Digital Radio (DAB)
I don't know much about digital radio but I'm a keen listener to BBC Radio 7 which is "Digital-only" and until now I've listened via Freeview channel 708, either through television or by connecting the Freeview box sound to the hi-fi with the TV off.
I'd like to get a portable DAB radio - I might even try other channels and catch Radio 6 Music and Asian network before they disappear. I understand DAB reception is patchy nationally and a lot of people aren't all that happy with it where they live. I know there are reception information websites but I doubt the information is very localised because the Freeview one told me I wouldn't get Freeview here but when I tried it, I could.
I'd like to know from your experience what the DAB radio reception is like in Corfe Mullen and whether you use a DAB portable quite happily or hi-fi with a special ariel and whether it depends where you live in the village.
Digital Radio
I'm thinking about getting a digital radio as well, but I don't really know anything about them.
Can anyone give me some advice about what I need to look for and any make that you've tried and know is good?
Digital Radio
I bought a Sony DAB stereo a few years back and unfortunately the digital reception in Corfe Mullen isn't great. I have to say however that I haven't yet invested in a digital aerial so maybe with one of those the reception will improve...?
I bit the bullet
I went to Tesco's at the weekend and bought one of their least expensive (£25) own brand DAB radios.
It seems fine to me though I have tried it on mains but not on batteries yet. It only has a small telescopic arial but it scanned the channels available and found (I think) over 30. The display is just acceptable but it does the job for me, which is to let me hear things like BBC Radio 7 wherever I am in the house.
DAB Radio reception (seflish)
Thanks for responding Rich.
Do we know DAB reception is bad around here, or is this based on individual reports? I'm sure it will depend at least partly on specific location within the village.
Reception of radio (including TV) signals can depend on a number of factors. Obviously, if we live in an area with a weak signal, reception will be poor for everyone. Is this the case here? For analogue signals this will drop off gradually with distance from the transmitter, while digital signals will suffer a sharper drop off from 'signal strong enough' --> 'signal too poor for reliable reception'.
Local obstacles like hills, buildings and trees, as well as aerial type and position all have an effect, which is more pronounced for higher frequencies, where straight 'line-of-sight' view of the transmitter is required. For lower frequencies obstacles don't matter so much, which is partly why the BBC can transmit Long Wave radio to the whole country from one transmitter in the Midlands but needs dozens for FM and TV transmissions.
Does anyone know where we get DAB transmissions from? I live relatively high up and get a good Freeview signal but I know people who live in the Henbury View side who don't. I'm selfishly hoping the same applies to DAB!
I'm far from convinced that a digital aerial is anything more than a sales scam. All radio and TV signals are in fact analogue but encoded digitally. You can't have digital radio waves, any more than you can have digital light! It may be that digitally-encoded DAB signals are transmitted in a particular frequency band for which one aerial is designed but it doesn't make it strictly a digital aerial. My old analogue aerial picks up digital TV perfectly well.