There is another thread on this specific theme...................
http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/electronics/70939-dab-question.html
The situation at the present time is this.
It is PLANNED that most FM/MW analogue UK transmissions will cease as of 2015.
ALL stations EXCEPT very local stations will continue on DAB only.
By "Very Local" read exactly that. Stations broadcasting to an area less than 5 miles across. They will be the only UK stations remaining on FM after 2015.
So all stations like Capital, Heart, Radios 1,2,3,4, EssexFM, Radio Kent, etc, etc.....
will be DAB only after 2015.
But remember this is only a proposal and depends on meeting certain criteria - which at this moment in time seems unlikely.
But we all know that governments can bend the truth to suit their requirements, so dont rule it out.
And as you say, the vast majority of current car radios will become useless antiques - including nearly all COMAND units.
I believe the very latest COMAND units are DAB equipped.
Modifying an existing COMAND unit to receive DAB wouldnt be a very easy thing to do.
DAB uses a higher frequency than FM. FM is on about 100MHz whereas DAB is around 200MHz.
About halfway between the existing FM band and the spectrum used by UHF television.
This difference in frequency means your existing car aerial is not tuned to pick up DAB properly.
So its not just about having a converter or even a new unit completly. Ideally you would need a new aerial as well, tuned to receive DAB signals properly and efficently.
However DAB coverage in the UK is far from what was promised or needed. It is patchy at best and users report frequent "drop-outs" and often need to retune to FM to get reliable coverage.
So there is along way to go.
And as an added problem.
DAB radio, by virtue of its technology has a delay of around 2 seconds between "live" and the received signal.
Which means what you are hearing happened 2 seconds ago.
Not that important you may think, but to some, getting an accurate time signal IS important. Not one that is 2 seconds late.
We shall have to wait and see what happens in the coming year or two................
As a BTB...............if you do want to go out and buy yourself a new DAB radio, make sure it is DAB+ compatible and not just ordinary DAB only - or at least have the ability to be upgraded at a later stage.
DAB+ uses latest technology and will make ordinary DAB redundant at some point in the future - when this will happen in the UK is as yet undisclosed.
Some of the information on this linked website is bit out of date, but its still packed with useful data............
http://www.jimsaerials.co.uk/dab%20&%20fm/radio.htm
Info on DAB+..................
http://www.which.co.uk/advice/dab-plus-explained/index.jsp
