DAB adapter

[swill453]

Has anyone used a DAB adapter with their old FM radio in their vehicle? Would you recommend it? I'm considering one but have a number of potential concerns.

Seems there might be a plethora of cables messing up the dashboard. One to an antenna at the top of the windscreen? One to the cigar lighter socket. And possibly one to the aux input on the radio - though I've seen that they can possibly transmit to the radio over a spare FM frequency. Is that satisfactory? Can any connect to the car radio with Bluetooth?

(Hmm, a battery-operated one with an integrated antenna that transmitted wirelessly wouldn't have any cables, does such a thing exist?)

Also, what's the reception of DAB itself like with these things? I do a fair bit of travelling in borderline FM reception areas in Scotland. Is a DAB adapter going to be better or worse than FM in these parts? (I know FM and DAB fail in different ways.)

Scott.

[PrincessB]

How about somthing like this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/FirstE-Transmi ... lp_pl_dp_1

I don't know if it is just me, but Amazon's search engine throws up nonsense items most of the time and I found this by accident.

If you've got an Aux input, it looks like the best way to plug in, failing that it can transmit to FM.

The Bluetooth appears to be input only, allowing you link another device, such as a phone or Ipod to play music rather than transmitting out from the DAB unit to the car system.

Regards,

B.

[swill453]

How about somthing like this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/FirstE-Transmi ... lp_pl_dp_1

I don't know if it is just me, but Amazon's search engine throws up nonsense items most of the time and I found this by accident.

If you've got an Aux input, it looks like the best way to plug in, failing that it can transmit to FM.

The Bluetooth appears to be input only, allowing you link another device, such as a phone or Ipod to play music rather than transmitting out from the DAB unit to the car system.

So that comes with an antenna, they just don't show it in the pictures. So that's 3 cables going to it if you use the aux port as well.

The Pure Highway 400 is well reviewed, and in that the power and sound cables go to a "receiver" box that's attached to the windscreen where the antenna is. The "display and buttons" bit is battery operated and wireless. So that has a little bit more scope for unobtrusive installation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kTnwHXlVYE

I just wish I knew how good the reception would be in the places I want it. But hey, it's £60 on Amazon at the moment, it might be worth a try.

Scott.

[Breelander]

I just wish I knew how good the reception would be in the places I want it...

http://www.ukdigitalradio.com/coverage/postcodesearch/

[bungeejumper]

I just wish I knew how good the reception would be in the places I want it...

http://www.ukdigitalradio.com/coverage/postcodesearch/

Haha, but have you read the small print?
"Please note: If you live in a basement flat, or your building is steel-framed or reinforced concrete, or if the topography of where you live means you get poor FM or mobile phone service, your DAB coverage may be affected. This postcode checker does not recognise such features."
Gotta laugh. Still, it does give a reasonable summary of what's practically available in our area. (That's five miles from Britain's second biggest tourist city): Classic FM and twelve pop music stations. No BBC channels at all. It's the hills, you see? Only 100 feet high, most of them, but nobody can be [expletive deleted] to set up a line of sight transmitter.)

BJ

[Redmires]

I was in Aldi yesterday and they have DAB radio adapters for £35 in stock. I have no experience of them but there's 5 pages of opinions about them here

https://forums.digitalspy.com/discussio ... ransmitter