Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Decent (home) radio and (car) aerial?

Options
  • 17-05-2007 9:02am
    #1
    luckat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,366 ✭✭✭


    Two questions. Well, three really

    1) Where can I get a really good small radio with lots of frequencies? I've seen 'yacht radios' that American friends have, but can't remember the makes or models, and they're ideal - they get short wave, long wave, medium wave, and all clear as a bell whether you're in Aran or Ballymun.

    2) I like to listen to BBC Radio 4 in the car sometimes, but it's gone all muzzy. Where can I get a decent car aerial system without breaking the bank?

    3) At home, I sometimes listen to international stations on the Mac, but while I can listen to mp3s on the Mac's wireless speakers, I don't know how to listen to radio on the speakers. Through iTunes, I suspect, but how do I add, say, BBC Radio 3 or the French classical stations to iTunes' fairly dull list of stations?


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    PauloMN
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional North East Moderators Posts: 10,869 Mod ✭✭✭✭PauloMN


    The "Yacht" radio you have seen was probably a Grundig Yacht Boy radio - there are a number of different radios in the Yacht Boy series. There's plenty of such short wave radios about - Grundig, Roberts, Sony etc. all have models available.

    Hard to know where's best to buy them. Lots of places in the UK, only a few here, and I'd not recommend at least one of the places here (in Dublin city centre). You could try online from the UK, or second-hand via Buy & Sell.

    If any way serious about short wave, and you want to be able to regularly tune back to a station you like, you need one with a digital frequency display and memories for storing frequencies. You may need 3 or 4 memory slots alone for 1 station and you'll use different frequencies depending on the time of day among other factors.

    Regarding BBC4 in the car - did you ever get it clearly? If so, I'd say one of two things has happened - your car aerial is broken (or the connection is broken somewhere), or you're driving around a town/city when the reception is bad.

    Unfortunately cars and MW or LW don't mix very well unless the station you're listening to is relatively local. Certainly in cities or towns you may have great difficulty hearing anything outside of Ireland on MW and LW - this is due to local interference from electrical systems, neon lights, engine noise and a whole pile of other stuff.

    If your aerial has been broken or damaged, you need to get that fixed, and extend it fully. Some car radios have a trimmer on the front (looks like a little screw-head) that optimises the reception on MW and LW from a car aerial. See the instructions for information on that.

    On the Mac and iTunes - I can't help you in any way there I'm afraid!!! :o


Advertisement