"HD Power Increase Has Been Trouble-Free"

[tomservo]

If the problems were anywhere near as bad as the frequent contributors here assert, the Commission would have done something by now to rectify things. Instead, they increased the power level FM IBOC's are allowed to transmit with. What does that tell you?

I do think it's entirely possible that the Commission is seemingly ignoring some legitimate IBOC concerns because they're having a hard time figuring out which ones are legitimate and which ones aren't. If the complaints they receive are anything like the threads on this board, that wouldn't be surprising.

Honestly, I am no longer sure the FCC has the technical expertise to deal with the few legitimate complaints they've gotten. Look at this proposal being floated to cram all the digital stations onto VHF assignments. This, despite the fact that VHF and digital work very poorly together. There have been several VHF-low assignments vacated to move to UHF because the channels were unwatchable OTA.

Rather than a) pick a better digital system for VHF or b) vacate VHF altogether as they should have, they're now looking at the most technically illogical solution because this Commission is all about broadband-broadband-broadband, when the existing wireless companies are sitting on tons of unused spectrum already.

If that isn't screwed up, I don't know what is. I'm surprised they haven't taken everything north of 70cm from ham radio operators yet.

 

[BRNout]

HD Radio is the life's work of others, and it's a component of what I do. I'm just as proud of every HD installation I've done as I am of every analog project.

Well, this explains why Mr. radiogooroo refuses to address the truth about HD Radio, but rather to change the subject.

Truth is that HD Radio is a lame "me too" attempt by certain parties in the industry to keep up with the technological Joneses. It's flawed technology that is a joke when compared with new innovations that are coming out on a weekly basis. The public isn't interested and never will be - that much is clear.

Comparisons to the adoption of FM in a 1960s society are absurd; in 2010, either a new technology makes it within 5 years or it's relegated to the dustbin of history. Today's public doesn't have the patience, nor the naivety of past generations when it comes to the concept of technological innovation. If HD Radio was going to 'make it', it would have 'made it' by now. But here we are, many years down the road and still - no interest.

At this point, the only people who care are radio geeks such as those of us who frequent this board and the corporate interests who are hoping to make some return on investment for their trouble. What the latter group has going for them is that they have a bunch of lackeys at the FCC who actually believe their sales pitches.

Reality is that we're saddled with two bands that are being polluted with digital hash. The AM band is a total waste of resources - nobody ever listens to HD Radio on AM and the noise isn't good for attracting new listeners to the analog either. The FM band now has interference affecting adjacent channels and for what? HD-2s that have a micro audience and which drop to silence when you turn the wrong corner? HD-1s with amped-up, fake-sounding digital audio? With occasional artifacts thrown it? The whole concept is flawed. The technology IS NOT geared to mobile use.

And don't tell me that I don't know what I am talking about because - unlike 99.7% of the population - I actually DO (or try to) use HD Radio. The only advantage I see? Where you have strong FM signals in areas with lots of buildings or hills, it does eliminate the multipath on strong signals. That advantage disappears once the signal degrades.

You want digital radio? Put it on it's own band - a band it has all to itself. And leave the one successful radio medium alone....analog.

 

[Savage]

The FCC isn't doing anything about IBOC interference cases "because it can't tell the legitimate complaints from the illegitimate ones?" You can't be serious.

If that's true: we need a new FCC, stat.

That's like the Detroit Police Department and DA saying, "jeez, so many murders! Some of these guys are obviously guilty....a lot of 'em might not be!! Guess we'll ignore them all. How long 'til happy hour??"

gooroo, all I'm gonna say to you is this. You say WYSL is my life's work (not exactly, but it is important to me.) You're proud of your HD installations. I say, good for you - this is as it should be. My "life's work" doesn't interfere with your livelihood. Yours does with mine.

Keep the skywave digital crap out of my assigned channel and we'll all get along fine. Keep the adjacent hiss out of Local Oscillator's market being tossed from 80 miles away, and peace and harmony will rule. THAT'S the dominant problem killing HD Radio (without getting into the many other issues.)