DAB radio worth it?

pugwash

pugwash

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Thinking about what to ask from Father Christmas. How far offshore (West Country) does a DAB radio get reception? Can you hear it in France? Seems to me, the combined DAB and FM models might be the best bet, am I right? Is there a model that runs off a 12v cigarette lighter? Thanks for thoughts.
 
Try Googling DAB radios, you will find all the answers to your questions there. I love my DAB so much I have just ordered another one - not a portable this time but one with Revu (pause and rewind) as well as being able to record whole programmes on to an SD card. Pure are about to release Evoke 3 which is apparently all singing all dancing but expensive at about £240. You can get portables for as little as about £30 now.
 
Mike -- does that mean you can just revu to get the shipping forecast you missed before breakfast? I did Google but can't find anything on the reception range which I guess is a local matter. Obviously you can receive up the Tamar but what about out beyond the Eddystone?
 
John, visit www.pure-digital.com for an explanation of what ReVu is and what it can do.
As for range I am told that it is heard beyond the Eddystone to about half way across the Channel from the Caradon Hill Tx although I have no personal experience. Most sets have FM as well, but you will not be able to listen to the DAB only channels on it.
 
Digital radio, like digital TV is rubbish.
Very flaky reception, not readily available in many areas and poor sound quality compared with FM.
Very few stations worth listening to, no BBC local radio.
Something of a con as there is nothing to commend it other than it being a 'new gadget'.
Also bear in mind that the Greenwich time signal is about two seconds delayed due to the time loss through digital so that is made totally worthless.
 
DAB very good (disregard 'rubbish' post from sourpuss earlier). It is UK only. Certainly not as far as France, which is why I have one which I keep meaning to bung on eBay (personal stereo type)... hint hint...
 
Well worth it for the quality of the reception, in Lancashire anyway. The absence of a few local stations is no loss in my household.
 
My experience on digital TV would cause me to disagree,it is counter intuitive but I have been in places where the analogue signal has been rubbish but the digital first class(OK,from Dover to Portland,Dunkirk to Fecamp,and there only at HW springs.)Haven't tried it in the far flung outposts of the UK).
As far as DAB goes the signal I get at home is immeasurably better than FM analogue.As coverage improves and we don't have to keep power output down to appease the French this can only improve,especially on the South coast.
 
Re: DAB radio worth it? NO...

This is becoming a hobbyhorse for me, BUT my experience in broadcasting for folks who move around is that digital terrestrial reception (whether it be radio or TV) is desperately variable - from county to county, town to town, and even house to house.

Feel free to translate that into boaty terms..

However receiving signals from a satellite only has one parameter, that is is there a clear view to 28 degrees East at an inclination of 30deg. If so reception is available up to the Northern extremities and down to the Med, perhaps a larger dish for either end.

No If's No buts.

What peeps don't realise is that good old steam radio is available from the Astra satellites and is not connected to Sky - well pricing / contract-wise anyway.

OK my solution is not as portable as a Roberts radio, but it works. Crystal clear digital sound in seconds.

Just wants a bit of lateral thought.
 
We had superb DAB reception in most places in the West Country this summer. It was a bit patchy from Brixham round to Salcombe but was good elsewhere.

FWIW I think DAB is excellent. Good quality with a marvellous choice of stations. We wouldn't be without it.

It is worth getting one with the option for FM, but I guarantee that you will use DAB whenever you can and just use FM when the DAB signal is poor.
 
Re: DAB radio worth it? NO...

My understanding is that DAB is more line of sight (long wave length?) transmissions and therefore needs many transmitters around the country to provide adequate coverage. In Shotley, I can get good DAB reception on BBC national channels but nothing else.

The latest thing on the agenda is something called DRM (?) which is supposed to replace the short/medium wave analogue radio. This means that two or three transmitters could provide coverage for the whole of Europe.

I think the long term plan is for local radio on DAB and international/national stations on DRM. So I am waiting for the marketing campaign to kick in and the provision of new products that offer both DAB and DRM. Although I don't know how long I will have to wait.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Sorry to disagree but in our area of Cornwall I cannot get all of stations, including Radio Cornwall. As an aside we cant get most of freeview either.

[/ QUOTE ]So your problem is not that DAB is rubbish, but you live in a place with lousy radio reception? Easy answer - MOVE /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
I listen to both BBC Radio Devon and BBC Radio Cornwall quite clearly on DAB. The sound quality is much better than FM, and I enjoy many other channels too including Plymouth Sound, Pirate FM, ClassicFM, One Word, BBC Radio Five Live with the secondary channel of Sports Extra (great for listening to the cricket) BBC 7 ( I just love those old comedy series such as Beyond Our Ken, Round the Horne, the Navy Lark and early I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again and I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue). Also The Garrison Keillor Radio Show with his tales from Lake Woebegone, his home town. Several other channels too, including BBC World Service.
Dunno where you live, but I am in the Tamar Valley and reception is just fine.
Don't knock it 'til you've tried it!
 
Certainly where I live digital radio and TV are better than FM and terestrial with much improved sound quality. Also a far greater range of stations including BBC Solent local radio are available (the BBC website lists 28 local stations on it's website available on DAB) All the mainstream national stations are available including some good ones that are only available on DAB in this area.

About the only part of this post that is true is that the "pips" are a couple of seconds out - I can live my life to an accuracy of +/- 2 seconds /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I would never buy another non digital radio or TV.
 
Re: DAB radio worth it?Certainly

Bought my first DAB in Falmouth when there was no reception there. Use an Evoke 1 at home, its fantastic. Wouldnt buy an fm/dab version cos would not go back to FM.
Just bought a 12volt tuner to use in car via fitted radio, its excellent, REVO from Halfords, would work on a boat I am sure. www.revo.co.uk Reception in car varies of course with where you are but its generally good. I listen to Planet Rock and Primetime all the time!
 
DRM?

DRM is one of the latest buzz-acronyms, but AFAIK it stands for Digital Rights Management, and is a raft of technology solutions to prevent copyright abuse of recordings so that, for example, a track downloaded from iTunes can't be transferred more than x times before it locks-up. (I think x=3 in this case, but I'm not sure).

Is there another DRM?
 
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