Omega Owners Forum

Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: Field Marshal Dr. Opti on 27 January 2017, 17:03:53

Title: DAB radio.
Post by: Field Marshal Dr. Opti on 27 January 2017, 17:03:53
I have it in my car........only rarely though. Most of the time I can't get a signal. :-\

Any experience with DAB chaps?

Title: Re: DAB radio.
Post by: Andy H on 27 January 2017, 17:15:26
I fitted a DAB radio in my car a few years ago. I made sure to fit a decent aerial and the only place I lose signal is in tunnels and multistorey car parks.
Title: Re: DAB radio.
Post by: Viral_Jim on 27 January 2017, 21:45:38
I have it in my car........only rarely though. Most of the time I can't get a signal. :-\

Any experience with DAB chaps?

Have it in the Bimmer, I like it because I can pick up stations that aren't on FM (Kerrang & Planet Rock mostly). My commute is Kidderminster, to the M42, then down the M6 & A14 to Rushden, so a fair swathe of the midlands. Throughout that, I don't lose signal at any point, even though around home FM signal is a bit patchy.

Not sure where you're based, but if you're not picking up signal most of the time, I suspect there may be an issue somewhere  :-\. FM and DAB use different aerials in most cars (although can be contained in the same unit) so a DAB problem wouldn't necessarily affect FM.
Title: Re: DAB radio.
Post by: flyer 0712 on 27 January 2017, 21:47:37
Have it in my new car and its all ok   :y
Title: Re: DAB radio.
Post by: tunnie on 27 January 2017, 21:48:20
Have it in the VW, brilliant  :y
Title: Re: DAB radio.
Post by: amba on 27 January 2017, 22:08:45
Wouldn't be without as never listen to anything else other than Planet Rock  :y
Title: Re: DAB radio.
Post by: Andy H on 27 January 2017, 22:13:32
Wouldn't be without as never listen to anything else other than Planet Rock  :y
I used to listen to nothing else until they stopped transmitting nationally :(

I don't know how big their coverage is now - I think it is just anywhere within 50 miles of London or Birmingham :-\
Title: Re: DAB radio.
Post by: amba on 27 January 2017, 22:22:55
My work radius and majority time spent in car is S/East,Kent,so your assumption may be correct,although have had good reception when outside of those areas also
Title: Re: DAB radio.
Post by: Field Marshal Dr. Opti on 27 January 2017, 23:03:23
It seems the problem was the dashcam plugged into the power point.

Unplugged it and and all the DAB channels have returned.
Title: Re: DAB radio.
Post by: Migv6 le Frog Fan on 27 January 2017, 23:27:25
That's interesting. I fitted a DAB radio in my 190 last year. Signal was mostly good, if slightly patchy in some small areas.
The signal has been pretty awful recently, which may well have coincided with me using a dashcam.
I wonder if hardwiring the dashcam rather than using the cig lighter socket would make any difference ? Probably not is my uneducated guess. :-\
Title: Re: DAB radio.
Post by: Viral_Jim on 28 January 2017, 00:21:40
I had a similar experience with a Bluetooth FM modulator I bought some years ago (hateful thing, but less hateful than re-wiring the entire car's stereo system to get mo3 playback).

I found that swapping to a shielded power supply worked wonders, so that may also help your issues. Alternatively, plugging into a different 12v socket to move the interference away may also help  :-\
Title: Re: DAB radio.
Post by: Andy H on 28 January 2017, 07:42:00
That reminds me. .. I bought a new phone and wireless charger a couple of years ago. It was only after I had pulled the head unit to try and fix it that I realised that the wireless charger was the cause ::)
Title: Re: DAB radio.
Post by: tigers_gonads on 28 January 2017, 09:59:50
Just put a Alpine DAB unit in the omega.
Around city's, you have a great choice and pretty good quality but out in the sticks of inbred land, the choice and signal strength is limited at the moment  :(

As for a ariel, get a powered one which are mush better  :y
Also you have to set the head unit up to send power to that ariel or they don't work properly  :-X :-[

I've got one on the top corner of the windscreen (passenger side) and it works a treat  :y
Title: Re: DAB radio.
Post by: EMD on 28 January 2017, 12:24:53
Wouldn't be without as never listen to anything else other than Planet Rock  :y

Ive found that on the tv channel , have it on all the time  :y
Title: Re: DAB radio.
Post by: Mister Rog on 28 January 2017, 12:29:42
The whole issue of DAB really pisses me off. All the time we are being told to get DAB blah blah blah.

Not where I live, various BBC channels and that's about it. Used to listen to Planet Rock, till they changed channels. I complained. "Listen online" they said. FFS, I listen to radio mostly in the car and in the bog. And, if I can't get decent DAB at home, I ain't going to get it in the car

I need to stop, I can feel a real rant coming on, a big one . . . . . where's my medication. Quick  . . .
Title: Re: DAB radio.
Post by: Migv6 le Frog Fan on 28 January 2017, 12:41:28
On the way home from work this morning I unplugged the dashcam and the radio worked just like it used to.
Thanks for the tip Doctor Opti. It has been driving me nuts recently.  :y
I'm planning on buying a hard wire kit for the camera and see if that permanently solves the issue.
Title: Re: DAB radio.
Post by: Field Marshal Dr. Opti on 28 January 2017, 19:03:25
Looking through forums for Jaguar, BMW, Mercedes, and Audi, it appears that problems with DAB drop outs are common.

Will FM remain or is it on borrowed time?
Title: Re: DAB radio.
Post by: ronnyd on 28 January 2017, 20:01:38
Think i read somewhere that either Holland or Belgium are thinking of closing FM broadcasts even though 65% of listeners want it to stay. I feel a referendum coming on. :D