LED and DAB : Tue Aug 20, 2013 10:49 pm  

Yesterday I replaced 11 GU10 halogen bulbs in the kitchen with LED bulbs (we’re redecorating the kitchen).

Anyway, I took the kids out last night, whilst my wife was painting the kitchen units. This morning my wife was complaining that the DAB radio wouldn't work last night while she was painting. It was working perfectly as she told me this though, so with a bit of head scratching, I realised she didn't have the lights on. So I flicked the switch on, and guess what? The radio immediately stopped working! Switched them off and it came back on.

To cut a long story short, if I have the lights on the radio will not work on DAB, it will still work on FM. Anyone else come across this problem with LED lights?

Re: LED and DAB : Tue Aug 20, 2013 11:09 pm  

Seems to answer the question.

Seems to answer the question.

Re: LED and DAB : Tue Aug 20, 2013 11:29 pm  

Never had the problem at hom with a cheap Aldi DAB radio and cheap Tesco LED bulbs. We have a DAB radio at work that often suffers from interference, usually when a transformer for another piece of electrical equipment is in use .

Re: LED and DAB : Wed Aug 21, 2013 5:51 am  

I must admit that I am very disappointed with the hype that is DAB radio, I have had three (two still working plus one Pure that was the most expensive and only lasted fifteen months) and use them all in FM mode due to excessive interference from anything when in DAB mode.

Re: LED and DAB : Wed Aug 21, 2013 7:40 am  

JerryChicken wrote:

I must admit that I am very disappointed with the hype that is DAB radio, I have had three (two still working plus one Pure that was the most expensive and only lasted fifteen months) and use them all in FM mode due to excessive interference from anything when in DAB mode.

Indeed.
I eagerly awaited the introduction of digital in our area (it was later than most) and I bought one specifically because of the claim that it was going to be unbelievably clear and hiss-free but it turned out to attract more interference than the old Freeplay wind-up we'd been using.

Re: LED and DAB : Wed Aug 21, 2013 10:52 am  

On the contrary, I have had good experiences with DAB and Pure products.

[DaveO]

Re: LED and DAB : Wed Aug 21, 2013 11:10 pm  

JerryChicken wrote:

I must admit that I am very disappointed with the hype that is DAB radio, I have had three (two still working plus one Pure that was the most expensive and only lasted fifteen months) and use them all in FM mode due to excessive interference from anything when in DAB mode.

I don't get the interference but I also had a Pure radio that lasted about as long as yours. It was a Pure Siesta. When looking for a replacement I read reviews of the very same Pure model on the John Lewis web site and there were several reviews mentioning their radios had also failed after a similar length of time.

I bought a Sony and it seems fine. I reckon the Pure models must be built very cheaply despite the price.

Just looked again at the reviews for this model this time on Amazon and many of the one star reviews complain about the radio packing in after about two years. Looks like they self destruct just after the warranty expires!

Re: LED and DAB : Thu Aug 22, 2013 5:54 am  

DaveO wrote:

I don't get the interference but I also had a Pure radio that lasted about as long as yours. It was a Pure Siesta. When looking for a replacement I read reviews of the very same Pure model on the John Lewis web site and there were several reviews mentioning their radios had also failed after a similar length of time.

I bought a Sony and it seems fine. I reckon the Pure models must be built very cheaply despite the price.

Just looked again at the reviews for this model this time on Amazon and many of the one star reviews complain about the radio packing in after about two years. Looks like they self destruct just after the warranty expires!

The two that I have now are both generic and cheap Asda brand ones one of which is in use every day and both of which have lasted longer than the crappy Pure one. It could be that they are cheap that makes them so prone to interference in DAB mode but they work fine in FM - its not what I expected having owned portable radios since the early 1960s and grown accustomed to any radio of any quality or price (even home made ones) being able to at the very least pick up a radio signal without having excessive interference in the manner of listening to Radio Luxembourg late at night on AM in the late 1960s - I thought it might be better than this.

Another question though - does anyone know if are there any plans to switch off or discontinue AM and FM broadcasts - I'd love to purchase a vintage radio, maybe even a valve radio, but there wouldn't be much point if all you could receive was static in a couple of years time.

Re: LED and DAB : Thu Aug 22, 2013 7:13 pm  

I'm suprised to hear you're having problems with DAB reception. I've got four DABs: a Pure in the Kitchen, a Roberts in the office, and Roberts in the living room, and a Pure Highway in the cars. Even the Pure highway, relying on just a windscreen aerial and of course being mobile, rarely has reception problems. There are some stations only in particular regions of course, and mine are almost permanently tuned to Planet Rock. Perhaps it's just Planet Rock has a a good signal?

It'll probably all be replaced by internet radio (which the Roberts both do) soon anyway

Re: LED and DAB : Fri Aug 23, 2013 7:57 am  

JerryChicken wrote: ...Another question though - does anyone know if are there any plans to switch off or discontinue AM and FM broadcasts - I'd love to purchase a vintage radio, maybe even a valve radio, but there wouldn't be much point if all you could receive was static in a couple of years time. Apparently, only 80% of people are in DAB coverage at the moment and "details" of future coverage are here ... http://www.ukdigitalradio.com/coverage/ ... nsmitters/ ... which tells you precisely nowt beyond the fact that new transmitters are needed. Mind you, by typing in my postcode to that website, I now know that I have jumped the gun a bit as we don't have coverage in our area. The DAB set does work, but only up in the attic. Right, it's worth getting an aerial set up for me old NAD hi-fi FM receiver then, I'm glad I didn't chuck it out now.

JerryChicken wrote: ...Another question though - does anyone know if are there any plans to switch off or discontinue AM and FM broadcasts - I'd love to purchase a vintage radio, maybe even a valve radio, but there wouldn't be much point if all you could receive was static in a couple of years time. Apparently, only 80% of people are in DAB coverage at the moment and "details" of future coverage are here ... http://www.ukdigitalradio.com/coverage/ ... nsmitters/ ... which tells you precisely nowt beyond the fact that new transmitters are needed. Mind you, by typing in my postcode to that website, I now know that I have jumped the gun a bit as we don't have coverage in our area. The DAB set does work, but only up in the attic. Right, it's worth getting an aerial set up for me old NAD hi-fi FM receiver then, I'm glad I didn't chuck it out now.