Dabbling with DAB

Dan Jaman

I wondered if there was a more recent incarnation of QtDAB that I'd tried last year with not much in the way of any results and discovered that version 2 is out and much better.
Installed it, fired up the RTL-SDR dongle and away it went, scanning merrily, and wow. First thing it picked up was a Cornwall mux 11B from the BBC and others. The programme / channel listings came up but nothing much to be heard. There was also a trace of activity on other channels, but no details. Not sure whether I was picking up other UK muxes or not. That was connected to an 11m double delta-loop facing the continent, so that's not really much of a surprise, and it was relatively deaf to anything behind it.

I tried connecting to a simple vertical 11m just to see if I could pick up something more local and the RTE mux came in quite well on channel 12C.
Not a strong enough signal to decode properly though, more drop-out than listening, but it's a start.
I presume I'm picking this up from Woodcock Hill, Limerick at 5kW or Spur Hill, but from what I see of the terrain between me and them, I'd think it's the former.
Anyway, it's an encouraging start, as I didn't think I'd get anything. I already have an FM /DAB amplifier that I'd bought a couple of years ago to boost FM (and DAB later, if and when it arrived in this locality) as well as do TV duty, so I can crack on with that.
Since DAB is using the old Band III frequencies, and I already have an old VHF TV antenna on the back wall that was pointing towards Mt Leinster, about 30 miles away, it will be trivial to re-site that on the front of the building and point it west or south-west as necessary.