Scott <newsgroups@gefion.myzen.co.uk> wrote:
Some time ago I reported to the group that I was having intermittent
difficulties with DAB reception on my Pure Siesta bedside radio. It
has a dangling wire aerial. Could I connect an inexpensive desktop
telescopic or other aerial direct to the dangling wire and would this
assist reception or is the combined length important?
I’ve never had much luck with your proposed approach. Moving the dangling wire around, changing its angle, sticking the end to the wall so it is not dangling down behind the furniture etc is much more effective. Assuming you can’t make do with the stations on FM, buying an Internet connected radio is a much more reliable approach.
On 21/06/2025 11:18, Tweed wrote:
Scott <newsgroups@gefion.myzen.co.uk> wrote:
Some time ago I reported to the group that I was having intermittent
difficulties with DAB reception on my Pure Siesta bedside radio. It
has a dangling wire aerial. Could I connect an inexpensive desktop
telescopic or other aerial direct to the dangling wire and would this
assist reception or is the combined length important?
I’ve never had much luck with your proposed approach. Moving the dangling
wire around, changing its angle, sticking the end to the wall so it is not >> dangling down behind the furniture etc is much more effective. Assuming you >> can’t make do with the stations on FM, buying an Internet connected radio
is a much more reliable approach.
Our Ruark Table Top DAB receiver came with a telescopic rod aerial, with
an F-Type plug on the end (To screw into the F-Type RF input on the back
of the radio)
I'm tempted to sell it on ebay as an 'Indoor Sky/Freesat Aerial'
On Sat, 21 Jun 2025 11:39:46 +0100, Mark Carver <mark@invalid.com>
wrote:
On 21/06/2025 11:18, Tweed wrote:
Scott <newsgroups@gefion.myzen.co.uk> wrote:
Some time ago I reported to the group that I was having intermittent
difficulties with DAB reception on my Pure Siesta bedside radio. It
has a dangling wire aerial. Could I connect an inexpensive desktop
telescopic or other aerial direct to the dangling wire and would this
assist reception or is the combined length important?
I’ve never had much luck with your proposed approach. Moving the dangling >>> wire around, changing its angle, sticking the end to the wall so it is not >>> dangling down behind the furniture etc is much more effective. Assuming you >>> can’t make do with the stations on FM, buying an Internet connected radio >>> is a much more reliable approach.
Our Ruark Table Top DAB receiver came with a telescopic rod aerial, with
an F-Type plug on the end (To screw into the F-Type RF input on the back
of the radio)
I'm tempted to sell it on ebay as an 'Indoor Sky/Freesat Aerial'
I'm tempted to get a Ruark actually. This would also deal with Tweed's
point about Internet connected radio.
For the last 5 years our Ruark's tuner has not been used, and I have an
Alexa stuffed into the 'line inputs'
On 2025/6/21 10:56:32, Scott wrote:I thought DAB was vertically polarised.
Some time ago I reported to the group that I was having intermittent
difficulties with DAB reception on my Pure Siesta bedside radio. It
has a dangling wire aerial. Could I connect an inexpensive desktop
telescopic or other aerial direct to the dangling wire and would this
assist reception or is the combined length important?
Very much oversimplifying, but such an aerial probably works best if
it's a quarter wave long at the frequency involved (I think most UK DAB
is more or less the old Band III). [And at right angles to the direction
of the transmitter, and the same polarisation.]
Assuming it's just anIf the radiator is earthed, would this stop it working (as an aerial
input to the set, which for such a set is highly likely (I mean rather
than some sophisticated tuned circuitry), then anything that increases
the strength will help (unless you overload it, which I'd say is
unlikely in a domestic situation): basically, try - with random bits of
wire first, so you don't waste money. At school, we used to (though this
was well before DAB) sometimes get some improvement by connecting (rod
aerial - I don't think random wire was common then; when did those start
to appear?) to the metal bedstead, but yours probably isn't metal. Or a >nearby radiator or pipe. Or, really, anything (shades of Balham).
