NEWS: DAB

[Piet Pijpers <Piet.Pypers@xxxxxxxxxx>]

>>From 72777.3143@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx  Thu Sep 18 00:34:52 1997
>Return-Path: <72777.3143@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Date: Wed, 17 Sep 1997 18:31:44 -0400
>From: Doug Smith <72777.3143@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: AM in Canada
>To: BlindCopyReceiver:;@compuserve.com
>Content-Disposition: inline
>
>Yes, Digital Radio is the same thing as DAB, and my understanding is that
>Canada is indeed using the European standards.  They're using microwave
>frequencies (same as mainland Europe?  They are NOT using the 219MHz
>channels which I understand are in use in the U.K..)
>
>In USA, different stations in the same city have very different power
>levels.  Here in Nashville, powers of MW stations range from 0.5KW to
>50KW, and of FM stations from 0.6KW to 100KW.  These are for main stations,
>there are also low-power relays between 0.01 and 0.25KW.  DAB would 
>result in all main stations having the same coverage, and this is a 
>political problem.  I also think radio stations are afraid the government
>will want to charge higher license fees if they use new microwave
>frequencies for DAB.  (TV stations have had to use a lot of political
>pressure to prevent higher license fees for digital TV)  
>
>MW, FM, and TV DXers don't seem happy about digital, but I don't think
>it will be all that bad:
>
>1.	Some countries will convert to digital much sooner than others.
>	When most of the MW stations in richer countries (USA, western
>	Europe, etc.) have converted to digital, the MW dial will be
>	more open for DX from poorer countries.
>
>2.	Tropospheric DX will still work with digital, even on microwave.
>	The current microwave DX record is over 4000km (California to
>	Hawaii) and within Europe, DX of over 2000km has been experienced
>	by radio hams.  
>
>3.	I think all DAB systems will include full RDS information.  RDS 
>	is not very popular in the USA (and is not used on MW) so it can
>	be very difficult to ID smaller USA stations.  DAB will probably
>	make this much easier.
>
>73 Doug
>
>
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