Blaupunkt's Alaska RDM168
www.blaupunkt.com
A2000 hits the road to put blaupunkt's latest digital receiver technology to the test.
by David Navone
The latest generation of Blaupunkt decks uses sophisticated digital R.F. signal processing to improve tuner performance. The Alaska is the top of the "good, better, best" pecking order with the Florida, and Nevada, following close behind. All three RD-168 decks have AM/FM/CD Players, 4 x 40-watt, four preamp outputs, RDS, PTY, auto-set clocks, and HiCut for improving reception in fringe areas. The Alaska adds 2-band digital parametric EQ, Sharx circuitry for reducing adjacent channel interference, and the ability to name CDs.

Bench Check to Alaska

This review leans more towards "hands-on" than hard specifications. So, we begin on the bench.

Prior to installing any component, we always perform a quick bench test. When tuner performance is a consideration, there's nothing like a high-quality reference antenna and lead-in cable for comparison testing. My reference analog tuner was state-of-the-art in the late 1970s, and it is still one of the best-engineered tuners in the world. It's also one of the best performing tuners because it can always be centered on the station with a signal strength meter. The reference antenna is nothing more than a 31-inch whip installed in the center of a 4- x 4-foot metal plate mounted on the roof of our shop.

AM and FM reception can change on a daily basis. Changes in sun spot activity, cloud cover, ionization, and the time of day can mean the difference between listening to a station 75 miles away and listening to static. To begin the test, I tune in my top five FM and top four AM stations using my reference tuner. Some of these stations are distant while other stations are jammed in between adjacent strong stations. The signal strength of each station is noted, and the antenna is then swapped over to the Alaska.

I'm pleased to report that the Alaska's AM and FM tuner sections worked as well as my reference tuner. But how can a digital tuner work as well as an analog tuner? The answer lies in the way the Alaska processes the radio signal. As the signal leaves the first IF (Intermediate Frequency) section, the signal is digitized. Everything after this is done in the digital domain. This powerful, and very unique, Blaupunkt digital processor permits both low and high reception sensitivity, switches between stereo (high signal) and mono (low signal), and automatically adjusts the IF bandwidth with their SHARX circuitry. By automatically compensating for signal strength with respect to adjacent channel interference, this tuner's performance was remarkable. The DigiCeiver tuner really works.

Installation and Operation

With the excellent results of the bench check, it was time to begin the installation. The single DIN-sized deck fit easily into the dash cavity and the wiring was standard - except that there's a cool feature that permits the deck to be played with the ignition off. A timer automatically cuts the power after around 50 minutes.

The volume control amounts to a flat rubber wheel with tracks that can be rotated. The power button is clearly marked "ON" and conveniently centered into the volume knob. It's refreshing to find a car audio deck with a clearly labeled "ON" button.

Accessing the RDS (Radio Data System) features of the Alaska absolutely requires the instruction manual. Activation of the AF (Alternate Frequency), PTY (Program Type), BA (Tuner Band), and TS (Travel Store (the six strongest stations)) sub-features is accomplished via holding the correct button down for 1/2-second, two seconds, or until a confirmation beep is heard. Menus are then scrolled by pressing the directional buttons. Holding the DIS button for eight seconds activates the clock. A beep then denotes a transition into a constant time display mode.

There are now enough RDS stations to make the system worth discussing. Basically, the circuitry inside the Alaska receives and processes information that is broadcast by certain FM stations. By knowing which buttons to press, only specific types of stations will be searched (i.e., News, Rock, etc.). Personally, I sometimes listen to National Public Radio while travelling. By selecting PUBLIC for the PTY, the Alaska will select only the correct PBS (Public Broadcast Stations) selections. The program types can be prioritized, scanned, and stored. Performing those tasks is one of the most challenging experiences in car audio. In fact, I'm recommending that IASCA and USAC consider a new field of competition: Programming RDS decks - without the manuals!

Baked Alaska on the Road Again

Before leaving the shop, we tried the "CD Naming" feature of the Alaska. The CD memory is capable of naming up to 30 CDs with the deck alone and up to 99 when a changer is added. When properly programmed, the display will automatically read up to eight characters (i.e., "ANDREA" for Andrea Boccelli). Then we tried to set the clock, but remembered that it could be automatically set when tuned to an RDS broadcast that also transmits the time. So we advanced up to the dual parametric equalizers.

LOW EQ was the first filter we adjusted and it can be set anywhere from 32 Hz up to 500 Hz. The HIGH EQ filter can be set between 630 and 10 kHz. The variances can be from -20 dB up to + 10dB. We chose a +5 dB bass boost at 80 Hz and a +5 dB boost at 5 kHz. By now, we're quite familiar with the DSC (Direct Software Control) feature of the Alaska and found the equalizer functions relatively easy to adjust.

The summer temperatures in central California get darn hot. With the Alaska installed correctly, and my trusty owner's manual close at hand, it was time to hit the hot road and check out the deck. Before leaving, we installed Blaupunkt's Thummer III wireless remote control. This small unit easily attaches to the steering wheel and it permitted me to easily operate the deck with both hands on the steering wheel. We then drove to San Francisco and checked out my pet AM and FM stations along the way. While this isn't an A-B test of tuner performance, I noticed that the Blaupunkt was capable of receiving one weak FM station (KUOP at 91.3 MHz) all the way through the Altamont hills and into the Livermore valley. This is unusual. The quality of the signal degraded from stereo down to mono, but with talk radio, there's little difference.

As the tuner was manually advanced from the bottom to the top of the bands (87.9, 88.1, 88.3, etc.), we noticed that there were very few stops that didn't contain some type of signal. We adjusted the SHARX on and off and manually set the Stereo/Mono control to check the differences. Obviously, the highest quality FM stereo signal would be with the SHARX set for widest bandwidth; however, the ability to pull in the weakest signals depends on the interference between adjacent channels. That's where the SHARX circuitry really works. As we tuned in stations, the Sharx processor narrowed the bandwidth, effectively blocking interference from strong stations on nearby frequencies. It really works.

In conclusion, the tuner performance of Blaupunkt's Alaska RDM-168 is among the best decks I've ever road tested. The Alaska's bench performance matched that of a high-end home analog tuner, and it looks like Blaupunkt has a winner with their DigiCeiver tuner.
For more details, contact Blaupunkt at 800-323-1943, or visit www.blaupunkt.com on the Web.