• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Adding HD to Vintage Radios

R

rbc

I randomly started thinking about how you could add HD radio to the old table and floor radio designs, especially the ones with wooden cabinets. I think I have an idea of how it could be done, in a way that would still look vintage. Add a single nixie tube display for the HD sub channel, and a button to select the sub-channel.

When the listener tuned into a channel with HD, the nixie tube display would light up with "1" for HD1 once it was tuned on channel. Pressing the button would sequence the radio through the available sub-channels. When tuned into analog stations, the nixie tube display would stay dark and the button would have no effect.

I guess that's kind of off the wall. What do you guys think?
 
I guess it wouldn't have to be a nixie tube. It could LED or LCD too, depending on the era that is being sought in the design. If it's a design prior to any of that (1955 for nixie tubes), there could just be series of back lit numbers for the sub channels. The active sub-channel would be lit. The inactive sub-channel numbers would stay dark.
 
TheBigA said:
The bad news is HD is a trademarked technology, so any manufacturer would have to pay a royalty to add it.

Until the trademark runs out in a few years.
Click to expand...

I suppose those are the same manufacturers trying to get materials and labor for free as well...
 
rbc said:
I randomly started thinking about how you could add HD radio to the old table and floor radio designs, especially the ones with wooden cabinets. I think I have an idea of how it could be done, in a way that would still look vintage. Add a single nixie tube display for the HD sub channel, and a button to select the sub-channel.

When the listener tuned into a channel with HD, the nixie tube display would light up with "1" for HD1 once it was tuned on channel. Pressing the button would sequence the radio through the available sub-channels. When tuned into analog stations, the nixie tube display would stay dark and the button would have no effect.
Click to expand...

This kind of simplified user interface might actually be useful for modern radios. I've had a few and their user interfaces seem a little complicated compared to where radio used to be. I love to figure those things out, but some don't. I bought a HD radio for my parents so they could listen to a specific sub-channel. I wound having to setup the radio, so they only have to turn it on and off. Simplifying the interface for a car radio would reap some benefits in reducing the task load on the driver and keeping their eyes on the road.
 
rbc said:
Simplifying the interface for a car radio would reap some benefits in reducing the task load on the driver and keeping their eyes on the road.
Click to expand...

That's the difference between a trademarked technology vs open technology. All this will happen once the patent runs out.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom