In regards to digital vs analog 'quality'.
I submit that quality is in the eye of the beholder (or ears).
Not only, as Carl states, the material. That's a subject for another thread; as far as I'm concerned, good music stopped at the end of the 80's. But also the fidelity.
Yes, digital sounds clean (depending on the source material, of course). But I far prefer listening to vinyl. Much warmer sounding. Even with the occasional snap, crackle and pop. To me, the fully analog process of a needle vibrating in grooves on a record is true 'quality'.
I totally agree on the vinyl thing.. man I love the sound. As for the "when good music stopped", every generation thinks it stopped at the height of whatever generation they are. My grandmother thought good music (with the exception of Led Zep, which always was funny to me) stopped in 1945. My mom thinks good music stopped in the 1960's. I think it's still happening. And for new records - depending on what your mainstay is, you can usually still get modern stuff on vinyl. http://www.backonblack.com sells rereleases and backlog catalogs.
Most impressive thing in the world is a wall of 12" album shelves corner-to-corner and floor to ceiling.
A wall of vinyll albums makes the teensy CD shelf look like a toy.
I found this dealer in Denmark that sells nti DRM transmitter equipment. nti is a German company.
http://www.comsistel.com/category.php?id_category=19
Shows models and prices in Euros
Requires a pc running their "Spark" software, free trial, pay for supported version.
DiRaGen 30 USB is the DRM exciter driven by encoded DRM out of the sound card of the PC. 2,869.64 Euros
PostAmp 1-150 Ultra Linear RF Amplifier 1- 150MHz is a linear amp producing either 5W or 100mW. 299.90 Euros
They sell an antenna for 26 MHz. 189.60 Euros. Is that a viable part 15 frequency? Otherwise, for MW the PostAmp would require matching the 50 ohm output to 3 meter antenna. Typically best done with a tapped loading coil.
Don't forget the DRM receiver. You'll need at least one to hear yourself. I think they sell receivers too somewhere on the web site.
Any one with the bucks can get started now. 🙂
Hi Guys been very busy on a part 15 antenna i built and doing testing, My opion on analog ver digital is that digital has a very crappy range in fm & television in television transmission is worse then the 18 inch dish locking up when watching digital tv over the air waves and i seen fm loose some range and more dead spots in there coverage as well and the fcc should of not let digital to be used!!!!, back in 1980 they tested 2 analog against a digital and found the analog out preform in range and caused less interferance than digital and thats in my electronic book the only thing good about digital it takes less bandwith and you can put more information on the signal but thats it. I have heard they had to turn on some analog tv transmitter back on due to digital could not cover the areas i dont know if it has change yet.I got rid of my digital portable tv due too when plane or cars drive by the tv lock up even with a high gain tv ant with a amp so i scrap the tv thats all it was good for digital got its issue just like anything else.2 digital station here had to reduce power due to the interferance they were causing so now there range is worse.
I like to think that I'm a bit more open-minded about music than just liking the music of my generation. After all, I really enjoy classical music and vintage jazz.
I grew up listening to the music of the 60s and 70s. Love the 60s, ambivalent about the 70s, for the most part. I really enjoyed the 80s, particularly new wave, which was different than anything that had come before it. There's some good stuff from the 90s and the 2000s, but it tends to be non commercial. I believe that the music video allowed good looks and glitzy production values (video, mostly) to gradually replace talent. And I won't go into rap and other similar forms which I don't consider music at all.
Basically, I can appreciate virtually any kind of music as long as there's talent behind it. I don't think you can call a lot of the commercially successful artists of the 90s and onwards 'talented', at least in the musical sense.
Just my opinion, of course.
Two things in American culture are "too sensitive" to talk about in a crtical way. Those two things are religion and music.
Music talk can get a man beat up out on the street if he annoys the mob with a "different" opinion.
Despite the risk, I love music commentary, serious discussions about musical likes and dislikes, just as Artisan did in the last posting.
In fact, one thing that annoys me is when people cannot or well not articulate their taste, but instead revert to anger or insult. For example, I have asked people who are hard core in some genre, let's say "gospel rock," a very simple question.... "Why do you like it?" They seem to take the attitude that if I don't get it then I'm too stupid to talk to and I'm voted off the island and shunned.
Questioning religion can be a death sentence.
My music listening experiences parallels
Artisan's very closely.
I love vinyl records and still own 2 turntables.
DOGRADIO was supposed to become part of
a little "radio museum" in my house. That
didn't happen. But no matter what kind of
"broadcasting" occurs years from now, I will
still be transmitting amplitude modulation
through my antique radios.
Bruce, DOGRADIO
What? Did AspiSys once sell a Title 47 Part 15 DRM transmitter? If so, I want one NOW! AFAIK, AspiSys sold and still sells a C-QuAM Part 15 transmitter, but I was never aware of them selling a Part 15 DRM transmitter.
