We have a motorhome that is 8 year old but like most of them mint and low mileage. The lack of DAB radio is annoying as we like to listen to LBC , Talk, Kisstory etc.
Due to the age there is no double din slot. The single din restricts choice.
Has anyone got, used or has knowledge of the DAB add-on devices wrt are they are worth having or mostly a cheap pos option?
DAB is getting on now, I'd be thinking more of Apple Carplay/Android Auto, then you get sat nav, as many radio station as you can find, Spotify, etc etc all in one place, single din units with fold out screens are available, Pioneer certainly do one.
We had a single DIN Kenwood DAB unit fitted to a VW van. Included bluetooth, USB, 3.5mm, phone integration etc. Professionally fitted in no time at all, very subtle flat aerial inside the windscreen surround. I really like it.
As has been previously said there's plenty of single DINs with fold out screens if you want. I don't think DAB is "getting on now" though? To my knowledge there is no threat of a Sirius or other satellite radio service in Europe so for live transmission you need either a solid 4G connection or DAB. The latter is still easier at 70mph.
DAB reception can be terrible in rural areas so you'll need the best aerial you can, preferably with some height.
Don't get me started on the mess the government / BBC have made of DAB in this country.
My wife has the Kenwood thing…. It’s made by pure…Originally Posted by Hammond
Works a treat and gives phone integration too
DAB is like terrestrial TV, fine if that's all you want, but there's a lot lot more out there. 3G is fine for steaming audio, and fine at whatever speed you may be travelling.
Thanks guys I'll have a look at your suggestions. Nobody has addressed those add-on units you can get however.
As an earlier poster said, DAB can be useless in a lot of places. I have DAB fitted in both of our cars, and it cuts out all the time where FM has no issues whatsoever. I can’t detect any difference in sound quality either. I really wouldn’t bother!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
There’s a lot of stations you can’t get on FM that are on DAB.
I’ve got a new motor that doesn’t have a DAB radio and was missing Radio 6 Music but now play it through the BBC Sounds app on the phone.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I’ve had 2 cars fitted with DAB and the reception on both of them has been bloody awful. My car with it as standard works everywhere the other 2 don’t. So research the aerial before you do anything else.
But moreover, I agree with others on this thread, use your phone for iPlayer radio / tunein / Spotify, use the saved money to buy some extra data.
I used to drive around Dorset a fair bit and The car had both DAB and VHF radio. DAB was more useless than use so always had the radio on VHF. Can not speak for other areas.
If you travel to France be aware there is no such thing over here, normal radio only.
Tbh, we've never had an issue with DAB in both our cars that are fitted as standard but we're not in the 'sticks' so maybe we've been lucky ergo the desire to have it in the 'van'
DAB, the poor man's FM. Sounds thin and tinny compared to FM. Station choice is good though.
The state broadcaster really backed the wrong horse with DAB.
As others have observed, the answer is streaming radio over cellular. Better quality, more choice.
You can buy DAB units that have a single DIN back and double DIN front, they also have all the bells and whistles.
Plenty to choose from on eBay
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Single-DI...MzM2:rk:6:pf:0
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
^^^ This, with bells on!
My DAB radio is as good as useless in any rural areas - which is unfortunate, as I live in a very rural area and therefore spend a good amount of my time in the truck listening to sweet FA/fuzz on the new-fangled DAB radio. Wow, what an improvement it is (not).
Yes, I looked at that listing or similar before but was put off by the 'Xtrons' which I've never heard of and the origin, wondering if I would get stuck with duties if coming from China(or Hong Kong)
Last edited by Harry Smith; 13th December 2018 at 18:19.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
