Dab+

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  • PAUL_BEXFIELD2PAUL_BEXFIELD2 Posts: 621
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    vinnielo wrote: »
    It's not perfect but it's close to.
    Your friends in their cars are, in my eyes, cheapskates who have gone for the cheapest adaptor solutions with inadequate aerials with an effectiveness akin to knicker elastic.

    Not so in my sisters case ta very much she's had a brand new top of the range fiat with all extras for just over a month and like many others switches over to fm as dropout is so bad
  • PAUL_BEXFIELD2PAUL_BEXFIELD2 Posts: 621
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    clewsy wrote: »
    These are factory fitted new cars, different makes and brands as well. Put your head in the sand but much the same is being said all over the UK.

    AGREED I'm starting to wonder if all those saying they aren't having problems are working for Global and Bauer
  • clewsyclewsy Posts: 4,222
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    Something isnt right with that Manchester multiplex. It used to be easily audible when I was driving around N.Staffs and even parts of Stoke.

    Now it's just patchy and hit and miss. Something has changed, quite what, I'm not techy enough to tell you.

    Oh and fun kids DAB+ was a cracking signal in Stoke when they ran it, that signal went for miles. I can pick up Dee on DAB when on the other side of Stoke heading towards Derby ..that's clearly off a well reaching multiplex.
  • Mark CMark C Posts: 20,729
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    AGREED I'm starting to wonder if all those saying they aren't having problems are working for Global and Bauer

    I don't and never have worked for them. I've had DAB in my car since October 2014, I didn't choose to, I got a new car, and it had DAB. I wasn't expecting miracles, and still set FM presets for my most listened stations, fully expecting to have to resort to them regularly when the DAB signals dropped out. In reality I've only had to do that once, last November on the A5 in North Wales.

    I live in Hampshire, I've yet to find any dead spot the county. We regularly spend weekends in West Dorset, I can only think of one dead spot for the BBC Mux there that I've discovered, a dip in the minor back road between Winterbourne Abbas and Portesham. D1 is a different matter, loads of black spots.

    Just saying
  • Biker JeffBiker Jeff Posts: 954
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    No probs for me in my car with DAB either......... nor did i in my previous car that also had DAB fitted as standard.
    Both Fords...... the DAB radios have worked brilliantly.
  • SouthCitySouthCity Posts: 12,353
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    clewsy wrote: »
    Something isnt right with that Manchester multiplex. It used to be easily audible when I was driving around N.Staffs and even parts of Stoke.

    Now it's just patchy and hit and miss. Something has changed, quite what, I'm not techy enough to tell you.

    The Manchester multiplex is changing frequency to 12C in "Spring 2016" (no precise date given), and Winter Hill & Sutton Common will be increasing power. It's likely that there is work going on in connection with this.

    http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/broadcast/radio-ops/coverage/dab-coverage-plans/Manchester_DAB_Coverage_Plan_Final_Report_Jan15.pdf
  • mjdj1689mjdj1689 Posts: 3,303
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    SouthCity wrote: »
    The Manchester multiplex is changing frequency to 12C in "Spring 2016" (no precise date given), and Winter Hill & Sutton Common will be increasing power. It's likely that there is work going on in connection with this.

    http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/broadcast/radio-ops/coverage/dab-coverage-plans/Manchester_DAB_Coverage_Plan_Final_Report_Jan15.pdf
    How much is the power increase ? As the signal as dropped a lot , in the Congleton area it's awful now and that's in line of site of Suttons common . Saying that too in Biddulph the Stoke mutiplex bubbles now too . In some parts of th is area the Derby Mutiplex comes in stronger .

    On the subject of Dab + does anyone know if the Asda Polaroid dab radios do this ? The reception on these radio is better than my pure and Roberts radios ? But when I plug in the mains the reception is not as good as being on battery power , anyone know why ??
  • SouthCitySouthCity Posts: 12,353
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    mjdj1689 wrote: »
    How much is the power increase ? As the signal as dropped a lot , in the Congleton area it's awful now and that's in line of site of Suttons common . Saying that too in Biddulph the Stoke mutiplex bubbles now too . In this area the Derby Mutiplex comes in stronger .

    Winter Hill to 2.0 kW (from 0.76 kW)
    Sutton Common to 1.0kW (from 0.5kW)
  • mjdj1689mjdj1689 Posts: 3,303
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    Thanks South city , I just edited my post , do you know the answer to the second part ???
  • clewsyclewsy Posts: 4,222
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    Wow that will boom well into Stoke on those powers. They still adding Mow Cop to the Manchester multiplex or has that one been shelved with these recent increases?

