DRM - general chat

[Deleted User] · 13/12/06 - 15:52

Here's some great news for those interested in DRM!

From Media Network Weblog:

Irish public broadcaster RTÉ has confirmed that the 252 kHz site (200kW in analogue) is to have a new transmitter installed this week to allow the transmission of DRM on this frequency. At present, a date has not been set, but initial tests will take place in DRM mode between 0200-0500 UTC, simulcasting RTÉ Radio 1. The power for the DRM broadcasts is not yet known.

Bluenile · 13/12/06 - 16:05

Just the sort of thing needed to stimulate sales of DRM sets over the next few years.

They've also got transmitters on 612 and 1278 that could be turned back on for DRM

System · 13/12/06 - 20:43

First, buy your DRM-ready radio....

Ah.

Juan Carlos Ara · 13/12/06 - 20:57

I have a DRM radio receiver and its almost in the dark corner.

Well, I am just a little far away from the DRM hot zone which is Central Europe...

Honestly, I want RTE keep on transmitting on conventional Medium Wave, I would be able to receive them at night. Because DRM is still an impossible even owning a DRM radio receiver. That is IMO.

Bluenile · 13/12/06 - 22:21

UNcabled wrote:

First, buy your DRM-ready radio....

Ah.

http://www.igear.com/product_details.php?item_id=1478&category_id=350

System · 13/12/06 - 23:15

Bluenile wrote:

http://www.igear.com/product_details.php?item_id=1478&category_id=350

Morphy Richards?

Ha ha ha ha ha.

That is not going to be any good.

Bluenile · 13/12/06 - 23:24

UNcabled wrote:

Morphy Richards?

Ha ha ha ha ha.

That is not going to be any good.

I think Juan Carlos Ara is pretty pleased with his, aren't you Juan?

ney · 14/12/06 - 06:59

Bluenile wrote:

http://www.igear.com/product_details.php?item_id=1478&category_id=350

Looks not to bad but I will wait a few months to see if the price comes down a little bit.

Darren

hanssolo · 14/12/06 - 07:08

UNcabled wrote:

Morphy Richards?

Ha ha ha ha ha.

That is not going to be any good.

The set works better in UK and Germany where DRM levels from BBC DW and Radio Luxemburg are currently higher than Spain. Plus the 26Mhz tests in London.
Morphy Richards is part of the Glen Dimplex group which includes Roberts, to quote the Morphy Richards website.
http://www.morphyrichards.co.uk/wizz400/index.pl?REFID=mruk&ORPGM=news&ORPGT=perl&accessoryShop=yes&ORLID=ENG
(click audio)

Morphy Richards are not well known for making radios however this is an important new category for us which we've invested heavily in. The result has been a fantastic range of award winning music systems and digital radios which have secured us the respect of retailers and customers alike."

Soon there will be new models from Roberts and Hong Kong based Himalaya using the same Radioscape chipsets as the Morphy Richards.
http://www.radioscape.com/downloads/Press_Release/RS201106.pdf

Juan Carlos Ara · 14/12/06 - 09:55

Bluenile wrote:

I think Juan Carlos Ara is pretty pleased with his, aren't you Juan?

No, that is the radio, the Morphy Richards, which I have in that corner and I use it for a good RDS facility on FM.

That was not the idea when I purchased it.

DRM . Well, I have heard no more of 5 minutes all together and always with so little signal.

Juan Carlos Ara · 14/12/06 - 10:05

hanssolo wrote:

Soon there will be new models from Roberts and Hong Kong based Himalaya using the same Radioscape chipsets as the Morphy Richards.
http://www.radioscape.com/downloads/Press_Release/RS201106.pdf

So, I don´t know what tp think.

If all those new radio receivers are going to use the same Radioscape chip are going to have the same sensitivity of the Morphy Richards?.

I have read the Sangean DRM 40 has that same chip, too. The thing is that I know all those Sangean models can be connected to an external antenna. But the heart of the radio is the same.

Also, that new model of Himalaya looks like a kitchen portable radio, with no an external antenna connection (the same with Morphy Richards).

