The IBOC Power Increase, Part I; Understanding the Power Increase Formula

2010-03-05T12:56:00-06:00

On January 27, 2010, the FCC adopted changes in the FM digital audio broadcasting rules to allow a blanket

jerry smith

2010-03-08T23:17:25-06:00

Thanks for citing the mono-blend receiver testing falsehoods and the ideal lab conditions research methodology failures in the real world of listening. Hand picking of theoretical components from historical technical review for rules making conditioning has been an acceptable Washingtonian doctrine in drugs,health and communications for longer than government can recall.One other item of interest lab tests ignore is parasitic or re-radiation effects on digital waveforms existing outside of the designated directional antenna bandwidth for example (as in-band and on-channel digital interference exhibits with non-directional antenna as well). What mathematical model can predict instrument (receiver or test gear) overload from excitation of parasite and reflective structures as these massive pulses of digital data arrive in and out of phase during not-so-idea climate changes known to the VHF spectrum. That "robust" term somehow is not mentioned when observing the characteristic waveform and vector summation known as "lower powered digital" energy. Nothing, not anything, has been studied,suggested or proposed that protects the offended analog (or digital) first adjacent client station (and we know this noise squirter philosophy does damage to the second adjacent already without power increases). Most of all those all-too familiar intermodulation component rules are out the window with digital broadcasting. The proponents of digital standards dare call the local system over-loads "receiver induced distortions". Thus far the radio commmunity hopeful of the raising of the dead once more pretend digital is king and worthy of false interpretation and misquoting the NPR analysis en mass.Stupid really is MORE than stupid does. But like Toyota, America, you asked for it,and now you got it!

Brad K

2010-03-16T16:13:29-05:00

With the exception of classical and some talk based FM station, most stations broadcast at a high average volume level. Listener to the high average level station will far less likely notice the noise. The majority of listening is done in less than noise free environments, cars, most homes. For the listener that absolutely needs higher than 55 dB S/N ratio, they can accomplish this with the HD radio technology (96 dB S/N ratio) and will be far more likely to receive the HD signal now that the power increase has been approved. With a 6 to 10 dB power increase, many areas with noisy, blended to mono analog reception, will enjoy full stereo, almost noise free reception. The IBOC power increase is probably the only way for HD radio to gain traction in reception challenged listening areas surround most of our large cities. The alternative is that analog FM listenership will slowly decline due to competition from an increasingly large variety of other audio options now available to both mobile and stationary listeners. The FCC would not allow new spectrum to be available for digital audio, so this is the best that can be done with these constraints in mind. Plus the hybrid approach allows quick tuning and fall back to analog which would not occur if digital radio had it own band.

business continuity

2011-02-15T12:00:11-06:00

Brad brings up a good point. Most people probably won't even notice this difference in the broadcasting volume because of the environment in which they listen to the radio. I don't understand all of this article completely, but I find the regulations very interesting.

-Rachel Johnston

Encinitas Seo

2011-03-29T20:47:47-05:00

Brad, I am understanding what you are talking about, but I do have one question. Please bare with me as I am not an expert and am struggling to grasp some of the concepts in this article, but would technology effect the situation? What I mean is using the new HD radio technologies might make the problem more noticeable, or would the problem not exist due to the high-definition broadcast? Any clarification would be greatly appreciated.