On Sat, 21 Jun 2025 14:02:36 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver"
<G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:
On 2025/6/21 10:56:32, Scott wrote:I thought DAB was vertically polarised.
Some time ago I reported to the group that I was having intermittent
difficulties with DAB reception on my Pure Siesta bedside radio. It
has a dangling wire aerial. Could I connect an inexpensive desktop
telescopic or other aerial direct to the dangling wire and would this
assist reception or is the combined length important?
Very much oversimplifying, but such an aerial probably works best if
it's a quarter wave long at the frequency involved (I think most UK DAB
is more or less the old Band III). [And at right angles to the direction
of the transmitter, and the same polarisation.]
Assuming it's just anIf the radiator is earthed, would this stop it working (as an aerial
input to the set, which for such a set is highly likely (I mean rather
than some sophisticated tuned circuitry), then anything that increases
the strength will help (unless you overload it, which I'd say is
unlikely in a domestic situation): basically, try - with random bits of
wire first, so you don't waste money. At school, we used to (though this
was well before DAB) sometimes get some improvement by connecting (rod
aerial - I don't think random wire was common then; when did those start
to appear?) to the metal bedstead, but yours probably isn't metal. Or a
nearby radiator or pipe. Or, really, anything (shades of Balham).
that is)? When I was at school, I used a long wire to the bottom of
the garden but this was for medium (and long) wave. I thought if the
aerial was bigger than the wavelength (1.3 metres) than a cancellation
effect occurred but I may have picked this up wrongly.
On 2025/6/21 17:18:54, Mark Carver wrote:
On 21/06/2025 16:10, Scott wrote:[]
On Sat, 21 Jun 2025 14:02:36 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver"
<G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:
What, all stations, including infill relays? (Or doesn't DAB have any of >those?)[]Very much oversimplifying, but such an aerial probably works best ifI thought DAB was vertically polarised.
it's a quarter wave long at the frequency involved (I think most UK DAB >>>> is more or less the old Band III). [And at right angles to the direction >>>> of the transmitter, and the same polarisation.]
It is.
nearby radiator or pipe. Or, really, anything (shades of Balham).If the radiator is earthed, would this stop it working (as an aerial
Depends - if the earthing has any sort of inductance in it, then not >necessarily.
that is)? When I was at school, I used a long wire to the bottom of
the garden but this was for medium (and long) wave. I thought if the
aerial was bigger than the wavelength (1.3 metres) than a cancellation
effect occurred but I may have picked this up wrongly.
Yes, more than a half wave will start to cancel - in theory a full
wavelength won't pick up anything. But …>
Quite honestly, indoors, using bits of wire, a telescopic rod, or any
other random bit of metal, you're into 'Chaos Theory', the results are
virtually impossible to predict, because there's a near infinite range
of factors that will influence the outcome.
Yes, so much multipath. Basically, experiment. Though doing so is going
to be tedious for anything digital, because of the decode delay: you'll
have to try each new length/position/whatever, then wait a few seconds
for the decoding to catch up with any improvement/degradation. Unless
you've got a signal strength meter, which is highly unlikely on a
bedside radio (or, I suspect, _any_ DAB radio).>
If the DAB signal is generally poor inside your home, then either attachWell, nothing - other than time, see above - to _lose_ by just trying
an outdoor yagi (Silly for a clock radio) or, as others have suggested,
use some form or 'Internet' delivered radio
odd bits of wire or other things.
On 21/06/2025 16:10, Scott wrote:
On Sat, 21 Jun 2025 14:02:36 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver"
<G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:
On 2025/6/21 10:56:32, Scott wrote:I thought DAB was vertically polarised.
Some time ago I reported to the group that I was having intermittent
difficulties with DAB reception on my Pure Siesta bedside radio. It
has a dangling wire aerial. Could I connect an inexpensive desktop
telescopic or other aerial direct to the dangling wire and would this
assist reception or is the combined length important?
Very much oversimplifying, but such an aerial probably works best if
it's a quarter wave long at the frequency involved (I think most UK DAB
is more or less the old Band III). [And at right angles to the direction >>> of the transmitter, and the same polarisation.]
It is.
