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All posts by Michael Rogers

Below are all of Michael Rogers's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.

M
Digital radio section | Digital radio
Tuesday 21 February 2012 10:11AM

BBC Radio Devon this morning proudly announced a new DAB transmitter covering this area had commenced service. Reception of Radio Devon at this coastal location: Good on medium wave, swishy on FM, no signal on DAB 10C. Medium wave is due for the chop. So be consoled : you are not alone :-)

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M
Digital radio section | Digital radio
Wednesday 22 February 2012 9:57AM

Some areas may not get an acceptable indoor or in-car DAB signal when the existing AM and FM transmitters are switched off. The BBC will not be able to piggyback where commercial operators choose not to invest. Heart (formerly Lantern) set up a local FM relay years ago to cover our coastal black-spot. The BBC did not follow suit; there was no need as AM gives good coverage almost everywhere. If Heart replaces the FM relay with a DAB one, would the BBC be under a legal obligation to use the commercial multiplex for a Radio Devon DAB relay? If Heart maintained the status quo, there would be no chance of DAB reception of BBC Radio Devon in many valleys and coastal locations. Similar scenarios could arise in other parts of the country. This might result in compromise, with some AM and FM transmitters being saved from the chop. The future continues to offer more ifs and buts than bits and bytes...



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Indeed, the market knows best... With the known blemishes of Freeview, and those to come with 4G mushrooming, satellite will, where feasible, probably prove more immune from the wisdom of the market. .......(Another Michael).

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ASTRA 1N COVERAGE: The footprint at the top of this page gives some indication of what can be expected. The link below suggests a larger dish may resolve the problem. The figures on the map are dish diameters reported to provide an acceptable signal. So 90-120cm might be indicated in your area. Check with other local viewers and let us know what the common experience turns out to be! Reception Reports - KingOfSat



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ILFRACOMBE DAB : Commercial radio is now broadcasting from Huntshaw Cross on DAB multiplex 10C, and includes BBC Radio Devon, but north of Barnstaple it only reaches higher locations. IF Heart were to later add DAB to the Ilfracombe mast, that should also carry BBC Radio Devon.
But Heart might decide that FM suffices. There are plans to switch off the 801kHz medium-wave transmitter, so we just might have to learn Welsh if we are sacrificed on the altar of the cut-backs...

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I'm in the DAB shadow and only get DAB from
Wales. BBC Radio Devon announced commencement of DAB service from Huntshaw Cross. I might take my portable DAB to the top of a hill sometime to see if I can get Huntshaw on 10C. Coverage maps show the limited outreach. A number of relays would be needed to give FM-equivalent coverage. AM gives the best coverage, albeit subject to local RFI, but is due for shutdown.

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Jim, no DAB signal from HX gets here. It might if I erect a DAB antenna on the roof, but I haven't tried that yet and don't have a DAB receiver with coax aerial socket, so would have to improvise with a clip on the telescopic aerial. Being tied to a roof aerial is not ideal if DAB is to replace the ubiquitous FM/AM portable. DAB signals boom in from Kilvey Hill, Carmel, Preseli and Wenvoe, depending on where I am waving the DAB portable about. But as soon as I move inland : zilch, but 801kHz is lovely everywhere :-) When I get a 10C signal from HX, I'll check its identity and post it.

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RAI and other Italian main channels are soft-scrambled some of the time. A tivu box
is required to watch all programmes free.
To activate a tivu box, registration to a codice fiscal is required - eg a family address in Italy. See other related postings on ukfree.tv and do a "tivu" search.


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M
Digital radio section | Digital radio
Tuesday 13 March 2012 9:26AM

In a moment of optimism, I bought a PURE, which was promptly disabled by an enforced software "upgrade", affecting all users of the same model. The fault was rectified, but I now seldom listen to anything on DAB except the WS - not least because most music sounds pre-vinyl. Let us hope that the ring-fenced DAB budget, plus savings from the SKY clawback, will benefit DAB - and FM and AM where the only portable and mobile option for essential services.

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RAI and other Italian channels are on 13°E, most of the time FTA.For full FTA, a tivu sat-box and activation with a bona-fide codice fiscal are needed. See other related postings on this site. All the main German channels are FTA on 19°E. You could use one dish for each and switch between them on the sat receiver. The signals are strong enough for patience to result in success for both using trial and error when gently moving the dishes from 28°E westwards and slightly upwards. I you prefer to use professional services, make sure they are competent for non-Sky installation!

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