[IRCA] IBOC Listening Tips

[Barry McLarnon <bdm@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Since digital interference is very noise-like, it can be difficult to pick out 
at times.  In order to distinguish IBOC digital signals from other sources of 
noise, I strongly urge the use of SSB mode reception as a tool.

If you're not sure whether a given station is running IBOC, try tuning it in 
SSB mode rather than AM mode.  You should hear a low frequency "rumbling" or 
"burbling" in the audio, especially during quiet pauses in the program.  
Obviously, this is just a diagnostic tool, not a basis for complaint to the 
station about their lousy audio quality!  However, if they also sound lousy 
in AM mode, that's a different story...

If you're trying to determine whether noise on a channel is due to an IBOC 
sideband from a 1st adjacent station, again, use SSB mode.  If it's IBOC, 
there will be a distinct difference in noise level when you flip between LSB 
and USB mode (unless you're unlucky enough to be getting roughly equal levels 
of IBOC from both 1st adjacents).  The source of the IBOC noise is on the 
*opposite* side from the sideband that gives the higher noise level.  For 
example, if you're tuned to 1110 and get more noise on USB than LSB, then the 
source of the noise is likely to be a station on 1100.

Again, I'm not advocating SSB mode reception as a basis for listener 
complaints, but simply as a tool to help you determine whether it's really 
IBOC you're hearing and, if so, what the source is.

Barry

-- 
Barry McLarnon  VE3JF  Ottawa, ON
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