DAB radio - new Head unit or Adaptor ?

paulhelenwilko

paulhelenwilko

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Thinking of fitting a DAB radio or Adaptor. I like to listen to Radio 5 but as it's on MW reception is often crap.
Has anyone any experience of installing DAB, is it best to swap your head unit and install an aerial ( will you still need a digital and FM aerial ?) or buy an adaptor like Pure and then use bluetooth or FM, or AUX to connect to the existing installation ?

Paul
 
I've used both in the past. My advice is that it's a faff using an adaptor and the reception is nowhere as good as a fitted DAB radio. I would be bold and go for a replacement radio - the choice is yours.
 
Ref Adapters, on my Citroen DS4 I had the Alpine EZ-DAB (made by Pure) as a factory fit (they couldn't fit a Radio with integrated DAB for some reason) and I found that in my area that use to drop out fairly badly - but it was using a glass-mount DAB aerial.
On the Citroen DS5 I had an integrated FM/DAB unit and that used a standard aerial and DAB was a lot better but still dropped out.
On the Vauxhall Corsa I have now, that has an Integrated FM/DAB unit with a nifty feature - if DAB is lost it switches to FM until DAB signal is regained
On the 5 mile drive to the local town to me, there is one spot where DAB ALWAYS* drops. The DS4 I rarely used DAB on my area generally anyway as so poor; the DS5 would go silent in that dead zone; the Corsa switches from DAB to FM in that dead zone.
*But the T5 with the aerial mentioned earlier never lost DAB signal on that drive.

The Glass-mount aerials can actually be very good if the signal is ok - I have fitted lots in fact, but always say to people reception is not guaranteed - but supply and fit of a glass-mount aerial is a lot less cost than a roof-mounted one, so most folk decide to give it a go and of those, most are actually happy with it so that is great :)
 
Good info, thanks chaps. The transit aerial is fitted as part of the mirror assembly on the nearside.

I assume to change it for a DAB I would have to go to Ford ?
Could the siting of the aerial explain the awful reception we get now. Should it be higher, but the MH roof is fibreglass would the aerial still work or does it need to be grounded ?

Paulaerial transit.JPG
 
paulhelenwilko said:
Good info, thanks chaps. The transit aerial is fitted as part of the mirror assembly on the nearside.

I assume to change it for a DAB I would have to go to Ford ?
Could the siting of the aerial explain the awful reception we get now. Should it be higher, but the MH roof is fibreglass would the aerial still work or does it need to be grounded ?

PaulView attachment 40062
Click to expand...
Most of the VW T5 aerials are in the mirror as well and are dreadful (Mine was an integrated Screen Aerial being a higher spec model but was just as poor as the mirror ones.)
I wouldn't know if the DAB ones from Ford are any better (but I wouldn't put any money on it!)
The aerial I posted the info about does need a ground plate to work. Some bond a metal plate to the inside under where they fit the aerials and mount through that (I've never tried that myself but it seems logical)
 
I'm looking into this at the mo. Like others, I had a windscreen antenna and new Pioneer head unit - the reception was pretty poor. There is a well respected car audio fitter nearby who advertise a motorhome dab aerial which appears to fit along the front bumper but it's £95 + fitting.
 
bobj808 said:
I'm looking into this at the mo. Like others, I had a windscreen antenna and new Pioneer head unit - the reception was pretty poor. There is a well respected car audio fitter nearby who advertise a motorhome dab aerial which appears to fit along the front bumper but it's £95 + fitting.
Click to expand...
I don't know that system, but aerials tend to work best when they are as high as possible. I can just think an aerial fitted as low down as a bumper could possibly be one of the worst places, but maybe they have some clever way to get round this? IF you DO got for this, please report how it works - it could be a really handy setup if it works.
 
I have the same as you a Transit with same aerial it’s sihte and the panel it’s mounted on you can’t get to the back of it because of shear bolts you would have to break the plastic panel I have fitted a easidab and put the glass mounted aerial in the drivers door quater glass it’s still sihte, I have fitted a fm amplified glass T antennae on the drivers quater glass with a Y adapter a the rear of the stereo fm has improved 75% but most of the time and in France & Spain I just Bluetooth the “radio garden” app. You can’t beat sitting on a Spanish beach listening to blackburn hospital radio no adverts and it feels like home with the accent
 
I mentioned the bumper fitting hoping that someone else had one and could give feedback.
 
Never heard of one behind the bumper ? I always thought height was best, and besides this puts the aerial much closer to the engine and associated electrical noise ?

Paul.
 
Hi, it's from Ray Smith Audio at Dunbar, East Lothian - says it's for large vehicles like motorhomes with fibreglass etc bodies. Fits behind bumper according to their ad. Their audio is quite expensive but they do fit stuff you've bought yourself - I had a DAB fitted in my previous camper and they did warn me the windscreen mounted aerial wasn't all that good. They were correct! I would stress they are a very competent, professional company. Bob
 
Just been to the Ford dealers, to investigate. Always useful to look over the chaps shoulder at the wiring loom parts etc. For my 07 transit he could not identify a Dab replacement aerial for the FM one. He could over a DAB head unit for £650 !

The transit (and other fords) have a head unit that is double height but not exactly double DIN so to go after market requires an adaptor surround, and if going single DIN then the adaptor has a blank or shelf.

Then went to the local ICE specialist. He could do :

A single din DAB head unit £150. Installation kit (incl adaptor,screen aerial and wiring loom) £119. Installation £75
Total £350 ish.

A double DIN head unit around £500 so about £700 after fitting kit and installation.

The double Din unit you can add sat nav connectivity to your phone and some had a video connection for rear view camera (yellow connector)

I asked him about the screen aerial, he said that was all he ever fitted, never had a problem with them !
I think I am going to ask around a bit more about aerials, I suspect his customers were mainly boom boom boys who spend more on speakers and alloys than their Corsa is worth and not a lot of time listening to the radio.

The DAB head units made use of the existing aerial for FM/MW.

A quick look on ebay and there are DAB double din units at around £150 but unbranded. To be fair to the local ICE chap his head units were all top brands.

Paul
 
The thing about the screen aerials is if you live in an area of pretty good DAB service they will work fine - and if that installer is in that kind of area, he would be able to say that and his customers will also be happy as the typical car probably ventures maybe 10 miles from home at the most anyway.
A true travelling vehicle like a camper has to be setup to assume the worst signal quality and fit something to suit if possible.

Those Pioneer head units that chris linked to are super value for money. I fitted a similar Pioneer one to my T5 and was great. Super easy to add a reversing camera to them as well to use the big screen to see behind. I'd have got one for the LT if it wasn't a single-DIN slot
 
Chris356 said:
Here you go verything is just plug and play you just need a dab aerial
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Black-Do...259396?hash=item5d771ba6c4:g:n9oAAOSwdudbkTG~
https://www.halfords.com/technology/car-audio/dab-car-stereos/pioneer-avh-a3100dab-stereo
Click to expand...

The more you look into things the more complicated it gets. I messaged the place selling the fitting kit. Very helpful. I wanted to know if I could still use the steering wheel radio controls he has come back and said for that need this kit :
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Double-D...ocus-Fiesta-/251103016387?hash=item3a76e7f5c3

I also asked him about fitting a DAB aerial, he came back and said no issue use the current aerial and a splitter :
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/06-536-C...=item51d6236266:g:8qYAAOSwKwVaU0YK:rk:13:pf:0

Has anyone got any experience of these ? Surely if it were that simple everyone would be using them instead of faffing with stick on aerials.

Paul

 
A DAB aerial is not the same as an FM aerial. Yes, some are combined (like the one I posted) but they will usually have two leads - one for FM and one for DAB (like the one I posted).
Will that splitter work? I doubt it very much TBH.
You will notice the different connectors there? Most radios use a DIN (the round silver plug) plug for FM and a FAKRA (the small square plug) for DAB. VW happen to use the FAKRA Plug for FM as well so when I swapped out my VW radio for the Pioneer unit, I decided to try the existing aerial for DAB. waste of time. It picked up some stations but with a lot of dropout.
A old length of wire will pick up something and in some areas you could even get away with just that. You are honestly wasting your time with trying to use what you have already said is a very poor aerial for a different and even more demanding reception requirement. Buy the splitter and you will 99% be throwing you money away.

Update - just noticed the 'rating' for that splitter ... 1* out of 5' and review says 'waste of time'. Sounds about right.


In terms of that radio in the link doing FM when DAB not available... You just chose the band you want to listen on. Some areas have FM and no DAB. a few have DAB and no FM. some have neither and you are stuck with AM (North Wales was a good example! I got very familiar with the 'Atlantic 252' LW radio station).
 
I fitted a DAB head unit which then needs a DAB aerial fitted, fortunately it sticks the inside of the windscreen.

However, DAB reception where I live is quite patchy and it often drops out and reverts to FM automatically, which can be a bit of a pain if I’m listening to 5Live sports extra at the time as it just goes quiet.

Most of the time in NW Scotshire there isn’t any radio worth talking about. Then it’s iPod time, linked to the radio.

The unit in my new VW doesn’t seem to suffer quite as badly, perhaps a newer radio would make a difference, but it’s not bad enough for me to worry about as this radio only cost me about £80 5 years ago.
 
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