    The Stoke multiplex is shocking really, drops out quite often when driving around. At least my radio switches to FM when this happens, but its not the best advert for DAB.
  • clewsyclewsy Posts: 4,222
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    That document answers my question, clearly not. Looks like good coverage for that multiplex with that setup.
  • mjdj1689mjdj1689 Posts: 3,303
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    The crazy thing with the Stoke mutiplex is that Signal 1 having 3 fm frequencies is that they are not rds linked so if you lose it on Dab is that when it switches to fm it's switches to 102.6 so if your in Stafford which is 96.9 or the Macclesfield area which is 96.4 you may not get a fm signal anyway very clearly .

    The power incenses will be directional due to the fact that 12c is Nottingham and you can get that in parts of Stoke too , I can't see them using Mow Cop now to be honest , is the city building in Manchester city centre having a power increase ???
  • lundavralundavra Posts: 31,790
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    I mentioned the fact that my sister had just brought a brand new car and that reception was so bad that she's taken to switching back to fm
    on another thread ...a common problem I'm seeing mentioned on many message boards
    We are two and a half miles from Manchester city centre and though in the main reception is great in the house many people I know do have problems in the car
    One guy replied to my comments in quite a sneering condescending way saying he had two cars and the problem was obviously a cheap aerial !!!
    Not so its a fiat with all the extras !!

    It would not surprise me if some manufacturers are just using existing aerials, not designed for DAB. They will work in high signal areas.

    Just look at the rubbish they used to fit on cars when Medium Wave and Long Wave were still used then some of the poor antenna they fit for VHF FM.
  • OrangyOrangy Posts: 1,441
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    lundavra wrote: »
    It would not surprise me if some manufacturers are just using existing aerials, not designed for DAB. They will work in high signal areas.

    Just look at the rubbish they used to fit on cars when Medium Wave and Long Wave were still used then some of the poor antenna they fit for VHF FM.

    Quite. It's all very well saying the car has got digital radio but if the aerial is crap, the tuner is deaf or the user interface is unnecessarily difficult to use, it does nothing for anyone.

    Manufacturers have long been hit and miss with in-car entertainment but if they are going to do it, at least do it right.

    My JVC HAL roof top aerial and aftermarket DAB head unit in my Astra blows my dad's Volvo factory fitted DAB radio out of the water both in terms of reception and UI.

    I live on the fringe of London, Surrey, Sussex and Kent multiplexes and that can be a nuisance - having to tune around depending whether I'm driving north, south, east or west for more than 2 miles from home. But, my reception is still better than coverage maps suggest and when within the coverage area, just never see drop-outs unless I go in a tunnel.
  • disremberdisrember Posts: 1,467
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    clewsy wrote: »
    2017 switch off of FM! You must be having a laugh.

    Yes 2017 -2022 is the plan...I think the suggestion to start with is 1 bbc radio station and 1 commercial station.. So that could be bbc r3 and classic fm for example
  • BangersBangers Posts: 3,626
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    I have had DAB in car for years and the experience I've had is an excellent one.

    Think about it logically...

    Cars are outdoors... the best place for an aerial.
    Cars are metal... a great groundplane for the aerial.
    Car aerials can be amplified.
    DAB was purpose designed for cars!

    If you get a signal indoors, then there is a signal outdoors.

    Sadly some manufacturers seem to still be cutting corners when it comes to quality of radio and antenna used, it appears Fiat is one of them.
  • clewsyclewsy Posts: 4,222
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    Or maybe it's the area? As seems quite a few people on here share my issues with the Stoke multiplex and D1 in parts of Staffs and Stoke. So maybe it's just a poorly designed network in this area for the geographical layout.

    Even the Stoke DAB improved map is a joke as if your Leek eastwards there is a fairly large chunk of predicted area that isn't covered. So maybe it's just a poorly designed network in Staffs.
  • vinnielovinnielo Posts: 8,346
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    gomezz wrote: »
    I defy you to drive through the middle of Buckingham past the old Town Hall towards Aylesbury without DAB cutting out stone dead for a few seconds.

    That's one very small place. Do the coverage maps say that it should be picked up ok there?
    You don't mention if it affects all multiplexes or just some.
    For such a small localised area, it could be some kind of interference from some source that's affecting the DAB signal.
  • d'@ved'@ve Posts: 45,452
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    disrember wrote: »
    Getting dab+ up and running before 2017, ensuring all radios sold before this are dab+ (digital tick scheme) will mean that when people start to buy replacement radios for old fm only very quickly the majority will be dab+.

