Dyb, dyb, dyb, DAB, DAB, DAB

[martybabes]

No, it's not about boys in shorts and bob-a-job week.  If that's what you wanted, look elsewhere!  This is about digital radio in the car. 

 

For some time, I've been a little underwhelmed by the radio reception in the car.  Admittedly, it's not the car's fault, necessarily, as it has a perfectly good FM and AM radio within.  It's just that the reception is often a bit crackly and sometimes is lost altogether.  Annoyingly, it doesn't always jump to the strongest signal when it should (or could).

 

So, I had a look on t'net and found a digital thingy review that gives you a choice of expensive and good value devices that can connect either with a lead to your aux or do it via a spare FM frequency.  I bought one off Amazon (other sites are available) that came third or so in the review as being very good and not expensive, and easy to fit yourself too.  And at the weekend, it duly arrived via the man with a van and I spent an hour or so putting it all together.  I can now get some 20 or so digital channels and the reception is brill.  I can control the volume in the usual way, and the wires are pretty much concealed (tho you do have to fit a stick-on aerial to the inside of the front windscreen, but as it is only small and on the passenger side, it's no big deal).  Avoiding the accidental detonation of the airbags in the A-pillar, the lead runs down the windscreen and eventually connects with the device which is attached to the screen in an accessible but non-intrusive place but within easy reach for channel-hopping.  It is powered from the cigar lighter (nowadays called a de facto standard DC connector).

 

I am very pleased with my new toy, and all this for a smidge less than forty quid.

 

I commend it to the House

[MikeR]

thinking the same myself .....  but as I have to park my car up for days on time , and its been screwed twice ...

 

I would like a DAB widget that can be hidden away

[beko1987]

My dab is excellent, haven't bothered with fm for years!

[Richard]

thinking the same myself .....  but as I have to park my car up for days on time , and its been screwed twice ...

 

I would like a DAB widget that can be hidden away

 

 

I have one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/FirstE-Transmitter-Bluetooth-Handsfree-Broadcasting-DAB005/dp/B074KY6XG1/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1539628308&sr=8-4&keywords=dab+adapter except mine has a different name and came from Aldi.

 

It's tiny, you could hide it in the glovebox no bother. I bought a magnetic aerial for it, so the whole lot can be transferred between cars if required. 

[richardmorris]

I have a pure radio in the Mercedes with Bluetooth for the phone I’d needed and a dab adaptor for the 2cv ( rear aux in socket connector ) and fiat ( via a cassette adaptor ). Brilliant, far better than fm, me or longwave. And don’t need the large extended aerials either, so have fitted cut out switches to the electric motors.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

I've been thinking about this recently.  I want Aux, Bluetooth and DAB that works with my steering wheel controls (within reason), double-din or single-din with extra input for my cassette player - because I still use it regularly.

 

I forget about it then England have another Test Match and my stupid VAG AM radio doesn't go down to 198LW!

 

Any recommendations for a skint shiter?

[richardmorris]

I've been thinking about this recently.  I want Aux, Bluetooth and DAB that works with my steering wheel controls (within reason), double-din or single-din with extra input for my cassette player - because I still use it regularly.

 

I forget about it then England have another Test Match and my stupid VAG AM radio doesn't go down to 198LW!

 

Any recommendations for a skint shiter?

https://www.dabonwheels.co.uk

[UltraWomble]

Ive been toying with it for a little while ( had one a couple of years ago in the Micra) but have been using my 6GB data to just stream the odd prog on 4Extra that I want to listen to - the rest of the time Radio 4 FM suffices.

[DodgeRover]

I just tend to stream via bluetooth, oddly doesn't seem to get through that much data

[Dead_E23]

I recently bought one of these Majority DAB adaptors on the recommedation of a colleague for the princely sum of £34.95.    

 

 

 

I haven't installed it properly yet, but I tried it out with everything just balanced on top of the dash and it seemed to work really well. 

What's more, I could pay using PayPal and it arrived double quick chop by courier, so I was well chuffed M8

[dome]

I recently bought one of these Majority DAB adaptors on the recommedation of a colleague for the princely sum of £34.95.

 

 

 

I haven't installed it properly yet, but I tried it out with everything just balanced on top of the dash and it seemed to work really well.

What's more, I could pay using PayPal and it arrived double quick chop by courier, so I was well chuffed M8

I've just changed from a Halfords own sonichi(which worked perfectly well but I wanted Bluetooth) to one of these. Brilliant for £35. I always use an external aerial as reception can be patchy on my travels around Scotland

[Richard]

There's a huge choice of no name DAB adapters for £35-£40ish, it mostly comes down to the one you like the look of and the features you want really. I think I'll be getting one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07DZYHYFR/?coliid=I21M4XZC9R93FU&colid=34V60EUZY6CJD&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it because it will sit nicely in the lighter socket without a trailing power cable. 

[Pillock]

DAB is great if you're know there's something on there you want to listen to.

 

If the same station is on FM, FM probably sounds better. A lot of DAB stations are mono, and really low bitrate. BBC is usually the exception.

 

I know they never promised full national coverage, but many DAB stations are local, even if they're not local radio eg some of the Heart/Absolute type ones.

 

Streaming internet is the way forward, data costs these days are minimal and there's so much more choice.

[Dead_E23]

I'm in London, where a dodgy filling would probably pick up DAB (as long as it's a new one). 

