. C.

[bruncher]

After playing around with FM tuners on my mp3 players and mobile phone, I've come to the conclusion that I need a good radio with a LONG aerial.

But then I read that the station also broadcasts via DAB+

Does the BBC World Service still broadcast on shortwave?

[Hardgrafter]

I have several DAB / FM radios. The only one with good sensitivity, quality feel, low power consumption (batteries?!) and good user interface is by Roberts (ECO4 BT). https://www.robertsradio.com/uk/products/radio/dab . Although Pure also seem to do good ones. https://www.pure.com/uk//dab-radio/products.

[rivershiven]

Just to check you don't have Wi-Fi when you are there? Couldn't see it mentioned anywhere.

[stevensfo]

Just to check you don't have Wi-Fi when you are there? Couldn't see it mentioned anywhere.

Thanks, but if I had good affordable WiFi, I wouldn't care about radio.

Radio 4 is online everywhere and I think that I exhausted my last mobile data package because of this.

I'm sure that some bugger at Vodafone saw that I was listening to something interesting, and pressed a button, instantly removing 500Mb!


Steve

[Slarti]

Radio 4 is online everywhere and I think that I exhausted my last mobile data package because of this.

Buy a local PAYG SIM, just for the radio?

Slarti

PS, I'm sure that the last time I was on Malta, the main BBC radio stations were available through the TV as it was a local equivalent of Freeview.

[stevensfo]

Hi Slarti,

I do have a Malta Vodafone SIM card but I think that I must have done a bit too much 'surfing' and left my tablet connected to a radio station on another site that used a higher bit rate, or maybe had videos or something like that. I'll stick with the BBC site from now on.

The foreign stations on the television are via internet, either Melita or Go, and so would require an internet contract as well as a subscription for the BBC channels. I do know there are ways around the subscription, but the internet companies insist on min 1 year contracts.

Steve

[Lanark]

Thanks guys. I didn't realise that you can buy all-in-one DAB+/FM radios, so that's what I'll do.
Steve

In my experience the combined DAB + FM radio's, the FM part of the radio is a bit of an afterthought. It could also be that all the DAB electronics interferes with the FM reception.

Either way the sound from an FM Only radio easily trounces DAB. Also it seems all the modern radios have tiny 1 inch speakers you have to go for something vintage on ebay to get a decent bass.

For the environmental aspect - heres an essential comparison of the power consumption of DAB vs FM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wIlpwEVh0U

The more I have read about DAB the more I'm convinced its destined to be the betamax of radios.

[XFool]

Apart from them eating batteries, the thing that annoys me about DAB radios - same thing with anything digital - is how, if the device reckons the battery voltage is too low, it just shuts down. Great when you are in the middle of listening to an interesting programme.

There are other hassles with digital, but that'll do for now.

[swill453]

There are other hassles with digital, but that'll do for now.

The Radio 4 "pips" become pointless, as they're not accurate on DAB.

Scott.

[PinkDalek]

Apart from them eating batteries, the thing that annoys me about DAB radios ...

Ours plugs into a socket.

[XFool]

In my experience the combined DAB + FM radio's, the FM part of the radio is a bit of an afterthought. It could also be that all the DAB electronics interferes with the FM reception.

In my Sony it's the 'ticking' of the clock display that you can hear - only on weak FM stations fortunately. But yes, when it comes to tuning in to an FM station it's back to the 1950s (gotta know that frequency!) even if the display is 'digital'. Also, there is no tuning indicator, unlike my 1980s NAD tuner.

Either way the sound from an FM Only radio easily trounces DAB.

This is where it gets 'controversial'.

I remember noticing an occasional recurring 'tizz' sound on male speech on 'BBC World' on DAB. Sounded to me like a resonance in the speaker or front panel, until I checked on headphones and with my DAB tuner. Same thing. Oh dear!

Once, possibly checking sound quality against the inbuilt FM tuner using stereo headphones, I noticed somebody at the BBC had made a 'mistake'. The Archers on R4 was stereo on FM (obviously) but mono on DAB! I helpfully emailed the BBC to point out the 'mistake'.

I never did get a reply; some time later, on an Internet BB about such things, I found out why. No 'mistake'! There isn't enough capacity to maintain 'full quality' services in some circumstances - such as Radio 5 Live Sport? - something's gotta give! So it's back to the 1950s.

BTW. I may be well out of date here but does anyone know if to date any company has yet managed to produce a DAB set that actually functions entirely correctly under all circumstances with 'Secondary Channels'?

[XFool]

Apart from them eating batteries, the thing that annoys me about DAB radios ...

Ours plugs into a socket.

So did mine. Until the 'plug' blew up and I found it cost more to replace with the genuine article than the original radio had cost!

And, in line with most contemporary electronic equipment (YES! Even the battery compartment of newer BT DECT phones.) it was sealed for life.
When the Sony decides to have one of its recurring DAB tantrums, provided I resist the temptation to throw it against the wall, I can eventually persuade it to get going again with a few battery swaps and a couple of resets. By which time it's lost all its setting. Which is why I don't really bother much with those anymore...

Did I tell you how my first, one and only, '30 million years lifetime' LED light bulb lasted 30 seconds?

Sometimes I think I know how Marvin the Paranoid Android felt...

[Breelander]

Apart from them eating batteries, the thing that annoys me about DAB radios ...

Ours plugs into a socket.

So did mine. Until the 'plug' blew up and I found it cost more to replace with the genuine article than the original radio had cost!...

Most (all?) DAB/FM portable radios use a standard USB power plug these days. I recently forgot to bring the radio's power plug with me - it was perfectly happy running from the USB charger for my phone.