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General Vintage Technology Discussions For general discussions about vintage radio and other vintage electronics etc. |
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29th Sep 2017, 4:31 pm | #1 |
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Don't know how to use a radio anymore?
I was a bit taken aback this morning while watching the TV when they had a news article on about 50 years of Radio One and were out in the street with what looked like a simple analogue 80's style portable radio and asked a selection of teenagers if they knew how to use it. Not many did. I suppose if they listen to radio at all nowadays it's via streaming on the internet. Oh dear.
Alan. |
29th Sep 2017, 4:45 pm | #2 |
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Re: Don't know how to use a radio anymore?
It's terrible...Same with forums, all internet based these days...
Back in the day we would all save up and wait to see our favourite pop stars instead of buying those instant sound record disc things with them on it... Lawrence. |
29th Sep 2017, 4:47 pm | #3 |
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Re: Don't know how to use a radio anymore?
I saw the report as well. They were just children with no interest in radio, so why should they know how to use one? I also suspect the vox pops were highly selective to fit the reporter's story. BBC News loves vox pops but they are rarely enlightening.
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29th Sep 2017, 4:59 pm | #4 |
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Re: Don't know how to use a radio anymore?
I heard the clip on R4 first thing this morning too .... and immediately dismissed it/assumed that I had yet to fully wake-up and down a coffee!!
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29th Sep 2017, 5:01 pm | #5 |
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Re: Don't know how to use a radio anymore?
""I also suspect the vox pops were highly selective to fit the reporter's story""
Just a little.... If kids can do computers, hacking, apps and a myriad of other online stuff that's totally alien to me then I don't think figuring out how to operate a radio would be too much of a problem if push came to shove. Lawrence. |
29th Sep 2017, 5:03 pm | #6 |
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Re: Don't know how to use a radio anymore?
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29th Sep 2017, 5:13 pm | #7 |
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Re: Don't know how to use a radio anymore?
It's all "good" for one to pick your music (I was going to add plays/drams but...) then you only get what you think is good (or what twitfacetubegoog seem appropriate).
I have Radio 4 on most of the time and sometimes cringe at what I am given, still I persevere and find most of it well worth a listen. It expands my brain, focused channels will never do this. |
29th Sep 2017, 6:02 pm | #8 |
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Re: Don't know how to use a radio anymore?
I actually wished I didn't know how to use a radio on one occasion last month.
Ronnie Barbour on BBC Essex asked people to phone in with an answer as he didn't know 'how they get the bubble into a spirit level'? He was employed by the RAF at one point....What as, I am not sure. |
29th Sep 2017, 6:20 pm | #9 |
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Re: Don't know how to use a radio anymore?
It's not unusual for radio presenters and magazine editors to ask questions to which they know the answer. It's to encourage audience participation.
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29th Sep 2017, 6:21 pm | #10 |
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Re: Don't know how to use a radio anymore?
I saw that report as well. If asked I would have said 247m
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29th Sep 2017, 6:26 pm | #11 |
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Re: Don't know how to use a radio anymore?
I will never understand this thing of streaming and listening on the internet surely using a computer is hard using a radio is easy . Also I done think you can call listening online radio its not radio is what we do its AM or CM not bits of data
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29th Sep 2017, 8:44 pm | #12 |
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Re: Don't know how to use a radio anymore?
Sad to say that regards the Spirit Level episode the presenter was actually serious- he genuinely hadn't grasped it! It was amusing though, so i suppose that fulfils some of the remit of local radio..
As regards the thread subject it's a classic example of a non-story. A little sad perhaps but certainly not an issue that's restricted to the young. Another example- someone i worked with traded in a newish car that they were (otherwise) totally satisfied with because 'the front tyres kept going flat'. I think a reasonably savvy 18yr old could be trained to fly a DC3 in a matter of months- and would then be totally out of their comfort zone if you put them in something modern- and would probably hate it! I have just acquired a slide rule as part of my effort to not lose the past; if i haven't grasped it by xmas it will be passed to someone who knows how to drive it! |
29th Sep 2017, 10:45 pm | #13 |
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Re: Don't know how to use a radio anymore?
I guess it's what you're used to technology-wise.
if it was possible to send teens from 1967 a DAB I'm sure they would have trouble tuning it in without any instructions. |
29th Sep 2017, 10:52 pm | #14 |
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Re: Don't know how to use a radio anymore?
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29th Sep 2017, 10:52 pm | #15 |
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Re: Don't know how to use a radio anymore?
Let's see them get to grips with a Racal RA17
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29th Sep 2017, 11:04 pm | #16 |
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Re: Don't know how to use a radio anymore?
Exactly. We listen on the radio because we always did (and we like it that way). Nowadays the programme material, which is what we're actually listening to, is available in many more ways and many people just don't use a stand alone radio any more. The interviewees were probably demonstrating their degrees of practicality as much as anything else.
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29th Sep 2017, 11:08 pm | #17 |
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Re: Don't know how to use a radio anymore?
And they muttered about "old school" FM's days being numbered. FM is still the best transmission channel, if only they can stop themselves Optomoding it to blazes - even Flac glitches over my reasonable-rate broadband, and this data-reduced is scarcely to be borne with at all. O tempora, O mores...
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29th Sep 2017, 11:23 pm | #18 | |
Heptode
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Re: Don't know how to use a radio anymore?
Quote:
I’m sure many do but to be fair why should they, I’m sure there’s plenty obsolete tech I’ve no idea how to use...I bet they can’t set the timer on a video recorder either. John |
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30th Sep 2017, 12:01 am | #19 |
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Re: Don't know how to use a radio anymore?
What possible reason would a teenager have for listening to broadcast radio (or television, for that matter)? A quick search through the FM band produces a cacophony of racket, endless news, travel news, adverts, phone in's, Dave the gardener and BBC local radio all broadcast in appalling quality .There is certainly nothing there for younger people- or me either!!
Broadcast radio is as obsolete today as 405 TV was in the late 70's. The internet offers endless choice and I am very happy that it does- I stream radio and music constantly- after all, it's the content rather than the medium that is important. I'm sure young people have much better ways of entertaining themselves than listening to the radio! All the best Nick |
30th Sep 2017, 12:48 am | #20 |
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Re: Don't know how to use a radio anymore?
They are legally obliged to keep pushing this line under the terms of their charter, no matter how irritating it may be to many of us. Politicians of all parties haven't shown much interest in preserving the BBC's independence over the last 20 years, and BBC management have mostly rolled over when push came to shove.
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