DAB in cars

ash_scotland88

ash_scotland88

ash_scotland88

Soldato
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1 Jul 2007
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I remember I looked into this a couple of years ago but the general concensus was that it was pretty poor. DAB works find with a stationary radio but was pretty useless while moving.

Is this still the case?

Having a DAB radio in work I've gotten to enjoy a couple of the channels and would like them for use in my car. Any reconmendations for after market units?
 
Hi, both our cars have DAB and occasionally, very occasionally, the signal will be lost momentarily but not long enough to notice...
 
Looks like it depends where you are, i've just had a look at a few coverage maps and i'd get pretty much nothing, think it said 19% of roads in your area are covered by DAB..

Lets hope FM isn't going anywhere for a long time as i'd be stuffed!
 
I've a pioneer aftermarket DAB in my A4, I've an internal aerial - reception is pretty poor, drops out A LOT.
A friend has a magnetic external aerial, says that barely drops out at all
 
I looked at this a few years back too, and it seemed like the aerial was key. Poor quality or cheap ones will cause no end of issues, you really need a decent external one and it will be fine.
 
Got DAB in my '13 plate fiesta.

There's an option in the settings to drop back to FM when the DAB signal dies, but it obviously only applies to the stations that transmit on both frequencies.

I have mine set to planet rock 24/7 and there's only a few areas where it will die, but then I know these to be black spots for most signals (even FM!) and it's usually only down for 5-6 seconds at most.

It depends on the coverage in your area as with any form of receiver.
 
The aerial is key, my DAB was terrible in the odd place using the internal aerial supplied, but using an amplified external one has made a vast difference in reception.
 
I had an aftermarket one in my M3 and it was unusable, got standard fit on in the XKR and its superb
 
Ive had a pure dab unit with a proper aerial and it was fine on the whole. But loads of breakups around nottingham etc.

I have a std fit dab now and its spot on. No drop outs.
 
I've got it in my mk2.5 focus and I can't recall a time when it has ever dropped, and I live in a rural area.

My mum has it in her mk3 focus and lives in a city and hers drops fairly often but only for a second or so.
 
EVH said:
There's an option in the settings to drop back to FM when the DAB signal dies, but it obviously only applies to the stations that transmit on both frequencies.
Click to expand...

DAB is several seconds behind the FM transmission so you would lose a bit.


DAB is a completely pointless project, the idea of stopping FM transmissions while people still have umpteen FM radios in their house is perverse.
Nobody gains, everybody loses. The government should knock this idea on the head.
 
bitslice said:
DAB is a completely pointless project, the idea of stopping FM transmissions while people still have umpteen FM radios in their house is perverse.
Nobody gains, everybody loses. The government should knock this idea on the head.
Click to expand...

Surely you could say that about anything? We have to move on as technology improves and DAB does have advantages over FM - it's a single frequency network which makes filling coverage gaps easier, more choice etc.

I have factory fit DAB in the car and use it all the time, around London it means no pirate interference which is a bonus!
 
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I'm looking into this at the moment, seems that the factory fit ones are superior to aftermarket.
 
bitslice said:
DAB is a completely pointless project, the idea of stopping FM transmissions while people still have umpteen FM radios in their house is perverse.
Nobody gains, everybody loses. The government should knock this idea on the head.
Click to expand...

Didn't stop DVB.

What DAB needs is for the government to get behind it. At the moment its there, but nobody is being forced onto it, so obviously the technology isn't being pushed or improved. If the government put a full switchover plan in place then it would force the tech to improve.

The problem is cars. Unlike DVB where a TV could be easily (and more importantly, cheaply) converted to digital, the same isn't true of car radios, and I think this is the one point holding DAB progression back.
 
Used to hgave DAB in my 330i, my Jaguar does not have it (although it was an option). The Jag I am in now whilst mine is in for repair does have it. Only had a couple of signal drops in my listening sessions, and usually only for a second or so.

I am contemplating getting it added to mine if I can do it cheaply enough.
 
OllyM said:
We have to move on as technology improves and DAB does have advantages over FM - it's a single frequency network which makes filling coverage gaps easier, more choice etc.
Click to expand...
Yep, move on if there is a market, but there isn't. What does DAB provide that FM doesn't? Naff all.
I've already got multiple stations to pick from if I ever get bored of R4 or late night R1, I can even get local radio should I ever be able to stomach their awful DJ's

They also lied to us about the technology, they kept pushing DAB when all along they knew that DAB+ would replace it but they didn't want to confuse the market.
Recently R4 have even tried to force the issue by only broadcasting content on DAB instead of FM - something very sneaky is going on.


Skeeter said:
Didn't stop DVB.
Click to expand...
Different market space.
TV's were already being replaced en-masse by LCD's, it didn't take much to see where the market was going. There was also a lot to gain, having free channels that people actually wanted to watch.

Which members of the public asked for or are demanding more crappy local radio stations? Nobody.
If nobody is asking for this, why are the Government forcing this through?

This is just going to be a colossal waste of the FM frequency which is bizarrely going to be handed over to second rate local radio which can't afford to get on a DAB multiplex.

I've got a nice Roberts radio that is good for 20 years, an even better Sony Hi-Fi radio and probably 6-7 radios or alarm clocks.
No way do I want to replace all these with power hungry DAB boxes just so some scroat in Dudley can tune into Asian Radio (which is actually a decent station btw)
 
DAB is never got to be the defacto until EVERY new car comes fitted with a DAB radio.
I think only 10% of new cars sold last year had DAB.
 
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