Internet Radio Streaming Device

[Toxxyc]

Good afternoon to all the fine gents and ladies here. I have a problem, and I hope you can help.

We recently moved to a small town, and now my wife's grandmother is also moving here. She listens to Pretoria FM on a daily basis, and only after arriving here did we all realize Pretoria FM does not really get received well here. I have checked Pretoria FM's website and they have a list of frequencies posted, here: https://www.pretoriafm.co.za/frekwensies/

I've checked every one of those frequencies. We're in Nylstroom (Modimolle) but none of those frequencies work, not even close. It's just white noise all the way. I've checked Warmbad (Bela Bela), Naboom (Mookgophong) and Vaalwater as the closest ones as well, carefully, but they just don't work.

Now, Grandma is 88 years old and she's, for all practical purposes, almost completely blind. She's not technologically advanced either. She's used to turn the knob on her radio and Pretoria FM plays. Now I need to find a solution. I've thought about an amplifying antenna, but if there's no reception here, it's a moot point, so I don't want to spend the money and then it just doesn't work.

Next, I thought about a internet radio player, but I'm not sure how well it'll hold up with power outages. Will it remember the last set frequency or channel, for example? Can anyone help? It's quite urgent, as she spends her day listening to the radio and from tomorrow, she'll have nothing to do, and we want her to be happy.

HELP?

 

[Cowboy]

Is this not available on DStv using the DMX?

Obviously won't work with power outages but if you have a decoder and a dish it should be as simple as setting the channel on the decoder and plugging it into a TV.

 

[mygoggie]

As @Cowboy said DSTV channel 887.

Also look at the Philips and Panasonic and numerous other DAB players. Just be careful when buying from Amazon with the voltage!

In the meantime use an old cell phone playing to a Bluetooth speaker.

 

[Toxxyc]

A phone can't work, she can't operate a phone. Keep in mind it's a practically blind 88 year old "plaas tannie". She thinks electric windows in a car is advanced.

I checked around for internet streamers, and found a Xiaomi smart speaker thing that should work. I am just worried that when it switches off, it won't remember the previous channel it is playing. And asking her to say "Ok Google" to the speaker is not going to work at all.

We are exploring the DStv side, but it might take some time to get a TV and decoder and to figure out the smart card things, etc. I would prefer not subbing her to DStv to be honest.

 

[Family_Dog]

Offhand, I can't think of any streamer that will automatically revert to a specific stream after a power outage, all the ones I have need to be restarted.

Perhaps think about a small Inverter with battery to power the streamer, router & bedside radio during power outages, all should then be good.


-F_D

 

[mygoggie]

A phone can't work, she can't operate a phone. Keep in mind it's a practically blind 88 year old "plaas tannie". She thinks electric windows in a car is advanced.

I checked around for internet streamers, and found a Xiaomi smart speaker thing that should work. I am just worried that when it switches off, it won't remember the previous channel it is playing. And asking her to say "Ok Google" to the speaker is not going to work at all.

We are exploring the DStv side, but it might take some time to get a TV and decoder and to figure out the smart card things, etc. I would prefer not subbing her to DStv to be honest.

You switch the cell phone on and leave it on and plugged into the charger. She can find and press the Bluetooth speaker on/off. Simple.

Do not buy a streamer. Buy a DAB player as I said. You program the stations in and an on/off will not change anything.

 

[Cowboy]

We are exploring the DStv side, but it might take some time to get a TV and decoder and to figure out the smart card things, etc. I would prefer not subbing her to DStv to be honest.

Not sure which package you have to be on as a minimum for DMX, but seem to recall that they have deals starting from about R99 a month? Also look into the other satellite service (don't recall what the name is).

Oh and the modern decoders don't come with smart cards - you just plug them in and phone up DStv. Takes then a few minutes to connect you once they have the decoder details.

 

[Toxxyc]

Offhand, I can't think of any streamer that will automatically revert to a specific stream after a power outage, all the ones I have need to be restarted.

Perhaps think about a small Inverter with battery to power the streamer, router & bedside radio during power outages, all should then be good.


-F_D

Waaaaay too much admin. She's in care, and getting inverters and things unfortunately won't work.

