What Is Cheapest Tabletop HD Radio For Sale?

[Madmansam]

I am curious? With Christmas just around the corner, What is the cheapest Tabletop HD Radio for sale? So far, it seems one at Radio Shack is $199.99. Is this the cheapest for sale? And I don't mean Car Radios, just Table Tops (or portable if they exist yet?).

[Mike Walker]

The Radiosophy sells for 99.95. It's a good performer (especially through headphones, or if you use it as a tuner, played through amplified speakers, or your stereo system). What you give up is remote control. Nada. But it's an attractive, inexpensive option. I'm getting one as my 2nd HD Radio.

order it from http://www.radiosophy.com

[Madmansam]

The Radiosophy sells for 99.95. It's a good performer (especially through headphones, or if you use it as a tuner, played through amplified speakers, or your stereo system). What you give up is remote control. Nada. But it's an attractive, inexpensive option. I'm getting one as my 2nd HD Radio.

order it from http://www.radiosophy.com

Thanks Mike, I just ordered one today. again Thanks!!!

[Mike Walker]

Unless you're in an urban/suburban area, you'll need to use an antenna, up as high as possible, away from the radio. The "T" antenna should work fine to 50 miles away or so. Beyond that, you might want to try something like a Magnum-Dynalab SR-100 "Silver Ribbon", or better (much better) still, an outdoor antenna with rotor. THAT should really bring 'em in, and will also help with over the air HDTV, which offers the highest picture and sound quality available...quite a bit better than satellite or cable-delivered HDTV.

[JohnnyElectron]

Anybody had any better luck replacing their AM loop (with a longer wire and bigger/better loop) to keep it away from the noise-generating radio itself and improve HD-AM decode?

[w9wi]

Anybody had any better luck replacing their AM loop (with a longer wire and bigger/better loop) to keep it away from the noise-generating radio itself and improve HD-AM decode?

I use a 260-foot ham antenna with mine.  Just clip it right to the terminals where the loop would connect.  It reliably receives the two local AM HD stations (WLAC 1510 and WPLN 1430) during the day.  (with the loop I can't get either station to lock in HD for more than 5 seconds at a time)

[Dighton Rockhead]

A 260 foot antenna?......OH, My Jesus Mercy!!!

If it's going to be that inconvenient just to listen to your local  HD stations, why would us "just plain folks" bother?

The fervent pro HD zealots, in thier efforts to prove that this system really works, go to the sorts of extreme measures described above.  In effect, they themselves have become......oh, here comes that dreaded word......DXers, only THEY are doing it just to try to pull in in-market stations.

Sorry, but the anti HD extremeists have a point on this one.  Listening to the radio just isn't supposed to be THAT difficult. 

[R.F. Burns]

A 260 foot antenna?......OH, My Jesus Mercy!!!

If it's going to be that inconvenient just to listen to your local  HD stations, why would us "just plain folks" bother?

The fervent pro HD zealots, in thier efforts to prove that this system really works, go to the sorts of extreme measures described above.  In effect, they themselves have become......oh, here comes that dreaded word......DXers, only THEY are doing it just to try to pull in in-market stations.

Sorry, but the anti HD extremeists have a point on this one.  Listening to the radio just isn't supposed to be THAT difficult. 

I receive WFAN, WOR, WNYC*, WCBS, WADO* & WABC* (*day only) using the supplied small loop antenna. Now we have a sample of two. Can we draw any conclusions from that (and calling people zealots and extremists, is no way to start a fair discourse about this subjesct)

[Scott Fybush]

Make that a sample of 3.

With the included loops on my Accurian and my HDT-1, I have no trouble receiving two of my locals (WHAM 1180, about 8 miles away, putting 25-30 mV/m over me, and WHTK 1280, about 2 miles away, with about the same signal level). The loop does not reliably give me a lock on my third AM HD local, WLGZ 990. It's about 17 miles from me, delivering about 3-4 mV/m daytime and a little less at night.

As for my friend w9wi, I believe his "locals" are actually quite a distance away (40-50 miles, if memory serves) over some pretty lousy ground conductivity, which is to say that he has to be a DXer to hear them, period.

[w9wi]

Make that a sample of 3.

With the included loops on my Accurian and my HDT-1, I have no trouble receiving two of my locals (WHAM 1180, about 8 miles away, putting 25-30 mV/m over me, and WHTK 1280, about 2 miles away, with about the same signal level). The loop does not reliably give me a lock on my third AM HD local, WLGZ 990. It's about 17 miles from me, delivering about 3-4 mV/m daytime and a little less at night.

As for my friend w9wi, I believe his "locals" are actually quite a distance away (40-50 miles, if memory serves) over some pretty lousy ground conductivity, which is to say that he has to be a DXer to hear them, period.

More like 20-30 miles but yes.  Actually, I probably don't need 260 feet but I don't have anything bigger than the loop & smaller than 260 feet!  I'd bet 30-40 feet of wire run under the eaves would do the trick. 

My two AM HD locals are at the top of the band,   (1430 and 1510) and this *is* Tennessee where, as Scott says, the ground conductivity stinks.  Neither station comes in in HD at night.  (1430 doesn't come in in analog either, and 1510 is subject to severe interference.)

Actually, let me add a fourth and fifth sample(grin)..  Same radio, in Madison, Wis., with the loop receives WHA-970 reliably in HD from about six miles, in a motel room.  (normally a pretty noisy location)  Didn't have enough daylight to test any other stations, and this was before nighttime IBOC was allowed. 

And in Menomonee Falls, with the loop it gets WTMJ-620 and WISN-1130, both about 30 miles away.  I think the lower dial positions of both stations help, as well as the much better ground conductivity *and* the fact that both stations are directional, favoring the location where I was staying.  (effective radiated power well over 50,000 watts in both cases)  I could *not* however lock on WOKY-920, 5,000 watts also aimed in my direction and 5-10 miles *closer* than WTMJ and WISN.