The station Bruzz has both a DAB (211.648 MHz) and analog signal (98.80 MHz). The DAB signal rarely has enough strength/integrity for the tuner to play it. Sometimes it’s just really choppy, cutting out every ½ second. The FM signal is good enough… a little static but it’s certainly tolerable, unlike DAB....
To build on this good answer, there’s an additional factor: How well a receiver can make use of the signal it receives.
I have both an old and a newish DAB radio. One can decode the audio pretty much anywhere in our home. The other only has stable reception if I put it by the window. It’s the same signal, but it’s not strong enough for the old DAB radio in most places at home.
Edit: This may be true for different FM radios too, but less noticeable as FM doesn’t have a “digital cliff” where the decoding just fails as seen heard on DAB. Plus, DAB is comparatively new technology… Oldish FM radios still have decades of techy wisdom in their design, whereas as of today, old DAB radios haven’t had the benefit of time for the engineers to optimise their design.
Switching it DAB+ is great. It makes better use of the available spectrum.
Adding in extra stations at the same time is such a shame. The audio quality of commercial DAB stations in the UK is so far from “Crystal clear digital sound” that we were promised.
If ever you feel the need to thank rhe vollenteeer crt guys at some of the busy locks. Giving them a packet of biscuits to share with their cuppa. Go’s down very well....
I was so annoyed to get that email. Never using them again. Going to install a non-smart wireless thermostat, or maybe a HA install if I’m feeling brave.
That is good news. I have to draw a lot of diagrams and I find myself stuck between a few tools, none of which is perfect. Any one of those that improves is a great thing!
Draw.io is brilliant for quickly creating stuff, but you can’t easily reshape shapes
Visio is ok, but for software that aims to be diagram -focused, compared to draw.io, its connectors are appalling
Affinity designer is good, and not too expensive, but the lack of (outline+text*) objects (compared to draw.io and visio) quickly becomes a pain with complex diagrams. Plus complete lack of support for variable fonts is a showstopper for me.
I was really pleasantly surprised by inkscape when I tried it again the other year after many years of not using it. It’s really come along and improved. I know its not intended for diagrams, so dynamic connectors and (outline+text*) shapes aren’t there. If they were, it would be the perfect tool.
I’m looking forward to trying out the new features of this release.
*When I say (outline+text) I mean a shape with text in it that isn’t two separate objects I have to wrangle with careful alignment or grouping etc. If you don’t know what I mean, take a look at how easy it is to put text in shapes in draw.io compared to inkscape
I’m a southerner, but recently noticed I’m the only one who seems to say “tin” rather than “can”. I think I got it from my Dad, who’s from Birmingham. Meanwhile, my Mum (from Winchester) prefers “can”....
Not quite a direct answer, but since watching Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing, we’ve enjoyed referring to things in tins/cans as trapped potatoes, trapped beans etc.
I’ve tried using it over the years but I never liked it because there was no information. So last night I looked at my local city and there is almost no information at all. I spent a few hours last night adding buildings and restaurants and removing incorrect items. It was actually kind of fun and therapeutic and I plan to do...
It brings me a lot of joy to contribute to OSM. I haven’t written anything other than the occasional script for years, so it feels good to help the community in ways like this instead.
I’ve sunk so many hours into it. Either “armchair mapping” with OSM and the imagery overlays, or (more fun) wandering with the android Street Complete app to fill in gaps when I’m out and about.
I love asking UK, especially English, people this question; the answers vary wildly. Once had a Londoner describe the north as “anywhere north of the M25”....
I’ve noticed teletext is sent along with broadcast radio as well. E.g. smartphones with an FM receiver are able to show the station callsign and the name of the currently playing artist. So my question is, is scheduling information also included in that data stream so we know what programs are coming on the radio station at what times?
The latest Ipsos Political Monitor, taken 14th to 20th June 2023, highlights strong public dissatisfaction with how the government is running the country (especially amongst mortgage holders) and increased public pessimism about the state of the economy. The survey also explores public satisfaction with the main party leaders...
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has insisted he has a mandate from Londoners to expand the city's ultra low emission zone (ULEZ) despite not including the move in his 2020 manifesto. In a clash with Conservative assembly members on the issue during Mayor's Question Time at City Hall this morning, (Thursday, June 22), Mr Khan...
Maybe he thinks that more of his constituents are pro breathing decent air than pro driving smoggy private vehicles. I'd like to think he's onto something.
I actually really enjoy this, it’s really cool to login each day and only see UK specific content in a similar style of the subreddits of old, and with most of the features of Reddit. Previously I had to have them with a multi reddit, but my home page was full of world wide content....
FM better than DAB for a particular station in Brussels at my location
The station Bruzz has both a DAB (211.648 MHz) and analog signal (98.80 MHz). The DAB signal rarely has enough strength/integrity for the tuner to play it. Sometimes it’s just really choppy, cutting out every ½ second. The FM signal is good enough… a little static but it’s certainly tolerable, unlike DAB....
Bauer to switch national radio services to DAB+ and take seven extra stations national on SDL (radiotoday.co.uk)
Bauer is switching its national services on Sound Digital to DAB+ to make room for seven additional stations....
McDonald's advert (feddit.uk)
https://feddit.uk/pictrs/image/48a2e681-4f82-42d2-8413-5d0587b6dca8.jpeg...
Rewarding volenteers
If ever you feel the need to thank rhe vollenteeer crt guys at some of the busy locks. Giving them a packet of biscuits to share with their cuppa. Go’s down very well....
Is charging electric car at holiday house "theft"? (www.express.co.uk)
Airbnb owner claims holiday makers running cables out the window is theft if electricity.
British gas starts to turn off Hive smart home devices forever (www.t3.com)
Any ANSI UKers? How was the switch from ISO?
Hi!...
Inkscape 1.3 Released! (inkscape.org)
Lots of new features in Inscape 1.3
Do you tend to say "can" or "tin? Is this a regional thing?
I’m a southerner, but recently noticed I’m the only one who seems to say “tin” rather than “can”. I think I got it from my Dad, who’s from Birmingham. Meanwhile, my Mum (from Winchester) prefers “can”....
Grabbed this before any nasty bots came along and camped it
Alright dudes, what’s going on in groovetown?...
Has anyone used or contributed to OpenStreetMap?
I’ve tried using it over the years but I never liked it because there was no information. So last night I looked at my local city and there is almost no information at all. I spent a few hours last night adding buildings and restaurants and removing incorrect items. It was actually kind of fun and therapeutic and I plan to do...
What do you consider to be "The North"?
I love asking UK, especially English, people this question; the answers vary wildly. Once had a Londoner describe the north as “anywhere north of the M25”....
Narrowboat Insurance
Just received our new quote. Ouch! Does anyone have any recommendations for good (and well-priced) narrowboat insurance?
Tesco Mobile WiFi calling
Very pleased to see that Tesco have enabled WiFi calling on my phone....
Eight in ten Britons are dissatisfied with how the government is running the country (www.ipsos.com)
The latest Ipsos Political Monitor, taken 14th to 20th June 2023, highlights strong public dissatisfaction with how the government is running the country (especially amongst mortgage holders) and increased public pessimism about the state of the economy. The survey also explores public satisfaction with the main party leaders...
Ofcom licencing changes (www.ofcom.org.uk)
Ofcom are proposing some changes to amateur radio licencing in the UK. The proposals are interesting....
Mayor insists he has ULEZ mandate despite not including expansion in manifesto - MyLondon (www.mylondon.news)
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has insisted he has a mandate from Londoners to expand the city's ultra low emission zone (ULEZ) despite not including the move in his 2020 manifesto. In a clash with Conservative assembly members on the issue during Mayor's Question Time at City Hall this morning, (Thursday, June 22), Mr Khan...
Feddit.uk is shaping up to be a UK version of Reddit. With most UK subs in one place.
I actually really enjoy this, it’s really cool to login each day and only see UK specific content in a similar style of the subreddits of old, and with most of the features of Reddit. Previously I had to have them with a multi reddit, but my home page was full of world wide content....
Cut Critters
OK. We know many boats have pets. We also see loads of wildlife along the canals and rivers....