Gerry Wicklow wrote: » As a regular Newstalk listener I can tell you they are barely even on FM. Mind you, Tom Dunne's attempt to revive old vinyl records is been taken to the limit by their mono broadcasts :P
Digifriendly wrote: » Disappoints me greatly that Newstalk is on a fraction of the power of other stations on FM from Clermont Carn so here in N. Ireland its reception is very much hit and miss.
Gerry Wicklow wrote: » Where I am in North Midlands, I can just about get RTE Dublin but not good enough for daily use and the 3 Brougher muxes are there but unlistenable. I just use an SDR dongle and rooftop aerial. Couldn't be @rsed to improve the setup when I have perfect Satellite instead.
Gerry Wicklow wrote: » There's a lot to be said for the simplicity of the ould tranny on the windowsill.
Sam Russell wrote: » If DAB is to be promoted, then it should be a requirement that any station on FM has a presence on DAB in that locality. Newstalk is supposedly a national station but is not on DAB, so if I want to switch from RTE1 to Newstalk, I cannot be bothered to select DAB, plus there is a delay on the signal which is annoying.
Sam Russell wrote: » I think that the rise in the sale of DAB radios is taken as a rise in the number of DAB listeners. This is simply wishful thinking by broadcasters. DAB is not as easy as FM as there is a delay in the audio stream, and a delay in changing channels. It also requires a bigger and better aerial, and suffers from the digital cliff effect. Also, only a few stations are on DAB compared with FM. All of these factors mitigate against its use by the listeners who actually have a DAB enabled set. FM is nearly a perfect platform for radio - DAB is not.
Trick of the Tail wrote: » Why does the delay matter, if you're not comparing it with anything? And the antennas are smaller, not bigger, as the wavelength is less than FM.
Sam Russell wrote: » Well, if every radio in the house has DAB or DAB+, then maybe it's OK, but if one radio is tuned to FM and an adjoining room has DAB+, then a horrible echo ensues that is just mind blowing. Also, if radio selection buttons could be programmed so that, say, button 1 was RTE R1 on DAB+, button 2 was RTE 2 on FM, while button 3 was RTE Lyric on DAB, and button 4 was BBC Radio 4 on internet, while button 5 is NewsTalk on FM. I know of no radio that can do this. They all work on the basis of: 1. Select band, 2 select station. That is not much use for ease of selection of what a listener wants actually to tune into. Radio has not advanced much in the last few decades.
Trick of the Tail wrote: » Car radios often can switch automatically between FM and DAB to follow the station. However, my suggestion that services are NOT duplicated between FM and DAB would preclude this issue anyway.
Sam Russell wrote: » ... Why are there no radio receivers that can get Saorview type broadcasts? [Just getting the audio from TV and the radio stations].
Johnboy1951 wrote: » My guess is the requirement for an aerial and dish to receive the signals from Terrestrial and Satellite broadcasts. It is easy to manage if within the home, but not on the move. On the other hand if only the DVB-T signals were all that was required, how would one manage a suitable aerial 'on the move'?
Sam Russell wrote: » I am thinking of a domestic receiver only. I know the aerial would be a massive problem even, perhaps, in strong signal areas.
Johnboy1951 wrote: » If I was 'designing' something for this purpose I would have a receiver with multiple tuners, and make its output available on LAN (wired and wireless) for various devices to 'tune' into. Something similar to what I have presently for TV and radio using tvheadend backend running on a real light wee box. Keeping the tuners in one location would make it easy for attaching coax only at that loaction.
Sam Russell wrote: » If DAB is to be promoted, then it should be a requirement that any station on FM has a presence on DAB in that locality.
Sam Russell wrote: » Well, FM radios go back to the fifties and any still working are generally better than the newer batch. It is possible to have very cheap FM radios that are very good as pocket radios. DB radios on the other hand, are rubbish as a portable as they eat batteries, but could (if the broadcaster is not greedy with bandwidth) give much better quality, but normally do not. DB radios are not good with marginal signals because of the digital cliff effect. Why are there no radio receivers that can get Saorview type broadcasts? [Just getting the audio from TV and the radio stations].
Capt'n Midnight wrote: » .... How long do torch batteries last in them ?
god's toy wrote: » ...And it's a Good bye RTE Digital Radio, We Hardly Knew Ye.
RTÉ has confirmed that it is seeking to reduce its workforce by 200 as one of a series of measures to tackle its financial crisis and reduce projected costs by €60m over the next three years. Other notable measures include the closure of the existing studios in Limerick and the digital radio network, the sale of the RTÉ Guide and the closure of the Aertel service
Mickey Mike wrote: » It is so disappointing to hear the forthcoming closure of the digital radio channels, I've always thought digital is the way forward and they would launch a national BAB service. Backwards they are going, still stuck with rubbish LW and FM, definitely its a bad day for digital.
