Personal DAB Radios

Not Responding said:

My pocket FM radio has died. It has to be replaced before the sound of the wind cavitating round
my ears drives me insane.

I am thinking of getting a digital replacement - anyone any experience of using one on a bike?
Will the reception bear up?

Sounds dangerous, and possibly illegal to me. I'd rather hear the WVM imaptiently changing down to
2nd in order to really *burn me off* and squeeze by me than have it come as a total surprise!

"Bagbourne" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Not Responding said:

My pocket FM radio has died. It has to be replaced before the sound of the wind cavitating round
my ears drives me insane.

I am thinking of getting a digital replacement - anyone any experience of using one on a bike?
Will the reception bear up?

Sounds dangerous, and possibly illegal to me. I'd rather hear the WVM

People always say that a radio on a bike is dangerous. I used to listen to one while riding to
work in London, years ago. Contrary to popular belief, I could hear better what was behind me,
because the wind on the ears has quite a sound blanketing effect. When there was a car behind me,
I could not hear the radio. This brought is forceably home to me how much noise pollution we
actually suffer.

Bagbourne said:

Not Responding said:

My pocket FM radio has died. It has to be replaced before the sound of the wind cavitating round
my ears drives me insane.

I am thinking of getting a digital replacement - anyone any experience of using one on a bike?
Will the reception bear up?

Sounds dangerous, and possibly illegal to me. I'd rather hear the WVM imaptiently changing down to
2nd in order to really *burn me off* and squeeze by me than have it come as a total surprise!

Of course it's not illegal. Although "Freedom - no longer available in the UK" is increasingly
becoming my slogan of choice, we are still free to walk or cycle while listening to the cricket
or whatever.

Regarding dangerous. That all depends. If blasting along in a pack at speed while racing, you're
quite right; dangerous and inconsiderate.

I don't quite see how me listening to a tune while cycling to the shops makes me a threat to
anyone, though.

Unless you mean a danger to myself; venturing out out in the way of all those motor cars, perhaps.

As long as I'm not going hell for leather and traffic jamming in stop-start A-road conditions, I
reckon a bit of quietish music won't degrade the safety margins too much.

Besides, if I were sat in a car noone would think twice about me having double glazed windows and
whacked up stereo; oblivious to the world beyond the screen.

Not Responding said:

Besides, if I were sat in a car noone would think twice about me having double glazed windows and
whacked up stereo; oblivious to the world beyond the screen.

A bar-end mirror would be a good idea though - you rely on your ears to know what's behind you most
of the time (unless you're about to turn right etc, when you need to look as well).

Zog The Undeniable said:

Quoted message said:

Besides, if I were sat in a car noone would think twice about me having double glazed windows
and whacked up stereo; oblivious to the world beyond the screen.

A bar-end mirror would be a good idea though - you rely on your ears to know what's behind you
most of the time

I don't ,the wind noise from my helmet/glasses drowns most road noise out above 15 mph.

Not Responding said:

My pocket FM radio has died. It has to be replaced before the sound of the wind cavitating round my
ears drives me insane.

It's the ear plugs that stop that, not the radio. Just put them back
in. If that's not enough cultivate some side whiskers.

--
Chris Malcolm [email hidden] +44 (0)131 651 3445 DoD #205 IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's
Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK ["]http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]

(Marc) said:

... the wind noise from my helmet/glasses drowns most road noise out above 15 mph.

A quite unecessary defect in most cycle helmets. Most of them increase wind noise considerably,
which IMHO adds to the likelihood of unpleasant and possibly dangerous surprises. I wonder what
effect that has on the accident statistics?

--
Chris Malcolm [email hidden] +44 (0)131 651 3445 DoD #205 IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's
Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK ["]http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]

In article <[email hidden]>, [Not Responding]
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

My pocket FM radio has died. It has to be replaced before the sound of the wind cavitating round my
ears drives me insane.

