Where is this imaginary steel building?R.F. Burns said:SUPERCASTER said:Most consumers today have fluorescent lights, CPU's, computers, and many other electrical devices, just like Radio Shack. If it won't work in Radio Shack, even at closing time with all the electronics turned off, then it probably won't work in most homes.Mike Walker said:I don't think it's the lack of signal strength of "penetration" that's keeping HD radios from performing in stores...it's the RF JUNK in the average store, plus the fact that dealers usually place the antenna right next to the radio...a NO NO with most HD units, because of the RF noise generated by their cpus. The solution? Get the antenna AWAY from computers, the radio itself, and other electronics. Hey guys...in the old days, you put an antenna on the roof to sell tvs? Then you put a dish on the roof to sell satellite tv. Then you put antennas on the roof to sell satellite radio (that doesn't come in too well inside concrete buildings with steel frames!) Time to head back "up on the roof" (I can hear the Drifters now!)
As for the average consumer putting up new rooftop antennas just to get a couple of HD2 stations, dream on.
HD might catch on with a very few digital DXers and early adopters, but it will never be popular with the public at large, as it must, if it is to survive.
Hmmm, Actually, you can't draw a reception comparison between a store in a steel building where many computers are running as well as a flourescent lighting level which no home has. Also mutiply this interference with the dozens of other store doing similar things in the same steel building. Now take a typical house, which is wood framed and while there might be a computer (We have four when the children are home) in the same room as the radio, not everyone leaves their computer on 24 hours a day. Say that same house uses the new power saver flourescent lights, which do not exibit the same level of noise that the old tubes with external starters used to do. Again, most people don't leave every light in their house on 24 hours a day. Starting to understand what I'm talking about here? The level of interfeernce is much lower in a residential environment then it is in a commercial establishment. When I bought my original B.A. radio, from a store located in a steel and concrete building, in Paramus NJ, using the factory provided antennas I was able to listen to HD stations on both AM & FM in the store. Reception in my house is much better than it was in the store but I was able to make it work. If say you are selling either car radios or components, such as the Sangean tuner you need an external antenna of some kind. With the dipole antenna Sangean provided for FM recption I was able to listen to a few Conneticut FM HD stations from my location in NY and I am 35 miles or so from the Conneticut border. Over the next few days I will post examples and you can judge for yourself.
I guess everyone will have to listen to HD Radio by candlelight, with all the appliances off, on the wooden porch, with extra antennas. HD radio sounds like a real winner! :