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hubcity said:
I think the answer to that question is now. Don't know about where you live, but EMF (K-LOVE) is buying up commercial stations in many markets and converting them to non-comms.
Dave B.
The only people that have HD radio are people who work at radio stations, or radio buffs. I don't know of any "civilians" who have an HD radio. And I's sure the handfull that may have bought an HD radio by mistake are even aware that there are extra HD2 channels even exist. Just like most of the people I know aren't aware of the extra off air TV subchannels because they have a dish or cable. And subchannels are usually hidden on odd channel number or don't exist at all. I'm surprised HD radio has lasted this long. I don't have one. we only have 2 stations in my area. One NPR affiliate which has a classical HD2 and a college Jazz station which to my knowledge has no HD2.
flytrap said:
OK I had a laugh with that "odd channel number" comment. Aren't all analog FM frequencies odd? And all HD subchannel start with… HD-2. Not even.
Sorry, it just made me giggle.
At this point the technical specs of HD are solidified, so I think the best thing that can be done is to encourage stations to beef up their HD operations. Rebuilding the facilities for a minor power increase may not be possible, but I'm 99% positive that a lot of HD stations could stand a boost in antenna height, or using a high gain antenna. Not cheap, but probably cheaper than a full rebuild.
I wonder about the possibility of loosening the rules for HD antenna placement, maybe letting the HD bays take a higher spot than the analog? I know some HD installations are repurposes aux antennas, that are VERY low on the master tower. It's no surprise that we can't maintain a lock on a wideband signal at ultra lower power, but adding a lot of height would help tremendously.
A station local to me (WRKH Mobile, AL) is carrying their sister news/talker on HD-2, WNTM. It has probably tripled their coverage area, maybe even quadrupled it, especially at night. But it's really only useful when sitting still. We're talking about a station with 73 kW @ over 1700' HAAT. A pretty big signal, but the HD is not keeping up. In fact, I get dropouts within eyesight of their TX. The old CRT monitor I'm looking at actually causes the radio to lose lock if I don't get all fiddly, and I'm just 18 flat air miles from the tower and this is happening. (It wipes out all but the class C's nearby anyway, but this and a co-located HD sister station are just too weak to break the monitor's noise. All the other HD's are not affected, but are also a few miles closer.)
The only thing I can figure is the HD is way down low on the tower.
Zach said:
If that were the case, WRKH should have a licensed aux antenna for the digital transmitter, but I don't see that in the FCC database:
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?call=WRKH
My guess is that WRKH is using high-level combining, but the @#$% HD transmitter is malfunctioning (again).
I got to spend the day on the road and after really traveling the area you are right, Freebird. Turns out that reception on my portable east of Pensacola is possible, but only when standing still. I took I-10 to Mobile and the biggest area of dropouts this time was around Spanish Fort, where the transmitter is. I got solid reception much further out than I was expecting so maybe it's another issue than antenna height. Either way though, height is everything at there low power levels. Just not the panacea I was hoping for.
There's a powerful corporate-controlled FM station in central NY state which has been attempting to transmit HD for several years. Every time I've driven through that area, the digital lock on my JVC car radio is unstable -- it's just "in and out" for miles, even along I-90 which runs through open, flat terrain in clear view of the transmitter. I see a call sign and blinking HD pilot in the display, but the audio won't stay locked for more than a few seconds. Apparently, there's some nonlinearity in the final amplifier which distorts the COFDM signal beyond the receiver's ability to correct the errors, or else the digital power is way down. It was still acting up last month when I was in the area for the Chapter 22 SBE conference.
Meanwhile, I observed that little 100-watt WJPZ (run by students at Syracuse University) provides solid digital coverage east of town well beyond the predicted 60 dBu contour. WJPZ's digital audio is also surprisingly free of artifacts, since the entire 96k bitstream is dedicated to only one channel and they've done a nice job with the processing.
I doubt WJPZ's HD provides the organization with any return on investment, but then again it's a non-comm training ground for broadcasters. Probably better for students to learn this economic lesson in school, before they head out to the real world. JPZ does have a history of turning out good people:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WJPZ-FM#Alumni
Meanwhile, I observed that little 100-watt WJPZ (run by students at Syracuse University) provides solid digital coverage east of town well beyond the predicted 60 dBu contour. WJPZ's digital audio is also surprisingly free of artifacts, since the entire 96k bitstream is dedicated to only one channel and they've done a nice job with the processing.
