Friday 13 July 2012

Roberts DAB Radios

We have recently bought two new DAB radios.

The first was a Roberts Ecologic 1. We bought this for the house we own in Wells-next-the Sea in Norfolk.



This is an area where we are told that DAB radio signals are not available (http://www.ukdigitalradio.com/images/coverage-map.gif) but with the Ecologic 1 we are able to get good signals from two multiplexers and one more when the radio is upstairs. By comparison, my older Sony XDR-S55 radio does not get anything there on DAB.

The Ecologic 1 is a small DAB/FM radio with ½ Watt audio output. This is fine for normal listening, but is not really powerful enough for use in the kitchen when there is lots of background noise. Otherwise, it is a very good radio with excellent mono (stereo with headphones) sound quality. It is well designed and very easy to use. The only thing I don’t like is that it has push-button volume control, but this is a matter of personal preference.

The Roberts Unologic DAB / FM radio is a bit larger but with 1 Watt audio output it is better for use in normal areas. This radio also has excellent sensitivity, but I have not yet done a side-by-side comparison. The Unologic has an analogue volume control, which I like. The controls are large and easy to use so it would be suitable for old or infirm people.

DAB radios eat batteries, but at long last, a DAB radio designer has realised that we don’t want to run our radios from mains power or change the batteries every 10 hours or so. The Roberts Ecologic 1 and Unologic both have built-in battery chargers so can be run on AA alkali batteries (if you are very rich) or rechargeable batteries. The only criticism I have of the design is that it is not possible to charge the batteries while listening.

All round, these are both excellent radios and well worth the recommended price of £60. It is particularly suitable if you want to use it in a poor signal area.

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