DAB Radio / DAB+

[dave_aber]

Anyone out there using DAB radio in the Bongo? I'm considering fitting a CKO Gold box unit. Pretty sure it's one of the best receivers available, but I'd be interested in anyone's experiences with different antennas, especially in marginal signal areas.


Cheers
Dave.

[Muzorewa]

we're using a Pure Highway that just selects a spare FM frequency to beam the signal into your existing FM receiver. Works well enough with a windscreen antenna but is a bit of a pain to keep retuning if you're travelling long distances as we have a habit of doing as the 'spare' frequency it's picked isn't necessarily spare once you've moved a good distance. A properly plumbed in unit should be good.

[g8dhe]

As at the end of 2011;

While the BBC's national VHF/FM radio transmitter networks enjoy approximately 98% population coverage, it is likely to be some years bef re their DAB coverage reaches this figure.

http://www.mds975.co.uk/txmaps/txmaps.html

[lancyman]

I have a highway too. It's very good. Easy to setup etc.
Only drawback is keeping the wires tidy, not a big issue really.

[dave_aber]

I looked at the Highway units, but last time I had a FM modulator (for playing MP3s) I was plagued by the same 'find a free channel' issues. Bit of a faff re-tuning all the time.

My cheapo chinese double-DIN head unit has a spare Video + Audio input channel, so suits the Gold Box unit perfectly.

The supplier I'm talking to is recommending a mag-mount antenna, which might fit in under the front of the AFT, which would be neat. If it's too big, it could go out in front of the AFT, but that would look a bit odd to say the least. If I can get an antenna which will fit into the underside of the AFT 'beak' then I'd also benefit from the height increase when the roof is up.

[lancyman]

Never had the re-tune issue with the highway. Had it in two different cars too.

[dave_aber]

It depends how far you drive really. Most FM channels are used and re-used as you drive up & down the country, so what is a free channel in London may be in use by a 'real' station by the time you get to Oxford, so you have to shift your re-modulator off to whatever is free in Oxford. By the time you get to Birmingham, that channel will be in use, and you again have to find the free channel in that area, and so on.

If you stay in one local area you'd never have to re-tune.

[flossie]

I'm using a highway with the original Jap radio - no issues once set up its plug and go and I can sing along to Planet Rock all journey long

[dave_aber]

That's good news, 'cos that is what I'm planning on listeningto as well!

[Muzorewa]

Is there any other reason to want DAB?

[vanvliet]

I fitted a couple of Blaupunkt Woodstock 54 DAB radios to our cars about five years ago ( discontinued new stock - giveaway price -they have a memory card 'record' feature in case you have to leave the car in the middle of a fav programme) .Most reliable car radio I have ever owned.
Fitted a window- mount Blaupunkt aerial to the Bongo ( neat wee box sits behind the mirror, concealed wiring tucked under window pillar trim) and a Blaupunkt roof mount to the VW ( much trickier to fit )
In my experience there was ,to my surprise , no great difference between the two aerial setups. Great reception in Central Scotland but grim in many parts of the far North. No problem to flick over to FM but that is poor in these areas too!

Radios 4 , 4 xtra and 6 are our favs and I would not be without the DABs . I love 'em and would never go back to fm only.

[Luke and Debs]

i first got into incar dabs about 4 years ago.

never fitted a link up radio, have always gone for a full dab head unit. i have fitted the jvc kd101 cd radio unit. the seem to be market leaders in their field. had it fitted in my golf gti. i had a full roof mount arial (hal 3). never had any reception issues even in out of the way places. found the standard windscreen mount bit hit and miss if u drive out in the country. now have the dab in the bongo. very hard to get a good fitting roof mount to fit anywhere on a bongo with aft. so instead have gone for a jvc hal 4 glass mount arial. this has a small inside sticky bit and an external arial. this is not as good as a roof mount but miles better than a windscreen. also less of an eye sore.

would always go dab. so much better choice with much better music. planet rock , real XS and absolute 90s are always a must. beats boring radio 1 or local crap. would not be without it now.

luke

[dave_aber]

Well, I bought the CKO Gold box, with a mag mount antenna.

Installed the antenna at the rear of the roof, inside the AFT. Cable run is in through the rear vent mesh, then along the nearside of the roof. I already have an amplified TV antenna in the front of the AFT, so the cable goes through the same access hole just inside the front right corner of the roof area, and then down the N/S windscreen pillar.

The DAB radio itself is attached to the top of the beam above the glovebox. Cable routes to the existing head unit's AUX Video / Audio inputs is straightforward from there. The remote control eye sits peeking out from the side of the dashboard by the bottom of the N/S pillar.

Power & ground is hooked into the Mazda <> ISO adaptor loom.

Not been out for a drive yet, but initial scan brought up about 30 odd channels. Including, crucilly, Planet Rawk!
So far, so good. Fingers crossed it works as well in motion.

[dave_aber]

Hmm.

Reception was more patchy that I expected it to be. Good bits, marginal bits and silent bits. Flicking back to FM occasionally, it seemed that on the route I was taking the DAB reception was no improvement at all over FM (Apart from Planet Rock of course!). Next step is to try re-routing my amplified DVB-T antenna to the DAB receiver.

[briwy]

I put one of these in a few weeks ago.

http://www.inphaseaudio.co.uk/products/ ... /ipx-dab1/

Paid £85 for it which seems a good price.

Came with a little magmount aerial about 5ins high which seems to work reasonably well.

Picks up around 30 stations (similar to Dave) when stationary at home but not really tried it yet on the move with the aerial outside.

With the aerial under the central console by the heater outlet it still works OK but reception is a bit iffy.

Reverts OK to FM when no DAb signal.