FM lives on!

The government today announced that plans to turn off FM broadcasting in 2015 are being reviewed. It seems that the decision will now be determined by demand, so if FM is still in widespread use it will stay, at least for the BBC broadcasts.

Good news.

 

Quite right too. It is a much more robust system than DAB and it would be insanity to see all those radios and tuners scrapped.

You can, however, get better quality from Freeview, Freesat and Cable streams and often even better off internet, provided you have a decent DAC.

 

That really is good news.

 

Jubiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:boogie:

I really enjoy my humble Cambridge T500 in the living room, a valve Eltra Comet in the kitchen, an old National in the garage, a vestigial Philips in the loo...

I simply love FM radio .

Regards,

Vincula

 

You think NAIM NAT01/02s are expensive now!

 

What do people here use for their FM?

I've got a thing about big 70s transistor radios - proper mono ones with big speakers.
Radio/cassette players are good too and I've got a few ITT, Grundig and Philips models.
They sound great.

For hi-fi its a Quad FM4, mostly because it matches the rest of the stuff but there is also a beautiful near mint Pioneer 737 receiver here with the classic deep blue dial and meter illuminations and wooden case.

Best I've had was an Accuphase T101 and I regret letting that go.

Oh yes, picked up a Myst tuner recently for a tenner which is quite nice but really does look and feel like someone made the thing in under 30 minutes in their garden shed.

 

brilliant news, I use a 60's Sugden R21 with Magnum Dynalab ST2 ant - lovely combination.

 

Quad 77 Tuner

The tuner is in use at the moment for the first time in ages. My Squeezbox is in Nicosia - only way to get BBC 3 BBC 4 and Classic FM there.

In the kitchen a 15 Year old Grundig portable, but in Nicosia a Squeesbox boom.

I have here in Southampton a Bakelite "wireless" - my son beautifully restored it with the help of his electronics teacher as a project. It was fetched from the Nicosia house - for 30 years it sat on top of auntie's fridge and she draped her tea towel over it!

I have a similar one in Nicosia still.

This afternoon I stumbled on a second hand furniture shop. They had a wireless like the one my grandfather sat next to for years. It was priced at £200, and the shopkeeper didn't know if it worked!

Do you know this site, Rob?

http://www.vintage-radio.com/manufacturers-and-sets/index.html

http://www.vintage-radio.com/

 

Sony ST-SA3ES. Works well.

Bought it to match my Sony TA-FA3ES Amp about 12 years ago.

 

Good links Brian - thanks

 

My FM listening is restricted to an old Ferguson 3T13 stereo radio cassette from the 80's. Its actually rather nice.

I have a TU260LII (not in use) and a Tivoli DAB but that's tuned to Planet Rock 100% of the time on DAB.

 

I bought this from an antique shop in Camden about 10 years ago.
1970s and quite rare now in this condition - still works and is my 'loo radio'

 

Just found this

http://people.cs.uu.nl/gerard/FotoAlbum/RadioCorner/index.htm

Do you have an interest in restoring a 1950s wireless, Rob?

The one I have in Nicosia is similar to this.

It's a common Philips model in brown Bakelite:



You are welcome to it. I think I can get it back from Cyprus - we travel light on the way back.

There is also a Pye Black box, but that would cost a fortune to ship, and the lacquer on the case is not in good condition.

 

That is a monstrous piece of KITCH, Rob; but isn't it fun?

 

There's going to be a lot of sadness around when people can't use their old sets anymore. Look at the heritage that will be lost.

An Ekco was my first radio for the 11 plus & it went everywhere with me. LW MW only but I could get Luxembourg on a good night.
as featured here

http://www.vintage-radio.com/recent-repairs/ekco-pt378.html

 

Yay! Let's sign the petition . . .

 

Get (another) one started!

 

Sue MacGreggor is talking sense of keeping FM

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/...-from-FM-digital-radio-doesnt-turn-me-on.html

 

Get a mobile with an FM transmitter built in and then you can use it to stream music over wifi / or just play MP3s through your radio even if they do turn off FM
By the time they do turn it off (if ever) you can use an outdated phone on vintage FM.

I have a competent Yamaha thingy in the garage and a Denon that's been in the loft for ages - come the music room and more rack place I may dust it off and give it a whirl again...

 

Did anyone try the high quality Proms feed?

Not FM but one of the improvements heard was the lighter touch compression.
Could certainly transfer that across to R3 FM.