Radio

[m4tty]

Hi,

Was looking at getting a radio to make the day go faster. But don't really understand.

The old style radios, will they still work in 10 years time or is it going digital then they will be redundant? Or have I got the wrong end of the stick

Is it best to get a dab digital radio or will the older one be ok?

Cheers

 

[Andy™]

i have a radio/CD player with USB. listen to the radio most of the time, or can plug in USB drive and listen to something else

 

[batty]

so are radio signals going digital as well?

 

[Badger]

afaik the radio side of transmission is oing digital aswell

 

[steptoe]

I have a

 

[batty]

looks like it happening in 2015 so either buy a dab one or a cheap one wow there will be quite a few radios going into the dumps.

 

[Andy™]

dont forget just about every car radio too. not mny digital ones about

 

[batty]

Yes think thats what has caused the delay trouble is its not like tv's were you can put them through a digital box radios just won't work.

 

[NozSpark]

Yes think thats what has caused the delay trouble is its not like tv's were you can put them through a digital box radios just won't work.

But I bet someone will come up with a digital receiver - FM transmitter combo,,, just like those tape things that you could buy to connect portable CD players up in your car!!!!

 

[PC Electrics]

I've got this:

Makita UK

It's the new version with DAB. It's a superb radio, with a great punchy sound. Really rocks the place out on Kerrang and Planet Rock. It sounds far better than its diminutive looks would suggest.

I use it with 3Ahr Li-ion batteries and it lasts 2 days on a full charge. It comes with a mains plug and can take any Makita battery, so even if you're not a Makita user you could get a 2nd hand battery and charger off the Bay.

 

[Evans Electric]

Matty most DAB radios will switch between FM and Digital ( Roberts etc)

 

[gordy71]

Most of the manufacturers of work radios (dewalt, makita, milwaukee) have been slow to introduce dab technology because the signal is not as reliable as fm. I would go for the milwaukee, as its got rockford fossgate speakers and really kicks. Not dab though.

 

[batty]

Most of the manufacturers of work radios (dewalt, makita, milwaukee) have been slow to introduce dab technology because the signal is not as reliable as fm. I would go for the milwaukee, as its got rockford fossgate speakers and really kicks. Not dab though.

And you can boost there profits by buying another in a few years time.

 

[Ash]

The switch will backfire since car manufacturers still aren't installing DAB radios as standard yet

 

[ProDave]

Get a portable radio with both FM and DAB then you will be sorted.

Up here in the sticks, there are a lot of places with no DAB coverage (and some with no FM coverage either)

I keep hearing rumours of 2015 for FM radio switch off. but nothing has apparently been published officially yet and no official timetable.

As has already been pointed out, the BIG stumbling block to radio "digital switch over" is the millions of FM radios in cars. I still find it astonishing that so few cars on sale new today have DAB as standard. But then I said the same when tv analogue switch off was announced, that it was still many years before digital tv's became normal in the shops. Why are we so poor in this country at organising things?

If 2015 is the date that it's going to happen, I just can't see it happening as there would be outrage from the public.

I needed a new radio for my car, and was dissapointed to find a DAB car radio attracted a huge price premium, and there were very few to choose from. So instead I have a small portable DAB radio plugged into the aux socket.

 

[batty]

PD its probably because there are not to many DAB stations yet unless you go into the cities. In my area i can pick up about five or six so if you travel up the motorway it will be changing from one station to another not really ready yet for good listining.

 

[Apache]

It's not really digital when they send the 1's and 0's via radio waves. Wet Fishheadbang

:C

 

[Sidewinder]

What about the car radios that are integrated into the vehicle alarms and immobilisers that may render the vehicles inoperative, or mean that the alarm/immobiliser has to be defeated thus giving insurance issues when the switch comes?...

 

[batty]

What about the car radios that are integrated into the vehicle alarms and immobilisers that may render the vehicles inoperative, or mean that the alarm/immobiliser has to be defeated thus giving insurance issues when the switch comes?...

Not sure just glad my old van has a cd as well as the radio.

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

The main reason car radio's are not DAB is every country has different settings & the manufacturers don't want to stock up with loads of different units. Also the signal still isn't great and fairly localised so i think it will still be a few years till we see them as standard