Does anybody have any predictions on when or if we will ever see a portable HD radio? Maybe something Sony Walkman size?

Jim,

I read an article last week that said a chip is in development that will support portable HD. Find it at: http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0054/t.2231.html.

Closest thing I've found: http://www.evisteon.com/prod_serv/mobile_electronics/products/hd_jump/index.shtml

Reminds me a little of my Roady and its Walkman-style adapter case. At least with HD Radio, you won't have to wear the antenna on your head.

oh that HD Jump looks *perfect* but I can't find anyone selling it! (Nor can I find details on the ports on the back and stuff). I think it's a little too new...

Some specs would be nice... what's the dimensions? They mention an FM transmitter (to the car radio) is that built-in? Where's the user guide?

If they can get this pushed out in the market, might be a winner. Just need something that fits well in the car...

Visteon tells me that the radio will be at retail shops and at dealerships starting in early April. It's 12 volt. MSRP is $249. Working on getting a spec sheet. UPDATE: got pdf's of the brochures. E-mail me if you want them: drdoncarpenter@gmail.com

Ports on the back: DC in, Aux in, Audio Out, Antenna in, Antenna Out. Think that also answers the built-in transmitter question (most likely yes). Dimensions I don't have. PDF files are too large for AVS.

DrDon, check your e-mail
and thanks!!

Thank Visteon. They replied very quickly to my requests.

Thanks

Doc

More info: The Jump will be the first radio to display data from both HD1 and HD2 streams simultaneously. For example, you could see what's playing on WVMV-HD2 while you're listening to the main channel.

Doc

That is a nice feature. I like comedy and one of the local HD stations has an all cody format. I would be tempted to get HD just for that and the Jump might work very nicely for that application.

More info: The Jump will be the first radio to display data from both HD1 and HD2 streams simultaneously. For example, you could see what's playing on WVMV-HD2 while you're listening to the main channel.

Doc

I think Directed Electronics beat Visteon with this feature, which is available on their table top radio. I've played with one of these units and it does show what's on the HD2 while listening to the main channel, and vice versa. However, this radio is not yet widely available.

I was just parroting what the marking mgr told me. Apologies. Still working on getting a prototype to fool with. I'll let you know if I have any success with that.

I took the PDFs DrDon was kind enough to e-mail me and threw 'em up on my web server for all to enjoy if anyone's interested.....


http://www.tydalforce.net/hdjump/HD_Jump_Brochure.pdf

http://www.tydalforce.net/hdjump/HD_Jump_Sellsheet.pdf

I may create some kind of 12v supply this summer to turn my Accurian into a "portable", just to fool around with it.

Or buy an inverter. Yeah, I'm that lazy.

Still working on getting a prototype to fool with. I'll let you know if I have any success with that. Success! Started a new thread here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=826171

Doc

Or buy an inverter. Yeah, I'm that lazy.

Stay away from those inverters they make for running a laptop in the car.....BUUUUUUUUUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!

Here it is a year later, are we any closer to a small portable HD radio than we were a year ago?

From rec.radio.shortwave usenet newsgroup:

HD Radio

Until now, portable HD Radio receivers have been unavailable because
the chipsets needed by this technology required too much power to be
practical for a battery-operated device. However, in January 2008 at
the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas iBiquity unveiled a
prototype of a new iPod-sized portable receiver. It is based on a new
chipset developed by Samsung. Although portable, it is still a
relatively power-hungry device (it will run on an average set of
alkaline batteries in about two hours, according to an iBiquity
engineer). But Samsung engineers at CES say a second-generation
chipset due in 2009 will be about 40 percent more power efficient and
then a third-generation chipset due about a year later will use even
less energy. According to iBiquity, Sony and others have expressed an
interest in using the first-generation chipset and that the first
portable HD Radios could be on the retail market in the USA as early
as Christmas 2008."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HD_Radio

When I read about information such as the portable HD radio chipsets in the above post, I have to wonder - why don't they just skip developing the first generation, maybe the second generation, if they already "know" that a third generation chip will be develped, and concentrate on developing the third generation? If I know that a second generation chip will use 40% less energy, why would I buy the first generation? Is it the business model of "a sucker is born every day"?

They're probably anticipating money from the 2nd generation to make the 3rd generation. I can predict newer formats of say storage of things beyond dvd's but it won't happen for awhile. It's kinda like if people didn't buy cars with automatic starters and were waiting for fuel injection...