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DAB Thread

radioguru02

What’s the situation? Heard this “Eirdab” MUX was testing recently. Is that still on and if not is it coming back? What stations are carried? Is it just RTE outside of that?

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radioguru02

Look, I’m all for more choice on the radio, but DAB is not the answer. Ireland is currently an FM nation moving very gradually online

JDxtra

It's nice to be able to just turn on the car radio and get additional choice without the need to use a phone, an app or bluetooth etc. I always find those extra steps fiddly to be honest. I'm sure that'll improve as cars become more integrated.

Former Former

Gerry Wicklow wrote: »

In the same way they expect Saorview to include UK stations.

I'm glad you enjoy unlimited reliable internet access for your radio listening. I know plenty of places around the country that don't even have reliable 2G. Not meant to be bitchy, simply fact.

The places that can't get 3G/4G are exactly the places that would never get DAB, so it's much of a muchness.

Gerry Wicklow

Bee Free wrote: »

DAB's original purpose was to give the listener more choice but it's rather antiquated now in this internet age. "Arguments like "internet radio will use up all my data allowance" & "I can't get the internet in my car" are very 2011. It seems from reading an number of threads here, that most Irish people buy a DAB radio expecting it to pick up BBC & LBC anyway.

In the same way they expect Saorview to include UK stations.

I'm glad you enjoy unlimited reliable internet access for your radio listening. I know plenty of places around the country that don't even have reliable 2G. Not meant to be bitchy, simply fact.

Bee Free

DAB's original purpose was to give the listener more choice but it's rather antiquated now in this internet age. "Arguments like "internet radio will use up all my data allowance" & "I can't get the internet in my car" are very 2011. It seems from reading an number of threads here, that most Irish people buy a DAB radio expecting it to pick up BBC & LBC anyway.

SPDUB

Still non existent in a large part of crumlin

Dipole Keith

I can only get the freedab stuff in Tallaght & west Dublin, It breaks up after Blanchardstown on the M50

radioguru02

end of the road wrote: »

not necessarily, they have probably found that it's best for them to get the muxes up first and as many as they can while the money is available, and then test and improve and gain feedback in terms of reception as they go on.
i am sure they know what they are doing and have gone through all the possible options.

Fair enough I suppose

end of the road

Franko87 wrote: »

According to nineties there experiencing broadband issues and will return soon.

i see, thanks for the confirmation.

Franko87

end of the road wrote: »

90s stream isn't working either. hopefully they should be back soon, probably doing some sort of maintenence or other work.
coast 2 coast, what sort of programming does that offer?

According to nineties there experiencing broadband issues and will return soon.

end of the road

ITV2 wrote: »

any word on where Nineties will return?, and a great station Coast 2 Coast.

90s stream isn't working either. hopefully they should be back soon, probably doing some sort of maintenence or other work.
coast 2 coast, what sort of programming does that offer?

ITV2

any word on where Nineties will return?, and a great station Coast 2 Coast.

Franko87

zorro2566 wrote: »

Any news update for Sligo for FreeDab?

No not as of yet .unfortunately the site that was supposed to be secured faded into the sunset so were looking at securing another possible site .

[Deleted User]

Any news update for Sligo for FreeDab?

Franko87

pirateradiohed wrote: »

In my opinion FreeDAB are rushing too quickly into things, they’ve already built 3 muxes even though the first one doesn’t cover the whole of Cork City by any means

The cork mux is not yet finished .it is runing on a reasonab amount of power to keep an clean signal and yes it has black spots this dos not mean were moveing 2 fast this just means were runing consistently by February 2020 cork will have a sfn network installed in cork for robust coverage .But for now. We remain consistent. As for Dublin. Well the results clearly speak for themselves !

end of the road

pirateradiohed wrote: »

In my opinion FreeDAB are rushing too quickly into things, they’ve already built 3 muxes even though the first one doesn’t cover the whole of Cork City by any means

not necessarily, they have probably found that it's best for them to get the muxes up first and as many as they can while the money is available, and then test and improve and gain feedback in terms of reception as they go on.
i am sure they know what they are doing and have gone through all the possible options.

radioguru02

castle2012 wrote: »

Freedab sounding great in Dublin, is there any plans to up the power for the North East County s? When you hit North Dublin / meath we loose it

In my opinion FreeDAB are rushing too quickly into things, they’ve already built 3 muxes even though the first one doesn’t cover the whole of Cork City by any means

rogue-entity

david23 wrote: »

The RTÉ national multiplex is using Block 12C.

The Band III allocations for Europe were agreed in 2006. Ireland was awarded three national DAB blocks, on 10A, 12A & 12C. If DAB+ is used that could potentially make 75 national stations available (or fewer with higher quality audio).

There were also allocations for local and regional multiplexes for every part of the country.

Seems I was mistaken on the frequency, it is 12C, I appreciate the correction.

We can agree though, that there was and is ample space for several services to operate.

david23

rogue-entity wrote: »

RTEs service operates on a single frequency (Slot 12A) on all three sites. The original plan did call for one or more national multiplexes and several local and regional ones on the lower channels.

The RTÉ national multiplex is using Block 12C.

