article date: Wednesday, March 16, 2011

ref: 368

Clever things DAB digital radios. Not only do they take the hassle out of tuning in to different radio stations, but they always seem to know what stations are on air. Right? Well, yes and no. They are clever, but sometimes your digital radio might need some help finding new stations. Let us explain…

When you switch your digital radio on for the very first time, there will probably be a set-up procedure. This lets the digital radio find and remember the stations that are on air where you live. Great. But sometimes things change – new stations are launched both locally and nationally, some stations close down and some stations change their names.

Most of the latest digital radio models have been programmed by the manufacturer to do another check of the airwaves from time to time. This means that without you realising, the radio is automatically updating its list of stored radio stations so you can tune in to new ones, like Jazz FM, as they’re launched.

For DAB digital radios that are a number of years old you may have to rescan the radio yourself if you want to keep on top of any changes to the choice of stations. It’s usually not complicated to do, but the process varies from radio to radio. First, check if your radio needs to have a rescan by looking through the list of stations to see if you can find Absolute 80s or BFBS Radio. If they’re nowhere to be seen, then it may be time to do some updating…

With such a huge range of digital radios on the market both today and in the past, it’s not practical for us to demonstrate how to rescan every single one. However, there's a decent general guide at getdigitalradio.

If you’ve still got it (and know where it is!), then your instruction manual should also explain how to rescan your radio. Look out for references to Autotune, Auto Tune, Scan or Store/Search. For some radios it can be as simple as pressing and holding this button for a few seconds, then you’ll see words like ‘Searching’ or ‘Scanning’ or ‘Progress’ and perhaps a bar graph or percentage count on the display screen. After less than a minute the radio should have completed its search and you will now be able to find any new stations. In-car radios are slightly different, so it’s best to flick through the various networks and check what stations appear on each one.

If our brief overview doesn’t do the trick and finding your manual poses too much of a challenge, then try looking online. Many DAB digital radio manufacturers have useful websites where you can find help and information. Try clicking on their links for ‘Support’ or ‘Customer Care’ or ‘Advice’. Often you can download product User Guides, read FAQs and find telephone numbers for calling the support team if you’re really stuck.


Article by: Dawn Banks

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