Advantages of DAB ?

[tjamesbo]

Ok I need to replace my FM bluetooth transmitter which i use for playing spotify and I tunes thru my 2007 Command Radio in my 2007 Vito But in looking at the devices on offer there is a Bluetooth DAB radio at about +£20 compared to straight FM Bluetooth Device so given my current listening habits
Radio 4
Radio2
Times Radio
sometimes a local pop and used to listen to Virgin as well
so what might i gain ???
is there better coverage for DAB ? sometimes in wales I cant get Radio 4 and same in some locations in Devon and sometimes I have to switch frequency as that station is on a different frequency ( thinks command can be set to do this automatically ? ) so is DAB always same frequency ?
Not interested in better quality / sound reproduction as current set up is adequate for a Vito ( Tyre Road and windnoise preclude a HI Fi experience LOL )
So please educate me ................
Boyd

 

[m80]

In a Viano I like what it does, but it's unreliable.
The list of stations, edited into a number of favourite regional lists, make it easy to select.
The show and song are detailed on screen.

Your antenna is mounted within the front screen and that can be affected by USB kit. So using that to give DAB might be iffy.
Any sticky on screen antenna is likely to be hit and miss.
I ran a roof mounted antenna to the rear, away from interference. That's better. But I find in towns anything but the strongest signals are poor and drop out.
On the open road it is generally better than FM.

 

[Trickythemerc]

To get the full benefit of DAB you need two things. 1. A decent antenna, I have a powered shark fin that handles AM/FM/DAB/GPS 2. A high end tuner, I have a Pioneer AVIC- 920.
Across pretty much the whole of the UK I can't ever remember any DAB drop out. Most Screen mounted Sat Nav will fail in inner cities with high buildings, the roof mounted fin solves the problem.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

The secret to the very best listening experience with DAB is to use FM instead.

Every car I’ve had with factory DAB has been poor compared to FM in the same car.

 

[carat 3.6]

Factory DAB setups are normally let down my the cheap aerials they fit. I've got a powered shark fin mounted on the roof of the w124 along with a kenwood headunit, the signal is excellent and I get all stations anywhere.

The amount of stations on DAB is surprising, you will no doubt find a few extra you like.

 

[ToeKnee]

Benefit of DAB is you can listen to boom radio......

 

[Trickythemerc]

Our Fiat Disastero's have factory DAB/SATNAV Complete junk.

 

[BTB 500]

We use the factory DAB all the time in our W205 (COMAND NTG 5.5) ... for stations like Heart we have presets for the regional versions (West Midlands is our local one), plus one for the 'national' broadcast which is pretty good everywhere. Never had to resort to FM.

Our 2007 Vito has Sound 20 (no COMAND) with an Aux-in socket in the glovebox which works OK if you have a cable. And a CD changer - remember those? We mostly listen to FM in that and are always having to switch between stations - the reception is much worse than the DAB in the W205.

 

[HappytalkAgain]

It’s very hit and miss (model dependent). DAB in the car is awesome. DAB in the van (2022 Vito) is garbage apparently down to (as said) the p!ss poor arial built into the front screen.

I’ve spotted an aftermarket shark fin arial but not had the heart to order and fit it (yet)

 

[whitenemesis]

Never had a problem with any in car DAB, no dropped signal, crystal clear sound, way better than FM

 

[markjay]

Never had a problem with any in car DAB, no dropped signal, crystal clear sound, way better than FM

Same here.

 

[carat 3.6]

Same here.

The thing is you wont know how well your DAB setup works unless you compare it to a known good setup, by that I mean that a lot of the stations simply wont show up in your list so you dont know your missing them.

 

[Neiltodd]

To get the full benefit of DAB you need two things. 1. A decent antenna, I have a powered shark fin that handles AM/FM/DAB/GPS 2. A high end tuner, I have a Pioneer AVIC- 920.
Across pretty much the whole of the UK I can't ever remember any DAB drop out. Most Screen mounted Sat Nav will fail in inner cities with high buildings, the roof mounted fin solves the problem.

Try the A9 between aviemore and Pitlochry , there is roughly a 35 mile section with no radio reception at all.

 

[ALFAitalia]

DAB is rubbish around here....at its first service our D MAX pick up had the DAB radio swapped for an FM one at no charge.....the DAB unit was useless in the Downs.

 

[carat 3.6]

DAB is rubbish around here....at its first service our D MAX pick up had the DAB radio swapped for an FM one at no charge.....the DAB unit was useless in the Downs.

DAB service is rubbish, or the Isuzu system is rubbish?

 

[ALFAitalia]

Both I guess!!. We have given up with our DAB radio at home too and the one in dads Mazda is pretty patchy too.....keeps cutting in and out. When he drives up to the rellys in Norfolk though, its pin sharp....which is surprising as they have only had electricity in Norfolk for about 5 years!!!

 

[BTB 500]

We used DAB radios in the house down in Berkshire and use them up here in Shropshire now - no problems.

 

[crippo2]

Fitted Dension DAB to both 2007 SL and 1008 CLK.. Used powered stick on Windscreen Antenna and an additional inline RF pre-amp for both cars. Works reasonably well in CLK not so much in SL and neither car when in Europe. Am replacing DAB in SL with an android phone app that gets many hundred radio stations so long as you have phone signal and consumes about 40mb of data an hour. The phone is mirrored to the NTG1 HU for the display (waze etc), and sound comes over car speakers via FM broadcaster. HU still works as expected and phone sound mutes when HU speaks.
a much better solution for me.
Also, at home, a similar setup (phone, bluetooth to an amplifier) with phone connected to home wifi and all the starions you could ever want for free.
Quality is very acceptable to my ears.