Should I bother with cQuam AM Stereo?

[semoochie]

That may not be universally true. I was in NYC last year and got to listen to 1010 WINS on AM HD and it was very impressive. Of course it's a news format so I can't vouch for how music sounds, but I find it hard to believe that it would be "horrid"' unless the station was doing something wrong.

When KEX was running IBOC, I listened to their Christmas music. Older music, say 1960s, sounded fine and way better than analog AM but not quite FM. Newer music was not as good but the whole experience was still pleasant overall. Other local IBOC stations I heard were smaller and didn't sound good at all.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

When KEX was running IBOC, I listened to their Christmas music. Older music, say 1960s, sounded fine and way better than analog AM but not quite FM. Newer music was not as good but the whole experience was still pleasant overall. Other local IBOC stations I heard were smaller and didn't sound good at all.

Ive heard the all digital signal of KFUO 850 st louis when playing music.. its gorgeous, beautiful and almost orgasmic.

 

[Jimmy Backrow]

What about MA-3 ?

Interesting idea, and the stick and transmitter we have has enough bandwidth to pull it off, but there's two drawbacks:
- That kills the analog signal, thus doesn't work on a normal radio, only HD radios. Being on AM is already a disadvantage. Being nothing but noise on most radios would be suicide.
- It would involve not only having to pay for expensive new gear, but fees for using the system. Add to that trying to explain it to clients.
"Not only is it AM radio, but it's AM radio that you need a special kind of radio to hear. How may spots can I sign you up for?" That's not going to work.

Again: not to be Mr. Negative. There's one station out there somewhere that's done just that.

 

[Jimmy Backrow]

My rule of thumb, "if I can't stand it, nobody can!"

LMAO...right? And I'm one of those "golden eared" schmucks, even though I know it's jive.

 

[davideduardo]

Interesting idea, and the stick and transmitter we have has enough bandwidth to pull it off, but there's two drawbacks:
- That kills the analog signal, thus doesn't work on a normal radio, only HD radios. Being on AM is already a disadvantage. Being nothing but noise on most radios would be suicide.
- It would involve not only having to pay for expensive new gear, but fees for using the system. Add to that trying to explain it to clients.
"Not only is it AM radio, but it's AM radio that you need a special kind of radio to hear. How may spots can I sign you up for?" That's not going to work.

I can kind of relate to that. I put the first FM in northern South America on the air in 1966. The band was empty. Nearest stations were Costa Rica and Peru.

One advantage: most of those big console radio & Record player pieces of furniture were European. They had Sortwave and FM. So there was a quantity of radios out there. We did a Latin Beautiful music that was similar, but also very distinctive from Shulke and Bonneville. It caught on in homes as commercial TV had not started. And stores and restaurants started putting radios in their businesses as we ran no spots. None.

I had decided to build the station of the heck of it. But about a year later, the only local instant coffee producer said they wanted to be on the station. I did not want to spoil my fun, so I said that the rate was 4 times that of the #1 station in town. I thought he would say something like "you are kidding, no?" but instead he said "send your salesman to sign a contract tomorrow!"

So you never know what will happen when you take a chance.

 

[Jimmy Backrow]

That may not be universally true. I was in NYC last year and got to listen to 1010 WINS on AM HD and it was very impressive. Of course it's a news format so I can't vouch for how music sounds, but I find it hard to believe that it would be "horrid"' unless the station was doing something wrong.

Well...through a good sound system..let's just say that it's not so good. It's very much true that most people aren't listening through (you know) "good" audio gear, and that I'm sure than I'm probably too picky, though.

 

[Jimmy Backrow]

I can kind of relate to that. I put the first FM in northern South America on the air in 1966. The band was empty. Nearest stations were Costa Rica and Peru....
...So you never know what will happen when you take a chance.

I admire your moxie.

 

[wking601]

I believe that a broadcaster would have to have a pretty good reason to invest in MA-3. BUT... If you are not directional, and have an FM translator that covers a good portion of your audience, you probably have a "migrating audience" and your in-car HD radio penetration is somewhere around 25% (or is it more?), this might be worth the effort and resources. Interestingly there are also a good many, reasonably priced HD radios like the Sangean HD Radio.

 

[WJPYFM]

Jimmy, I think broadcasting in C-QUAM is a great idea and I wish more AM stations would do it. I have 2 AM stereo receivers but not much stereo out there. A few people are running around with early 90s radios in the cars that can also get AM stereo. WION 1430 broadcasts and promotes it. They even feed their stream with AM stereo! Also on Facebook there is a whole group of us that that you can request access. All the experts of CQUAM are there and can answer questions.

 

[Wimmmex]

That's a good thing as the bit rate is so low that the audio quality is outright horrid. "HD" AM actually sounds much worse than standard AM though your average run of the mill AM tuner or radio.

Not true...in practice or in fact.