Re: Re: Subchannels. Text. Audio.

["Hakim Madjid" <HMadjid@mindspring.com>]

Yea basically Paul has summed it all up. RDS = Radio Data System. Like SCA
it is transmitted on a subcarrier with the standard FM broadcast channel.
It is intended to brodacast text messages and other data that can be
displayed on a radio equiped with a proper decoder, like the Radio Shack
DX-398 AM/FM Shortwave radio (a re badged Sangean AST-909).

As Paul points out, a staition can transmit stuff like call letters, a blurb
like FM Talk, a song title, traffic report or what have you. The RDS spec
also hast provisons for including special bit codes that send the stations
program format, and a list of 'alternative frequencies'. That way a RDS
radio could automatically be programmed to tune to a listener's favorite
program format as he/she travelled to different cities.

RDS is kind of a cool technology, but as I've said it seems to be slow to
catch on in the US. Although a few years ago, [if I'm not misaken] General
Motors was making a big push to equip their factory head units with RDS
capability.


73, de Hakim (N1ZFF)

----- Original Message -----
From: <hopfgapr@sprynet.com>
To: "Don Saklad" <dsaklad@gnu.org>
Cc: <boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 28, 2001 8:33 AM
Subject: Re: Re: Subchannels. Text. Audio.


> I beieve that stands for "Radio Data System"
>
> My Realistic DX-398 has RDS display...basically it's used to show Call
letters or "other ID info" (for example, if your in Boston and you tune to
96.9 FM, "Fmtalk" shows up on the RDS display (or something like that) shows
up on the RDS display. Most Stations simply show their Call letters.
>
> -Paul Hopfgarten
> -Derry NH
>
> Don Saklad <dsaklad@gnu.org> wrote:
> > rds?...
>