Honestly, what we need is a decent radio receiver with several external antenna connection facilities. No those SD card and EPG facilities (which they think they make attractive the final product).

Because, there are people who are not living inside the radio beams and find their radio useless so easily.

Seeing that, I think DRM radio will come next decade massively.

hanssolo · 14/12/06 - 10:52

Juan Carlos Ara wrote:

If all those new radio receivers are going to use the same Radioscape chip are going to have the same sensitivity of the Morphy Richards?.

I have read the Sangean DRM 40 has that same chip, too. The thing is that I know all those Sangean models can be connected to an external antenna. But the heart of the radio is the same.

I have read on other forums part of the delay with the Roberts/Sangean sets is to get the sensitivity improved.

I think the final aim is to get FM RDS/DRM/DAB sets in the home (kitchen) or car where they can easily be tuned by name into the station.
The new DRM stations will appear in the same list as DAB or FM RDS stations.

RTL have the daytime now in mind for Radio Luxembourg(rather than evening) and RTE if the night time tests work, will have Irish people living in the UK in mind where the 252 DRM signal will be potentially very clear and stable 24hours each day.

radamfi · 14/12/06 - 11:31

Juan Carlos Ara wrote:

Honestly, what we need is a decent radio receiver with several external antenna connection facilities.

Would that make a difference for MW and LW transmissions? I'm not very technical - so please correct me if I'm wrong - but isn't an internal ferrite rod perfectly adequate for MW and LW broadcasting and MW and LW don't benefit greatly from an external aerial in the same way as VHF? Are those loop antennas that come with hi-fi tuners any better than an internal ferrite rod?

Is there a website where I can hear sample recordings of DRM transmissions?

Juan Carlos Ara · 14/12/06 - 12:17

radamfi wrote:

Would that make a difference for MW and LW transmissions? I'm not very technical - so please correct me if I'm wrong - but isn't an internal ferrite rod perfectly adequate for MW and LW broadcasting and MW and LW don't benefit greatly from an external aerial in the same way as VHF? Are those loop antennas that come with hi-fi tuners any better than an internal ferrite rod?

Is there a website where I can hear sample recordings of DRM transmissions?

Well, the Sangean (Roberts) DRM 40 has an extra MW/LW antenna ( a system like the internal ferrite) which must improve the reception in those bands ( on AM and DRM).

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/portable/0040abar3.jpg

The Morphy Richards has not that feature. Its all about its internal ferrite.

I really miss that external antenna connection, especially for the DRM on SW and for the DAB bands. I can´t manage the DAB III band and there are DAB services here, but it has to be via an external antenna.

This radio I own lacks of everything. Maybe its ferrite antenna is OK, but I am not in Central Europe, so I am out of the beams anyway.

I hope when RTL on 1440 Khz is transmitting with 120 Kw I will be able to receive something on DRM overnite. Radio Luxembourg or whatever is given on 1440.

Edit : On www.drm.org I think ther are DRM samplers.

http://www.drm.org/videos/receptiondemo.php

Charlie · 14/12/06 - 12:34

radamfi wrote:

Is there a website where I can hear sample recordings of DRM transmissions?

http://www.drm.org/system/watchandhear.php

Pop Roberts · 14/12/06 - 13:29

radamfi wrote:

Would that make a difference for MW and LW transmissions? I'm not very technical - so please correct me if I'm wrong - but isn't an internal ferrite rod perfectly adequate for MW and LW broadcasting and MW and LW don't benefit greatly from an external aerial in the same way as VHF?

This was the case in years gone by, but in the past 20 years or so there has been a rapid increase in domestic electrical equipment which can interfere with AM radio, especially MW and LW. Most modern equipment such as PCs, TVs and HiFi systems with digital circuitry (to name just a few) with digital circuitry generate a fair amount of unwanted, short-range (usually), electromagnetic interference which will reduce the sensitivity of receivers. Then there's the switch-mode power supplies that go with such devices and they can often be switching at LW/MW frequency rates, so the chances of interference is increased yet more. And I've not even started on interference from broadband internet connections, noisy thermostats and lighting dimmer circuits! About the only way to reduce the impact is to put an aerial outside and as far away as possible from electrical sources. An internal ferrite aerial will work fine, providing there are no nearby sources of interference.

