NAB Radio Show: Smear And Loathing In Las Vegas?

[Chuck]

. The only time I've lost HD from local stations has been due to tropo, which is frequent and strong here on the coast. But that's only happened a few times in a year and a half that I know of, and when it happened it took all the class A's and distant C's out as well.

Tropo is a big problem for a lot of stations without adding HD to the mix. Listeners usually don't understand it, and think you are doing something "to keep them for listening" or that your equipment is at fault.

I can only speak about my analog station, but this time of year, I get several angry emails or phone calls every month about tropo problems. The caller usually calms down after I explain that it is an uncontrollable force of nature. I guess I should be grateful that they care enough to complain.

I suspect that if HD gets obliterated every morning from 7:00 AM until about 10:00 or so, people will simply think "it doesn't work." This would be especially true of HD-2 or HD-3 channels which have no analog fall-back. Probably they will write it off as “another defective product.”

Maybe I'm wrong.

 

[nocomradio]

I've noticed a rather large increase in HD radio commercials on the AM's late at night. In the last couple of weeks, I've heard an advert for HD radio at least 8-10 times at around 11PM to 2AM EST.

I just laugh at the thought that AM is advertising this dinosaur.

 

[spunker88]

I've noticed a rather large increase in HD radio commercials on the AM's late at night. In the last couple of weeks, I've heard an advert for HD radio at least 8-10 times at around 11PM to 2AM EST.

I just laugh at the thought that AM is advertising this dinosaur.

Those are likely just unfilled ad slots and the HD Radio commercials are placed there as they are a better substitute than dead air, although dead air may be a more accurate advertisement of what HD can bring you.

 

[KB1OKL]

I've noticed a rather large increase in HD radio commercials on the AM's late at night. In the last couple of weeks, I've heard an advert for HD radio at least 8-10 times at around 11PM to 2AM EST.

I just laugh at the thought that AM is advertising this dinosaur.

Those are likely just unfilled ad slots and the HD Radio commercials are placed there as they are a better substitute than dead air, although dead air may be a more accurate advertisement of what HD can bring you.

I'm sure you're right but I have also noticed a slight increase of HD radio mentions ads etc, I even heard an AM DJ mention it the other day, this is just part of the yearly push that goes nowhere year after year though.

 

[KB1OKL]

Now if I as a DXer have no interest in it and do not want to tweak it for better reception how is a consumer who just wants something to work right out of the box going to react?

We aren't trying to make you into a DX'er. But in general - signal strengths can vary so much - over 6 orders of magnitude when a plane flies over - that it is wise to throw everything you have at something as finicky as HD.

I am a DXer just not into FM radio as DX

As for just wanting something to work out of the box - a Bose radio is a piece of trendy junk, as far as the RF section is concerned.

It's not the most sensitive radio I own, the only reason I bought it was because it's use as an alarm clock is great the volume comes up gradually, no more getting blasted out of bed in the morning.

That said - a decent antenna will make even a junky radio work better, so concentrate on the best antenna you can set up - then you can pretty much forget about it once it is put up. If you still have that radio shack yagi - it is an excellent choice.

It's still hooked to my Bose I have no interest in HD, my Sony is back in mothballs.

Attic may not work in this era of radiant barriers, try to get it outside. Hook it up to your Bose, it will probably work. The Bose is a little better than your average $100 boom box, but not much. If you aren't getting the reception you want, you'll have to get a better radio. There is a lot of guidance on fmtunerinfo.com.

Its not about DX'ing as a hobby. It is about hearing the station you want. I could give a rodent's posterior about DX for bragging rights or QSL's - I've almost never been in a location where they have the format I am interested in. It is DX or do without for me. Its about the music.

I've been BCB DXing for 35 years and know well the magic you're talking about. I don't even keep a log book. I can remember sitting in front of my HRO-60 during the early 80's listening to RJR Jamaica during the middle of the winter on AM. The combination of the tubes' heat and the Reggae music made me feel like I was there on the island.

 

[stacker]

I spent some time at the NAB. Walked by the Ibiquity booth, up against the wall in the north hall.

Just a bunch of guys in suites standing around.

 

[Tom Wells]

I spent some time at the NAB. Walked by the Ibiquity booth, up against the wall in the north hall.

Just a bunch of guys in suites standing around.

Same as it ever was. There wasn't a single "slide rule/calculator/computer" type in the bunch, was there?

All guys, too? That's unfortunate.

I work in a 19th century-type workplace, where basically no women are ever admitted, except 1 or 2 in
clerical temp positions.

It's weird that ibiquity seems to have created a product that has a mostly-male-interest aura.

 

[Chuck]

Actually, their booth was quite busy with some demo cars parked just outside the door. But you are right, it was mostly people wearing suits.

 

[DToTheJ]

I've noticed a rather large increase in HD radio commercials on the AM's late at night... I just laugh at the thought that AM is advertising this dinosaur.

I'm surprised that there wasn't an uptick in HD Radio advertising on AM stations during Rush Limbaugh's show in recent weeks... :-X

 

[nocomradio]

I'm surprised that there wasn't an uptick in HD Radio advertising on AM stations during Rush Limbaugh's show in recent weeks... :-X

So you couldn't hear his bloviating? ;D

 

[rbrucecarter5]

That said, I don't get this fluctuation issue re: airplanes and the like. If you're in the 60 or 70 dBu contour where most listening happens it shouldn't be an issue. I live in the flight path a of a VERY busy local municipal airport and have crop dusters wakin' my butt up at 7 am every other day, but I've never lost HD because of them. The only time I've lost HD from local stations has been due to tropo, which is frequent and strong here on the coast. But that's only happened a few times in a year and a half that I know of, and when it happened it took all the class A's and distant C's out as well.

You are very lucky then. I did some scientific studies of HD reception 70 miles NE of the DFW towers. All DFW stations using HD locked reliably with a dipole located 1 meter above ground level. Another observer did the same thing with Houston stations from 84 miles. Which sort of made me wonder why all the push to increase HD sideband power? I was doing my tests in a field behind a friend's house, the nearest neighbor half a mile away. Lots of cows around, but they certainly don't care about HD radio.

The situation for a friend of mine on an approach path to DFW airport is very different. He has an RF field strength meter, and measures 60 dB signal fluctuations as planes fly overhead. At only ten miles from the DFW towers - HD is virtually useless to him, what lock he gets disappears as planes fly over. Which again makes me wonder - why are the proponents only proposing a meager 10 dB increase in sideband power when fluctuations from planes is 6 decades of power, not 1. Sounds like a drop in the bucket. What is really needed is a re-engineered system that actually works in areas of large signal fluctuations.