As an update though, I was driving through town this morning and thought I'd station hop around a bit. The radio in my car refused to pick up 104.2 (the station's frequency in Pretoria) but when I manually scanned to it, it picked it up, and it works. It's not crystal clear, but it is definitely clear enough. However, it seems to not receive so well on her old radio.

But she knows the radio, and can operate it blind.

Would an extended or amplified antenna not do the job? I am going over in a bit to see what I can make of it there, but it's always smart to ask beforehand, I guess?

 

[Family_Dog]

Does the radio have a jack for an external antenna? Or does it use a whip antenna?

You could use an outdoor Antenna - Ellies used to sell these, not sure if they still do, but you need to earth it for safety against lightning. Or perhaps mount it in the ceiling if there is space?


-F_D

 

[Toxxyc]

Does the radio have a jack for an external antenna? Or does it use a whip antenna?

You could use an outdoor Antenna - Ellies used to sell these, not sure if they still do, but you need to earth it for safety against lightning. Or perhaps mount it in the ceiling if there is space?


-F_D

I went to check. The radio has a built-telescopic antenna and it broke off YEARS ago. It worked in Pretoria, but doesn't work here.

We are getting a TV for her with a decoder, though. The subscription of R99 a month will have to do. I think that might be the easiest option. There's a spare TV and decoder in the family for her.

 

[Family_Dog]

Just first try tape a ±700mm piece of insulated copper wire vertically attached to the base of the existing telescopic antenna. Tape it against a wall or something just to test if it works. She is used to the radio but not the TV with a possible finicky remote. Alternatively, does your existing radio have an RCA audio input which you could couple to the decoder?


-F_D

 

[Toxxyc]

Just first try tape a ±700mm piece of insulated copper wire vertically attached to the base of the existing telescopic antenna. Tape it against a wall or something just to test if it works. She is used to the radio but not the TV with a possible finicky remote. Alternatively, does your existing radio have an RCA audio input which you could couple to the decoder?


-F_D

No the radio is a Sansui micro-hifi. I checked it out, it has NO inputs on the back whatsoever. It's quite stupid, actually.

Either way, I stuck a piece of wire in the antenna's hole, and held it up. When I tuned to RSG, the reception actually got worse when I stuck the wire in there. Not sure why. I tried with a few different pieces of wire.

Regarding the DAB player - where does one get these things, and how would I know if the station is supported? I spent some time on Google but I can't seem to find an answer on this...

 

[Family_Dog]

The reception should have improved but the wire needs to be vertical to match the vertical polarisation of the transmitted signal. Are there any LED lights close by? These have a bad effect of radio signals.


-F_D

 

[Toxxyc]

The reception should have improved but the wire needs to be vertical to match the vertical polarisation of the transmitted signal. Are there any LED lights close by? These have a bad effect of radio signals.


-F_D

Yeah there definitely are. Place is packed with LEDs.

I also tried my Yamaha amp at home, with the built in receiver, it only now and then finds a hint of 104.2.

I also tried a portable radio, but that also produced just a faint sound on the frequency.

I think we're going to go buy a TV and decoder, and set it on the correct channel for her. Teaching her how to operate the one button on the remote should be fine.

 

[Cowboy]

Are there any LED lights close by? These have a bad effect of radio signals.

This I have never heard about before. Now I am pointing fingers at Sonoff whose 2.4Ghz smart LED globes are all around my desk and which might be the culprits causing havoc with my Apple wireless trackpad. Hmmmm...

 

[Toxxyc]

OK so now there's a new problem. We ended up buying a TV and decoder. Installed and it's working, yay. Problem is every morning, grandma wakes up and the decoder is either off, or it's set to a random station that is not Pretoria FM. And she's blind, can't work the remote to set it back.

So now my question - why would the decoder drop the channel all the time? Can I force it to stick to channel 887 only? I'm at my wits end here.

 

[mygoggie]

Would help if we know the model of the decoder.

 

[Toxxyc]

Sorry, I didn't think of that. It's this one, the 9S HD Decoder: https://www.spacetv.co.za/product/dstv-hd-single-view-decoder-model-9s-recmc4141-hd/

 

[mygoggie]

Seems like the installation is not aligned truely to the satellite, The installation should still be under consumer protection, so get the guys to come back and sort out the installation.

 

[Toxxyc]

I'll get the guys out to come take a look, thanks. Yeah I bought the decoder + installation and all that and it was done around 2 weeks ago.