[access-uk] : Accessible Pocket DAB Radio Identified.
- From: David Griffith <daj.griffith@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2015 14:22:50 +0000
I will post this on both the BCAB and Access lists as there is likely to
be interest in this.
At long last I have found a good accessible pocket DAB radio. The
headline news for me is that the reception is good, the volume level and
sound quality is fantastic at about 50% better than the current Pure
models and best of all it is entirely usable in all its functions so far
for a completely blind user.
First of all the product name is
DAB Radio, GMYLE PPM001 RDS DAB/DAB+ Portable Digital Radio and MP3
Player with TF Card Slot and Built-in Battery Charger.
The other headline is that this Radio is also a bargain at £32 from Amazon.
One off sighted help may be needed to set up the initial scan of digital
stations but I hope eventually to learn the keystoke to do this.
The device is small and light, its length about the length of my index
finger and about half a finger's width wide. I do have big hands but you
can get an idea from that.
On the top edge of the device is a 3.5 headphone jack and a Mini USB
charging socket. The ear buds supplied seemed cheap and i
instantly discarded them for my normal earphones.
On the bottom edge of the device is a micro SD card slot for Mp3
functions and a reset hole. I have not yet investigated MP3
functionality as I have to purchase a micro SD card.
On the front of
the device is a screen at the top, below that is 2 buttons, the one on
the left is a menu button for use with screen functions, the one on the
right is a mode button which cycles through DAB FM and MP3 player modes.
Below that is a classic big round button surrounded by a familiar
circular rocker switch.
To turn the device on and off you hold the big center button down for 3
seconds.
To increase or decrease the volume you click the rocker circle up or
down. Amazingly despite its mini size this is the only device I have
where the maximum volume is too loud even without hearing aids for me.
This would be an ideal device for hearing impaired people who would
struggle to hear normal commercial radios.
To change stations you click the rocker circle on either side of the big
center button. There is a sequence you need to follow which is easy to
learn. To move to an adjoining station you need to click the rocker
circle to the right or left twice, then press the center button and the
station will change. What is happening is that the first click puts the
display into station mode, the second click will change the station
displayed and the press of the center button will confirm the desired
station change.
So if you are counting the stations you want to change to you ignore the
first click. So I have learnt for example that pressing 4 times to the
left and pressing the center button will move me from 5 Live to TalkSport.
Similarly pressing 8 clicks rightwards from Five Live will put me on
Radio 4 Extra.
There is a preset functionality for this device which I am investigating
but in practice so far I am changing to the stations I need to easily by
learning how many click to make to get to each station. .
The Amazon website customer reviews claim that there is no hold switch
but by experiment I have found this is not strictly true. There is a
station hold function. You can invoke this by pressing the center button
twice and you will be locked onto that station and prevented from
accidental station change. To release the lock cycle the mode switch
from DAB to FM and Mp3 and back to DAB and full key functionality will
be returned.
FM Radio functionality is as you would expect with tuning by using the
right and left click and reception again in my area seems excellent.
So in short this small budget radio is massively outperforming my Move
2500 personal pocket radio from Pure at less than half the price.
Reception, sound volume, and quality and usability are far superior.
So for once this is a good news story.
Of course I have, before I wrote this review, ordered a second model as
a back up as devices like this accessible to blind people are a bit like
goldest nowadays.
David Griffith
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