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Dab On The Way


Albert Tatlock

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The people in the North of the island, of course, will still be frantic about trying to find replacement valves for the wireless and new needles for their wind-up gramophones.

I've nearly saved up a deposit on my gramaphone :)

 

...I didn't consider having to buy spares too :(

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The people in the North of the island, of course, will still be frantic about trying to find replacement valves for the wireless and new needles for their wind-up gramophones.

Won't we need electricty first?

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Is it possible that the BBC don't see it necessary to add a transmitter for the north of the island as it is already partly covered from Cumbria/Scotland?

 

According to this map it is already covered.

 

Does anyone know anyone who can already receive DAB in the North?

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yes me - my friend bought one of the first DAB rcvrs from the shop in Bucks road (even tho told no reception on the Island - he wanted to take it back with him to UK), brought it back to Peel and listened to it for the next week - this was a couple of years ago. Likewise you can get Freeview in Peel (at least where I live).

However don't all rush - the audio quality on DAB varies from bad to barely adequate - most of Europe has decided not to go down the DAB route, one country at least has switched it off - the move is for a new coding scheme which offers much better quality for the same bit rate (or more channels for same poor quality). DAB has one major problem - it is a multiplex which means all stations must join - for the Island with only 2 (correct me if wrong) local stations then the multiplexing arrangements are going to be expensive (or they will have to join the same one as the national (ie UK national) BBC etc.

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Frances is right - the audio quality isn't as good as, for example, the same radio stations via satellite or Freeview. And you can get higher quality streams via the web.

 

But it's more convenient having them on a cheapish portable. Great for the afternoon play. Probably not so great for a concert.

 

Some DAB radios sound better than others. Get one which is heavy. Battery life is crap.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/digitalradio/faqs/answer_03c.shtml

 

What bit rates does the BBC use for the national radio stations on DAB?

Some listeners have expressed an interest in knowing how the BBC manages the capacity of our national DAB multiplex, including the varying bit-rates on the national radio stations:

 

All values measured in kilobits per second (kbits/s)

 

Radio 1 - 128 JS

Radio 2 - 128 JS

Radio 3 - 192 JS

Radio 4 - 128 JS

Radio Five Live - 80 M

BBC Five Live Sports Extra - 64 M (part time service)*

1Xtra - 128 JS

6 Music - 128 JS

BBC7 - 80 M

BBC Asian Network - 64 M

BBC World Service - 64 M

BBC Data services - 56 M

 

* NB: When BBC Radio Five Live Sports Extra is on air, the bit rate on Radio 3 will be reduced to 160kbps.

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North/South split again.

 

I think the Isle of Man is sick, the north of the island pay tax aswell as the rest of the island so why is it they are classed as second rate.

 

I think its about time the north got something other than the prison.

 

Atleast in the north you never hear a plastic scouser :lol:

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Donk,

 

I think the coverage in the north is from Divis on the hill behind Belfast so its really the west/north west that has it now. I've been listening to it for about three years but agree that the quality is no better than fm. You need a 5 element aerial to get a decent single stength on the west coast and even then it only shows 40% but I suppose it is coming about 60 miles. Should be a trifle stronger in Douglas when its switched on...

 

I've got DAB in the van and I have used it to good effect up and down the uk but reception is patchy away from big towns.

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