    Well as I'm still using a 1980s Grundig Concert Boy portable, and two mains hifi FM tuners, as many many people will be doing, I suspect the changeover will be somewhat slower that you think! As for a 2017 FM switch-off, dream on! :D

    And when I finally do replace it all, perhaps in the 2020s (when all my FM gear will still be working fine GRRR) , it won't be with lowest common denominator DAB/+ it will be with some form of Internet linked and/or 4G linked service at a decent bandwidth for the codec - lossless for home use.
  • gomezzgomezz Posts: 44,507
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    vinnielo wrote: »
    For such a small localised area, it could be some kind of interference from some source that's affecting the DAB signal.
    The whole of Buckingham is a bit hit and miss but yes, that one spot also has horrendous interference on AM too. I have long suspected summat nefarious going on in the basement of the old town hall.
  • hanssolohanssolo Posts: 22,561
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    d'@ve wrote: »
    Well as I'm still using a 1980s Grundig Concert Boy portable, and two mains hifi FM tuners, as many many people will be doing, I suspect the changeover will be somewhat slower that you think! As for a 2017 FM switch-off, dream on! :D

    And when I finally do replace it all, perhaps in the 2020s (when all my FM gear will still be working fine GRRR) , it won't be with lowest common denominator DAB/+ it will be with some form of Internet linked and/or 4G linked service at a decent bandwidth for the codec - lossless for home use.
    It's only Norway aiming for a DSO in 2017, and only for the 5 national FM stations, not the local stations, they have a high use of DAB and internet so might pull it off?
    The UK Radio DSO will not start till after 2020 But some AM stations might close before this.

    I suspect something like the Revo adaptor with a small FM transmitter will be back in production for those who want to keep old analogue sets working?
    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Revo-Mondo-Wi-fi-Internet-Adapter/dp/B000WBN5EK
  • kevkev Posts: 21,071
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    I have a pure internet radio with DAB included
    I live in Manchester and actually got excellent reception of the Funkids DAB+ transmissions from the merseyside transmitter it ran on
    I'm now noting the comment about paying for an upgrade to hear DAB+ transmissions and am puzzled as I understood that all new dab sets would have DAB+ capability already programmed in and am assuming that as I've already heard DAB + on my set I won't be paying for an upgrade surely ?

    Some radio sets don't have DAB+ support at all - these will need replacing if you want to listen to DAB+ stations (e.g. my Roberts RD49)

    Some radio sets support DAB+ but have it disabled - on these it will either not work or you'll see an upgrade message. This upgrade may or may not be chargeable (IIRC Pure did this with a number of sets, in Australia they had DAB+ but not in the UK - however you could upgrade them for free if you were in Australia)

    Most new DAB sets (including yours) support DAB+ out of the box and you need to do nothing - if you were able to listen to Fun Kids+ then you are good to go.
  • PAUL_BEXFIELD2PAUL_BEXFIELD2 Posts: 621
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    kev wrote: »
    Some radio sets don't have DAB+ support at all - these will need replacing if you want to listen to DAB+ stations (e.g. my Roberts RD49)

    Some radio sets support DAB+ but have it disabled - on these it will either not work or you'll see an upgrade message. This upgrade may or may not be chargeable (IIRC Pure did this with a number of sets, in Australia they had DAB+ but not in the UK - however you could upgrade them for free if you were in Australia)

    Most new DAB sets (including yours) support DAB+ out of the box and you need to do nothing - if you were able to listen to Fun Kids+ then you are good to go.

    Thank you Kev much appreciated
  • RoxioRoxio Posts: 77
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    Down here on the South Coast the D2 test started last night, on my Roberts Stream 217 I am getting excellent stereo quality on Dab+, not to good & mono on Dab. Rushed out to my 2 year old Vauxhall Insignia (Built in Germany) and no Dab + signal only Dab. Phoned Vauxhall dealer today and asked how much a software patch would be, seemed they had had a few enquiries over the country. The cost to update £370.00., Be interested if anyone else has tried in their Vauxhall cars
  • Biker JeffBiker Jeff Posts: 954
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    Roxio wrote: »
    Down here on the South Coast the D2 test started last night, on my Roberts Stream 217 I am getting excellent stereo quality on Dab+, not to good & mono on Dab. Rushed out to my 2 year old Vauxhall Insignia (Built in Germany) and no Dab + signal only Dab. Phoned Vauxhall dealer today and asked how much a software patch would be, seemed they had had a few enquiries over the country. The cost to update £370.00., Be interested if anyone else has tried in their Vauxhall cars

    Jeeze..... £370 to update the radio to DAB+ !!!!!!! What an absolute rip off.
    If Vauxhall are doing this, i bet its the same with Ford...... My 1yr old Focus is in for a service this week and i'm going to enquire about this.
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