Radios have been around since the end of the 1800s, yet few of us really take the time out to think about how they work. The basic physics behind it involves radio waves which are sent out from a transmitter to your radio’s antenna. These waves are invisible and work with both analogue and digital radios. When your favourite programme is recorded, this data is converted from audio into a radio wave and then sent out to be picked up by any antennas tuned into that frequency.

There is a difference between how analogue and digital radios work though. With the former, data is sent out by modulating the amplitude (AM) or the frequency (FM) of the radio wave in question. Digital signals send out coded messages which are simply carried by these electromagnetic waves. This extra data contains more than just the song or the talkback. It can also provide you with details about the radio station, the artist playing or the DJ currently spinning out the tracks.

When this signal hits your radio, the antenna then catches it and converts it into something that you can hear. This process takes a few seconds, meaning that digital radios actually lag behind their analogue counterparts. You can test this out by placing these two types of radio next to each other and tuning into the same radio station. The digital version will be a few seconds behind as it assembles the pieces of data into something that you can then listen to.

Despite this short lag, digital radios have a variety of benefits that make them preferable to the old, analogue versions. Firstly because of the digital nature of the signals, interference by tall buildings or tunnels is virtually done away with as the information contained within can travel onwards regardless of what stands between the transmitter and receiver. Issues such as static and crackly audio are basically a thing of the past thanks to this new digital advancement.

The quality of the audio output is also drastically improved when comparing digital radios to their older analogue versions. This is because more information can actually be contained within these coded messages, allowing your radio to then play a sound which is crisper and clearer than before. Your AM stations will play like FM ones and the FM stations will sound like you are hearing them from a CD. Thus, you can hear better quality sound no matter what you are listening to.

Learn more about digital radios.