Well, I got me DAB (there's a previous thread somewhere):

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show/DABRadio01.JPG

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show/DABRadio02.JPG


Sixty nicker from Argos - which has got it make it an even better bargain
than they say he

http://www.avreview.co.uk/news/artic...UAN=22&SP=&V=1


As a gadget I like it a lot, but it is difficult to imagine how anyone could
make the knobs any *worse* than they are - the 'Volume' control would serve
just as well as a joystick and the presets (absolutely essential - see
below) are very touchy - linger just a *moment* too long and they save the
current channel instead of changing it!! Otherwise it looks tray chick and
feels very nice (no -really!). End-on it is reminiscent of a Quad tuner and
it is designed to work laying flat or propped up on its handle - very nice.

What's sound like? I hear you ask.

It's sounds like a DAB radio - woolly almost and no real 'depth' but it is
free of the heejus FM interference I'm getting (OK, OK, without a decent
aerial) - a typical 'digital audio' device in other words!!

Extra stations? Don't make me larf - spin the 'tuning wheel' and pretty soon
you are staring at scrambled gobbledygook. Presets for your faves are
*absolutely essential* - turning the wheel with a fingertip like a little
toy Mamod steam engine at full chat takes an age to get through the crap (or
it does until you realise the stations come up in strict alphanumeric order)
and the 'lob it across the room' urge can rise swiftly until you get the
hang of it.

It has got a good deal of functionality for a cheapie - Battery and mains
operation (with supplied wall wart), FM (no good to me), Headphone socket
*and* a stereo Line Out, which I think is a bit good. There is also a 9VDC
out - intriguingly described as for 'future accessories yet to be
released'...???

Neither the booklet or the box actually tells you where it is made (if that
is of any interest), it simply says 'styled and designed in the UK' - which
means 'made in China' doesn't it? :-)

Would I recommend it? Yes.

I will run this little puppy and see how I get on with 'DAB'. If I can
overcome my own 'prejudices' and learn to love it, I will consider summat
with a little more 'inbuilt quality' and recording/time shift facilites at a
later date and consign this one to the bathroom (possibly - the bathroom is
one place I get excellent reception on a Roberts FM portable).

Hope that was of some interest....

Keith G wrote:

I will run this little puppy and see how I get on with 'DAB'. If I can
overcome my own 'prejudices' and learn to love it, I will consider
summat with a little more 'inbuilt quality' and recording/time shift
facilites at a later date


Remember that the bit rates of the radio stations on Freeview, digital
satellite and cable are higher than on DAB, so the audio quality is also
higher than on DAB.

For archiving digital radio the best thing you can get is a Freeview or
digital satellite PC card, because they stream the received MPEG
bitstream directly to your hard drive.


--
Steve - www.digitalradiotech.co.uk - Digital Radio News & Info

Find the cheapest Freeview, DAB & MP3 Player Prices:
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr..._receivers.htm
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/da...tal_radios.htm
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/mp...rs_1GB-5GB.htm
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/mp...e_capacity.htm

Keith G wrote:

Sixty nicker from Argos -




Look below Keith


http://www.dab-digital-radio.com/aco...rtal_2_dab.htm

Thought it was £47.99 see above



--
Dave
www.davewhitter.myby.co.uk

Music is Art - Audio is Engineering
Steam is Fun

In message , DAB sounds worse
than FM writes
Keith G wrote:

I will run this little puppy and see how I get on with 'DAB'. If I can
overcome my own 'prejudices' and learn to love it, I will consider
summat with a little more 'inbuilt quality' and recording/time shift
facilites at a later date


Remember that the bit rates of the radio stations on Freeview, digital
satellite and cable are higher than on DAB, so the audio quality is also
higher than on DAB.

For archiving digital radio the best thing you can get is a Freeview or
digital satellite PC card, because they stream the received MPEG
bitstream directly to your hard drive.



I'd like to get the increased number of radio channels broadcast by DAB
(although I fear that they'll just be more dumbed-down BBC drivel) but
what I've heard of it so far doesn't make me want to pay much for the
privilege! I've only heard three DAB tuners, but in all of them the
audio quality is poorer than FM. (Except on R3, and it would be useful
to get a SPDIF feed to my minidisc to record Late Junction, so perhaps a
DAB tuner would be useful for this.)

A Freeview feed might be better, but I'm a Luddite who doesn't have a
television, and if I put an antenna up, Blair's thought police will be
round asking why I don't have a licence to watch the BBC relaying his
party's propaganda streams.

If I bought a DAB tuner, what's the consensus regarding a reasonable
one? (Not too much money, less than £250 if possible)
--
Chris Morriss

"Dave xxxx" wrote in message
...
Keith G wrote:

Sixty nicker from Argos -




Look below Keith


http://www.dab-digital-radio.com/aco...rtal_2_dab.htm

Thought it was £47.99 see above



Nope, been there, did that - it comes out at 59.99 and the next model up
(+30 quid for 5 minutes pause/rewind anyone?) comes out at 89.99 actual. So
that site's got 'em both wrong!!

