DAB Thread

Was receiving spanish FM stations today/yesterday evening, low strength on a car radio with good path out to sea

Such as 87.7 (speech) and 87.9 (Classical music - probably RNE R.Clásica) none were managing to display RDS

104.7 Europe 1 from France this morning also…

Then 87.8 RTE R1 Clermont Carn was making a good trip down the country when a bit inland this morning

The BBC DAB stations do make it regularly to the Republic of Ireland, depending on the conditions. I don't think the signal is reliable.

The "bubbly" sound every now and then is a sign that it's DAB, not DAB+. The BBC stations are DAB not DAB+.

47 stations from the UK in Dublin 9 with just a regular antenna is quite a good achievement. But same as the other reports, I don't think the signal is or will be permanent. It's most likely due to weather conditions having a positive effect. Hard to tell if the signal is from Northern Ireland or Wales. In Dublin 9 it could be both?

I've never given up hope that one day the Republic of Ireland will also have a good choice of DAB+ stations. It might just take a few years.

“The BBC DAB stations do make it regularly to the Republic of Ireland, depending on the conditions. I don't think the signal is reliable.”

The signal is definitely not reliable in Cork. The Welsh FM frequencies come in occasionally but DAB would be quite rare and usually in the summer. This is the first time that I have received U.K. DAB stations in January

Most mobile plans come with generous data allowances these days and generous streaming packages will soon be ubiquitous, definitely to the point where a couple of hours audio streaming wont make a difference. Plus podcasts, favourite shows, playlists etc can be downloaded on wifi to stream offline.

But the big thing is, entry to the market for those wanting to create new audio content is so straightforward over internet compared to DAB, and the limitations on audience so small, that you will find fewer and fewer people wanting to actually go to the bother of going to radio.

DAB is like the mini-disc. Very useful at a particular moment but quickly overtaken.

That is not feasible. DAB broadcast equipment is complex and expensive.

I want to connect to a few rooms, bluetooth would be limited to one. FM might be an option. Lots of cheap FM transmitters on aliexpress etc

Im surprised you got enough SNR on the HackRF for the radio to decode.

They are the digital version of a Phoenix rig (those of you who were around in the 80s will know what I mean)

https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2023-07-13/412/

Are there currently any DAB /DAB+ broadcasts in Cork,Dublin,Dundalk and Waterford these days or is DAB a dead duck everywhere ?

Thanks

Nothing in Cork anymore

I just did a scan here in Cork City and definitely nothing. I can get the UK stations occasionally when there is a tropospheric lift

I "think" it was only Cork, Dublin and possibly Dundalk. Sligo never made it to air AFAIK. After the Dublin raid, i think it relocated to another site but I have no idea what happened to that. Again I "think" the operator was involved in one of the applications for a SSDAB mux in NI. I don't think it was successful.

Was in Kells and had DAB on car radio could pick up about 20 UK stations

interesting times ahead….

https://failtedab.ie/

Wasn't Eiredab just a low power mux set up in RTE to prove the concept of low cost DAB?

this appears to be something on a greater level although I'm not sure what the long term purpose is.