Dab Radio

LordSutch

I just want to express my delight at discovering DAB Radio since buying a (Roberts CRD29) just this week

Its my very first foray into Digital Radio & I am very impressed with the vast choice here in South Dublin, last night I counted about 18-20 DAB Stations, many of which are prefixed with 'RTE' but I found the choice to be great ~ from 'GOLD' to 'CHILL' to 'PULSE' to 'ALL 80s' to 'MOCHA' & even a station called 'KERRY' !

I dont know if I receive more DAB Stations than most in the Dublin Area? but I have connected my Roberts to the old 1980s FM Roof Aerial, the coaxial cable from the roof then joins my NTL FM cable (in a splitter) where the combined FM/DAB signals travel along into the back of my Clock Radio which has a coaxial 'F' type screw-in socket ~ Nice

The Radio has Five presets for DAB & Five for FM, which works out very nicely for the Five BBCs (NTL), and then my favourite five DAB Stations courtesy of me old roof aerial, its so easy to search for new stations too ~ and the amount of info transmitted is terrific ~ from the date to the Track playing, to the Track Title, to everything, & more ....................

DAB is Great ~ Specially if you have an old roof Aerial like I do

Stephen

DAB is only available in Dublin, Cork and Limerick. Its been on "trial" for ages.

LordSutch

Sorry about my enthusiasm, but I only bought my first DAB Radio two days ago!

As a matter of interest, am I getting more stations than would be expected?

DMC

20. 21 if you include Radio 1 Extra when its on-air (sport and mass at the weekend)

LordSutch

Cheers for that DMC, I just thought I might be getting more than most because of my roof aerial (obviously not), and on a related point 'scrolling text' isnt it a bloody shame that NTL dont broadcast the 'RDS' data on the BBC FM signal ~ but thats another thread maybe .................

Its so annoying to switch from DAB to FM & get (nothing) when on the BBC Stations 1~5 + Ulster & World service.

Greenman

ArthurF wrote: »

Its so annoying to switch from DAB to FM & get (nothing) when on the BBC Stations 1~5 + Ulster & World service.

You might consider the Internet radio and you might even be more delighted.

tkatriona

Hi Arthur,

What DAB radio stations do you actually listen to out of them all? Any favourites??

LordSutch

RTECHILL, MOCHA & ALL 80s would be my faves in that order out of the twenty or so stations available, admittedly now that the enthusiasm has worn off, none of them are great stations, & remember most of these 20 DAB stations are duplicates of existing FM stations . . .

I find RTECHILL pretty good, specially if I want some mellow 'talk free' Radio.

I also have the BBCs on FM ~ nice

tkatriona

Had a listen to those three stations and yep I'm pretty impressed. Just because they are mostly music. Can't stand some of the ridiculous banter between songs on other mainstream stations at the moment.

+ neither of those three stations are on FM, that right?

Whether stations like Mocha, Chill and All 80s are enough to keep digital radio on the cards in the future remains to be seen. I think that it'll be hard for people to change from FM to digital even though most digital radios have an FM receiver.

Hope digital radio does take off though. It's just nice to have a bit of variation! + if digital radio does generate enough interest, I'd say the stations will invest more in content and improve thereafter. It is still in the trial stages isn't it?

LordSutch

Your quite right katriona, its still very much in the balance as to whether or not DAB will take off, & an awful lot here depends on how the BBC get on & promote it in the UK, and if it takes off there then it should take off here in a Big way . . . but its a 'slow burner' as they say, & people just dont like change!

After my initial 'Joy' at discovering DAB scrolling text 'Wow', I am now not too impressed with the choice or quality of stations here in the Republic, and although it suites me personally to have 5 DAB presets (local ststions) & 5 FM presets (BBCs) I can now see that there is a lot of work still to be done on DAB choice & quality ~ & also promoting 'DAB Radio' to the general public.

My last clock Radio was a very basic 1989 Panasonic Orb, FM/AM manual tune with manual brightness, no FM Aerial socket and it stopped working so my New Roberts DAB/ FM 'Preset' Radio is light years ahead of the old Orb.

