DAB radio withdrawals..

[rekab69]

Hi All,

Just bought an 05 Amazon.. a very happy bunny I am too, apart from the lack of DAB radio, miss 6 music..

In there an upgrade for the whole set up, sat nav etc or just the radio...?

Mine is the type which has a separate radio cassette below the sat nav screen..

Also the rear roll out parcel shelf is missing need one in GREY>>>!!

Thanks in advance,

db.

 

[froggy Steve]

Get this, my new van has DAB radio fitted.....there are no DAB radio channels anywhere to be found in this bit of froggy France!

 

[rekab69]

Back to the iPod and headphones then..

 

[Chris]

DAB. Available almost nowhere. Dead loss. They had a big retune a while back and all the stations I could get, I now can't. On the move with a factory fitted DAB in my last Co car, it was worse than listening to AM in the 70's. Analogue on the other hand is beautifully clear. I just can't stand the crap on BBC Radio 2 nor the smug and obsequious presenters on 4.

 

[uHu]

...05 Amazon.. a very happy bunny I am too, apart from the lack of DAB radio, miss 6 music..
In there an upgrade for the whole set up, sat nav etc or just the radio...?
Mine is the type which has a separate radio cassette below the sat nav screen.
db.

Congrats with the 100. HDJ or UZJ?
"Radio cassette under the nav"? Can you post a pic?
If you have the factory navi, the only easy option is a dab adaptor. Other possibilities are to get OE non-navi parts and rebuild the HVAC control setup. And, there seems to be some experimental Android based aftermarket unit that can replace the original navi/hvac screen.
Much easier if you have the more rare non-navi version - Just pop in any 2-din unit.

BTW, Norway has converted completely to dab+. Only a few smaller private stations left on FM, and only in the major cities.
Re cr@ppy dab reception: The only good aerial for dab is a through-the-roof whip of the active type (built-in amplifier) (You get them combined with sat and fm as well). Window mounted is so-and-so and converter for the fm aerial is useless.

 

[rekab69]

Hi Steve,

You have to drill a hole in the roof...!!?? are you crazy...???!

Just kidding...

Brilliant, just what I'm looking for.. of to order one now...

Thanks.. db

 

[rekab69]

All sound advice Steve, never to old to learn from someone who has already carried out the job..

Just reminded me that i have lent my cone cutter out and as always it hasn't come back and I can't recall who has it..D'oh!

 

[uHu]

That looks like a nice dab adaptor. I wonder how it would work on an old style rds fm radio without a screen, but with a text based display (in my old ford).
Absolutely right about the aerial install - if done right there is absolutely no problem. If the aerial doesn't have a system with an o-ring (and grease), you can seal it with an acid free silicone or other purpose made sealant. I put mine at the front, just above the front dome light so that I didn't have to remove any roof lining, just push the wires through to the A-pillar. The front position gives you a shorter signal cable. As long as the amplifier is inside the aerial base, it can tolerate a quite long cable, although there is a considerable loss along a cable at those frequencies. I used an aerial from German Antennentechnik, with fm and gps built in as well, so there are 3 signal cables going into the dash, and I get the best possible reception of the gps signal as well. FM is not that fantastic, because the whip is not really long enough at that lower frequency.

 

[rekab69]

Also in need of a rear roll out parcel shelf is missing need one in GREY>>>!!

Had to edit this as I had previously asked for Light tan... have no idea why as my interior is grey leather..

A true senior moment for sure... Agh..!

 

[rekab69]

Just completed a 100 mile round trip, not an overland expedition by any means but when I was stuck with flicking between Radio 1, 2 and 4, thats all it will pick up, it felt like a lot further....!!

Also found there voice activation on the system... didn't know that was there..

db.

 

[Josh Tagg]

Instead of drilling holes in the roof why not get a stick on windscreen Ariel? I've got one for my dab radio in 80 and it's pretty good at getting all channels I've been after. Just saves you drilling a hole that's all

 

[uHu]

...By the sound of it (excuse the pun) I wish I lived in Norway, as over all you have a better way of life.

Not sure. In some ways, yes, but the inter-human social aspect is always the most important.
My "bloody english" wife always tells me how much better london was

 

[uHu]

Should ave said: "how much better it was to live in London", but I suppose your reply would still be valid.
Norway has a population density of 17 per sq km, and Gr.Britain has 270 (or 300 w/o NI).
With the scarcity of people and the high mountains and deep valleys, Norway is very expensive to cover with a radio network. To go for the, now ancient, dab+ system has received a lot of criticism, and is looked upon, by many, as an industri driven change in order to start selling receivers in high numbers again.

O-oh - where's the tech content - Still looking for a dab receiver for my Mondeo...

 

[rekab69]

Is this with you new DAB system?

Noooo... I don't work that fast... still on FM..

Going further a field tomorrow 7 hour round trip with my a large trailer, so stacking up with CD's...


db.

 

[rekab69]

Hi Steve, thanks for the heads up re suspension, due to the rusty pipe I have just had replaced on the AHC it has had new fluid, I'll check to see if it has spacers once it"STOPS BLOODY RAINING!" (feel better now..

I'm ok with the spanners too but will need guidance on setting torsion bars etc..

Cheers,

Dave.