My old Sony portable has just about exhausted its useful life and I am
planning to put it out to pasture soon. I would like to buy a new
radio that is going to take advantage of DRM and IBOC (assuming these
unneeded modes ever do prove to be useful) but am hesitant to buy
something today then have to turn around in a few years and buy another
that will receive DRM and IBOC broadcasts.

Is IBOC and DRM ever going to be ready or should I just assume that
they are never going to become mainstream and just go ahead and buy a
new receiver now that won't receive them?

I'm just about ready to give up on terrestrial radio and just get a
satellite receiver since this seems to be the way to go.

73

mrtsp91 wrote:

My old Sony portable has just about exhausted its useful life and I am
planning to put it out to pasture soon. I would like to buy a new
radio that is going to take advantage of DRM and IBOC (assuming these
unneeded modes ever do prove to be useful) but am hesitant to buy
something today then have to turn around in a few years and buy another
that will receive DRM and IBOC broadcasts.

Is IBOC and DRM ever going to be ready or should I just assume that
they are never going to become mainstream and just go ahead and buy a
new receiver now that won't receive them?

I'm just about ready to give up on terrestrial radio and just get a
satellite receiver since this seems to be the way to go.

Generally speaking, no matter what you buy today there will always be something
better coming down the road.

You obviously bought a computer at one time...

Best to take what ever plunge you'll make today, and let the future take care of
itself.

dxAce
Michigan
USA

mrtsp91 wrote:

My old Sony portable has just about exhausted its useful life and I am
planning to put it out to pasture soon. I would like to buy a new
radio that is going to take advantage of DRM and IBOC (assuming these
unneeded modes ever do prove to be useful) but am hesitant to buy
something today then have to turn around in a few years and buy another
that will receive DRM and IBOC broadcasts.

Is IBOC and DRM ever going to be ready or should I just assume that
they are never going to become mainstream and just go ahead and buy a
new receiver now that won't receive them?

I'm just about ready to give up on terrestrial radio and just get a
satellite receiver since this seems to be the way to go.

73

I can't think of any radio that can get shortwave, IBOC and DRM.

If I was looking for a radio now, I'd give some value to a 12khz output jack so I could decode DRM later if I wanted, but it wouldn't be a must have feature.

It's the sort of thing that might be a "tie breaker" if I was looking at two radios that seemed about equal. I would not trade performance on garden variety shortwave signals to get it.

MRTSP91,
..
IMHO - Both DRM for International Shortwave Broadcasting
and the USofA version of AM and FM IBOC are still in the
"On-the-Air" Stage of Development.
..
- Lets say that it will take three-more-years until one-third
of Broadcasters are actually Broadcasting in these 'new modes'
of broadcasting.
..
- Lets say that it will take three-more-years until one-third
of AM/FM/Shortwave 'portable' Radios have DRM and IBOC
features actually Built-into-the-Radios; that do not 'require'
some external processor to hear the programming.
..
- So IMHO - "Hold Your Breath" for 'three-more-years' or . . .
Buy the Best AM/FM/Shortwave 'portable' Radio you can today
and Enjoy three years of Broadcast and Shortwave Listening.

Since you mentioned that you have a Sony 'portable' Radio.
Check-Out a new Sony ICF-SW7600GR; a used Sony ICF-2010;
or 'think big' and take a look at the Grundig Satellit 800
Millennium. Enjoy your Radios )
..
..
i for one am not waiting - until i am blue-in-the-face ~ RHF
..
..