Has anybody built or bought a DRM capable receiver? I printed out a schedule
of broadcastng times from the DRM website. It appears that there are test
transmissions going on from participating broadcasters a good part of the day.
One station transmits for an hour or two and then passes off to another.

Has anyone heard these broadcasts? How was the clarity? As I mentioned in
Future of shortwave, I think there is tremendous potential for digital
shortwave particularly concerning the transmission of text. The ability to
interface these receivers with a computer (PC, laptop, palm) coupled with the
relatively high coverage to cost ratio would enable a greater variety of
thought (political, social) from marginalized groups to the reach the public.

As far as the FCC banning domestic broadcasts, the law could be challenged in
court--I admit I don't know what the cost would be. But more importantly, I
think the ban needs to be challenged in the court of public of opinion. Given
the ridiculous situation today in which businesses can own multiple stations in
one locality and enormous corporations control all the programming for those
stations the FCC's rationale for the ban falls flat on its face. Ironically,
domestic shortwave would represent the kind of programming diversity that the
FCC claims it wants to promote.

-Bill

On 22 Jan 2004 14:58:36 GMT, (Sidchase3) wrote:

Has anybody built or bought a DRM capable receiver? I printed out a schedule
of broadcastng times from the DRM website. It appears that there are test
transmissions going on from participating broadcasters a good part of the day.
One station transmits for an hour or two and then passes off to another.


I have a DRM capable system consisting of a TenTec RX-350 connected to
my computer soundcard (great receiver by the way except for the
synchronous detection). I have generally gotten excellent results
with DRM. The fidelity is probably equivelent to that of a mono FM
table radio. The big problem of course is dropouts due to ionospheric
conditions.

The transmissions directed to North America from Sackville and Bonaire
are of course always 100% listenable here in Detroit, but overseas
reception is spotty due to the fact that the signals aren't beamed
over here and they're using relatively weak transmitters for DRM.

It was a thrill to hear Radio Luxembourg back on shortwave again on
6095 using DRM toward Europe (in hi-fi stereo no-less!!!). That
station can generally be received OK on the east coast from about 0700
to 1000 UTC. BBC on 9410 is also pretty well received here in
Detroit. I've gotten Voice of Russia a few times as well in the
afternoons.

Radio Kuwait has just started Arabic broadcasts using DRM so the
technology is catching on.

I think that if Sony, Grundig, or Sangean came out with an
"all-in-one-box" DRM portable for $300 or so, that DRM could very well
bring many shortwave broadcasters (such as Radio Luxembourg) who have
abandoned the medium back to the air.

I'm really impressed with the technology, and the fact that
"high-fidelity" reception is possible on shortwave is absolutely
mind-blowing to me.

"Sidchase3" wrote in message
...
Has anybody built or bought a DRM capable receiver? I printed out a
schedule
of broadcastng times from the DRM website. It appears that there are
test
transmissions going on from participating broadcasters a good part of
the day.
One station transmits for an hour or two and then passes off to
another.

Has anyone heard these broadcasts? How was the clarity? As I mentioned
in
Future of shortwave, I think there is tremendous potential for
digital
shortwave particularly concerning the transmission of text. The
ability to
interface these receivers with a computer (PC, laptop, palm) coupled
with the
relatively high coverage to cost ratio would enable a greater variety
of
thought (political, social) from marginalized groups to the reach the
public.

Digital text transmissions are done all the time right now. Hams do it,
the military does it, utility stations do it. I suppose, if
broadcasters wanted to do it, they would. There was some thought given
to using the top 2 mhz(106 -108}of the US FM broadcast band for a
broadcast newspaper fax service. I have a 1947 magazine article showing
a prototype newspaper by radio fax service. It never caught on.

Morse code is already the simplest, lowest cost broadcast text option.

I can't see much advantage for broadcast text over text over the
internet. After all, internet text is available when the user wants it,
and not when the broadcaster wants to transmit it.


As far as the FCC banning domestic broadcasts, the law could be
challenged in
court--I admit I don't know what the cost would be. But more
importantly, I
think the ban needs to be challenged in the court of public of
opinion.

The FCC seems to have little interest in regulating speech on the
standard broadcasts, and none on SW. They certainly don't try to
enforce any distinctions between foriegn and domestic programming on SW.

The FCC does regulate frequency allocations and antenna patterns. But,
for practical purposes, when a station transmits to Mexico from Maine or
to Canada from Florida, they're also transmitting to the US.

I suppose one measure of gaugeing the interest the FCC has in
controlling what happens on shortwave radio is the low number of
enforcement actions they take against pirate broadcasters. They don't
seem to much care.

