which dab radio for the elder?

cv65user · 30-10-2009, 9:01 AM

I need to purchase DAB radio for the elder. She just listens to one channel on MW wave. But most of them were around £50 . cheapest i found is on argos Buy Argos Value Range DAB/FM Radio. at Argos.co.uk - Your Online Shop for . @ £25.

I am trying to find one a bit more retro with dials on it as her current one because she wont be able to keep tuning in digitally She only listens radio and can just about use a mobile phone so less is more. Or I am thinking if i can preset it to button 1 then it will be easier for her.

Can anyone advise? budgeting as cheap as poss...

cv65user · 30-10-2009, 11:16 AM

somethings not right? why does all DAB radio only have FM or DAB tuner? so MW will be non existant ? or is MW in DAB tuner ?

mike7 · 30-10-2009, 11:34 AM

Not any easy problem to solve from my experience. You would find it difficult to find a DAB radio with MW/LW these days. Even LW is hard to find. There are a few sets with FM/MW. Might be a good idea to look at the Roberts range. MW stations may be on the way out. If the government has its way FM will go as well, but don't panic yet.

Going for the cheapest set you can find in the Argos catalogue is probably not going to be ideal, particularly an un-branded model like this. You must also consider what the reception is like. If the person is used to a MW radio that will work anywhere/everywhere then a DAB might come as a bit of a shock unless reception is very good; almost guaranteed. I have an elderly friend who lives quite close to a transmitter but DAB only works in an upstairs room close to a windowsill, and FM is also a bit iffy. Waving aerials around for best reception is not always appreciated.

If the FM/DAB reception is going to replace something on the MW band make sure they are not going to miss anything. Radio 4 has variations between DAB/FM and what goes out on LW. Religious broadcasts and cricket come to mind.

Radio sets with dials are not generally available except small 'fiddly' cheap models. Preset buttons might be an advantage.

Battery consumption might also be an issue. If the set is to be used as a 'portable' then a DAB set might not be too welcome. MW/LW sets work for months. A DAB which might require a new set of expensive batteries every week is a different game altogether. Re-chargable batteries might be an option, but older people might not want the hassle, or forget to charge them.

Many older (and some younger) people do not realise that radio stations can be heard on Freeview, although this does not include local stations.

cv65user · 30-10-2009, 3:49 PM

yeah as from research just now. you get what you buy for is the case. so i am opting for sony one.

Sony XDRS7B DAB Radio - Tesco.Direct

and cheaper here Amazon.co.uk: Used and New: SONY DAB RADIO IN WHITE

manual found here http://pdf.crse.com/manuals/4104084111.pdf

it has a tuning dial rather then plus and minus button which is a bonus for her. as well as a preset so i could just preset that channel.

only problem is its MW channel she listens to . so i need to work out is MW covered under DAB. or find out if that channel is moving to a different channel/frequency?

mike7 · 30-10-2009, 6:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cv65user

yeah as from research just now. you get what you buy for is the case. so i am opting for sony one.

Sony XDRS7B DAB Radio - Tesco.Direct

and cheaper here Amazon.co.uk: Used and New: SONY DAB RADIO IN WHITE

manual found here http://pdf.crse.com/manuals/4104084111.pdf

it has a tuning dial rather then plus and minus button which is a bonus for her. as well as a preset so i could just preset that channel.

only problem is its MW channel she listens to . so i need to work out is MW covered under DAB. or find out if that channel is moving to a different channel/frequency?

Seems like a good choice. At least it has the FM option as well if DAB is a bit dodgy, and it has a mains input. DAB reception using batteries usually means a very short battery life. Good luck on the reception issue. Check out the MW sation she listens to. Probably a local station or Talk Sport, both of which will be on DAB. You will probably find that the tuning knob moves the tuning from one preset station to another, + (up) one away and - (down) the other. It will not work as an old-fashioned linear dial. That's the way on Pure sets.

mb23 · 30-10-2009, 6:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike7

Battery consumption might also be an issue. If the set is to be used as a 'portable' then a DAB set might not be too welcome. MW/LW sets work for months. A DAB which might require a new set of expensive batteries every week is a different game altogether. Re-chargable batteries might be an option, but older people might not want the hassle, or forget to charge them.

You could get this one, it goes for 100 hours on a set of batteries apparently.

Articles

cv65user · 31-10-2009, 8:40 AM

Yes sorry it will always be in kitchen so it will be using mains. I am not too sure if it comes with an AC mains but I got one of them universal 9v AC adaptors ready.

Oh right, picture is not good quality but it looked to me it has preset 1,2,3. so I thought you could set 3 st ations max accordingly.

I will look into if that local radio station is moving to DAB frequency and go for it. Otherwise I am back to sqaure one and I got to find a Radio that has DAB/MW and FM.

lol

thanks for your advice

mike7 · 31-10-2009, 9:52 AM

I feel your pain, as they say. I think you will find that all BBC local radio stations are on DAB, although there may be an actual reception issue depending on location. You cannot purchase a DAB that tunes like an 'old fashioned radio' because the bandwidth of the transmission is so narrow it would be impossible to operate. I would have thought that a row of preset buttons would be an advantage.

Usually there will be an FM/DAB button to push as well followed by six presets. So you get 6 FM or 6 DAB stations. I've long held the suspicion that most of these radios have the same 'guts' as the arrangements are pretty much always the same.

A DAB/FM/MW is a non-starter. I never found one. In the end we settled for 2 radios !. A Pure with FM/DAB which I think is hardly used and a conventional £20ish Sony AM/FM with a power supply which is often left on all night.

chriswyatt · 31-10-2009, 2:41 PM

The Sony XDR-S1 had FM/AM/DAB. Trouble is it looked like a breadbin, sounded a bit rubbish and would chop off the last letter of the scrolling text.

I ended up selling mine because I wasn't really happy with it.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-XDR-S1-.../dp/B0002V85F4