Assuming it's just anIf the radiator is earthed, would this stop it working (as an aerial
input to the set, which for such a set is highly likely (I mean rather
than some sophisticated tuned circuitry), then anything that increases
the strength will help (unless you overload it, which I'd say is
unlikely in a domestic situation): basically, try - with random bits of
wire first, so you don't waste money. At school, we used to (though this >>> was well before DAB) sometimes get some improvement by connecting (rod
aerial - I don't think random wire was common then; when did those start >>> to appear?) to the metal bedstead, but yours probably isn't metal. Or a
nearby radiator or pipe. Or, really, anything (shades of Balham).
that is)? When I was at school, I used a long wire to the bottom of
the garden but this was for medium (and long) wave. I thought if the
aerial was bigger than the wavelength (1.3 metres) than a cancellation
effect occurred but I may have picked this up wrongly.
Quite honestly, indoors, using bits of wire, a telescopic rod, or any
other random bit of metal, you're into 'Chaos Theory', the results are >virtually impossible to predict, because there's a near infinite range
of factors that will influence the outcome.
If the DAB signal is generally poor inside your home, then either attach
an outdoor yagi (Silly for a clock radio) or, as others have suggested,
use some form or 'Internet' delivered radio
On Sat, 21 Jun 2025 17:18:54 +0100, Mark Carver <mark@invalid.com>
wrote:
On 21/06/2025 16:10, Scott wrote:
On Sat, 21 Jun 2025 14:02:36 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver"
<G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:
On 2025/6/21 10:56:32, Scott wrote:I thought DAB was vertically polarised.
Some time ago I reported to the group that I was having intermittent >>>>> difficulties with DAB reception on my Pure Siesta bedside radio. It
has a dangling wire aerial. Could I connect an inexpensive desktop
telescopic or other aerial direct to the dangling wire and would this >>>>> assist reception or is the combined length important?
Very much oversimplifying, but such an aerial probably works best if
it's a quarter wave long at the frequency involved (I think most UK DAB >>>> is more or less the old Band III). [And at right angles to the direction >>>> of the transmitter, and the same polarisation.]
It is.
Assuming it's just anIf the radiator is earthed, would this stop it working (as an aerial
input to the set, which for such a set is highly likely (I mean rather >>>> than some sophisticated tuned circuitry), then anything that increases >>>> the strength will help (unless you overload it, which I'd say is
unlikely in a domestic situation): basically, try - with random bits of >>>> wire first, so you don't waste money. At school, we used to (though this >>>> was well before DAB) sometimes get some improvement by connecting (rod >>>> aerial - I don't think random wire was common then; when did those start >>>> to appear?) to the metal bedstead, but yours probably isn't metal. Or a >>>> nearby radiator or pipe. Or, really, anything (shades of Balham).
that is)? When I was at school, I used a long wire to the bottom of
the garden but this was for medium (and long) wave. I thought if the
aerial was bigger than the wavelength (1.3 metres) than a cancellation
effect occurred but I may have picked this up wrongly.
Quite honestly, indoors, using bits of wire, a telescopic rod, or any
other random bit of metal, you're into 'Chaos Theory', the results are
virtually impossible to predict, because there's a near infinite range
of factors that will influence the outcome.
If the DAB signal is generally poor inside your home, then either attach
an outdoor yagi (Silly for a clock radio) or, as others have suggested,
use some form or 'Internet' delivered radio
Thanks. I was specifically asking whether earthing the aerial would
destroy it ability to pick up radio signals.
I tend to agree. I have an internet radio in the kitchen (which I
always use for radio). I often listen to music radio in particular on
a Wi-Fi speaker and iPad Mini for better sound quality. The bedside
radio is really only to wake me up in the morning reliably at the
right time without having to remember to set anything late at night.
It works most of the time with only occasional audio deterioration.
Clock radios via internet don't seem to exist but maybe a smart
speaker would do the job?
