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Analogue radio switch off (UK)

Discussion in 'Chat Area' started by doublecee, May 20, 2017.

  1. doublecee

    doublecee Active Member

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    Well, the great switch off isnt that far off.... When they switch off the old analogue transmitters and switch to digital. I suppose its inevitable. Just a shame so many collectors of analogue tuners, walkmans with tuners, classic car owners etc will suddenly hear nothing but noise.

    But who, like me, sometimes like to grab a walkman with a tuner and listen? I do it a fair bit, and will miss doing so once they switch off :-(
     
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  2. Jorge

    Jorge Well-Known Member

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    :cool:Correction: classic car owners wont even notice: I see them all on Pacific Coast Highway driving past Malibu on the weekends (that is everybody who is anybody in LA) and there is not a peep from their radios. Music may distract you from feeling Good about your awesome self!!:cool:
    I do my best to correct the situation thru my beaten Saab and cassettes :)
     
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  3. doublecee

    doublecee Active Member

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    Ahhhh, very fond memories of the PCH and my Mustang when I was working out there. Especially stopping of at Gladstones for a bite....

    Anyway...
     
  4. TooCooL4

    TooCooL4 Well-Known Member

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    I have been following this for years, for me DAB is not as good as FM with regards to sound quality so why would i want something which is inferior. I really hope DAB take up slows down.
     
  5. doublecee

    doublecee Active Member

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    Same.

    For me, if I'm in on a Friday night, there is nothing I like more than grabbing a Walkman with a tuner and tuning into Sara Cox's sounds of the 80's on BBC Radio 2. It's perfect background noise when thumbing through magazines, emails and surfing auction sites.

    Once they switch off I suppose I could find some way of listening to it (tape it off the radio in the main system) and then listen on the Saturday.... but that's a bridge I'll cross nearer the time.

    Just seems a shame to lose yet another analogue source of entertainment.
     
  6. TooCooL4

    TooCooL4 Well-Known Member

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    I think when it goes off, we may get some local radio station still using it.

    I think they just want to sell off the frequencies for something else.
     
  7. Longman

    Longman Well-Known Member S2G Supporter

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    The key sentence in the article is

    "The current trajectory would see it pass the 50% mark in early 2018 and hence, it’s highly unlikely the switchover will happen before 2020."

    I have also read that the idea was to free up the frequencies for stations like Hope FM (Christian) and Forest FM which are both very local stations here.
    I have also read that DAB listening has more or less stalled for several years and it is streaming that is likely to push "Digital" listening over the 50% mark.

    As of today major car manufacturers are still selling cars in the UK (e.g Ford Ka Studio) which don't have DAB Radios.
    I think people would rightly be a bit annoyed if they were told that the radio in their two year old car was now useless, especially since
    manufacturers don't seem to use standard size radios these days so adding DAB seems to involve an adapter, string and chewing gum.

    Despite being a vocal critic of DAB - Dubious Audio Broadcasting in the past, I have been using it increasingly to listen to Smooth in my VW Golf since the evening DJ on Wave 105 changed. Smooth actually still broadcasts on AM as well here, but the signal is very weak and it sounds much better on 128KBits DAB. It seems to be less prone to Bubbling Mud noises than in the past, although VW seem to have solved that by making the radio cut out completely when the signal gets weak which can be disconcerting.

    I too listen a to Sara on a Friday night usually in bed. I have large number of pocket stereo radios I can use. At present my favourite is the Prinz on the left which dates from the 80s but sounds superb, with a very good frequency range and stereo image. If Radio 2 does stop on FM I will just have to use the Technika one on the right which surprisingly does receive DAB as well as FM.

    IMG_8169.JPG

    p.s I wonder how many people will notice that the Prinz dates back from when Radio 1 and Radio 2 shared an FM frequency.
    Back then the programs on Radio 2 after the Top 40 made the Andrews Sisters sound Hip and modern.
     
  8. walkman archive

    walkman archive Administrator Staff Member

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    That is a sad news indeed. I hope they don't switch everywhere. At least here in Spain....
     
  9. kitchen10

    kitchen10 Active Member

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    I don't know why they bother - what will they actually gain from turning off the transmitters? My car radio (plus about 30 radios and walkmans) can only receive analogue broadcasts. I'll be devastated when they become obsolete.

    Damn you, government!

    Henry
     

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