SDPB has been broadcasting classical music on their Freq.2 HD signal. Here that is 91.1 mhz and HD 2. Sounds more complicated than it is. After SDPB-radio dropped classical music on their FM stations, I checked out the continuous classical music on their TV signal. Their channels here are something like 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5 and 10.6. The first four are TV channels. The last two are "audio only". 10.5 is the regular FM radio signal, and 10.6 is continuous classical music.
It seemed a bit silly to have a 40 inch TV only producing audio, so I asked SDPB about their HD radio broadcasts. With an HD radio, they can be found by clicking a tuning button something like " - HD Seek +." I purchased a $50 Tabletop Insignia HD radio(NS-HDRAD2 ) at Best Buy . (Amazon may have it for around $32) It worked perfectly in Rapid City on the 89.3 signal. Back here in Winner atop a hill, it would work next to a north window in a house with wire lath which makes it something like a Faraday Cage. In our old farm house on the second floor, I could get it to work on the north side of the house (Reliance, SD TV-Radio towers are north of us about 45 miles). But, if I moved it 10 feet south and south of a wall, it would pick up regular FM signals, but not the HD signals. In other words, HD worked in a stairway and nowhere else. Not quite what I wanted.
I did a search yesterday and got the dimensions for a dipole antenna tuned to 91.1 mhz. Dipoles output for a 300 ohm twinlead unless a balun transformer is used to convert to 75 ohm coaxial cable. The transformers are only a few dollars. But, the little Insignia portable has no port for connecting an external antenna. I thought I would experiment with about 8 feet of electric fence wire.. I wrapped a spiral about 3/4 inch in diameter with 6 turns or so. Stuck the wire over a door frame and slipped the loops over the 3 foot extendable antenna on the radio. Worked like a charm. The HD channels at 91.1 came in loud and clear. I will probably make this arrangement a bit neater, but it works. There are HD radios with antenna connections, but price is more in the $100 area. This little Insignia radio will work with the included AC adapter or on 4 AA batteries.
So, if you want something like CD quality from a radio (and 24 Hour Classical or regular FM news aand music), this is probably a workable option for many areas of South Dakota. We have been unable to find any other HD broadcasts in South Dakota. Right now, SDPB appears to be only source.
*** Stay tuned and if you have any more info on HD radio and radios, please let me know--- Doug Wiken
Well, there are at least two other HD radio signals in SD, coming from KMIT-FM 105.9 in Mitchell. They are a run-of-the-mill top 40 format on HD2 and ESPN Radio on HD3. The thing with these HD transmissions is they are meant to feed two small FM translators within the city of Mitchell. The HD2 is called "More 95.5", referencing the analog translator it's rebroadcast on.
Their owner, Saga Broadcasting, has done this in other markets out of state, like in Des Moines, IA. It's a cheap way to create a "new" radio station in a given market without actually having to endure the years long process of allocating a frequency and bidding on a license. They also do this to get around the FCC limits on how many stations an owner is allowed to operate as translators don't count towards those limits.
I also think KILI radio on the Pine Ridge reservation also broadcasts an HD1 signal, but I can't personally verify that. FCC records seem to indicate they do.
Posted by: Wade Brandis | Mar 16, 2017 at 11:44 PM
Antenna theory can be very complex, and I don't claim to comprehend the details. My understanding is that the impedance of a simple half-wavelength dipole is near 75 ohms. It is around 300 ohms for a folded dipole.
I'm currently using a simple half-wavelength dipole to receive a TV station on channel 46 (actual frequency). I use another dipole antenna on an FM receiver. In both cases, the antennas are connected directly to the 75 ohm coaxial cable.
I also assembled a low-power FM transmitter kit a few years ago. The instructions were to connect the coax directly to the half-wavelength dipole.
More info here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dipole_antenna
Posted by: John Logue | Apr 17, 2017 at 07:12 PM