DAB+

Black Hole

May contain traces of nut
Oh great. So now they've (the electronics industry) found another way to obsolete our kit.

From January 2024, Classic FM will be changing from DAB to DAB+ across the UK.

The station says the change is being made to improve the sound quality of the station and will only affect those with a DAB radio that does not have DAB+.

Some older DAB digital radios will only receive DAB stations, but the majority of newer devices can receive DAB+ stations as well as DAB.

It's a pretty safe bet that does not include my car audio, which I upgraded from the OEM unit specifically to get DAB! Botox.
 
Fortunately, I bought a cheap DAB+ radio last year. Trouble is it misbehaves by temporarily fading out then in every few minutes. Don't know what your options are with a car. A new radio? Stream using your mobile - being careful not to fiddle with it whilst on the public highway.

"They" won't be happy until we stream everything anyway. (Actually find it useful to go for a walk streaming radio through the phone).
 
It's a pretty safe bet that does not include my car audio, which I upgraded from the OEM unit specifically to get DAB! Botox.
If it's a decent one it might be worth contacting the maker and ask if there is an update that can be applied. Or a car audio shop might be able to help.
Even if it means sending it off it should be cheaper than a new unit.
 
Don't know what your options are with a car. A new radio?
A new car probably. The thing is completely tied in with everything else on my (5yo) car.
"They" won't be happy until we stream everything anyway.
Sadly true.
(Actually find it useful to go for a walk streaming radio through the phone).
I found that every time it lost signal it just stopped, and didn't restart when regaining signal, thus necessitating manual intervention to do so, unlike a 'normal' radio. This gets old very quickly.
a car audio shop
Are there any of those left?
 
It was always going to happen when the UK opted for DAB and the rest of Europe went with the superior DAB+. However, DAB/DAB+ radios have been around for many years now and BH's must be an early one.
What peeves me is the coverage. Currently our favourite station is Boom Radio (daytime) and Boom Radio Light (evenings) but is not available here in North Cumbria, nor in the car. Therefore we have to Bluetooth from the 'phone to the Roberts radio in the kitchen and use Radio Player on the Firestick (TV) in the main room. However the sound through the amp is superb.
 
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BH's must be an early one.
I will investigate. I had assumed it is DAB and not DAB+, but we are talking about a 10 year old unit.

Are there any of those left?
I think there are. Rather than my normal do-it-myself, on that occasion I decided to have professional fitting (which turned out to be not very professional). The unit sometimes (but not infrequently) reboots and interrupts my quiz programmes at critical points, so I went to go back – only to find the shop closed down just weeks after purchase (and of course they didn't tell me beforehand).

I then approached JVC/Kenwood for support, and they said they had no record of my serial number! So where did the car audio shop get it?

Now (10 years on), the shop is open again. Saw me coming, I reckon.
 
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My car radio from 2013 is DAB+ compatible. Of the several other DAB radios I have only my old Pure Evoke (which now serves the kitchen) and my old Pure 1500 personal radio are not. I replaced the 1500 fo a newer DAB+ personal radio which is more sensitive and so I can not only listen to TMS but to the cricket on Talksport 2 which is a DAB+ station. The real question may when they ditch broadcast radio altogether as "everyone" can use their phone with Bluetooth headphones / speakers / car radios.
 
i stream ClassicFM on WiFi (not my metered data!), but the experience is not care-free enough for driving!
 
What's the model number of this JVC / Kenwood radio for the specs?

Jazz FM were one of the first to adopt DAB+ in the UK so see if you can tune to that one? (Or one of the other 24 national stations using it https://getdigitalradio.com/ways-to-listen/dab-digital-radio/dab-digital-radio/ )

My Ford DAB car radios have all been DAB+ compatible from the 09 plate Galaxy onwards (which was a pleasant surprise when Jazz FM went stereo DAB+, not that I listen much to that station). DAB+ started officially in UK around 2016 after some testing from 2013, so it was known about back then in broadcast and trade circles.
DCMS introduced the radio tick mark to coincide with the requirement for DAB+ in receivers in February 2013 (but didn't make DAB+ mandatory in all receivers).
(source Wikipedia)
 
Yeah, panic over - it says "DAB+" on the front! I need to check my Pure now.

What peeves me is the coverage. Currently our favourite station is Boom Radio (daytime) and Boom Radio Light (evenings) but is not available here in North Cumbria, nor in the car. Therefore we have to Bluetooth from the 'phone to the Roberts radio in the kitchen and use Radio Player on the Firestick (TV) in the main room.
I always thought DAB was a solution looking for a problem.
So did I, but my frequent travels over regular routes suggest FM coverage is getting worse. There are places I can get one but not the other (either way around) and complete dead spots, when FM alone used to be fairly reliable. I know we've had this discussion before, but I am not an SFN believer.

Then of course there is one station I have taken to which is not available on FM.
 
i stream ClassicFM on WiFi (not my metered data!), but the experience is not care-free enough for driving!
Yes, there are some mobile data coverage black/grey-spots in a few of the villages round here which can be a problem when streaming live sports coverage. But OTOH DAB radio coverage is also patchy in town so it can sometime be a constant battle switching between the two to get continuous coverage as I drive around. But OTOOH I was able to suspend listening to live TMS today while I watched the British Grand Prix then caught up with the end of the test match on BBC Sounds, chase-playing two hours behind live. So the various platforms offer different advantages as well as having their own disadvantages and it helps to be flexible.
 
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So did I, but my frequent travels over regular routes suggest FM coverage is getting worse.
I rather think it is aerial performance/receiver sensitivity on FM that is worse. No-one is deliberately degrading the transmissions (on FM at least; AM is a different matter).
 
I only say that because I noticed a significant change between my old car and the current one. It really was quite staggering, as if they didn't really want you using FM at all.
 
I only say that because I noticed a significant change between my old car and the current one. It really was quite staggering, as if they didn't really want you using FM at all.
Likely the receiving antenna(s) are optimised for the DAB VHF wavelength, ie shorter than the FM VHF wavelengths? Most car antennas are now amplified rear windscreen/side window heating element style I believe. Few, if any, have conventional whip antennas. Even the helix wound stubby slanted styles never worked well 30-40 years ago for FM.

DAB was a solution to the multipath reflection issues that plague FM in towns, cities and hilly areas. I was able to go on a BBC R&D / Engineering Information demo of DAB vs FM around the Birmingham Bull Ring on a Coach (co-timed audio with a self-op switch between the two temporary transmitters where that was demonstrated to the Press and other interested invited parties (late July 1991). The difference was mind-blowing at that time!
 
My unit has separate aerials for DAB vs everything else.
That's good. Probably. (Some DAB aerials are better than others. The same applies to FM and AM , too). Note I was remarking on @prpr's new car comment particularly.

Pure Elan EL-10. It doesn't mention DAB+ so I am pessimistic, and can't find anything on the web. I have contacted customer services for comment.
Acid test is to see if it receives Jazz FM or one of the other DAB+ stations.
 
Pure have just confirmed my portable radio is pre-DAB+ and not upgradeable (apparently the later chipsets could get a firmware upgrade).

It was lent to my dear friend in her terminal illness, who liked ClassicFM (and Smooth when CFM got too heavy in the evenings).
 
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