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Welcome to the DAB Digital Radio frequently asked questions page. We hope to answer all the questions you are likely to have about digital radio on this page, but if there is anything else you'd like us to include, drop us a line at: |
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What sort of aerial do I need?
Your Pure Digital radio/hi-fi tuner will come with an indoor aerial, either a ribbon dipole or a standard telescopic aerial.
The aerial supplied should work well if you're within DAB coverage area, however if you're listening in a basement, or your building is steel-framed, or reinforced concrete, you might need an external aerial. As a rule of thumb, if you already have poor FM or mobile phone reception, chances are you'll need an external aerial. But first, see if placing the radio near to a window improves reception.
To obtain the best results from an external aerial, either use a dipole (omnidirectional aerial - should work well for moderate to strong signal levels provided it is vertically polarised) or, in exceptional circumstances, a Yaggi (which has a much higher gain than a dipole, but is directional - best suited where reception is poor and all transmitters are in the same direction). The Yagi aerial must be pointed at the transmitters.
All DAB Di-pole aerials must be vertically polarised. The higher the aerial is mounted, the better reception you will receive. You should find a qualified aerial installer in your local Yellow Pages, but make sure they understand you want a DAB aerial, not an FM or TV aerial.
What stations will I get in my area?
The stations you receive depend on transmitter coverage in your area - as for FM radio, national and local stations are available with local stations transmitting to a restricted area. In addition to existing FM or AM stations now broadcasting digital radio, new stations are being created constantly and some of these stations are unique to digital radio. To find out details on coverage and stations available in your area see our homepage, under DAB Digital Radio Station Finder.
Can I use my existing external TV/FM aerial for receiving DAB digital radio?
Probably not, but give it a try. Your FM or TV aerial is not concentrated in the DAB range, so the only advantage a TV or FM aerial may give you is if it's mounted high up on the roof of the house.
Some DAB stations can be received by plugging a standard FM or TV aerial into a DAB radio, but the best reception will always be via a dedicated DAB aerial. There's no guarantee your existing aerial will work.
I have poor TV/Digital TV/FM reception, will my digital radio reception also be poor?
Not necessarily. Digital radio is broadcast using different transmitters to FM/AM radio. Your digital radio reception quality will be dependent on the location and coverage of your nearest digital radio transmitters and the quality of your aerial. To find out details on coverage and stations available in your area, seeour homepage, under DAB Digital Radio Station Finder.
Why do I hear a 'burbling' sound on some stations?
Although DAB is excellent at providing quality audio from very little signal, the quality can suffer if the signal strength is too low. If that happens, a 'burbling' type sound can sometimes be heard. To reduce this, check that your aerial is fully extended and upright. If the problem persists, try repositioning your aerial whilst referencing the signal quality meter.
Can I take my DAB digital radio abroad and still listen to the same stations?
No. DAB digital radio is a terrestrial technology, using land-based transmitters. You can only listen to stations when you are within their transmission range.
Can I get local stations from other parts of the country?
No. You can only receive local stations within their transmitter range.
Can I get DAB digital radio anywhere in the UK?
Currently about 80% of the UK population is covered. This figure is set to rise to 85%. For more information on national commercial digital radio, go to our homepage, under DAB Digital Radio Station Finder.
BBC services are available to 65% of the UK population, and this figure will also rise to 85% over the next few years. For more information on BBC national digital radio coverage go to www.bbc.co.uk/digitalradio. Whatever way you look at it, more than 40 million people are currently within range of DAB digital radio.
I've heard the term Multiplex used when talking about DAB. What is a Multiplex?
A multiplex is a block of frequencies containing digital radio stations.
There is one national commercial multiplex owner (Digital One) operating nine services. The BBC has a separate national commercial multiplex for its services. There are local multiplexes around the country, each broadcasting an average of seven services, plus the local BBC station, and there are several regional multiplexes covering a wider area and broadcasting up to 11 services each.
For more information on multiplexes and their operators, visit our homepage, under DAB Digital Radio Station Finder.
Do I have to pay a subscription to listen to digital radio stations?
No. All the digital radio stations are being broadcast to you free of charge. Once you've bought your digital radio, that's it. No subscriptions, no monthly charges. You can listen for as long as you like, when you want, and it won't cost you a penny.
Are digital radios easy to use?
Yes, often more so than traditional analogue radios, because there no need to remember frequencies. You also don't have to worry about tuning in to stations in the same way. With digital radio, there's no twiddling dials to get the best reception. If your digital radio can pick a station up, it will be tuned in perfectly - and all you need to do is select it by station name to listen.
I have a digital display on my existing radio. Isn't this a DAB radio?
A digital display does not mean that a radio is a DAB digital radio. To receive DAB station and have all the other benefits of DAB (sound quality, ease of use, extra functions), your radio must be a true DAB digital radio, and should therefore have the DAB logo.
How is DAB Digital radio is different to FM radio?
DAB digital radio is different because, instead of being made up of analogue waves, the radio signal is transmitted digitally, as a series of 'zeros and ones'. You don't need a satellite dish to receive digital radio, just an aerial positioned in the correct place. Traditional FM analogue radio waves are sensitive to noise or distortion from electrical equipment or the atmosphere. The waves can bounce off tall buildings and hills and become interrupted or distorted.
As DAB digital radio uses digital signals, with plenty of extra information transmitted to allow the tuner to fill in any missing bits, the DAB signal does not suffer from the same problems as the FM signal. If you live in a weak signal area, you'll find that, even with all that extra information, the sound sometimes breaks up. If you live in a strong signal area, you'll find you have uninterrupted listening without 'drop-outs'.
DAB digital radio was developed by a consortium of 12 partners, known as EUREKA-147 - the system was originally called Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) and this is still used to distinguish a true DAB receiver from all other radio receivers. In 1994, Eureka-147 was adopted as a world standard and, today, most of the world has either implemented the standard or is currently testing it. The exceptions are the United States, which has embraced both satellite digital radio and High Definition radio, and Japan where cable is the chosen method of delivery for new radio formats.