----- Forwarded Message -----
>From: Joe Buch <[email protected]>
>To: Richard Cuff <[email protected]>
>Sent: Friday, March 22, 2013 10:16 AM
>Subject: Re: [Swprograms] FW: NXP Intros Receiver to Decode DRM, DAB, HD Radio
>& German Students Prototype DRM+, DAB+, VHF FM Receiver
>
>
>Richard,
>
>
>Thanks for the list of sites that may remain in another year. Your list did
>not include Radio Havana Cuba (RHC). I have not heard of any plan to put
>Arnie Corro in the unemployment line.
>
>
>Tests run by RCI and others have demonstrated that DRM via shortwave is only
>reliable enough for drop-out-free reception on paths involving a single
>ionospheric hop. The maximum single-hop distance is limited by the height of
>the ionosphere and the curvature of the planet. That produces a maximum
>single-hop distance of about 2800 miles based upon an ionospheric height of
>400 miles and a zero degree elevation takeoff angle. Lesser ionospheric
>heights or higher takeoff angles result in shorter single hop distances.
>(Reference: K. Davies, "Ionospheric Radio Propagation," National Bureau of
>Standards Monograph 80; 1 April 1966 which is reproduced in my copy of
>Reference Data for Radio Engineers, Figure 9 of chapter 26, in the 1968
>edition published by Howard Sams.)
>
>
>RHC is the only remaining broadcaster with a shortwave plant outside the USA
>but inside this limited range to cover North America in a single hop. Another
>rhetorical question: Assuming DRM shortwave receivers were available in North
>America, would the Cuban government want to earn some hard currency by
>relaying the programming of others in DRM format? They have a long history of
>doing it in analog format for Communist regimes desiring to reach the
>capitalist masses via shortwave. Maybe with the inevitable demise of the
>Castro brothers, Cuba might desire to broaden its philosophical emphasis in
>the interest of getting more hard currency. The only other broadcasters
>meeting the distance criterion are inside the USA and they are legally
>prohibited from targeting domestic listeners, but they in turn have a long
>history of ignoring that restriction by targeting Canadians on paper.
>
>
>So possibly DRM could be an option for RHC or US domestic stations desiring to
>develop customers outside the bible-thumping universe.
>
>
>Joe Buch
>
>
>
>>________________________________
>> From: Richard Cuba Cuff <[email protected]>
>>To: Joe Buch <[email protected]>; Shortwave programming discussion
>><[email protected]>
>>Sent: Friday, March 22, 2013 8:58 AM
>>Subject: Re: [Swprograms] FW: NXP Intros Receiver to Decode DRM, DAB, HD
>>Radio & German Students Prototype DRM+, DAB+, VHF FM Receiver
>>
>>I'll be foolish enough to take the bait..
>>
>>And a second question, will there any DRM-capable transmitters left
>>that can reliably reach North America? With the impending closure of
>>the Montsinéry site, that leaves only the USA's private SW
>>broadcasters and perhaps a half-dozen European sites as capable of
>>reliably reaching Eastern North America in "armchair" quality -- which
>>is what DRM would likely require for a casual receiver -- during most
>>primetime listening hours.
>>
>>The European sites I can think of would include Noblejas, Spain;
>>Woofferton, UK; Grigoriopol, Moldova; Cerrik, Albania; Galbeni and
>>Tiganesti, Romania; also, Wertachtal and Nauen, Germany.
>>
>>As to what's "worth listening to", that's a subjective
>>question...certainly a lot less than even a couple years before.
>>
>>Caution...topic drift follows...
>>
>>The interesting trend of the past couple years, to me anyway, has
been
>>the widespread acceptance of the "TuneIn" station directory and
>>listening platform, especially on smartphones and tablet computers.
>>TuneIn is available on the Android, Blackberry, Windows Phone, and
>>iPhone platforms for smartphones, most Tablet platforms (iPad, Kindle,
>>Nook, Android), "smart" TV devices (e.g. Roku), and of course PCs. I
>>know my own kids have discovered radio from other countries this way.
>>
>>And while that doesn't do one bit of good for someone who doesn't have
>>any of these devices and only has radios, the word "widespread" above
>>is critical for a broadcaster eager to get a message listened to here
>>in the USA.
>>
>>Another interesting wrinkle is the "AudioNow" concept of offering
>>radio feeds via telephone. That's not a new concept, but my own
>>cellphone contract recently changed to cap my cell network data
>>consumption yet allow unlimited phone minutes...
>>
>>Yeah, I wandered
off the DRM topic by quite a bit, but -- if I'm
>>willing to change how I look at the world of broadcasting -- there is
>>still hope out there.
>>
>>Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA
>>
>>
>>On Thu, Mar 21, 2013 at 10:31 PM, Joe Buch <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> Rhetorical question follows: Even if the DRM radios have shortwave, will
>>> there still be any shortwave broadcasters worth listening to in North
>>> America?
>>
>>
>>
>
>
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