Digital radio

[bluedog]

Why can't I receive good reception on my D A B radio? I have tried plugging it into the T V ariel in the loft but it is still very poor.

[sleepincutie]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/digitalradio/ go here and type in your postcode.....it gives you a list of what stations you can receive in your area if any. Only some areas can receive perfect reception but DAB is working on expanding to all areas of the uk. x x x

[oakleydoaky]

http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/aerials.htm

the technical side. (a tv aerial isn't really the thing)

[djeagles]

you need a proper VHF FM aerial. Plugging it into a UHF TV aerial will be very poor. Thats why they call it a TV aerial for plugging in TV not radios !!!!!

[cheater99]

you really need a DAB aerial ,either a basic dipole or if your out of range a small beam yagi DAB aerial,either should be mounted outside and then providing you are in a covered area bingo.Ive fitted several basic dipoles and they work well,and they are only about �12 the beams are a little more .If you get one fit it vertically.They are quite small,only 20 inches x 2inches,the beams are a little bigger.

[cheater99]

sorry i just read another reply.An FM aerial is tuned to the wrong frequency and will not give the same reults at all.

[sleepincutie]

hmmm.....the technical side sounds a bit more likely x x x

[BillyNoMates]

Depends on the type of DAB radio - I.e. if it's a Hi-Fi tuner or just a radio.

I use a decent DAB Hi-Fi tuner and get no bit errors at all when connected to a TV aerial but then I am in direct line of sight to Winter Hill at a distance of 35 miles.

I certainly wouldn't recommend using a TV aerial for decent DAB reception as it's not designed for the frequency range - but it can work.

As has been suggested - try a decent DAB aerial, relatively inexpensive and may be OK in your loft. Most important part is decent downlead cable. Not the cheap brown coax stuff.

[cheater99]

yep he's right the frequency is around the 200Mhz + so yes the downlead can be a bit lossy so if poss use double screened satellite cable which is designed for 900/1000 Mhz so is best.