You are also quite right about CHILL, MOCHA & ALL 80s not being available on FM, and of the 21 DAB Stations available here in Dublin I guess about 11 are FM duplicate stations and the remainder are DAB only.

RTEGOLD isnt too bad either ......................?

mike65

DMC has some vierws on DAB and its future, he'll be along later no doubt

I can get Mocha on internet radio (not that I'd be interested having just listened) but no sign of RTE CHILL (two words that do not go together) or ALL 80s but there is a staion called mrsping.net which is 2FM bring re-chanelled!

Mike.

DMC

mike65 wrote: »

DMC has some vierws on DAB and its future, he'll be along later no doubt

Hiya! :pac:

For DAB to be successful, it needs national roll out. RTÉ are getting there, and by the looks of the Engineering page on Aertel there is work occurring at the main transmitters without DAB*, so that looks good. But even that, there is little enthusiasm amongst the existing independent local stations for it. Another national mux is needed, but when frequencies for DAB were divvied up 15 years ago, Ireland only got 2 national muxes, the two that are now working in Dublin and the NE. There is the topic that it is an old technology, its using MP2 and has been superseded by other codecs, used in DAB+ (AAC) But DAB+ hasn't be launched anywhere, and some newer DAB radios can be upgraded by firmware if anyone bothers to launch DAB+

ArthurF, has the novelty of the new gadget worn off?

I'd agree with the notion that the wifi radios that work off a broadband connection is the most practical solution for indoor radio listening available in Ireland today. The choice of thousands of international radio stations is vast, but it in itself if plagued by the low bitrates of low quality websteams.

* though the work mentioned does not indicate that it is DAB related.

LordSutch

DMC wrote: »

ArthurF, has the novelty of the new gadget worn off?

In in a nutshell 'Yes' but its so handy having the Five DAB presets & the Five FM presets too .........

ipodrocker

hi dunno if this is off the topic, but is it possible to get the bbc stations through your radio without an active ntl connections, i mean are there other means to get the channels?

LordSutch

NTL-CHOROUS is the obvious way by plugging in your Radio to the FM socket . . . but if you dont have Cable TV/FM, then you need an FM roof aerial (with booster), this can be obtained in Dublin (Peats of parnell St) or 'Maplins' nearby, or maybe even one of the B&Q outlets ?

Oh, and it helps if you live on the east coast (BBC Wales), or near the border for the Northern transmitter, FM aerial signals are also at the mercy of atmospherics, which basically means (one day your FM signal might be full power in Stereo & hiss free, & then the next day, not so good . . . . :mad:

Hope this helps.

LW & AM too, but quality is terrible.

ipodrocker

getting a roof aerial is this free?

LordSutch

Free? your having a laugh ......................

I bought mine many years ago, so I have no idea how much they are these days ~ sorry.

rc28

How does one get the bbc radio channels on a DAB radio (we recently got a sony one but can only pick up all the irish stations)

ipodrocker

ArthurF wrote: »

Free? your having a laugh ......................

I bought mine many years ago, so I have no idea how much they are these days ~ sorry.

i meant do ya need to get a license for having the aerial ??

ipodrocker

rc28 wrote: »

How does one get the bbc radio channels on a DAB radio (we recently got a sony one but can only pick up all the irish stations)

if you have ntl cable u get get the bbc channels on that, but it aint digtal (i think)

LordSutch

I have the Basic (very basic) Chorus-NTL package & I get seventeen TV Channels accompanied with seventeen or eighteen FM Radio Stations (including the BBCs) BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 5, BBC Radio Ulster, BBC World Service, Classic FM .....................

All available in Glorious Sterio ~ But only if you have the 'Basic Chorous~NTL package'

I know nothing of the Digital Options, no doubt you can pick-up much more with this more expensive option.

To Purchase an FM Aerial is another option, receiving the BBCs from Ulster or Wales with NO licence fee because we in the Republic are outside the UK.

Hope this helps.