 

I plan to give the supplied sticky windscreen aerial a try, just as soon as I have cleaned all the accumulated filth off the inside of the screen.  How on earth does it get so dirty?  I reckon it's London grime that has oozed through the glass; definitely can't* be venom and bile from the driver.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

DAB is great if you're know there's something on there you want to listen to.

 

If the same station is on FM, FM probably sounds better. A lot of DAB stations are mono, and really low bitrate. BBC is usually the exception.

 

I know they never promised full national coverage, but many DAB stations are local, even if they're not local radio eg some of the Heart/Absolute type ones.

 

Streaming internet is the way forward, data costs these days are minimal and there's so much more choice.

 

 

I refuse to listen to commercial radio (sorry Bornite!).

[Pillock]

Me either, which is why I just stream. BBC radio is just too limited and everything else is 94.5% PPI adverts.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Radio 4 and 3 are good.  If I had DAB, I'd listen to 6 I'm sure.

 

Resurrected my iPod the other week with an SD card adapter, so I definitely want aux-in.

[loserone]

I've been streaming 6music and radio paradise from my phone for a while. Amazing how little data it uses considering the quality.

[Kiltox]

DAB reception in my van (factory fitted) is awful. Never worked out why.

[AMC Rebel]

 

I forget about it then England have another Test Match and my stupid VAG AM radio doesn't go down to 198LW!

 

 

Radio 4 is also available on Long Wave at 198 LW and on Medium Wave in the following locations:

• Aberdeen - 1449 MW
• Belfast - 720 MW
• Carlisle - 1485 MW
• Cornwall - 756 MW
• Enniskillen - 774 MW
• London - 720 MW
• Londonderry - 720 MW
• Newcastle - 603 MW
• Plymouth - 774 MW

[SierraMikeHotel]

I like Radio 6 but not too bothered about the radio otherwise. Mrs H listens to radio 4, but she normally downloads the programmes she wants and Bluetooths them to the car stereo on her commute.

 

In an age when my entire music collection can fit on a USB stick that's literally the size of my thumbnail, and would cost just a couple of quid to replace if it got damaged, a USB slot is really the only thing I want on a car stereo these days.

[BorniteIdentity]

It’s worth bearing in mind if you’re a cricket fan, TalkSPORT have the deal for the time being and not The BBC.

[drivewaymyway]

Local BBC radio + Radio 2 + 198LW For the Cricket Chancers is all I need.. The Citroen CD player didn't work in my Berlingo when I bought it so I ripped out the CD mech and just use the radio.. It was the only way to get the bloody thing to turn on because it thought there was a CD stuck in it and it just kept ejecting so wouldn't switch from CD to radio.. Surgery was needed... Apart from that I hate technology so DAB is a little radio in the kitchen at home that is set to BBC radio 4......

[Shep Shepherd]

I have a Pure Highway DAB adaptor in The Aero and an unbranded generic Chinese one in The Volvo, in order that I can listen to BBC Radio 6 Music (and sometimes Jazz FM and Absolute 80s) when I'm driving. Ironically, the latter is by far and away the better device.

[MorrisItalSLX]

I use my phone for DAB, connected to the stereo via a cassette tape to aux adaptor.

 

Works quite well for me.

[dollywobbler]

DAB reception in my van (factory fitted) is awful. Never worked out why.

 

Does it depend on whether you've got something plugged into the ciggie lighter? With the Nextbase unit I've got, it is hopeless if I'm charging anything, which is most of the time...

 

Mind you, one charger I use is so bad it even knocks out FM in the Rover. I mostly just drive in silence as I can't be arsed.

[Kiltox]

Not sure if it gets even worse (have had that in some cars so I get what you’re saying) but it’s awful without something plugged in

[GrumpiusMaximus]

 

Radio 4 is also available on Long Wave at 198 LW and on Medium Wave in the following locations:

• Aberdeen - 1449 MW
• Belfast - 720 MW
• Carlisle - 1485 MW
• Cornwall - 756 MW
• Enniskillen - 774 MW
• London - 720 MW
• Londonderry - 720 MW
• Newcastle - 603 MW
• Plymouth - 774 MW

 

 

 

720MW is my nearest transmitter but it runs out around Ashford.  I've tried!

[barefoot]

Does it depend on whether you've got something plugged into the ciggie lighter?

 

 

 

 

I have a DAB thing fitted into the T2, it takes its power from the thing on the head unit that would otherwise power an electric arial or a Sub woofer or something. It picks up a millionty DAB stations that are then FM'd back to the radio. My only problem with it is that the bloody van is too noisy to hear it,

or anything else when cruising on the motorway and when I camp up there's seldom a signal, so I just listen to my iPod.

[I_am_Diesel]

I've just installed one of those Majority devices in my own van and use it through the aux socket in the glove box. I have been very happy with it so far, I seem to do my driving on a Sunday when there's cock all on FM so having the extra stations is a boon. I'm getting into Talk Sport at the moment. I wish I had bought one earlier.

 

There is a DAB stereo in the work Citroen Relay and it is useless. I was driving back from Ipswich the other day, thought I'd listen to 6 music and discovered that the reception was rubbish. I don't seem to have any problems with the OE system in my Focus or the one I installed in my own van. Must be a Citroen/Peugeot/Fiat thing.