I am thinking of getting a digital replacement - anyone any experience of using one on a bike? Will
the reception bear up?

As regards DAB reception, it very much depends on where you're riding. I'll leave all the dire
warnings about riding listening to a radio to the resident gurus...

--
Roger Barker [email hidden] Boston, UK

Not Responding said:

I am thinking of getting a digital replacement - anyone any experience of using one on a bike?
Will the reception bear up?

Not on a bike but the reports by portable DAB users are far from encouraging. Best to avoid for
some time yet.

"[Not Responding]" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Bagbourne said:

Not Responding said:

My pocket FM radio has died. It has to be replaced before the sound of the wind cavitating
round my ears drives me insane.

I am thinking of getting a digital replacement - anyone any experience of using one on a bike?
Will the reception bear up?

I am currently using a Minidisc with a AM/FM radio remote control which clips onto my jacket. It's
very easy to tune as you just flick the switch through the stations presets.

minidisc.orgsony mzg750 huge.jpgOpen ↗

I do not have a personal DAB, but if my Pure Evoke DAB in my kitchen is anything to go by, I don't
hold out a lot of hope for reception on a bike. Even with a solid whip antenna, the reception can
be very patchy with certain stations.

I would see if I could borrow one, or go to a specialist hi-fi shop and ask if they'll let you try
it out for a few hours. A good shop should let you do this before you buy.

Simon Mason

"[Not Responding]" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My pocket FM radio has died. It has to be replaced before the sound of the wind cavitating round
my ears drives me insane.

I am thinking of getting a digital replacement - anyone any experience of using one on a bike?
Will the reception bear up?

Unless you live in an incredibly good reception area you will be disappointed. (see comments in
digital radio newsgroups). If your regular listening is subject to a lot of interference from pirate
radio stations, then it might be worthwhile, though the pocket DAB radios seem to have quite poor
construction and poor reception compared to larger variants.

Consumer grade DAB is still in an early phase, low price receiving kit is still low volume for
makers and the problems have not been ironed out. And that's before we end up in the arguments about
the poor sound quality over DAB in the UK due to deliberate policies of the broadcasters (UK policy
~= pile in more channels, stuff the audio quality ).

Save the pennies and stick with FM for now. I have a £25-ish little Roberts analogue FM/MW/LW radio
has performed well for me for several years. Reasonably economical on batteries.

Comments on whether its safe to ride a bike with a radio belong in the same area as helmet threads.

Nigel

NC said:

"[Not Responding]" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My pocket FM radio has died. It has to be replaced before the sound of the wind cavitating round
my ears drives me insane.

I am thinking of getting a digital replacement - anyone any experience of using one on a bike?
Will the reception bear up?

Unless you live in an incredibly good reception area you will be disappointed. (see comments in
digital radio newsgroups).

There seems to be a single poster on one of the digital radio newsgroups who is extremely anti. Not
much of a consensus though.

<SNIP>

Quoted message said:

Consumer grade DAB is still in an early phase, low price receiving kit is still low volume for
makers and the problems have not been ironed out. And that's before we end up in the arguments
about the poor sound quality over DAB in the UK due to deliberate policies of the broadcasters (UK
policy ~= pile in more channels, stuff the audio quality ).

iirc, the bit rate on the UK/European system is 196 which ought to be plenty to give a better
bandwidth than bog-standard FM. I may be wrong though as I can't be bothered to dig out my old text
books and do the calculation.

Or does the system allow the broadcaster to lower the bit rate at will and trade off capacity
against quality?

Quoted message said:

Save the pennies and stick with FM for now. I have a £25-ish little Roberts analogue FM/MW/LW radio
has performed well for me for several years. Reasonably economical on batteries.

It's finding a portable with LW that's tricky these days.

On earphones, which style do people find most usable; earpieces or headphones? Earpieces are great
ime until one falls out and you're wearing gloves - no hope of getting it back in again.