Fuzzy Clam

There is NO requirement for a licence to receive radio, whether you need an outdoor aeriel or not.
Any TV receiver DOES require a licence regardless of what country of the signals originate from.
You will almost certainly need an external antenna to receive DAB from NI and theres no guarantee even then that the signals will reach you. I know of people living in elevated areas of Dublin who are able to to get DAB from the North.

TRSJ

Arthur,

I must agree with greenman's earlier post about just buying an internet/wi-fi radio. 20 stations on dab vs 9,546 stations (and counting) on an internet radio......hmmm value for money is simple! If you must still have a dab radio for some reason then the new portable wireless roberts STREAM 202 (wm202) is the answer. It has fm/dab/wifi http://www.robertsradio.co.uk/Products/Internet_radios/STREAM_202/index.htm

But unlike the stream 101 (wm101) it does not use the reciva portal so may have different stations listed than I have on the stream 101). The audio off my radio is as good if not better than fm on most of the stations I listen to.

There seems to be a bit of a dab vs wi-fi radio supporters spilt on this forum but I really don't see any point in having a dab radio at all, unless it is for the car but wi-fi radio will be in the car soon anyway.

TRSJ

LordSutch

Problem is TRSJ, I know nothing about Wi-Fi Radio, absolutely zilch

I am an 'FM Man' at heart really, (with a very recent introduction to DAB) so I dont even know what Wi-FI stands for, or what type of Aerial it needs, or anything about wi-fi at all .............. sorry.

Does it need a telephone line like my computer to pick-up the stations? or does it pull in the stations from the airwaves like an FM Radio?

I also have to question weather or not I need 'thousands' of radio stations, because to be honest, I seem to be happy & content with my local Irish stations & the BBCs.

So many questions about wi-fi Radio, I wouldnt know where to start.

LordSutch

rc28 wrote: »

How does one get the bbc radio channels on a DAB radio (we recently got a sony one but can only pick up all the irish stations)

You might have a wee problem there rc28 trying to pick-up the BBCs (unless you have a 'Coaxial' socket in the back), like I do on my 'Roberts Gemini CRD29' (just screw out the telescopic aerial with 'spanner supplied' & insert the FM lead). I too only receive local Irish stations on DAB, but because I have my Radio plugged into the NTL FM socket, I can get all the BBCs on FM . . . .

pirate reject

Now that I am living in sunny Brighton I am fortunate enough to be able to receive numerous UK DAB channels along of course with all the BBC channels. The biggest problem you guys face with a DAB signal is that unlike FM or AM you can't get a 'half decent' signal. With digital its either there or its not. I suspect that in order to have any hope of getting something you are going to have to be sitting on the coast or on a hill overlooking the sea with a large di pole pointing at Wales. Even over here DAB personal 'walkman' style radios are not that popular yet purely because of the problem with lack of signal causing digital drop out.

However I must admit that despite the reasonably large range of BBC channels to choose from the only two I really bother with are 5 live and 6 music. Both of these are available on line anyway and of the two only 6 music requires a reasonable sound quality, which might be affected by a slow internet speed. Whenever I am back in Dublin I never seem to have any problem getting either on line.

I know on line radio reception is not the purist anorak way, and there will always be a desire to taste the forbidden fruit of the BBC and other UK channels, but honestly guys you're not missing that much.

That said..... god I love the thrill of sticking a huge areal on the roof and having a go.

Greenman

pirate reject wrote: »

.
and there will always be a desire to taste the forbidden fruit of the BBC and other UK channels,

Never felt the BBC were forbidden fruit.

pirate reject

Greenman wrote: »

Never felt the BBC were forbidden fruit.

Well only insofar as the receiving of the BBC outside of its target broadcast area and without needing to have a licence. And while I know that technically you dont need one to receive radio the consencus has always been that the radio (apart from world service) came free on the back of the TV licence as the licence fee funds both.

Its a small point but I can raise it now that I am over here having to pay my licence fee and watching all you spongers over there getting it all for free

LordSutch

I just wonder (if & when) they turn off the FM transmitters, how will we here in Ireland receive the BBCs?

