JUL 15

For music-lovers, DAB Radios are great, they deliver crystal-clear sound without the usual background hiss that you get with analogue. However, high quality audio comes at an environmental price, since DAB radios guzzle far more energy than old-school receivers.

Step forward UK company Roberts, which has just launched SolarDAB, the first ever solar-powered DAB radio. The unit comes with an integrated solar panel on the top, which absorbs direct sunlight in order to power the radio. Under good conditions, this should also be enough to charge the batteries, which are capable of delivering 27 hours of play time per charge, enabling use away from direct sunlight.

The power level generated is indicated by an on-screen display, and there is also a good old mains adaptor for use when visiting less sunny areas. The unit also boasts a text-display and a line-in socket, so that users can plug in an MP3 when they’re bored with the radio. This goes quite a bit beyond the eco-improvements made by the Pure Evoke-1S by getting that good old sustainable charge factor into the design.

At £80 (around $160), the unit isn’t particularly cheap, but given the exceptionally high energy-usage of DAB radios (and rocketing energy prices), it’s likely that it could pay back the initial cost over a fairly short period of time – a sound investment!

Via Roberts Radio

Comments (3)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Demand?
written by The Food Monster, July 15, 2008

http://thefoodmonsterblog.blogspot.com
Are DAB radios really in that high of demand? This is the first I have heard of them. And solar powered or not, I don't think $160 is worth it to change up radios.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by Clinch, July 15, 2008

America doesn't have DAB yet, but a lot of places do (Canada, most of west Europe, Australia, China, India etc.).

I don't think this product is that great, because DAB will soon be replaced/upgraded to DAB (which is more efficient, but I'm not sure if that's only the signal, or if it's energy efficient as well).

And I'm not sure, but if the digital switchover applies to radio as well as TV, then they will be in high demand.

• 
• +0
• 
• 

...
written by Personal DAB Radio, September 29, 2009

Whilst this radio is a little on the pricey side, it does have some nice features. I think it does look a bit "clunky" though compared to some other radios - but that's just personal taste I suppose :-)

• 
• +0
• 
• 

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (registered users only)

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment