My HD Radio

Like many people, I enjoy having background music along with certain daily activities. In order to hear new sounds that I don't already have on CDs, I turn to radio as a source. Problem is, however, that this includes endless commercials or (in the case of public broadcasting) endless appeals for donations. Yes, I know, I could subscribe to satellite radio, but I'm too cheap for that. So, a few months ago I bought an HD Radio for $99 delivered (photo, right). This receives not only regular AM & FM, but also both the primary and secondary digital signals that ride on top of the analog frequency. For the time being, at least, the secondary channel remains commercial-free, and has very little talk — mostly just endless music. And if I hear something I don't recognize, I have only to look at the digital display for the name of the artist and composition.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH HD RADIO:

First of all, HD does not stand for "High Definition," as some of it promoters claim. It might stand for "Hybrid Digital," which is the correct name for this technology. The fidelity, to my ears at least, is no better than standard FM. And the sound is just about what you would expect from a small table radio. Adequate for casual listening, but no better than that. It does improve when using good earphones.

How good has the reception been? I live a bit over ten miles from the transmitters, which can be marginal. Digital broadcasting is an all-or-nothing technology. Either you get a strong signal or you get none at all. What does this mean in practical terms? The included whip antenna is usually all that is needed, but under certain atmospheric conditions the radio can suddenly go silent until it regains the signal, at least on the secondary (commerical-free) channel. If this happens on the primary channel it simply reverts to standard analog FM (or AM), in which case you may not hear any difference. Hooking up a "rabbit ears" external antenna makes a huge improvement, with hardly any dropouts. An outdoor antenna would be even better. Those living more than ten miles from the transmitters will have problems, or no reception at all.

Overall, I am pleased with my HD Radio since it allows me to have uninterrupted classical music or classic rock sounds all day long with little or no annoying talk, at least for the time being.

Does HD Radio have a future? Who knows? The commercial-free aspect of the secondary channel(s) surely will not last, unless some subscription or pay-per-listen scheme is worked out. At that point, the advantages all accrue to the stations, who will be able to broadcast several different programs simultaneously on the same frequency — and thus increase revenue. For the listener it means more choice of programming.

For a somewhat technical but very thorough (and critical) explanation of how HD Radio works, I recommend clicking on this Wikipedia entry.

RETURN TO THE MUSIC INDEX.

Comments

[PocketRadio]

HD/IBOC jams our broadcast bans, especially nighttime AM-HD, reception is problematic even with FM-dipole and AM-loop antennas, and consumers have zero interest:

http://hdradiofarce.blogspot.com

[paul vincent zecchino]

Won't commercial free HD end shortly? Isn't it simply a cheaszy come-on promoted by BigRadio cynics who use HD to jam comptetitors off the air and listeners into submission? Why won't BigRadio air quality shows on legitimate analog channels? What could they possibly air on digital that they can't air on analog? Why isn't HD on the level?

Hasn't the HD crowd long planned to implement "CA" - "Controlled Access" - a clever euphemism for 'pay radio'?

Isn't HD radio software-driven? Might we therefore expect costly endless 'upgrades' to fix relentless designed-in 'problems' so the HD gang can enjoy perpetual revenue?

HD's listenable range is short yet paradoxically doesn't HD interference jam distant stations? Hasn't HD ruined night AM listening?

Isn't this a sad waste of resources, effort, and public airwaves? Had HD only been assigned its own band, as was originally proposed, wouldn't many of us gladly endorse it?

Paul Vincent Zecchino
Manasota Key, Florida
18 April, 2008

[bobyoung]

For HD to become successful all we have have to do is either have 99% of the population move to within 10 miles of an HD transmitter, (if you can stand listening to the same station all day), put up little auxiliary transmitters in every park and meadow, or all get out and put up the big roof top antennas, perhaps then the range may even approach half that of an ordinary analog FM radio, what? THAT SOUNDS THE SAME??, Hmmmmmmm? This begs the question: Why is Hybrid Digital even in existence? It cuts the receive range to 10 miles (if you are lucky) and sounds the same and you have to buy a new radio? Wow! Sounds like a winner and a must have to me. Maybe I'll find one in a garage sale next to an old 8 track player for 5 bucks soon (only if I can get them down to 3 dollars of course), except that they have sold so poorly I'd probably have to comb every garage sale in MA to find one, no scratch that, actually I've heard 99% of them have been returned as defective.

Robert D Young Jr
33 S Main St #2B
Millbury, MA
KB1OKL

[Todd Sears]

I stumbled upon your blog a sort while ago. I think HD radio is great and since the world is going HD, it is just a matter of time before everyone has a radio. So you are cutting edge! HDradio.com is a great site to find stations etc. I also found about about "tagging with your ipod and HD at hdradiotagging.com. Anyway, keep up the blog!