Pop

System · 14/12/06 - 13:40

hanssolo wrote:

I think the final aim is to get FM RDS/DRM/DAB sets in the home (kitchen) or car where they can easily be tuned by name into the station.
The new DRM stations will appear in the same list as DAB or FM RDS stations.

And any AM stations using AMSS too! Still waiting for my Morphy Richards to arrive. Will let you know how it performs!!!

[Deleted User] · 14/12/06 - 14:49

David Parr wrote:

And any AM stations using AMSS too! Still waiting for my Morphy Richards to arrive. Will let you know how it performs!!!

I'm watching this one with interest as I live in an area considered not viable for DAB. Is DRM cheaper for operators to run I wonder?

MikeBr · 14/12/06 - 18:33

Pop Roberts wrote:

An internal ferrite aerial will work fine, providing there are no nearby sources of interference.

Pop

I agree with all your comments about AM radio on MW and LW, and thus DRM on AM and LW's, susceptibility to local interference.

The ferrite rod aerial for the first prototype models of the Sangean DRM40 was internal, it is now external:

http://www.stoepplernet.de/drm/jb_mp40/mp40_all.jpg

[Deleted User] · 14/12/06 - 18:42

All said and done, £150 is competitive pricing for a unit with so much technology.

System · 14/12/06 - 18:58

horizon.swing wrote:

All said and done, £150 is competitive pricing for a unit with so much technology.

Only if it works properly.

Having been heavily involved in testing DRM since the very early transmissions from DW, RTL, RNW and TDPRadio, I'm prepared to wait until there are at least 4 or 5 standalone radios on the market.

I've not heard anything positive about the Morphy Richards radio to convince me it's worth buying. I suspect it has flaws in abundance. The lack of an external antenna socket is definitely one of them.

Juan Carlos Ara · 14/12/06 - 18:59

The Sangean (Roberts) DRM 40´s display or screem is the same of the Morphy Richards´s one :

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/portable/0040scr2.jpg

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/portable/0040men1.jpg

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/portable/0040scr3.jpg

(This one seems to give more station info)

With the same functions. The heart is the same, the famous Radioscape chip.

But the Sangean model is a better radio receiver. See these pics :

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/portable/0040alrg.jpg

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/portable/0040ls.jpg

(Much more connections and features).

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/portable/0040rs.jpg

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/portable/0040rear.jpg

Apparently , the Sangean is 100 euros more expensive, but they worth it.

System · 14/12/06 - 19:01

Juan Carlos Ara wrote:

The Sangean (Roberts) DRM 40´s display od screem is the same of the Morphy Richards´s one :

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/portable/0040scr2.jpg

With the same functions. The heart is the same, the famous Radioscape chip.

But the Sangean model is a better radio receiver. See these pics :

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/portable/0040alrg.jpg

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/portable/0040ls.jpg

(Much more connections and features).

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/portable/0040rs.jpg

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/portable/0040rear.jpg

Apparently , the Sangean is 100 euros more expensive, but they worth it.

Well quite. They have the same chipset and the same firmware, but what about the critical RF circuitry? This is where the money goes in the Sangean.

[Deleted User] · 15/12/06 - 01:35

I'm really desperate to get a DRM receiver (actually I'd probably trample over my granny to get one!)....but does anyone know which stations are actually receivable in Britain with a reliable signal?

I've read a lot of conflicting reports, particularly about the Morphy Richards receiver.

Has anyone used one in the UK?

System · 15/12/06 - 10:09

NathanJones wrote:

Has anyone used one in the UK?

More importantly, has anyone in the UK who has ordered one received it yet? I am starting to get uneasy!!!

hanssolo · 15/12/06 - 10:21

I have seen and heard it working well here in UK through someone who ordered it from Germany (I think this must be his report http://baseportal.com/cgi-bin/baseportal.pl?htx=/drmdx/details&cmd=all&Id==198 will see if he can sign up and post a report here). Seemed to be OK. Looks like Igear have them in stock in UK.

Hey there!

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