HD Radio in Fresno

[stewie]

Any band can accommodate digital transmissions.

Another nation, one with about triple the population of the US, is deploying digital only AM nationwide, using DRM as the standard.

AM digital, like FM digital, is relatively immune to static, flourescents and other RFI.

Thanks David.

Do you know if the FCC has ever discussed allocating a portion of the AM band for digital operation only?

 

[MarioMania]

Any band can accommodate digital transmissions.

Another nation, one with about triple the population of the US, is deploying digital only AM nationwide, using DRM as the standard.

AM digital, like FM digital, is relatively immune to static, flourescents and other RFI.

Do you honesty listen to AM Radio?

You work in the Business to make Money, When you go home, Do you bring your Job home, Nope

 

[davideduardo]

Do you honesty listen to AM Radio?

You work in the Business to make Money, When you go home, Do you bring your Job home, Nope

Yes, I listen to AM radio. I have been an AM DXer for 58 years, and have programmed AM stations in rather recent years.

I work in radio because I love it. The money is a side benefit. And my work goes home with me, goes on vacation with me and even visits me in my dreams.

What does this have to do with anything, Mario?

 

[davideduardo]

Thanks David.

Do you know if the FCC has ever discussed allocating a portion of the AM band for digital operation only?

I do not believe so. The logistics of moving so many stations would be nearly impossible. And no station wants to go to 100% digital, thus the FCC requirement of backwards compatibility.

 

[MarioMania]

Nothing, I didn't know about that

But I still think it won't work

 

[davideduardo]

Nothing, I didn't know about that

But I still think it won't work

You could put an FM transmitter on the Medium Wave band if you wanted. The only issue is that, unless you used a different definition of 100% modulation, the band could only accommodate about a dozen channels from 450 to 1700 (assuming a separation of locals of 200 kHz and adjacent channels in different markets of perhaps half that.

If you used the analog TV standard of +/- 25 KHz as 100%, you could probably fit about 600 stations in the MW band using FM modulation.

Digital, like pure HD or DRM, uses standard channel widths for a digital signal. And it has been amply tested in many places and it works beautifully.

 

[stewie]

Yes, I listen to AM radio. I have been an AM DXer for 58 years, and have programmed AM stations in rather recent years.

I work in radio because I love it. The money is a side benefit. And my work goes home with me, goes on vacation with me and even visits me in my dreams.

What does this have to do with anything, Mario?

I was trying to make a comparison to the Digital TV conversion. Opening up a "digital only" section of the medium wave band seems better than letting AM radio die.

 

[stewie]

Digital, like pure HD or DRM, uses standard channel widths for a digital signal. And it has been amply tested in many places and it works beautifully.

Curious where this was tested...

I imagine a pure HD band on FM is down the road, regardless, I'm curious.

 

[landtuna]

Does anybody have an HD receiver home or car?

Home = yes.
Car = yes.

 

[davideduardo]

Curious where this was tested...

I imagine a pure HD band on FM is down the road, regardless, I'm curious.

There was one US test at least, using an underperforming facility in North Carolina. All that was done is to turn off the AM signal and enhance the IBOC signal so that there was just pure digital.

DRM has been tested and is in use in a number of countries. India is currently building out a series of high power DRM stations in several languages covering, once it is completed, all of India with a digital signal.


In India, there are 72 transmitters on the air now, with 2 1 million watt outlets, 11 with 300 kw, 13 with 200 kw and 18 with 100 kw.

http://www.drm.org/?page_id=2494

 

[stewie]

There was one US test at least, using an underperforming facility in North Carolina. All that was done is to turn off the AM signal and enhance the IBOC signal so that there was just pure digital.

DRM has been tested and is in use in a number of countries. India is currently building out a series of high power DRM stations in several languages covering, once it is completed, all of India with a digital signal.


In India, there are 72 transmitters on the air now, with 2 1 million watt outlets, 11 with 300 kw, 13 with 200 kw and 18 with 100 kw.

http://www.drm.org/?page_id=2494

Oh, I had misunderstood. I thought you were referencing digital only on the current FM band.

From there website (because I had to look it up):

DRM30 uses the existing AM broadcast frequency bands and is designed to fit in with the existing AM broadcast band plan, based on signals of 9 kHz or10 kHz bandwidth. It also has modes requiring only 4.5 kHz or 5 kHz bandwidth, and modes that can take advantage of wider bandwidths – 18 kHz or 20 kHz – allowing DRM to operate alongside AM transmissions in every market of the world. DRM+ is designed for the VHF bands, including the international FM band. In all VHF frequencies DRM+ occupies 100 kHz channels.

More can be found @ http://www.drm.org/?page_id=2494

 

[MisterGort]

I have HD radios in car, home and portable. In the Fresno-Hanford-Visalia area there are 10 FM stations broadcasting HD. Two of the ten only broadcast an HD1 channel. Total of 18 FM HD signals. 1340 + 1400 are also using HD. Only two educational stations using HD in Bakersfield - and both have only HD1 channels. However -- there are 22 FM stations in the same Fresno - Visalia area broadcasting a RDS signal. There are 65 HD signals / stations in Seattle on 18 FM stations.

The new Sparc SHD-TX2 portable HD radio is a good small HD radio that costs $ 80.00 and fits into the palm of your hand. About 6" by 4".

 

[bjmtech]

In Fresno, 1340's HD has been shut off for months, perhaps because it was causing interference issues with 1330 Los Banos?

David E, are there any AM HD stations in your area, I remember when it was still around, Radio Disney in Sacramento was in HD and it had very good sound quality and the processing of the audio was very good.

 

[davideduardo]

Where I live, the Coachella Valley, there are no AMs that cover the whole market or even come close... and none are in HD. On my last drive to LA this weekend, neither KFI nor KNX had HD on. I did not check any other AM signals.

 

[stewie]

In Fresno, 1340's HD has been shut off for months, perhaps because it was causing interference issues with 1330 Los Banos?

David E, are there any AM HD stations in your area, I remember when it was still around, Radio Disney in Sacramento was in HD and it had very good sound quality and the processing of the audio was very good.

Agree about Radio Disney in Sacramento. It sounded incredible. I used to show people how cool AM HD was but putting that station on.

 

[Michael Rivers Kramer]

Where I live, the Coachella Valley, there are no AMs that cover the whole market or even come close... and none are in HD. On my last drive to LA this weekend, neither KFI nor KNX had HD on. I did not check any other AM signals.

KNX HD might have been down. I was getting HD on 1070 here in Hawthorne the other day, granted I'm only a few miles from the tx

 

[MarioMania]

I didn't mean to say that, If I don't have the right info on how the AM Band will work with HD or having a HD Band for FM on AM

 

[bjmtech]

AM HD in all digial mode wold probably sound just as good as FM, wich a lower sound floor. Even in hybrid mode, the sound is much improved and even at night receiving 1160 in HD from Salt Lake, the quality sounds much better than even KMJ