DAB+ test draws interest in Geneva

Live DAB+ transmissions with 100 W ERP were demonstrated for the Digital Radio Summit at the EBU Radio Week, at the European Broadcasting Union headquarters in Geneva.

Using mmbTools with a 600 W VHF power amplifier, mask filter and an antenna, the tests showed that DAB+ can be an affordable solution and thus appropriate for local and community radios. Total cost of the demo system was app. €20,000 with the most expensive item being the power amplifier.

Transmitting with an antenna with 5 dB gain, the maximum power of the setup was estimated at 1.8 kW — enough to cover a medium to large city, depending on the terrain and antenna location, according to a summary posted at Opendigitalradio.org.

While coverage was expected to be “patchy” due to the antenna location, the roof of the EBU building, the signal was said to be received in the Grand-Saconnex area and west Geneva county.

A few of the channels used the Radio DNS/RadioVIS slideshow service, including one demonstrating a small voting application for choosing subsequent songs.