Making a digital radio

[king.oslo]

Hello there,

I am pretty new to electronics, but I have a basic understanding none the less. What I am, is programmer, but I am trying to learn more about electronics. I have completed a couple of fun projects, now I want to do another one!

What I was hoping to do was to rip out the internals of a radio like this:

**broken link removed**

Then replace it with digital internals, to make a digital radio! If I could mimic the hissing sound when no station is found, that would be great.

What are rational options for me to do this?

Thanks! M

 

[ash20]

well if want to convert just the onboard items like switches or tuners, it is easy using analog to digital convertors as could be found on net... this can give a digital interface i think... what i mean to say is that you take input as analog, convert it using A/D converters... and you can also use 7 segment displays for displaying the station...

 

[king.oslo]

I struggle with other problems with this idea: Say that I want to listen to a station that is on FM 109, the DAB station is not on the FM band at all, as far as I am aware. How could I make all the stations on both the bands relate to real stations that are streamed via DAB? IMO, that is a much bigger problem.

Thanks.M

 

[ash20]

DAB may offer more radio programmes over a specific spectrum than analogue FM radio. You have the fm reciever.. for DAB receiving, you can use the digital demodulation techniques like QPSK or DPSK... then you receive digital signals also.... and tunign to both could be done using the tuner...

 

[king.oslo]

are you saying I get digital signals on the fm band?M

 

[ash20]

nah nah ... you get fm signals on simple fm receiver.. what i was saying is to use the digi mod techs to receive the DAB signals... then you can mount both on same radio and could switch to either when needed...

 

[king.oslo]

Alright, I think I understand what you are saying, but is not sure.

I am concerned with something else: When I turn the tuning dail on my radio, so that the arrow points at FM109 for example. FM109 may correspond with radio called "Radio X". Now, the radio has to find "DAB Radio X", for it to stream. But it will not be able to make this connection, because it has no way of knowing?

Thanks.M

 

[ash20]

you first find out the frequencies receivable in your area... for dab.. then make a manual pointer which has those frequencies marked at right spot of tuning... now when you tune the dab circuit, you get connected to your "dab radio x" .

 

[king.oslo]

You are saying I the only way is to make a schema, like so:

FM band => DAB station

FM109 => RadioX
FM109.1 => RadioY

The problem is that the area will be so wide. I will mostly travel in europe and america with this car radio. There will be thousands of stations in this big area, and they will probably change as time progresses.M

 

[ash20]

hmmm here comes a problem... well i dont think i will be able to help further.... in least way, i think you should opt to buy one!! .

 

[king.oslo]

Alright! That is great news! What are these databases called (so that I can search for them on google)?M

 

[ash20]

**broken link removed**

or rather type " dab station list in ****" where **** means your country...

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

**broken link removed**

or rather type " dab station list in ****" where **** means your country...

UK DAB? - I suppose it might be useful if you could get it?, huge areas of the UK have no coverage at all, and I'm dubious about how well it might work in a car. I've never actually seen a DAB radio working.

 

[futz]

Sparkfun has the SI4735-C40-GU AM/FM Radio IC (actually they're out of stock). It looks like a pretty cool chip. When they get them in again I'm going to get one. Maybe Digikey or Mouser or Newark has em...

 

[ghostman11]

UK DAB? - I suppose it might be useful if you could get it?, huge areas of the UK have no coverage at all, and I'm dubious about how well it might work in a car. I've never actually seen a DAB radio working.

DAB radio is the only kind we can get in my little part of Devon, we have Dab in the tractors and works well mostly except by the slurry pit
no idea about the rest of the uk tho

 

[small t]

Try VMR6512, it is a FM audio signal transmitter module.
Google

 

[pratchit]

fm is analog only
The message may be pure analog (coming from mic and then allowed to modulate) or maybe digital signal (which are made analog first and then done in by same thing)

In DAB...

acc to wikipedia it uses digital modulation schemes not FM
that means it is closer to our cell phones than to normal radios
that means component level things wont work....u will require dedicated ICs to do the thing....with coding obviously

that was all i could glean!