All posts by Michael Rogers
Below are all of Michael Rogers's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Brian, we are all probably a bit depressed
by various aspects of current and planned implementation. Many intelligent suggestions have been presented here and elsewhere, some more realistic than others. By following the wide variety of contributions, particularly yours, I have learned a lot and revised my views to some degree. Evidently there is still a vestige of flexibility in "the plan". In a democracy we are free to discuss pros, cons and preferences. Many may wish to write to their MP, others will accept whatever comes about. But we all enjoy a civilised moan - that unites us!
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Brian, you render us all a great service. If you wish your site to be an information and problem-solving one, but not a discussion forum, we will all happily respect that. Im sure you have many ideas for the future. Might I suggest a index prominently accessed from the front-page, so people can quickly find FAQ-style information for individual problems and queries. The current search facility does this well, but searches are always dependent on the choice of keyword, so a front-page accessed index in addition might be worth a thought.
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Brian, these postings may well be the best response you have ever received! We all very much appreciate all your input and expertise. We all wish only to benefit from, and contribute to, your incomparable website. Evidently, there must be boundaries which you must delineate. Your suggestion of a fringe discussion page demonstrates your insightful overview of priority interests.
The suggestion of an index was intended as exclusively constructive. Along the leftpage margin of every page an index of FAQ-derived
support key-lines would enable anyone accessing your ukfree website to swiftly
find the guidance sought. This would lessen the burden to respond to many a repetative enquiry, as now addressed individually.(As an adept, I am reasonably well able to seek out detailed pointers to relevant links, however I feel that a leftpage margin index would be very helpful to many enquirers.) The basic structures you have built up over years are solid. User-oriented index linking could but enhance this so as to "outflank" lesser online offerings.
With every good wish,
Michael
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Mark, if you and other active professionals pick up queries such as this, Brian could concentrate more on the essentials which make this site so valuable to so many. Maybe there could be provision for a group including such as you who could take this on? Brian, what do you think?
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It appears that originally for DTT a balun was a distinguishing factor as in a well-designed aerial a balun produces improved protection from impulse-interference.
On enquiring, I was told that, with DSO, customers queried an aerial which did not state "digital", so manufacturers felt they had to state this in a way which would convince the potential customer. The wording could be better, but customer expectations not infrequently override technical exactitude!
This posting probably belongs on another page, but refers to the previous one here.
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I totally agree, Brian. That is what I meant by "the wording could be better". There will, sadly, always be cowboys out there... You are very effective in informing people as to what they really need. My suggestion of mindexing was with this in mind. If the very useful links etc were in some way indexed on the home-page, people with less knowledge might find what would help them even more readily. The leaflets distributed in the run-up to DSO were, in my opion, not well designed to inform and forewarn people of this and associated issues which the con-men all too easily take advantage of. Your work has doubtless saved ,many who
found it a lot of hassle and money. Best wishes!
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Pete, I am thinking of adopting the DAB-to-FM adapter idea by combining a LW receiver and a legal micro-FM transmitter, as for MP3-players, to feed the incar FM radio. For areas DAB doesnt reach, that should work - until 198kHz is switched off. Does anyone know of future plans for RTE and other LW stations?
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That is my understanding. I listen to 153,162,183,207,216,234 and 252 kHz at times,
so hope they will be around for a while yet!
There are musings that the BBC is still interested longterm in DRM and that 198 kHz might be used for trials one day. I imagine any such longer-term planning will be informed by the degree of success and acceptance of fully implemented DAB as per the Digital Economy Act.
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With technological progress, we should be entitled to better-than-now portable and mobile reception, but apparently as-good-as-now is the best we can expect. DTT and internet are evidently suitable for FM or better quality for the living-room hifi. DAB+ from L-band satellite and terrestrial transmitters would theoretically fill the mobile/portable requirement. Such plans exist in France and elsewhere, but how economically feasible any further expansion could be must now be brow-furrowing... At present the balance on the horizon for is: more choice of very similar programming via DAB in populated and motorway areas; less choice and reliability in hilly and remote areas, especially for non-static reception.
Perceived DAB audio quality will mostly be better than AM, but less pleasing than FM.
Some commercial DAB stations may in time relinquish their options and thereby "donate" spectrum to others for higher bitrates.
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Friday 25 February 2011 9:20AM
Steve, thanks for your very lucid and informed overview. It is now too late for DAB+ or DRM+, sadly, so we are stuck with the poor current and predicted implementation of DAB, which will probably only provide satisfactory non-static reception in major population areas and motorway corridors, but little in FM-equivalent audio quality, as you highlight As there has now been a u-turn on use of FM for local commerical broadcasting, technical and budgetary realism just might yet give FM a wider reprieve.