Er, they're not. It can be natively part of D2 and any other multiplex operator can ask to use it (as we are in Wrexham/Chester with out Fun Kids+ test).
Additionally as an industry to get the new manufacturer Tick accreditation the radio needs to be FM, DAB and DAB+.
On topic - I think it's great that there's a trial for an additional way of doing DAB.
The Ofcom consultation proposes that the trial should use only DAB, not DAB+.
2.41
DAB+ incorporates a more modern audio encoding algorithm than DAB. This advantage of DAB+ can be employed to reduce the amount of multiplex capacity a service occupies, or to broadcast at a higher quality than DAB for a given bitrate. Availability of capacity within the multiplexes is unlikely to be a constraint for the trial and we therefore propose that trial multiplexes should carry DAB services and not be used to provide DAB+ services. This will minimise the number of variables.
Why do we need yet more testing/re-inventing the wheel? Surely the proof of concept has been shown in Geneva and various other places worldwide since, what, 2010/11?
The Ofcom consultation proposes that the trial should use only DAB, not DAB+.
2.41
DAB+ incorporates a more modern audio encoding algorithm than DAB. This advantage of DAB+ can be employed to reduce the amount of multiplex capacity a service occupies, or to broadcast at a higher quality than DAB for a given bitrate. Availability of capacity within the multiplexes is unlikely to be a constraint for the trial and we therefore propose that trial multiplexes should carry DAB services and not be used to provide DAB+ services. This will minimise the number of variables.
And nowhere does it say they want to ban DAB+. The only thing they propose is not to carry out the tests using DAB+. That makes perfect sense because for a reliable test you want to reduce the variables as close to 1 variable as you can get. If a station intends to use DAB+ at a later stage they could always do all their initial testing in DAB and follow up with DAB+ tests.
Stations are still free to conduct trials with DAB+, even if it would be foolish of them to do so. Of course, after the trials stations are free to broadcast in DAB+ as Ofcom specifically mandates the use of DAB+.
Why do we need yet more testing/re-inventing the wheel? Surely the proof of concept has been shown in Geneva and various other places worldwide since, what, 2010/11?
As I understand it these tests are not to see whether the technology works. Those tests have already been concluded both in the UK and in other parts of Europe.
These tests are for individual stations to test whether it's something they would be interested in or could work in their setting. Does it work in their geography, are they able to cover their TSA, how much power do they need, are their existing transmitter sites good enough or do they need to relocate, will it be economically viable in their situation? etc. etc.
Autotuned for Share Radio this morning and found that the Baldock test multiplex is on at the moment, six channels labelled A to F, 192Kbps stereo. Maximum strength here apart from a couple of places in the middle of the flat where the signal drops and starts to burble. Different music on each channel with brief announcement of an Ofcom test. Am 3-4 miles from the Ofcom Baldock site.
This idea is ok if they propose a collection of local stations use the same multiplex. If it's just one station using a 1.7Mhz wide DAB multiplex then it's a very wasteful use of radio bandwidth as compared to 0.2Mhz required for FM or just 9Khz for AM.
Autotuned for Share Radio this morning and found that the Baldock test multiplex is on at the moment, six channels labelled A to F, 192Kbps stereo. Maximum strength here apart from a couple of places in the middle of the flat where the signal drops and starts to burble. Different music on each channel with brief announcement of an Ofcom test. Am 3-4 miles from the Ofcom Baldock site.
How does this compare with your bbc and d1 reception?
How does this compare with your bbc and d1 reception?
Cheers,
David.
On the same walk around the flat with a DAB radio test both Digital One and the BBC are receivable throughout but the signal strength meter doesn't often show maximum strength, unlike the Baldock test where it suddenly drops down to zero in a couple of places in the middle of the flat but soon recovers. Presumably because of the single frequency networks?
The most interesting aspect of the London demo was not the low-cost local multiplex setup, great though that was. Instead the star for me was the off-satellite pirating and rebroadcast of the Beeb and D1 ETI streams.
Ofcom envisage a 'self help' future where isolated communities that would otherwise be unserved can throw up one of these rebroadcast spots for a couple of hundred pounds hardware costs and the WTA licence. The modified DSAT receiver, SDR modulator and amp all run on a 12V chain, making it possible to have the kit remotely powered by a small wind turbine float charging a battery.
They quoted around a half-second delay compared to the ASIC-based solutions of the professional satellite to Band III kit, so self-help DAB would have to be on different allocations than the multiplexes they were emulating. Not a problem at the kind of remote location where self-help TXs would be deployed.
The rebroadcast kit isn't part of the low-cost consultation, though it was mentioned at the meeting that they would read with interest any comments made on the proof-of-concept setup. When trying to convince a skeptical and otherwise disinterested community council to invest in a local TX site, getting BBC digital and D1 might be just the sweetener required.
