Mikee

I quite like the idea of having a personal DAB radio, I listen to my ipod everyday but often think listening to the radio would be good. I need to have headphones in and I move around from room to room and am sometimes outdoors all day.

I know the early personal DAB's were hit and miss, but have they moved on yet to become 'useable'?

Does anyone listen to one regularly and if so could you recommend a make and model? Any help much appreciated guys and gals.

davegtt

Most Digital Radio Stations have an app now where you can listen to it through your phone over the internet. Defo worth looking into. I enjoy listening to Absolute 90's, if you don't have any data worries on the phone, or even if you have access to wifi its a great thing to have.

Mikee

Dave, I'd mostly be using up my data using those apps- I'd be eating it up as I'd have it on around 4-5hrs a day 6 days a week, hence the need for the DAB.

Nice idea though, thanks.

RA Dunk

Is there anyway to get Absolute 80's/90's in the car? I can't seem to find a radio channel for it?

RobsyUK

iTrader: (2)

My phone lasts about an hour running a radio app. I too want a dab radio...

Mikee

These are digital channels only- you'd need in car DAB buddy.

scoobeenut

I use ootunes on the phone when I'm at home. Connect the phone by wi-fi to the router and I can stream from thousands of radio stations around the world.

Mikee

The rooms I'll be in aren't at home- they are not linked to wifi either hence the need for DAB.

As a side note I use an app called tv catchup which is essentially free view for the iPhone- it works great through both wifi and 3G but again it's data hungry if you've got no wifi!

markjmd

iTrader: (11)

The biggest problem by far with making a small-sized DAB radio is and was power consumption. You can easily make an FM radio smaller than a matchbox and power it off a single AAA for weeks, but that's a very long way from being true for DAB, because of the amount of juice the receiver-decoder chips use up. Last I heard, there was little anyone could do about this, as it was a fundamental constraint of how the signals are encoded, and they just can't make the chips any more efficient.

As for what's actually on the market right now, if you've already got an iPhone or an iPod, there used to be an add-on gizmo you could buy made by Roberts that worked as a real DAB tuner, the iRobi I think. Sold for c. £45 when it first came out, and looked pretty cool, although I have no idea what reception was like.

oldsplice

I have an iRobi. The only problem is, it's not much good at work, because reception is so bad here anyway.

andy97

iTrader: (1)

My HTC One X has internet radio, works great and last hours, pick all those obscure channels that you can't get usually because of reception issues

Mikee

Just to reiterate- it's a standalone DAB radio I'm after and not an 'app' for my phone.

I have the radio app for the phone but it eats up my data allowance.

Cheers peeps!

markjmd

iTrader: (11)

After further research:
PURE PocketDAB 1500, Rechargeable Personal DAB/FM Radio - £60.99 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK

Pretty much the reference name in mobile DAB devices, so quality should be good, and they've got the size down to reasonable levels (2.1 x 6.5 x 11 cm; 122 g). Seems to get a slightly better review also than the more recent 2500 model too, and has roughly double the battery life:

http://www.whathifi.com/review/pure-...pocketdab-1500
http://www.whathifi.com/review/pure-digital-move-2500

Mikee

After reading the reviews on amazon I've opted for this little piece of kit...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B004...dir_mdp_mobile

I'll report back once it's arrived and been field tested (literally!).

Thanks peeps.

Mikee

Also, thanks Mark- top man.