DAB radios

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Sailfree

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Thinking of getting a portable(pocket sized) Digital Radio. Has anyone experience of reception quality in the Solent area. I am always surprised by the expertise available on this Forum so can someone inform me of whether a pocket sized Digital Radio with ear plug type speakers (under a crash helmet) would work on a motocycle say on a journey from Southampton to London or can someone point me to a better website please? Many thanks.
 
Try this. http://www.bbc.co.uk/digitalradio/

I've said it before of this forum. Digital Radio is superb. Don't hesitate, don't delay. Just get it!

I must admit though that I wouldn't want radio speakers inside a motorcycle crash helmet as I think it would affect my ability to hear what's happening on the road. But that's another question altogether which I don't think you were asking about!
 
Tried that and even telephoned the BBC but the girl, while being as helpful as she could be, could only point me to the page you mention.

I found it impossible to enter a postcode for the Solent and have heard scare stories that DAB only works for some people by carefully aligning the receiver.

With the motorcycle noise and wind roar you can't hear much else so ear phones would not detract much. Again though the M27/M3/A316 etc doesn't have an obvious postcode to use the BBC webpage.

The question therefore remains is there anyone out there that has used DAB on a moving boat in the Solent and/or on a motorcycle.

Thanks
 
Reception in the Solent area is pretty robust with two local multiplexes operating, South Hants and Bournemouth. On a trip from the South Coast to London you should be able to tune into any of the services on either of the national multiplexes, BBC and/or D1 without the need to retune as you move from one transmitter area to another.
Another contributor raised fears of having to align the receiver or aerial to pick up signal. This only applies in areas of marginal reception or where other factors are in play, such as steel framed buildings.
For mobile use DAB actually works better without alignment because the transmitters for any multiplex output all work on the same frequency. As well as doing away for the need to retune, single frequency networking means a more robust signal where the receiver is "seeing" more than one transmitter. This doesn't happen with analogue.
I have used a Perstel personal DAB receiver on the boat and get far better reception than on an FM /AM receiver playing it through the car radio using a tape deck adaptor.
 
I have only two comments which I think might be helpful.
DAB radio is supposedly so good these days that Vauxhall now fits them as standard in some models of the Astra; and wearing earplugs is not recommended by most road safety organisations.
Having said that, DAB is great!
 
<<Vauxhall now fits them as standard in some models of the Astra>>
It's so you have something to listen to while you wait for the RAC!
 
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