I have always had an FM roof Aerial going right back to the 70s, and more recently of course I get the FM BBCs through Cable, but what happens to us in the Republic if the BBC FM transmitters are turned off ...

I dont think we can pick-up BBC DAB signals.

pirate reject

As I said earlier the BBC radio channels are currently all available on line and the quality of on line broadcasting will have developed I imagine to an even higher level by the time the FM channels are switched off.

Additionlly I cant see satellite relay ever ceasing and I know that the BBC and ITV have just launched a new free sat service. As long as Ireland has access via satellite I suspect there will always be a cable supplier willing to relay the Beeb channels to non satellite viewers.

LordSutch

Cheers for that, maybe the future of the BBCs in the Republic is not so bleak after all.

Still not so sure about 'on-line' Radio, maybe thats what a wi-fi radio is?

pirate reject

Try

www.bbc.co.uk/radio

which will bring you to their radio page where you can find links to all their station pages. Once you click on a station it will give you the option to 'Listen Now' much as it does on the Today FM web site. I think you will need Real Player but once logged in and so long as you have a half decent speakers you should get a pretty good sound

LordSutch

Sorry Pirate, I should have explained myself better, I do tune-into the BBCs on my computer on a regular basis (Using Real Player) but what I am confused about is Radio life in the future 'without a computer connection' .............

Like on the car radio, or on my clock radio, or anywhere I dont have a phone line as I do with my computer!

I am an old 'FM Head' at heart (if thats not mixing my metaphores)

pirate reject

Ah right so. sorry if I seemed to be treating you like the four year old.

I see your point about mobile radio and to be honest thats why I dont see FM being switched off for a while yet. I don't know of any car radios which incorporate DAB and as I think I mentioned in a previous entry the sale of personal DABs over here is still reasonably slow due to the lack of continuous signal strength. Another issue is that from what I believe the whole DAB format is very slow to take off on continental Europe and until it becomes big over there there is little chance of the likes of car manufacturers building in DABs as standard equipment into their cars.

I think FM will be around for a considerable time yet and I think the transition from FM to digital will be even slower than that from MW to FM. At the end of the day there was a notible difference in sound quality between MW and FM. Though DAB is good I would say the difference insound quality between it and FM is harder to detect, and unless the punter sees (or hears) a benefit in changing they will be slow to part with the £50 or Eur80 for a basic set.

DMC

ArthurF wrote: »

Sorry Pirate, I should have explained myself better, I do tune-into the BBCs on my computer on a regular basis (Using Real Player) but what I am confused about is Radio life in the future 'without a computer connection' .............

Like on the car radio, or on my clock radio, or anywhere I dont have a phone line as I do with my computer!

I am an old 'FM Head' at heart (if thats not mixing my metaphores)

A wifi radio as discussed in various threads here will work using a broadband internet connection that has a wifi/wireless router, but you don't actually need to have your PC turned on to listen. I understand you dont want a computer connection, then if NTL forget about FM reception, then satellite is the only game after that.

Reception of BBC on DAB in Dublin is restricted to high spots in the Dublin mountains and approaches.

If you require further info, ask us here, or Mike65 who was equally as green as yourself before he delved into it.

LordSutch

Thank you chaps, thats very helpful indeed, & hopefully they wont turn off the FM transmitters in the forseable future.

Regards.

manster

I'm looking at buying a cheap DAB player, mainly to listen to match commentaries in Croke Park (they don't broadcast matches on FM anymore) so doing a bit of research and is this the cheapest portable DAB on the market?

Or would someone recommend something else.

Thanks.

LordSutch

That looks good to me Manster, I didnt know you could pick-up a DAB Radio that cheap ~ Great

Maybe let us know how you get on with it ...............

manster

Saw an Roberts iPod DAB/FM Remote Adaptor that I might go with instead. Only costs 15 euro more.

DABgirl

Hi there,

Just been reading your thread and am involved in Dab development so may be able to answer/clarify some of your questions, though def not all!