The Band III allocations for Europe were agreed in 2006. Ireland was awarded three national DAB blocks, on 10A, 12A & 12C. If DAB+ is used that could potentially make 75 national stations available (or fewer with higher quality audio).

There were also allocations for local and regional multiplexes for every part of the country.

castle2012

Freedab sounding great in Dublin, is there any plans to up the power for the North East County s? When you hit North Dublin / meath we loose it

rogue-entity

Dan Jaman wrote: »

It's a sick joke, RTE describing them as its National Frequencies, when 90% of the country are outwith the reach of the paltry service on them.

RTEs service operates on a single frequency (Slot 12A) on all three sites. The original plan did call for one or more national multiplexes and several local and regional ones on the lower channels.

Dan Jaman wrote: »

If they're taken over by somebody with a bit of a committment to the service, I might actually be able to get some DAB or DAB+, whatever it happens to be.
Of course, the inevitable reduction in bit-rate will happen.

RTE is using a mixture of DAB and DAB+ on their multiplex.

Reduction in Bitrate, as regularly experienced in the UK was purely a failure of their licencing model, I would hope we would learn from their mistakes but I wouldn't be shocked at the contrary.

Former Former

end of the road wrote: »

it's not as you thought.
rte is simply closing their digital stations, very unfortunate yes, but as we are seeing it does not equate to an end to dab, at least yet.
even if you do turn out to be correct, and it is a very long time before we will know, online is way way off being a replacement for terrestrial radio.

It's very hard to see this as anything other than the end of DAB. No transmission network, no stations, low takeup of hardware and negligible public awareness. Nothing except massive investment is going to rescue it, and neither the radio industry nor government want to do that.

I don't think online is a replacement for terrestrial but that's not the issue here. The issue is whether DAB could replace or coexist with FM and we have our answer.

Grab All Association

I’ve a Sony iPhone docking station here (feck of with yer Bluetooth speakers) that I purchased when the iPhone 5 came out. It has DAB/+ built in. Up until mid 2016 I could receive DAB stations here just outside Thurles. I complained to Rte at the time and they claimed it wasn’t even in the area. Yet from the time I bought it I listened to Rté Gold on it. I have cheap DAB radio in the kitchen that used to receive these stations too. I knew it’s days were numbered when they couldn’t be bothered to investigate why I could no longer receive these stations.

Dan Jaman

Oscarziggy wrote: »

and now this --
https://radiotoday.ie/2019/11/radio-nova-wants-to-take-over-rtes-national-dab-frequencies/

It's a sick joke, RTE describing them as its National Frequencies, when 90% of the country are outwith the reach of the paltry service on them.
If they're taken over by somebody with a bit of a committment to the service, I might actually be able to get some DAB or DAB+, whatever it happens to be.
Of course, the inevitable reduction in bit-rate will happen.

Zird

John the anorak wrote: »

I'd wager that it's more likely for RTE to announce the closure of their dab network rather than expand it.

BINGO

Pete Best

Oscarziggy wrote: »

An aerial on Mt Leinster would be nice for this side of the water !!
With a bit of power of course .. good luck .

Or Clermont Cairn.

Despite perfect FM and Saorview reception here in South Antrim, I’ve never been able to receive the RTÉ DAB transmissions from there, except on the very odd occasion before they disappear again.

Like DTT from there prior to ASO, I gather the transmitter aerial is highly directional and shielded in this direction.

I listen to RTÉ Gold occasionally, both on Saorview and on the Irish Radioplayer and it’s a good wee station.

It’ll be a shame to see it go.

end of the road

pirateradiohed wrote: »

It’s as I thought, Ireland will bypass DAB and move online

it's not as you thought.
rte is simply closing their digital stations, very unfortunate yes, but as we are seeing it does not equate to an end to dab, at least yet.
even if you do turn out to be correct, and it is a very long time before we will know, online is way way off being a replacement for terrestrial radio.

Ursus Horribilis wrote: »

It probably costs a lot of money to keep the stations online. Presenters don't work for free.

presenters aren't vital though.
actually a couple of the digital stations remaining online could be brilliant training grounds for new talent if rte were to take advantage of the possibility, which
they won't.

Zird wrote: »

Wages costs for RTE gold is easily 500k

is it? can you show where you got that figure from and exactly what brings us to that figure?

Ursus Horribilis wrote: »

I wonder how much does it cost for Today FM to run those online stations? Today XM/90s etc.

absolute buttons i think.
music licensing and streaming costs, i would say are their only costs.
yes they use electricity but a pc wouldn't use very much and it would just go as part of their whole bill i would imagine.

Lord Nelson

Gerry Wicklow wrote: »

I can't get any usable DAB service here in the north midlands but fully support anyone willing to rattle the cage. Fair play to Kevin for hoisting a flag. No doubt his plans would be strangled by bureaucracy. Can't have a government that starts giving the public what they actually want.

This is just Brannigan flapping his mouth in an effort to get free publicity for Nova. Every dog in the street including Nova knows that a DAB licence is a non starter. If people care to search through various threads and forums, you will find Brannigan has been extremely negative in his comments about DAB branding it a waste of time and money. Perhaps he's had an epiphany?

radioguru02

Anyone here Mary Wilson taking on the minister

Ursus Horribilis

I wonder how much does it cost for Today FM to run those online stations? Today XM/90s etc.