Typical that they were refused a temporary licence, but as an old Uncle once said to me "there are ways and means around EVERYTHING"!

Take a look: http://www.radiocaroline.co.uk/#home.html

Quote: Cookie wrote in post #2

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If you look closely at that map (and know where I am), you'll see I'm not far away from the intended coverage area. Can't check at the moment as I don't currently have a DAB radio here. Won't hold out much hope though, as DAB reception here is dreadful, even for the stations I should get. So I suspect, for me, if I get any reception it'll be a case of "Caroline burbles with DAB". Will definitely give it a try when I bring my DAB radio back.

Got to be a good move though, should help raise awareness.

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Which ariel though, the "H" or the multi element Yagi?

I don't know about the VHF I band antennas (they are very large - larger than FM antennas) but VHF band III antennas should be still available at least over here. Those roof antennas really can make miracles and maybe its worth at least for those people who enjoy DAB to set them up again.
Well - I can tell you from DVB-t (TV) only as DAB+-radio is not very popular over here and I don't know anyone who has a DAB+ radio set though they (government) try to promote it like selling sour beer

I mustard mit that I'm slightly suprised that Caroline is dabbling with what is, effectively, a non starter format. (A bit like betamax)

Quote: Cookie wrote in post #9

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@Coastie: Since it's effectively free carriage, and fairly simple to implement, why not? Anything that raises a stations profile and brings it to a new audience has got to be a good thing. Even if it's not ideal technology and ony a 9 month trial. It will point listeners in the direction of the online streams when the trial finishes.

@BigJohn: I could, but there's little incentive in driving around to find a place where I can recieve it, when I can click a button on my Internet tuner and recieve it in perfectly good quality here, or out and about on my smartphone? I'm sure I could put up a decent aerial and pull it in, but that would make a portable DAB non-portable. Again I might just as well use the online service. So, tbh, it's not really of much interest to me, apart from curiosity itself. But, for those in the coverage area, and who have DAB, especially in-car DAB, it may well be of interest.

@Alec: Yes, I mention band I, only because our VHF TV was distributed across bands I & III, so old TV aerials were designed to cover both bands. Nowadays, you can certainly get "DAB aerials" ie VHF Band III and they are indeed much smaller than both the old VHF TV and FM (VHF band II) aerials. Trouble is, for existing band III aerials, anything more sophisticated than a simple dipole is going to be directional and quite possibly pointing the wrong way. But you're right, a suitable rooftop band III antenna pointing at the Tx will make all the difference.

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Yes Cookie you're completely right DAB at home makes no sense at all when you have i-net radio - thats why I don't even think about buying a DAB+ receiver.
To me a roof antenna makes only sense when its for TV reception like over here for Austrian TV or more to the west for Swizz TV which are both encoded via satellite.
For Coastie it probably would make sense to receive Irish TV as he is so close to Ireland. The digital TV signal travels without any problems 160 kms and even farer when you have a good roof-antenna.
(in Central Europe DVB-t is broadcast on UHF band )
As Coastie already said I also believe DAB in the car is non-starter as long as you have all you want to listen to on FM, on your own player or some day in the future (over here) via your smart-phone
also DAB+ stops at the borders and all stations broadcast the same crap - so what should it be good for ?

Irish TV came off analogue shortly after we did.

gist ~ point = der Punkt, der Sinn, die Idee

Quote: Cookie wrote in post #11

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Really?? That wasn't how it was intended. Just trying to address the points. So my sincere apologies if it appeared that way. Rest assured, I wasn't getting at anyone.

Must admit though I was rather stressed due to another matter when I wrote it. probably not the best time to respond. Not that it's any excuse.

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I think that internet broadcasting is the way forward.

Back in the late 80's when I first took over Cable 96.2, the TX had a full power of 50 watts which covered nearly all of Anglesey, some of the North Wales coast, down along the Lleyn Penninsular, parts of South West Wales, Eire and the Isle of Man. Not bad for what was intended to be a "local station"

Nowadays, with a FRACTION of that power, Cable (and Yell) covers the world.

The Government want us to conserve on energy so, to me, that is probably the way forward.