As I understand it these tests are not to see whether the technology works. Those tests have already been concluded both in the UK and in other parts of Europe.
These tests are for individual stations to test whether it's something they would be interested in or could work in their setting. Does it work in their geography, are they able to cover their TSA, how much power do they need, are their existing transmitter sites good enough or do they need to relocate, will it be economically viable in their situation? etc. etc.
The rebroadcast kit isn't part of the low-cost consultation, though it was mentioned at the meeting that they would read with interest any comments made on the proof-of-concept setup. When trying to convince a skeptical and otherwise disinterested community council to invest in a local TX site, getting BBC digital and D1 might be just the sweetener required.
Looks like the last date for comments on the consultation is by 5pm on 10 December 2014.
Looks like ideally they are after existing small scale FM commercial and community stations who have existing masts to take up the 3 types of trials
Trial 1: A single transmitter multiplex carrying multiple services;
• Trial 2: An SFN carrying multiple services based on two transmitter sites and;
• Trial 3: An SFN carrying multiple services based on two transmitter sites with
one of them an on-channel repeater.
However the info gained from 2 and 3 will be useful for low cost 'self help' repeater installs for isolated communities.
Paigham Radio
is already on the Bradford and Huddersfield multiplex. I don't think they would be capable of running additional services. Also, there are currently four Asian stations on the multiplex. I'm not sure how many Asian sttations Bradford could support.
Strange ofcom would even licence these stations as there is already a local commercial asian station on FM. Add to that the asian community radio stations that have been licenced... Actually just thought that there must be at least six or seven community / RSL asian stations across FM! AM and DAB in Bradford. God knows what Ofcom are playing at? Think that is more than even London???
Comments
Additionally as an industry to get the new manufacturer Tick accreditation the radio needs to be FM, DAB and DAB+.
On topic - I think it's great that there's a trial for an additional way of doing DAB.
DAB+ incorporates a more modern audio encoding algorithm than DAB. This advantage of DAB+ can be employed to reduce the amount of multiplex capacity a service occupies, or to broadcast at a higher quality than DAB for a given bitrate. Availability of capacity within the multiplexes is unlikely to be a constraint for the trial and we therefore propose that trial multiplexes should carry DAB services and not be used to provide DAB+ services. This will minimise the number of variables.
Stations are still free to conduct trials with DAB+, even if it would be foolish of them to do so. Of course, after the trials stations are free to broadcast in DAB+ as Ofcom specifically mandates the use of DAB+.
As I understand it these tests are not to see whether the technology works. Those tests have already been concluded both in the UK and in other parts of Europe.
These tests are for individual stations to test whether it's something they would be interested in or could work in their setting. Does it work in their geography, are they able to cover their TSA, how much power do they need, are their existing transmitter sites good enough or do they need to relocate, will it be economically viable in their situation? etc. etc.
Cheers,
David.
On the same walk around the flat with a DAB radio test both Digital One and the BBC are receivable throughout but the signal strength meter doesn't often show maximum strength, unlike the Baldock test where it suddenly drops down to zero in a couple of places in the middle of the flat but soon recovers. Presumably because of the single frequency networks?
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2014/november/2nd_ofcom_small_scale_dab_event.htm#.VGX3N_msV8E
http://a-bc.co.uk/raspberries-steroids-low-cost-dab/
Ofcom envisage a 'self help' future where isolated communities that would otherwise be unserved can throw up one of these rebroadcast spots for a couple of hundred pounds hardware costs and the WTA licence. The modified DSAT receiver, SDR modulator and amp all run on a 12V chain, making it possible to have the kit remotely powered by a small wind turbine float charging a battery.
They quoted around a half-second delay compared to the ASIC-based solutions of the professional satellite to Band III kit, so self-help DAB would have to be on different allocations than the multiplexes they were emulating. Not a problem at the kind of remote location where self-help TXs would be deployed.
The rebroadcast kit isn't part of the low-cost consultation, though it was mentioned at the meeting that they would read with interest any comments made on the proof-of-concept setup. When trying to convince a skeptical and otherwise disinterested community council to invest in a local TX site, getting BBC digital and D1 might be just the sweetener required.
Looks like ideally they are after existing small scale FM commercial and community stations who have existing masts to take up the 3 types of trials However the info gained from 2 and 3 will be useful for low cost 'self help' repeater installs for isolated communities.
http://radiotoday.co.uk/2015/04/ofcom-receives-51-applications-for-local-dab/
is already on the Bradford and Huddersfield multiplex. I don't think they would be capable of running additional services. Also, there are currently four Asian stations on the multiplex. I'm not sure how many Asian sttations Bradford could support.