I doubt WJPZ's HD provides the organization with any return on investment, but then again it's a non-comm training ground for broadcasters. Probably better for students to learn this economic lesson in school, before they head out to the real world. JPZ does have a history of turning out good people:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WJPZ-FM#Alumni
D
Don Juannn
Guest
flytrap said:
Reminds me of Pauline Kael's nearsighted statement.
"Richard Nixon can't be President. I don't know anyone that voted for him".
Interesting, except for the obvious fact that Richard Nixon actually WAS president at the time making Pauline's comment somewhat amusing, as flytrap's comment is demonstrably verifiable: almost nobody has an HD Radio. Both comments are actually true.
Myopia exists even for those who aren't cognizant of it.
Myopia exists even for those who aren't cognizant of it.
D
Don Juannn
Guest
Savage said:
You're the best example of it. Stay here in your little online world and gather up hobbyists from their parents basement, you can pretend the whole industry agrees with you. LOL!
DJ, I beg your pardon . . . I have been been quite successful in the industry for over 42 years, 22 of that in ownership, but I admit that I am in a basement, mine, not my parents'. And I admit that I own three HD radios. "Know thy enemy," and I do -- all too well.
D
Don Juannn
Guest
local oscillator said:
If the comment doesn't apply to you....let it pass.
If it bothers you, maybe there's some truth to it.
Don Juannn said:
To whom does it apply? You implied that those who do not agree with you are hobbyists in their parents' basements. I pointed out that, in my case, that isn't true. I would suggest that my case is more the norm than the exception.
Don Juannn said:
Yes, it does bother me; that's why I responded. Yes, there is some truth to it; I'm still in my basement.
D
Don Juannn
Guest
local oscillator said:
THe HD Haterz are mostly hobbyists, DX-ers, small time operators, or people that are hanging onto the past.
I could be wrong, but I would guess that you fall somewhere in there. Again, if it doesn't apply to you...then it doesn't.
Don Juannn said:
That's what I thought.
Don Juannn said:
After several years of trying my best to appreciate and enjoy HD radio, I have to put myself in the "haterz" category. There have been a few bright spots, but for the most part the system just doesn't work. The adjacent-channel interference extends way beyond the coverage area of actual HD reception, and the programming on the HD-2 channels isn't nearly as good as what was lost due to interference. I'm not talking about DX or fringe area reception here. In one case I can see the transmitter site but can't receive a signal clearly due to adjacent-channel HD interference. I know digital radio can be better than this. We just need the right system.
I think HD can work in sparsely-populated areas with class-C transmitters spaced hundreds of miles apart. But it's just not practical in our frequency-congested urban areas.
Dave B.
DaveBayArea said:
Under those circumstances, I think it can work too. The problem is that isn't the reality for most of broadcasting. Most places where stations can operate and survive are densely populated with lots of closely spaced stations.
Technology aside, an even bigger reality is simply the lack of public interest in HD. There just isn't anybody out there to listen. I know that Rome wasn't built in a day, but HD has had 6-10 years to take off. So far, it is more or less a non-event.
It isn't that people are slow to adopt new technology, and it is not even just "the economy," bad though may be. Look how fast "Smart Phones" have taken off. I've seen published reports that something in the order of 170 million smart phones have been sold, vs. an optimistic 3 million HD radios. They've done that in far less time than HD has had. These phones aren't exactly cheap either, but that doesn't seem to stop people from buying them. It's because they deliver something the public is willing to pay for. It seems HD radio is not something they are willing to pay for. Unless radio can come up with something that makes this profitable, I can't see a lot of future in it. Admittedly, there are some intriguing uses for it like traffic data to your car’s GPS device, but that isn’t going to make any broadcaster rich, and may not even pay the bills. Most stations would be better off using their resources to get their programming on the millions of Smart Phones and promote it. It's just good business.
D
Don Juannn
Guest
Chuck said:
Next we'll be comparing it to the success of the Ipod and the iPhone! LOL!
Chuck said:
Hmmm. Can I make calls and talk with people on an HD Radio? No? Then I don't get the comparison.
I can hear the radio on my smartphone, but I can't talk with my friends on an HD radio. Therein lies the difference.
The real comparison is HD radio sales vs. internet radio sales. Neither are selling very well. Why? Because people can hear both on their computers. No need to buy another device.
Don Juannn said:
Actually besides some people that work in the industry hardly anyone outside of that very minuscule cross-section of people you listed up there even know about HD. Granted there are a LOT of people hanging onto the past but I doubt any of them have heard of IBOC either. HD is already a thing of the past anyway. HD radio: went nowhere, did nothing, waiting to die.
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