Pirate is right. Alot depends on UK. There is formal Uk Gov group working on a report on the future of DAB in the UK and it's due out in the next month or so. It's likely that proposals re: DAB in cars will feature strongly in that report and also I've heard that an FM switch off date for the UK may be suggested in it.

Ireland is in a bit of catch 22 - chicken and egg situation- RTE won't put shed loads of money into DAB development until they know that punters really want DAB. How will they know if people want DAB? If DAB radio sets start selling. How will DAB sets sell? If DAB is promoted. Who should promote DAB etc???

Anyway, it seems likely that DAB will be formally launched by Xmas 2008 (not sure by who - RTE or the industry as whole perhaps?). Roberts and Pure, DAB manufacturers, are dying to get radios sold but it is ultimately up to ComReg to give RTE a licence to broadcast and BCI to give licence to the commercials.

I think RTE is doing a good enough job with content they have up considering that there are just about 2 people working on it full time. It's early days yet. What's important is that there's so much potential....

DABgirl

Hey,

All of RTÉ's digital stations are up on their homepage. Check them out.

Big Tone

DAB+ with MP3 coding should have been implemented here not old DAB MP2 that's a big mistake.

DABgirl

Yes, but how many DAB+ with MP3 coding receivers are readily available for joe soaps? The way things are going anyway in about 5 years time there will be multi-format receivers on the market so that formats won't be an issue.

Big Tone

DABgirl wrote: »

Yes, but how many DAB+ with MP3 coding receivers are readily available for joe soaps? The way things are going anyway in about 5 years time there will be multi-format receivers on the market so that formats won't be an issue.

Yea just to confuse Joe and Josephine Soap even more...muti format radios!
Somehow I think they'll be sticking with their old reliable FM for many many years to come.

Anyway I have a feeling my Pure DAB set will be an obsolete relic soon, just like my Panasonic Worldspace satellite radio!

garrincha62

I've been flirting with this lovely Sony DAB radio for about 5 months but don't want to go for the kiss if I can't get the BBCs...I live in Drogheda. Anyone know owt?

LordSutch

Your local Radio/ HiFi shop in Drogheda should be able to help you with your query, otherwise try looking at the BBC website for Digital Radio coverage maps, hopefully the DAB signals will spill across the border

sudzs

garrincha62 wrote: »

I've been flirting with this lovely Sony DAB radio for about 5 months but don't want to go for the kiss if I can't get the BBCs...I live in Drogheda. Anyone know owt?

Well a year ago I bought a DAB radio thinking that here in Dundalk I'd pick up all the BBCs and more from across the border. But alas, no!

All I can pick up are the Irish stations, all sorts of RTEs, Newstalk, FM104, Q102, Dublins 98, Phantom and Radio Kerry!

Think I read somewhere that Newry won't have DAB until 2012 and even then not sure if we can pick it up in Dundalk or if the mountains will be in the way. Anyone know??

DMC

No chance of receiving DAB from Northern Ireland in Drogheda.

Some people north of Dundalk can get DAB from Belfast, you might get something with an outside antenna. Wade through the myriad of posts in this thread. Even if some of the posts are 4 years old, nothing has changed that much from Northern Ireland.

Raemie

Im glad i read this, i was about to buy a DAB radio just to get the english stations! Would an internet radio work do you think? I really want bbc radio 4 and i cant get digital tv as im going to college.

Edit: Im in limerick now but will be moving to dublin soon, if youve any advice for bbc radio up in dub.

Greenman

Raemie wrote: »

I really want BBC Radio 4
I'm in Limerick now but will be moving to Dublin soon, if you've any advice for BBC Radio up in dub.

In Dublin Radio 4 on longwave 198 khz no problem.

If where you are moving to has cable TV you can get most of the BBC radio stations on cable.

If it has satellite, they're all on satellite.

L1011

sudzs wrote: »

Think I read somewhere that Newry won't have DAB until 2012 and even then not sure if we can pick it up in Dundalk or if the mountains will be in the way. Anyone know??

Newry has DAB now, either that or I had Scott Mills trapped in my car two weeks ago... admittedly my receiver would be fairly selective. Drops off about a mile south of the border on the M1!