Given
the ridiculous situation today in which businesses can own multiple
stations in
one locality and enormous corporations control all the programming for
those
stations the FCC's rationale for the ban falls flat on its face.
Ironically,
domestic shortwave would represent the kind of programming diversity
that the
FCC claims it wants to promote.

-Bill

The ban isn't really enforced anymore. Several SW broadcasters sell
time for just about any kind of programming.

Frank Dresser

"Sidchase3" wrote in message
...
Has anybody built or bought a DRM capable receiver? I printed out a
schedule
of broadcastng times from the DRM website. It appears that there are test
transmissions going on from participating broadcasters a good part of the
day.
One station transmits for an hour or two and then passes off to another.

Has anyone heard these broadcasts? How was the clarity? As I mentioned in

Future of shortwave, I think there is tremendous potential for digital
shortwave particularly concerning the transmission of text. The ability to
interface these receivers with a computer (PC, laptop, palm) coupled with
the
relatively high coverage to cost ratio would enable a greater variety of
thought (political, social) from marginalized groups to the reach the
public.

I use an old Kenwood R1000 with a downconverter board to listen to DRM. When
you have a strong signal the audio quality is breathtaking for shortwave and
its amazing to hear transmissions in stereo. It doesn't take much QRM or
fading however before you get dropouts and lost audio and in practice you
need a strong signal to get reliable DRM results.

Kev

Visit http://www.radio67.freeserve.co.uk for receiver reviews.

To really make it work, they will have to have signal logging within the set,
with the transmitter routinly retransmitting
info,
so that the receiver can " toss" bad packets, or a duplicate one if the
preceeding one was sucessfully processed & wait for the next one to process.
This would cut down on fidelity, but for poor reception conditions, would make
the
" dead air" less noticeable, giving you less fidelity or no stereo or whatever
feature you toss..

( just my 2 cents worth.)




In article , "kev" writes:


I use an old Kenwood R1000 with a downconverter board to listen to DRM. When
you have a strong signal the audio quality is breathtaking for shortwave and
its amazing to hear transmissions in stereo. It doesn't take much QRM or
fading however before you get dropouts and lost audio and in practice you
need a strong signal to get reliable DRM results.

Kev

I likewise enjoy DRM on an RX-350, from Sackville and Bonaire. At times I
get no dropouts at all and it is very easy to forget one is listening to
shortwave. Music is an absolute pleasure to listen to. I'm hoping for more
transmissions and program selection, but I am sold on the technology.

Al KA5JGV
San Antonio, Tx.

But why are there no reasonably priced recievers yet?
Waiting to buy a new radio.

They are still working on the software. Just recently there was a new
release and you had to change to it, the previous release no longer works
with the new transmissions. If they released this in the firmware of a
receiver, you would most likely have to make hardware upgrades to your
receiver to keep up with it.

Al KA5JGV
San Antonio, Tx.


"N Deveau" wrote in message
...
But why are there no reasonably priced recievers yet?
Waiting to buy a new radio.

"AL KA5JGV" wrote in message
...
They are still working on the software. Just recently there was a new
release and you had to change to it, the previous release no longer works
with the new transmissions. If they released this in the firmware of a
receiver, you would most likely have to make hardware upgrades to your
receiver to keep up with it.

Al KA5JGV
San Antonio, Tx.


"N Deveau" wrote in message
...
But why are there no reasonably priced recievers yet?
Waiting to buy a new radio.



If the radio has flash memory, then no hardware upgrade would be needed.
Flash memory is cheap.

Answering the original question... Low prices come from high volume. With
the number of DRM transmissions today, it will be a while before there is
sufficient interest to create the demand. You'll have to wait a while.

Remember to when 2nd generation CD players were $600 and there were very few
CDs. Now a CD player that works as well, or better, can be found for $30.
CDs are everywhere.

The shortwave market is very small.

craigm

FJE,

SONY - Would most likely develop and design it's own Chip or
Chip Set and keep it for proprietary use only.
(This is what Sony did with AM-Stereo and AM-SYNC.)

ETON (Grundig USA) - Drake - Tecsun may outsource the work
or use what is available in the market place from OEMs.

SANGEAN - Would simply buy what is available from OEMs.

Grundig AG (Germany) - Would simply buy what is available from OEMs.

NOTE: DRM is a Licensed Technology and Products.

FWIW: There is a Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) eGroup on YAHOO !
Digital-Radio-Mondiale-DRM-Group= http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DRM-L/


~ RHF
..
..
= = = Fredric J. Einstein
= = = wrote in message ws.com...
- - - S N I P - - -
I think that if Sony, Grundig, or Sangean came out with an
"all-in-one-box" DRM portable for $300 or so, that DRM could very well
bring many shortwave broadcasters (such as Radio Luxembourg) who have
abandoned the medium back to the air.
- - - S N I P - - -