All posts by Big Dave
Below are all of Big Dave's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.I can thoroughly recommend Grant Goddards excellent book "DAB: License to Fail" if you want to see what is likely to happen in the real world.
| link to this comment |
D
Another government U-Turn - this time on FM local radio? | DigiWednesday 23 February 2011 5:44PM
Banbury
Pauline - I also live in Banbury in the Austin Drive area, probably about the best place in Banbury to receieve the Oxford (Beckley) transmitter. Even up here I have had to have had an roof top aerial fitted to receive a decent signal. In truth if you have broadband internet you may as well stream radio through your PC. The sound quality will be at least as good with a larger variety of stations to choose from....
| link to this comment |
D
Another government U-Turn - this time on FM local radio? | DigiThursday 24 February 2011 6:02PM
Banbury
Briantist - I keep reading that the Oxfordshire local DAB multiplex is now due to launch in 2011 from the boars hill, oxford & Farthinghoe transmitters. Do you know if any specific date has been set for its launch & if there's any possiblity that the BBC & Digital One multiplexes are going to be added to the Farthinghoe transmitter. This would greatly improve reception in Banbury which for a large part of the town is poorly served by the Oxford transmitter?
| link to this comment |
D
Another government U-Turn - this time on FM local radio? | DigiFriday 25 February 2011 9:27PM
Banbury
Briantist - do you think there is much chance of ofcom releasing more of the Band III spectrum so for example the BBC could have a second multiplex and spread its stations across 2 multiplexes & increase the bitrates back up to 192kbps if we are going to stick with DAB it can't be too much to ask that sound quality equals current FM transmissions.
| link to this comment |
It may be because the C68 multiplex is at the extreme end of the spectrum. Here in Banbury it's the only multiplex that disappears during bad weather. I would expect after switchover everyone will have rock solid reception of all channels without problems.
| link to this comment |
Helen suggest you obtain a variable attenuator & play around to see if it makes any difference. Maplin do one for £7.99 (Catalogue code A03HT) and it is in stock at their Botley Road store. If you are receiving too strong a signal then this is definitely gonna get worse after DSO.This one varies from 0-20db attenuation so you should be able to play around withg it
| link to this comment |
JM: In your location you are pretty much in as strong a location to receive a signal as is possible from the Oxford transmitter. ITV, CH4 & CH5 are working fine here in Banbury so it may well be that you are getting too much signal. If there is an amplifier attached remove it. You may need to fit an attenuator to reduce the signal level (maplin do a variable for £7.99). If this is the case then your problems will only increase after DSO.
| link to this comment |
Brian - Am I right in presuming that MUX B is now shut down as well as MUX 1 in between stage 1 & 2 of DSO as all BBC SD channels are now listed on the new BBC A mux. You still show it as transmitting ?
| link to this comment |
D
Bretch Hill (Oxfordshire, England) Freeview Light transmitterSunday 25 September 2011 7:56PM
Banbury
Jay Blanc - you may be right. Since Bretch hill started broadcasting freeview HD on C52 I have had problems picking up MUX B from Oxford. But another 3 days and when switchover at Oxford is complete there should be no more problems.
| link to this comment |
Monday 3 January 2011 4:57PM
Banbury
Whatever the intentions of the Digital Economy Act what happens in reality is likely to be very different. 20 years ago BSB was launched as the UK's official Satellite Broadcaster & Sky only was operatimg (sidestepping the UK's broadcast laws of the day) by transmitting in the telecoms satellite band - and look what happened! Here in Oxfordshire our local DAB multiplex license was awarded to Now Digital 3 1/2 years ago but still they have not gone on air despite the fact they were obliged to do so within 2 years. Audio quality from DAB is inferior to FM mainly due to the fact that virtuality all stations are broadcasting at 128kbps rather than the prefered 192kbps. Reception is patchy at best. I have to have roof mounted aerial to get a decent signal from our local oxford transmitter (20 Miles away) so in car reception most definitely out. If the government want analogue radio switched off then it had better get its finger out and bang some heads together PDQ.