Over the past weeks, DAB digital radio here in the UK has been updating its list of channels, requiring a re-tune to update radio receivers.
I did this easily enough, although I am no fan of DAB, given its 'all or nothing' reception characteristics and, if many stories are to be believed, the increasing trend towards mono-only broadcasting. Some stations have stopped broadcasting nationally owing to the high cost of the system.
But once I had retuned, I found the signal was very poor to the extent that I couldn't listen to most of those I'd been listening to for a couple of years.
So, out came some wire to try and build a simple external antenna. This was easy for a ham radio operator to accomplish, but I found it didn't work!
On disconnecting the external antenna to investigate, I found all the stations were now at good strength, with no digital dropouts. The problem seems to have been a poor contact between the shield of the receiver antenna input and a strip of metal - effectively the missing half or ground of the rear whip antenna, taped to the back of the inside of the casing. On undoing the screws and then doing them back up during work on the antenna, I'd tightened-up the contact between the shield and strip, restoring normality!
So, do check the innards of your DAB digital radio if you find poor signals all of a sudden!
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