Tuning a new Radio

[Mups]

My son has just bought me a new radio/cd player for my birthday coming up.
My old one had conked out,  and I do like to listen to local radio during the day.
It is just a small one so I can stand it on my worktop in the kitchen.

Only thing is,  I am havingh trouble tuning into the stations.
Can anyone explain -  really, really simply please -  what is the difference between DAB and FM?

I googled it and it said one is digital and the other is Analogue,   but so what?  
That means very little to me, I'm afraid.   

Does it really make much difference?  Is one better than the other,  and if so,   why?
All I know is the stations I was trying to tune to are completely different numbers in DAB to what they are in FM,   which has confused me even more.

Fed up now . . . 

[Alex]

I get just as flummoxed Mups, there's also DB and DB +

[Raven]

I don't go for all the fancy stuff, I just use FM. My radio is tuned to Radio Scotland on FM 934. I get a good clear signal and that suits me fine.
Google the frequency of the Radio Channel you like best if you don't know it, switch to FM and turn the dial till it comes in. There's a red light comes on when it's found the best signal, on a lot of radios today.

[Scrumpy]

Oh!! Mups..
I know exactly what you are going through..

Perhaps Klondike will help you ..Or even Diasi..
They would do it step by step.. slowly..

[klondike]

Dab radios just give you a list of stations to choose from.

They are like digital TV. There are just a few main transmission frequencies which you don't need to be concerned with. Each frequency carries a bunch of different stations and the radio just lists what it has found.

The country adopted DAB and then there was an upgraded version produced but they can't jus junk the DAB transmissions and move to DAB+ because that would make all the older DAB only radios obsolete. It's one reason why they continue with FM. The other reason being that FM can host fewer stations but usually at better  quality. Most digital stations have degraded sound quality to allow more to be carried in the same bandwidth.

[Mups]

I get just as flummoxed Mups, there's also DB and DB +

Thank goodness its not just me, Alex & Scrumps.   I feel a bit better already. 



November 27, 2024, 10:27:15 PM

I don't go for all the fancy stuff, I just use FM. My radio is tuned to Radio Scotland on FM 934. I get a good clear signal and that suits me fine.
Google the frequency of the Radio Channel you like best if you don't know it, switch to FM and turn the dial till it comes in. There's a red light comes on when it's found the best signal, on a lot of radios today.

Thanks Raven,  but there is no dial to turn.   It's just buttons everywhere to push -  8 of 'em. 
No red lights anywhere either.


**   Raven,  as a slight detour,  I thought of you yesterday.
 I was watching The Yorkshire Vet on the box last night,  and they were dealing with a difficult Lambing at Thurso.
I remember you talking about Thurso recently. 

[Mups]

Dab radios just give you a list of stations to choose from.

They are like digital TV. There are just a few main transmission frequencies which you don't need to be concerned with. Each frequency carries a bunch of different stations and the radio just lists what it has found.

The country adopted DAB and then there was an upgraded version produced but they can't jus junk the DAB transmissions and move to DAB+ because that would make all the older DAB only radios obsolete. It's one reason why they continue with FM. The other reason being that FM can host fewer stations but usually at better  quality. Most digital stations have degraded sound quality to allow more to be carried in the same bandwidth.

Thanks for trying, Klondike. 

I only l tend to use about 4 stations  - 

Radio Northampton
Radio 2
Radio 4   (like the stories and plays)

I would also like to try 'Smooth' radio if possible?  Never tried it before.

So would you suggest FM rather than DAB, do you think?

[Alex]

Smooth Radio is good 
Can you put the model of radio into Google, that would give you a step by step guide maybe ?

[klondike]

Those are all on FM or DAB so you can see which way works best for you.

https://www.smoothradio.com/radio/how-to-listen/

[dextrous63]

Top tip- buy three more radios identical to the one you've got.  Tune each to a different one of the stations you're going to listen to.  Then, all you've got to do is turn on the radio which has the station you're going want at that time, and turn off the other three.

If you want to go hi-tech, you can buy yourself a 4-way remote control extension block and use the handset to pick which radio to have turned on from the comfort of your sofa.

[Scrumpy]

I just ask Alexa to play the station ... Much easier...
I can't even remember how I operated my old radio now..

[Raven]

Raven,  as a slight detour,  I thought of you yesterday.
 I was watching The Yorkshire Vet on the box last night,  and they were dealing with a difficult Lambing at Thurso.
I remember you talking about Thurso recently. 

The Yorkshire Vet??? What was a Yorkshire Vet doing up here?
Have you watched "The Highland Vet"? He's our vet baised in Thurso but does all the farms too, ours included.

[Mups]

Smooth Radio is good 
Can you put the model of radio into Google, that would give you a step by step guide maybe ?

Thanks Alex.    I really would like to try it.   Just got to find the pesky stations!

I have gone through the instruction booklet steo-by-step,  one hand on the instructions while I have the other hand on the radio tuner knobs.   I think I am doing exactly what it says to do,  but it's still not working.
My daughter-in-law is going to try and come over on Saturday to have a go for me. 

It is so frustrating when I am copying it all word for word, and it still goes wrong. 

[klondike]

What sort of radio is it? You said DAB and only buttons but now you are talking about tuner knobs.

[Mups]

What sort of radio is it? You said DAB and only buttons but now you are talking about tuner knobs.

I'm sorry,  I don't why I said 'tuner knobs'.   It is little buttons to push.  There are 8 of them.   4 down each side of the  top,  just below the disc player cover. 

My old one was a Philips,  and I found that one much easier.   Pity it conked out,  but I'd had it quite a while, and used it every day.
This one is a Bush one,  much like this:

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/4745309?clickPR=plp:4:6