On Sun 22/06/2025 10:07, Scott wrote:
On Sat, 21 Jun 2025 17:18:54 +0100, Mark Carver <mark@invalid.com>
wrote:
On 21/06/2025 16:10, Scott wrote:
On Sat, 21 Jun 2025 14:02:36 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver"
<G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:
On 2025/6/21 10:56:32, Scott wrote:I thought DAB was vertically polarised.
Some time ago I reported to the group that I was having intermittent >>>>>> difficulties with DAB reception on my Pure Siesta bedside radio. It >>>>>> has a dangling wire aerial. Could I connect an inexpensive desktop >>>>>> telescopic or other aerial direct to the dangling wire and would this >>>>>> assist reception or is the combined length important?
Very much oversimplifying, but such an aerial probably works best if >>>>> it's a quarter wave long at the frequency involved (I think most UK
DAB
is more or less the old Band III). [And at right angles to the
direction
of the transmitter, and the same polarisation.]
It is.
Assuming it's just anIf the radiator is earthed, would this stop it working (as an aerial
input to the set, which for such a set is highly likely (I mean rather >>>>> than some sophisticated tuned circuitry), then anything that increases >>>>> the strength will help (unless you overload it, which I'd say is
unlikely in a domestic situation): basically, try - with random
bits of
wire first, so you don't waste money. At school, we used to (though
this
was well before DAB) sometimes get some improvement by connecting (rod >>>>> aerial - I don't think random wire was common then; when did those
start
to appear?) to the metal bedstead, but yours probably isn't metal.
Or a
nearby radiator or pipe. Or, really, anything (shades of Balham).
that is)? When I was at school, I used a long wire to the bottom of
the garden but this was for medium (and long) wave. I thought if the
aerial was bigger than the wavelength (1.3 metres) than a cancellation >>>> effect occurred but I may have picked this up wrongly.
Quite honestly, indoors, using bits of wire, a telescopic rod, or any
other random bit of metal, you're into 'Chaos Theory', the results are
virtually impossible to predict, because there's a near infinite range
of factors that will influence the outcome.
If the DAB signal is generally poor inside your home, then either attach >>> an outdoor yagi (Silly for a clock radio) or, as others have suggested,
use some form or 'Internet' delivered radio
Thanks. I was specifically asking whether earthing the aerial would
destroy it ability to pick up radio signals.
I tend to agree. I have an internet radio in the kitchen (which I
always use for radio). I often listen to music radio in particular on
a Wi-Fi speaker and iPad Mini for better sound quality. The bedside
radio is really only to wake me up in the morning reliably at the
right time without having to remember to set anything late at night.
It works most of the time with only occasional audio deterioration.
Clock radios via internet don't seem to exist but maybe a smart
speaker would do the job?
Remember much of the UK transmissions were/are assumed to be most used
by car radio.
Clock radios via internet don't seem to exist but maybe a smart
speaker would do the job?
On Sun, 22 Jun 2025 10:07:32 +0100, Scott
<newsgroups@gefion.myzen.co.uk> wrote:
Clock radios via internet don't seem to exist but maybe a smart
speaker would do the job?
Amazon's Echo Spot can do this. And there's a Prime Day coming soon,
when they'll probably reduce the price.
Anything you can ask Alexa to do, including playing radio stations,
can be programmed by means of a 'routine', using the phone app, to
occur at any time you like.
And I think it makes a neat looking bedside clock too.
On 22/06/2025 11:49, Woody wrote:
On Sun 22/06/2025 10:07, Scott wrote:
On Sat, 21 Jun 2025 17:18:54 +0100, Mark Carver <mark@invalid.com>
wrote:
On 21/06/2025 16:10, Scott wrote:
On Sat, 21 Jun 2025 14:02:36 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver"
<G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:
On 2025/6/21 10:56:32, Scott wrote:I thought DAB was vertically polarised.
Some time ago I reported to the group that I was having intermittent >>>>>>> difficulties with DAB reception on my Pure Siesta bedside radio. It >>>>>>> has a dangling wire aerial. Could I connect an inexpensive desktop >>>>>>> telescopic or other aerial direct to the dangling wire and would this >>>>>>> assist reception or is the combined length important?