Quoted message said:

Comments on whether its safe to ride a bike with a radio belong in the same area as helmet threads.

Nigel

Not Responding said:

On earphones, which style do people find most usable; earpieces or headphones? Earpieces are great
ime until one falls out and you're wearing gloves - no hope of getting it back in again.

My partner, who listens to the radio while riding her bike, uses ear pieces and rides with just
one in so as to have one ear 'free' to listen to traffic. I haven't tired this myself but it
works for her.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Comments on whether its safe to ride a bike with a radio belong in the same area as helmet
threads.

Indeed. In my younger days I used to ride with loud up-tempo rock music on a personal stereo, partly
because I found this helped me keep cadence up when I was tired. These days I don't, but I can't
recall ever having a near miss or serious scare as a consequence. Mind you, in those days I was a
great fan of those little brake-hood mounted mirrors.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) jasmine.org.uk~simonOpen ↗ Ye hypocrites! are these your
pranks? To murder men and give God thanks? Desist, for shame! Proceed no further: God won't accept
your thanks for murther -- Roburt Burns, 'Thanksgiving For a National Victory'

"Gearóid Ó Laoi/Garry Lee" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Bagbourne" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Not Responding said:

My pocket FM radio has died. It has to be replaced before the sound of the wind cavitating
round my ears drives me insane.

I am thinking of getting a digital replacement - anyone any experience of using one on a bike?
Will the reception bear up?

Sounds dangerous, and possibly illegal to me. I'd rather hear the WVM

People always say that a radio on a bike is dangerous. I used to listen to one while riding to
work in London, years ago.

Contrary

Quoted message said:

to popular belief, I could hear better what was behind me, because the

wind

Quoted message said:

on the ears has quite a sound blanketing effect. When there was a car

behind

Quoted message said:

me, I could not hear the radio. This brought is forceably home to me how much noise pollution we
actually suffer.

Half agree.

I've only just started doing it, and I can hear tyre noise from cars approaching.

OTOH theres terrible wind noise with the earpieces that mean I have to turn my head slightly to hear
properly when theres a fair wind.

"[Not Responding]" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]... .

Quoted message said:

On earphones, which style do people find most usable; earpieces or headphones? Earpieces are great
ime until one falls out and you're wearing gloves - no hope of getting it back in again.

I find earpieces the most comfortable, the ones with a shaped insert that
fits inside the ear. As for the bit rates etc, it's the antenna that is the
problem with portable DABs, they all have solid whip antennas like this:

shopdigitalradio.co.ukAdaptportabledigitalradio.htmOpen ↗

These might be OK for a portable radio, but as for riding a bike with a whip antenna - it's a bit
impractical. Even FM which uses the earpieces' cord as an aerial is dodgy. I find that the most
reliable reception on a bike is good old analogue AM MW/LW and even that is directional due to the
ferrite rod.

--
Simon Mason Anlaby East Yorkshire. 53°44'N 0°26'W simonmason.karoo.netsimonmason.karoo.netOpen ↗

Not Responding said:

UK/European

That is redundant.

Quoted message said:

I am thinking of getting a digital replacement - anyone any experience of using one on a bike?
Will the reception bear up?

Tried the one Dixon's are flogging at £99.99 in Aylesbury but reception was very poor when
stationary let alone moving. Took it back and after arguing with the manager got a refund.

LB

---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (grisoft.comgrisoft.comOpen ↗).
Version: 6.0.522 / Virus Database: 320 - Release Date: 29/09/03

"[Not Responding]" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Sun, 5 Oct 2003 08:41:22 +0100, "NC" <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I am thinking of getting a digital replacement - anyone any experience of using one on a bike?
Will the reception bear up?

Unless you live in an incredibly good reception area you will be disappointed. (see comments in
digital radio newsgroups).

There seems to be a single poster on one of the digital radio newsgroups who is extremely anti.
Not much of a consensus though.

