Portable Radios - post ASO

danjo-xx

What will be the situation post ASO next year, I heard DAB is not really a runner. Internet radios are an option but then you need a connection.

Is the small radio on the mantle piece or beside the bed going to be a thing of the past unless you have an internet conn.

fat-tony

It's only analogue TV that's affected. Your wireless is safe;)

Fuzzy Clam

I'd say you've a good 5 or 6 years to go before you need worry.

fat-tony

What's happening in 5/6 years?

watty

Nothing.

There isn't ANY plan to end FM radio here. Even in UK it's only a suggestion and unlikely to happen inside next 20 years. DAB is outstripped by Internet Radio in UK, and UK is really only place left with major DAB ambitions. It's dead and the UK authorities just won't admit it. None of the Independents actually want it here or UK.


Even DRM (which there is some point to on LW/MW/SW and even 45MHz to 60MHz band) seems "stalled".

The ASO is just TV. The 750MHz to 860MHz spectrum is valuable. The Band II spectrum is really no use for anything other than FM broadcast. It's no use for Mobile Phones/Data.

The UK cleared TV out of Band I when 405 line TV closed in 1985. No one is wanting it, hence the suggestion to use DRM on Band I. It would give x4 to x6 the coverage of current DAB on Band III with much fewer transmitters and potentially better quality than MP2 DAB as it's AAC codec.

danjo-xx

tnks lads.

Fuzzy Clam

fat-tony wrote: »

What's happening in 5/6 years?

Probably nothing but if there's any announcment about analogue switch off, it'll be at least 2017. Won't be as long as 20 years though.

Fuzzy Clam

watty wrote: »

Nothing.

There isn't ANY plan to end FM radio here. Even in UK it's only a suggestion and unlikely to happen inside next 20 years. DAB is outstripped by Internet Radio in UK, and UK is really only place left with major DAB ambitions. It's dead and the UK authorities just won't admit it. None of the Independents actually want it here or UK.

Not quite right.
There is a plan in the UK to move LPAM stations to FM and move national FM'ers to DAB only. Not sure about local FM stations but presume they would go DAB only too. Latest I heard was they are hoping for the date to be announced in 2013. Who knows but may happen by 2020. That's the expectation anyway.
The UK is not the only place with ambitions. Germany, after appearing to dump DAB have started to roll out DAB+.
http://www.wohnort.org/DAB/germany.html
So i guess they have some faith in it still.
Any source that the Independents don't want it?

watty

It's more of a previous labour gov aspiration. In reality there is no plan other than to continue flogging DAB at people in UK.

watty

Valve Portable radio post WWII

(1957, one year after the SAME company did a nice 1956 Transistor radio that looks nicer than most of the "portables" and DAB sets today)

http://www.techtir.ie/restoration/invicta29

It will still work on both wavebands post ASO

The battery packs are unobtainable. But 30 x CR2032 is more capacity than original 90V pack and about €6. One Alkaline D cell is about same capacity as original large LT pack.