Very much oversimplifying, but such an aerial probably works best if >>>>>> it's a quarter wave long at the frequency involved (I think most UK >>>>>> DAB
is more or less the old Band III). [And at right angles to the
direction
of the transmitter, and the same polarisation.]
It is.
Assuming it's just anIf the radiator is earthed, would this stop it working (as an aerial >>>>> that is)? When I was at school, I used a long wire to the bottom of
input to the set, which for such a set is highly likely (I mean rather >>>>>> than some sophisticated tuned circuitry), then anything that increases >>>>>> the strength will help (unless you overload it, which I'd say is
unlikely in a domestic situation): basically, try - with random
bits of
wire first, so you don't waste money. At school, we used to (though >>>>>> this
was well before DAB) sometimes get some improvement by connecting (rod >>>>>> aerial - I don't think random wire was common then; when did those >>>>>> start
to appear?) to the metal bedstead, but yours probably isn't metal. >>>>>> Or a
nearby radiator or pipe. Or, really, anything (shades of Balham).
the garden but this was for medium (and long) wave. I thought if the >>>>> aerial was bigger than the wavelength (1.3 metres) than a cancellation >>>>> effect occurred but I may have picked this up wrongly.
Quite honestly, indoors, using bits of wire, a telescopic rod, or any
other random bit of metal, you're into 'Chaos Theory', the results are >>>> virtually impossible to predict, because there's a near infinite range >>>> of factors that will influence the outcome.
If the DAB signal is generally poor inside your home, then either attach >>>> an outdoor yagi (Silly for a clock radio) or, as others have suggested, >>>> use some form or 'Internet' delivered radio
Thanks. I was specifically asking whether earthing the aerial would
destroy it ability to pick up radio signals.
I tend to agree. I have an internet radio in the kitchen (which I
always use for radio). I often listen to music radio in particular on
a Wi-Fi speaker and iPad Mini for better sound quality. The bedside
radio is really only to wake me up in the morning reliably at the
right time without having to remember to set anything late at night.
It works most of the time with only occasional audio deterioration.
Clock radios via internet don't seem to exist but maybe a smart
speaker would do the job?
Remember much of the UK transmissions were/are assumed to be most used
by car radio.
Has anyone explained that to the manufacturers of portable radios, HiFi
sets and tuners who have been wasting their time/money incorporating DAB >since it was launched?
I shall investigate but would I need to find my phone to change the
volume or the station while half asleep :-)
Remember much of the UK transmissions were/are assumed to be most used
by car radio.
Clock radios via internet don't seem to exist but maybe a smart
speaker would do the job?
The BBC did the deployment properly, so you can
drive around most of the country without the sound cutting out.
A decent RDS FM receiver ought to handle the retune, providing you are listening to one of the BBC national networks.
On 22/06/2025 21:08, Tweed wrote:
A decent RDS FM receiver ought to handle the retune, providing you are
listening to one of the BBC national networks.
Not in a low signal area.
On 2025/6/22 10:9:26, Scott wrote:
[]
Maybe I'll just try a telescopic aerial from eBay.
Try with random lengths of wire first!
Quite. There is - or was - no FM reception on the M6 in the north part
of Cumbria.
On 23/06/2025 09:38, Scott wrote:
Quite. There is - or was - no FM reception on the M6 in the north part
of Cumbria.
Slight exageration, I tend to listen on DAB but there certainly was VHF
FM reception in that area though there are a few places were it might be
lost for a short time.
Yes my Sony/Ford radio does that. The switch over is practically
impeccable. I wonder how it knows the relative time delay between the same station on DAB and FM? This can???t be a fixed constant.
On Tue, 24 Jun 2025 16:07:08 -0000 (UTC), Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
Yes my Sony/Ford radio does that. The switch over is practically
impeccable. I wonder how it knows the relative time delay between the same >> station on DAB and FM? This can???t be a fixed constant.
Luck I expect.
If you listen to GHR on the motorway (on DAB), the delay is different between >the various different transmitter regions.
This is sometimes by quite a lot, and sometimes not so much. I wonder how >they manage it, along with the level change and sometimes a quality change. >How do they do their local news inserts?
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