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Author Topic: DAB....y radio?  (Read 1440 times)

tonyH

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DAB....y radio?
« on: March 07, 2015, 10:14:38 pm »

May I please paint a picture?

Up to today, I could sit in my shed armed only with a glass of something special, a project in the stocks and the digitally enhanced beauty of Radio 3.

Peace reigned.

Then came the storm in the shape of SWMBO who had got to the end of her tether with the DAB reception in the house, insisting that I sacrifice my basic setup of little DAB receiver on top of a very old SONY professional mini system. She only wanted the receiver, of course. It works fine in the shed but in the house it sounds like my last sinking!

I know nothing about the new stuff but I hope that some of you just might, so........................

Is there any bit of kit that will take the digital radio signal that I get from my TalkTalk (other systems are available) setup and thrust it into the heart of a proper amp so I can recover my receiver and my inner harmony?

Please?

Tony <:(
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malcolmfrary

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Re: DAB....y radio?
« Reply #1 on: March 08, 2015, 10:16:21 am »

Any broadband connected PC can receive online radio stations.  They usually have a "line out" jack socket.  If they don't, but have a USB hole, for a fairly nominal sum off ebay, you can get a USB sound card that will provide the required.  Just plug the line out to the amp line in, set the output level of the output to match the amps wanted input, job done.
My "record player" consists of an old PC more or less dedicated to that job, working like that.  While typing this, I woke it up, went on t'interweb, told it to look for Smooth FM*, saw a button that said "listen now", and it just sat there and worked.
After the original elderly PC curled its toes up, I got fairly lucky and spotted a refurbed one from one of the companies that trades on the basis that they sell bargains, but when they are gone, they are gone.  A really cheap tablet on the home network would probably do the same job.


*OK, its musical wallpaper, but generally, pleasant wallpaper.
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tonyH

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Re: DAB....y radio?
« Reply #2 on: March 08, 2015, 11:27:01 am »

Thanks Malcolm, that was my default thought but I was wondering whether there was a mini 'thingy' that could just plug into the mains and take the signal (that is shunted round the mains from the hub or by bluetooth) without the bulk of a PC or the extra bells/whistles etc. of a tablet.

Tony
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malcolmfrary

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Re: DAB....y radio?
« Reply #3 on: March 08, 2015, 11:52:08 am »

I doubt that the market size is there for such a device given the existing alternative.  What your radio needs is good reception.  Its probably fine in the shed, but severely reduced in the house, and needs a good aerial.  The low cost end of the market generally doesn't have an aerial socket, the ones that do have an extra zero in the price at the wrong end and tend to be "proper" hifi types. 
Theres a really cheap, cut down tablet that will probably do an adequate job of joining the internet to the amplifier here - http://www.geekbuying.com/item/C430-RK2926-1-2GHz-4-3-inch-Children-s-Tablet-Android-4-2-Capacitive-Touch-Screen-480-272-512MB-4GB---Blue-325214.html - it has wifi at one end, and an earphone socket at the other.
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tonyH

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Re: DAB....y radio?
« Reply #4 on: March 08, 2015, 12:33:56 pm »

Aye, I thought it would, in reality, mean a proper DAB dipole on/in the roof and a proper tuner. At least I'll be able to listen to opera (AKA screechy ladies by SWMBO) in comfort when indoors!

It's rather a case of 'so near yet so far' !

Thanks again

Tony :-))
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