Agreed. He's now left (not sure why).

The remainding posters are less veherment, but still seem to be of the view that DAB in the UK is
significantly below par.

Small portables seem to be the worst performing items, and cost significant sums.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Consumer grade DAB is still in an early phase, low price receiving kit is still low volume for
makers and the problems have not been ironed out.

And

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

that's before we end up in the arguments about the poor sound quality

over

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

DAB in the UK due to deliberate policies of the broadcasters (UK policy

~=

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

pile in more channels, stuff the audio quality ).

iirc, the bit rate on the UK/European system is 196 which ought to be plenty to give a better
bandwidth than bog-standard FM. I may be wrong though as I can't be bothered to dig out my old
text books and do the calculation.

You're half right and half wrong. If the broadcasters used 192kb, then the audio will sound better
than FM (*). Unfortunately in the UK they don't. AFAIK, the DAB standard goes up to 256kb (which
some European broadcasters do use).

Quoted message said:

Or does the system allow the broadcaster to lower the bit rate at will and trade off capacity
against quality?

Yes. That's where it all falls over.

The only station to broadcast some of its output in "mostly better than FM" 192kb is Radio 3.

A couple of years ago, the BBC decided that it would rather introduce lots of new radio stations and
lower the audio quality on the others. Thus, Radio 1 & 2 are (usually) 128kb (a bit worse than FM),
Radio 5 is 80kb (sort of AM ?), Radio 4 alternates between 128k and 80k, etc.

Commercial stations are rarely over 128k. Further, many suffer from very bad compression artifacts -
as if they are compressing for one format, then applying another compression format over the top of
that (and not using any brains about the consequences).

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Save the pennies and stick with FM for now. I have a £25-ish little

Roberts

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

analogue FM/MW/LW radio has performed well for me for several years. Reasonably economical on
batteries.

It's finding a portable with LW that's tricky these days.

The Roberts works reasonably well. LW is orientation dependent (internal ferrite rod), so some way
to turn it around is needed. Still available in the shops for circa £25.

Quoted message said:

On earphones, which style do people find most usable; earpieces or headphones? Earpieces are great
ime until one falls out and you're wearing gloves - no hope of getting it back in again.

I've tried earphones with a loop and push-in ear plugs. Not much to choose between them. I can get
earplug types back in with ordinary gloves.

(*) Robinson's research paper on subjective testing of audio compression wrt DAB radio. At 192kb the
audio was judged to be better than FM "most of the time", at 256kb it was better "all of the time".
At 128kb, FM was judged to be better.

Nigel

Not Responding' of said:

My pocket FM radio has died. It has to be replaced before the sound of the wind cavitating round my
ears drives me insane.

I am thinking of getting a digital replacement - anyone any experience of using one on a bike? Will
the reception bear up?

I've got a DAB personal radio. Haven't tried it on a bike, but have tried to use it in the car with
one of those headphone socket to fake cassette converter efforts. Two problems make it totally
unsuitable for a moving environment.

First the headphone socket is highly iffy - the slightest joggle and the damn thing ceases to emit
any sound at all, and there is no speaker to use. This has to be model dependent so you may be able
to avoid this.

Second, reception is highly and quickly variable. Within 5 miles it can move from unavailable, to
unintelligible, to great and all the way back again. And this is with the aerial fully extended.

I use mine at home, with its aerial firmly attached to another aerial to boost the signal. Without
this boost the signal breaks up - and I'm in Manchester which is supposed to have as good a signal
as is available. I persevere with the pesky thing because I do find lots that appeals to me to
listen to, being more of a radio person than a TV person. But on the whole I'd advise anyone who
wants digital radio to buy a set top freeview box, not a DAB.
--
The 'C' students run the world. Harry Truman Steph Peters delete invalid from
[email hidden] Tatting, lace & stitching page
<sandbenders.demon.co.ukindex.htmOpen ↗