digital radio

corsamel · 04-02-2003, 06:28 AM

I'm installing my laptop into my car soon and been thinking about dab radio!

Psion currenty do a product which is usb and gives digital radio. Just wondering if anyone has tried this yet? Just wondering if it will work in a car environment i.e. moving.

cheers for any comments

Loftus · 04-02-2003, 08:28 AM

Haven't tried it but i want it. It's $229 CDN here for the PCI version and there is the coverage range to think about also. Usually covers the same areas as a cell phone plan would, but you could check the local dab retailer for more info. They make DAB car stereo's so "moving" would'nt be a prob.

corsamel · 04-02-2003, 08:32 AM

yeah i'm aware there are quite a few dab car stereos on the market now. Although these may have specific specialised aerials for this purpose.

The coverage is excellent where I live and all around my area too. There about £100 here in the uk (for a usb one)

truedebug · 04-02-2003, 06:38 PM

This is definately something that I'm doing when I get my car on the road. Have already bought a Psion Wavefinder DAB tuner. Has an external aerial jack so you can hook a DAB car aerial to it, because the internal one isn't too bright.

It's USB but takes an external 10V power supply. I have run it with a 12V DC adapter with no problems (which should run nicely off a molex connector).

Cost £69 on ebay for me, which wasn't bad - but if I put this one in the car I'll have to buy another because having DAB radio on the PC while I work is really really good. I haven't played MP3s in months.

I use dabbar (www.dabbar.co.uk) to control the wavefinder instead of the supplied software as it's much better. Also lets you connect winamp to it and stream the text service to winamp's display. This can then be reproduced on a LCD/VFD display so you can drive around and the song names on the radio will pop up. How cool is that?

Only problems I can see is it automatically re-scanning to the closest DAB frequency as the software is designed not to be moving between the different coverage areas, but we shall see.

If you're near Wiltshire at any time feel free to pop by and borrow mine for a test.

Loftus · 04-02-2003, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by truedebug

I use dabbar (www.dabbar.co.uk) to control the wavefinder instead of the supplied software as it's much better. Also lets you connect winamp to it and stream the text service to winamp's display. This can then be reproduced on a LCD/VFD display so you can drive around and the song names on the radio will pop up. How cool is that?

I looked on that website and couldn't find anything on WinAmp connectivity, can you give me a link to it? I wouldn't mind lookin in to this a bit more.

truedebug · 04-03-2003, 01:42 AM

It's got a built-in HTTP-style streaming protocol. So you just load up http://localhost

ort (port of your choice) and it gives you a load of links to .m3u files, which play the streams.

It's all configured in the program itself.

The scrolling detail stuff is only available in the beta, which is at http://www.dabbar.co.uk/betatest.htm

corsamel · 04-03-2003, 02:38 AM

I'm from manchester so i think its ur a bit far away. Umm well surely if it re-scans to the best frequency its not going to perform very well while moving?

I've had a look for a dab car aerial but can't find any.

Will be brilliant if it does work though.

brooksy69 · 04-03-2003, 10:11 AM

I bought one of these a while back - thinking the same things as you guys were talking about - install in car etc etc - however, I have never got the *@#! working. it is just a 'pretty' piece of blue plastic sitting on my desk gathering dust - so good luck to you, and I would be interested in hearing how you get on - maybe a DAB PCI card is the way to go. There were some pretty informative message boards kicking round related to it - cant remember the URL (so that doesnt help you) - but I am sure if you search...

Axachi · 02-06-2004, 06:55 AM

Would be grat to get this as a controll in Media car application.

Confused · 02-06-2004, 07:21 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by brooksy69

I bought one of these a while back - thinking the same things as you guys were talking about - install in car etc etc - however, I have never got the *@#! working. it is just a 'pretty' piece of blue plastic sitting on my desk gathering dust - so good luck to you, and I would be interested in hearing how you get on - maybe a DAB PCI card is the way to go. There were some pretty informative message boards kicking round related to it - cant remember the URL (so that doesnt help you) - but I am sure if you search...

I wouldn't mind trying to get that working, and writing some software for it. Of course I'd need the hardware, though.

As you have one, and are not using it, do you think you could let me borrow it to try to get it programmed. I will pay shipping, and when I am done with coding (or are unable to finish), I will ship it back to you, and I will purchase one for myself if I so wish to still have one.

If it's not in use, I will gladly take the dust off it and try to get it working for everyone

Garry

Axachi · 02-16-2004, 06:42 PM

hmm trying to get one on Ebay now from the UK. And I can instant by one for £50 but if someone lives in the UK and get this cheep plz let us poor suckers know

I'm curantly working on an Carputer for my poor car. a Toyota G6 what I have so far...

VIA MPIA M10000 1ghz mainboard
512 mem
GPS Mouse
Casing the hole thing inside the Car stereo slot(I hope)
Mappoint 2k4
No Thuchscreen yet. 490$+ is way over my budget but soon I will get one. :P

And i'm working on an Windows XP embedded for booting on compact Flash or USB.. Hope it will turn out fine I had numeros errors and last one was of corse fonts missing :P
well hop I get the radio and that you get one to Confused (need that in Mediacar

spectrrr · 02-17-2004, 01:32 PM

anyone know about coverage in the US?

craigyb · 02-17-2004, 02:14 PM

Garry, I have 2 of these suckers sitting around doing nothing. Do you want to try one of mine.

I'll do you a deal, finish the CNS style skin and I'll send it to you..... hehe

Craig

Confused · 02-17-2004, 02:29 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by craigyb

Garry, I have 2 of these suckers sitting around doing nothing. Do you want to try one of mine.

I'll do you a deal, finish the CNS style skin and I'll send it to you..... hehe

Craig

Deal

YGPM

Garry

craigyb · 02-18-2004, 05:41 AM

FYI

I think you can get DAB aerials from Blue Spot....

http://www.bluespot.co.uk/stock/dab_glass.asp

This is the same as I have fitted in my van. And I think the adaptor fits the Wavefinder external aerial socket.

Craig