:-)

Playing now - Classic's not much cop for 'close-up/proper' listening but
then it never is! R3 (and R2) is much better!! Need to juggle speakers now
to get a bit of a shine on the sound....

Dave xxxx wrote:
Keith G wrote:

Sixty nicker from Argos -




Look below Keith


http://www.dab-digital-radio.com/aco...rtal_2_dab.htm

Thought it was £47.99 see above


A lot of the prices on that website are months out-of-date. He also
doesn't check the prices of many retailers, either.


--
Steve - www.digitalradiotech.co.uk - Digital Radio News & Info

Find the cheapest Freeview, DAB & MP3 Player Prices:
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr..._receivers.htm
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/da...tal_radios.htm
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/mp...rs_1GB-5GB.htm
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/mp...e_capacity.htm

"DAB sounds worse than FM" wrote in message
...
Keith G wrote:

I will run this little puppy and see how I get on with 'DAB'. If I can
overcome my own 'prejudices' and learn to love it, I will consider
summat with a little more 'inbuilt quality' and recording/time shift
facilites at a later date


Remember that the bit rates of the radio stations on Freeview, digital
satellite and cable are higher than on DAB, so the audio quality is also
higher than on DAB.

For archiving digital radio the best thing you can get is a Freeview or
digital satellite PC card, because they stream the received MPEG bitstream
directly to your hard drive.



Thanks for all that Steve, but I'm not into serious 'archiving' - just would
like to be able to 'time slip' the 'Performance on 3' evening concerts on R3
(Messiaen tomorrow :-), they always start just a bit too early for me at
7:30....

The 'Bug' has apparently suitable SD card facilities - how long before they
appear on a 'less wacky' bit of kit???

(Note I didn't say 'higher quality'.... ;-)

In article ,
Chris Morriss wrote:
A Freeview feed might be better, but I'm a Luddite who doesn't have a
television, and if I put an antenna up, Blair's thought police will be
round asking why I don't have a licence to watch the BBC relaying his
party's propaganda streams.

If you don't have a TV, you don't need a licence. The aerial doesn't
matter. However, I think you have to give your address when buying a
Freeview box - so perhaps get a friend to do it for you, because that
address is meant to go to the licensing people.

--
*Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

I'd like to get the increased number of radio channels broadcast by DAB
(although I fear that they'll just be more dumbed-down BBC drivel) but
what I've heard of it so far doesn't make me want to pay much for the
privilege! I've only heard three DAB tuners, but in all of them the
audio quality is poorer than FM. (Except on R3, and it would be useful
to get a SPDIF feed to my minidisc to record Late Junction, so perhaps a
DAB tuner would be useful for this.)

The only prog on DAB worthy of serious listening quality is BBC radio 3
at 192K bits. Freeview and satellite match this, but allow higher bit
rates on the other services. The DAB portable is, well just that, a
portable with small speakers because there isn't much to hide!(..

A Freeview feed might be better, but I'm a Luddite who doesn't have a
television, and if I put an antenna up, Blair's thought police will be
round asking why I don't have a licence to watch the BBC relaying his
party's propaganda streams.

Thats up 2 U. But you'd be far better off spending you money on a cheap
DTV freeview receiver, assuming you have an aerial and are served by a
DTV transmitter. ASDA have one for around 39 quid, and very good for
that money it is too..

If I bought a DAB tuner, what's the consensus regarding a reasonable
one? (Not too much money, less than £250 if possible)

As above for serious listening their ****e. Reduced MP2 bit rates make
for **** poor audio quality. It doesn't really matter about whet the
receiver can do Chris, the qualities fecked long before it gets to you.


Mind you, if you really want more very high quality audio a digital
satellite receiver, NOT a Sky digibox, with a dual LNB can be had for
less than that sort of money. Enjoy the delights of France Musique,
Bayern4 Klassick, Concertzender, NDR kulture, hr Klassick and not to
mention Paris Jazz, Swiss Jazz and Berlin Jazz, they even have outside
broadcasts from the Marriot hotel on the Potsdamer Platz!. When's the
last time the English Smooth/Jazz FM did that?.

Thats real radio, and that Orgelkonzert the other week from Bayern as
good as a CD where the missing bits from linear PCM to 256 K were more
than made up with the German engineering standards..

Absolutely stunning)

****es all over UK T-DAB...


Why, even our Keith could get a dish hidden out in his yard somewhere
--
Tony Sayer

In article ,
Paul Dormer wrote:
If you don't have a TV, you don't need a licence. The aerial doesn't
matter. However, I think you have to give your address when buying a
Freeview box - so perhaps get a friend to do it for you, because that
address is meant to go to the licensing people.

If you have TV receiving equipment... don't you have to pay the
license fee anyway? I have yet to see a radio only freeview box.

Don't think even they can enforce that interpretation if you don't have a
TV set.

--
*If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you've never tried before

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.