For months now, I've been broadcasting a hybrid (voice, MFSK) AM transmission via Title 47, Part 15.219 rules. Over the past couple of years, I've become deeply involved with Digital Radio Mondiale. It's a finely engineered system which broadcasters struggle to deploy. Most current broadcasts via shortwave are poorly configured and configuration plays a large role in the ability to receive such broadcasts. Earlier this year, the xHE-AAC codec (patented) which allows broadcasters to significantly lower bit-rates while maintaining high quality was adopted by the DRM standards. By 2014, new receivers will be on the market employing the xHE-AAC codec which will markedly improve the image of digital radio. My sole and relatively minor quibble with DRM revolves around the use of patented codecs. The DRM standard needs to adopt an unencumbered codec like Opus as competition for the patented codecs from Fraunhofer, et al. I don't want to eliminate the use of patented codecs in DRM, but I do want competition.
Regarding MFSK via Part 15, MFSK can be decoded slightly further from a Part 15 transmitter by computer software than a human's ears can decode vocals. Near the fringe of the reception area, the decoding of the MFSK signal will still be largely accurate to read, but listening to primarily static might drive one insane. 😉
Personally, I'd love to see the engineers and hobbyists on Part15.us either modify or produce a Title 47, Part 15 DRM transmitter. If I had the capability, I'd broadcast with such a DRM transmitter tomorrow even IF I were the only one listening. 😉 The quality of DRM AM broadcasts can be astoundingly good.
Wow! Impressive.
I just listened to a DRM reception recording
on YouTube. It was the BBC 3955 kHz
transmitter, which I think is in the UK.
The transmission was received in Poland.
I do have to say it is really something!
Just like FM radio! I can hear that same BBC DRM
digital (not decoded) signal here on the
U.S. east coast with a good SW receiver
and antenna. Signal strength is very good
here in the wintertime - again - not decoded.
It sounds like a waterfall, I guess..
Bruce, DOGRADIO
Well, I must say that tracing back to the ASPISYS DRMAX1 transmitter is pretty much a dead end. I vaguely remember seeing it on their site a few years ago, but the tracks seem to be pretty well covered up.
This is all I was able to find:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DRM-Transmitter-Board-30mW-520-1710KHz-with-1KHz-step-DDS-2X8LCD-ASPiSYS-NEW-/190680760024
Back around 2005 a guy made a
one tube DRM (direct conversion)
receiver. It's output went to a
computer which did most of the work.
The experimental receiver set-up didn't
deocde all of the time, but it was
somewhat successful.
Bruce, DOGRADIO
Based on your information, I posted a comment on another forum and a guy from Athens responded that he called the company. AspiSys replied to him that they still build the DrMax-1 from time to time. Evidently, the best way to contact the company is by telephone or email. One might also try to contact them via E-bay's e-mail system as well, I suppose.
I'm very grateful for this information. Thanks again.
Hi
First off . Digital radios are not in every store. Most people already have their
radios wich are analog. If you already have a group of listeners to your
station and you change to a digital forum. Well just think when Television
switch to Digital everyone went into a panic because most people only had
television receivers that could receive analog. I know because I have several TV;s
that are anolog that could only get the Digital singnals through a converter.
I am staying analog because I would loose my audience because they are use to
tuning up and finding me there. If the US does go Digital then there is going to
be alot of people trying to find any radio station still in analog. I am staying
with analog. I am also trying to design an antenna to give me even more coverage
when that day comes. I use to work for Raytheon and Adavance Techincal research Labs in Norfolk Virgina. Then I also worked for the military. I am a electronic
Engineer and license Technician as well ham radio opperator. WE have such a importamce to the public with Low power AM or FM. WE can still provide the news,
weather alerts,and so much more when all the large stations do go over to the digital plat form. Experimenting with digital can be fun but when it comes down
to it our listeners will be depending on us to be prividing them a signal they can
receive. How many digiat radios do you find at Wal Mart,K Mart,and any local store
that is not analog. Most radio are still analog. Look at your car radios they are
analog. I am staying with my analog station because my listeners depend on it to
be there to privide them,news,weather alerts,and anykind of alert of emergency.
And a good music line up when eveyone else goes digital. I will not go digital
for these reasons.
With a very good set up you could on the average get a 2 mile range in every direction on analog and even sometime 3 miles radious. In other word a 3 mile radius is a large transmision range, since that is 3 miles in every direction.
that can be computed to alomost to a 12 to 15 mile circular area of coverage.
Think about how many people would be affected by your station dissapearing because
you go digital.
Again I am Analog and plan to stay that way because alot of people can live in
a 12 to 15 mile circular area. Part 15 stations can affect alot of people if
your station has great coverage. Just remember that.
Thanks