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Radio Redditch vs TomTom MP3 broadcast

5 November 2009

Redditch has a new radio station called Radio Redditch. It broadcasts on 87.9Mhz FM (VHF). I am a fan of local radio stations and I think Redditch is in an ideal situation for a local radio station. There are a number of radio stations that can be received in Redditch, but before Radio Redditch none really provided the local focus on Redditch. The main stations are:

The issue is the frequency that they've been allocated 87.9 Mhz which is the one frequency that up till now I've been able to use my TomTom MP3 radio broadcast.

Radio frequencies are managed by Ofcom and it seams that the number of available frequencies is reducing.

I have a TomTom GO 730 which includes an MP3 player which can broadcast to an in-car radio using a low power FM transmitter. This provides similar functionality to the iPod fm transmitters that were one of the driving forces behind the change in law to allow low power transmitters in 1996.

These transmitters work quite well as long as there are no other transmitters in range on that same frequency. If there is another transmitter then the signal becomes garbled or you may end up with a situation where part of each signal is being received.

The TomTom allows you to select any frequency in the FM range, but normally a frequency at the extreme of the FM is the best bet to avoid the commercial radio stations. This is particularly important when driving around (as you are likely to be doing if you have a TomTom) as whilst you can usually find a gap locally chances are some other radio station is likely to be at or near that frequency. 87.9 FM is the very bottom of the range so is not used much by commercial radio stations, although that seams to be changing.

Low power transmitters are very convenient if you can find a free frequency, but finding that free frequency is getting harder, which is a shame so soon after they have actually become legal. Hopefully in future car stereos will act as a virtual bluetooth headphone or similar, but until then low power transmitters can still be useful as long as you can find a free frequency in the area you drive in the most.

Good luck to Radio Redditch in its future plans to obtain a permanent broadcast license.