DAB Radio to caravan

[Dodger524]

We have an FM radio in our caravan that is rubbish while we have a DAB radio in the car that works very well, so I am considering replacing the caravan radio with a DAB car type radio.
Has anyone fitted one and if so have you any recommendations and have you used the existing FM aerial or installed a new aerial?

 

[Hutch]

Hi Doger, My friends Bailey has a DAB, fitted as new, great, but if your sitting outside with a glass of iced water, wine or tea, the listening to 4 EXTRA , from the van you have to have it up fairly loud. Maybe not over friendly. We have a portable "Wirless" DAB radio, which suits is.
Also if your are on asite that you have digital tv then you can get most digital radio channels as well.
Hutch

 

[Woodentop]

There's a little more to it than that.

The car radio presently fitted will be using your TV aerial to receive FM. If you have a flying saucer aerial then what follows does not apply. If you have a directional aerial, when it is horizontal it is also directional for the FM aerial bit - the rods at the back that you can extend but never do. FM radio may not be transmitted from the same site as TV. When horizontal the aerial will work quite well provided the radio transmitter is within about 45deg in front or behind the direction that the TV aerial part is pointing. Anything greater than that the signal will gradually diminish until you hit a signal null at 90deg (i.e. end on to the rods.)

If the TV aerial is vertical it matters not which way it is pointing as the radio rods will then not be directional and will receive from any direction. Pretty well all FM radio transmitters now used mixed polarity so if the receiving aerial is vertical it will work perfectly well.

However DAB is a different matter. The aerial amp will work with a DAB signal so there is no problem there BUT all DAB transmissions are vertically polarised so if you are using a TV transmitter that is horizontal the aerial will be almost totally ineffective. Add to that that car radios have separate connectors for FM and DAB aerials (as DAB aerials are usually amplified so need a power supply which the aerial connector provides) and it starts to get complicated.

If you want DAB then the best solution is a DAB portable with mains power as they drink batteries.

 

[SirRogerFFS]

Think very carefully with DAB. It appears that DAB+ is now the incoming radio lots of Stations have gone off the Normal Dab as works out expensive . Just watch out as more about DAB+ emerges .
Sir Roger .

 

[Dodger524]

I'm beginning to think that I may be better off taking a couple of hundred CD's with me.

 

[Marbles007]

Just use internet radio I use TuneIn app on my phone or iPad and Bluetooth speakers.

 

[Woodentop]

Think very carefully with DAB. It appears that DAB+ is now the incoming radio lots of Stations have gone off the Normal Dab as works out expensive . Just watch out as more about DAB+ emerges .
Sir Roger .

I think you will find NO stations that were on DAB have move to DAB+. In fact IMSMC there are currently only three stations using DAB+
More to the point, DAB has started up again in Europe and they are ALL DAB+.

 

[Hutch]

Hi Woodentop, I have looked at a couple of websites and it looks as though most of Europe is using DAB + or converting too. Reading up on this The websites are saying that DAB+ can convert/ use DAB signals but not the other way round. I am not technicaly up on this, but just trying to help. And it lòks as though the UK main DAB stations will not change to DAB+ for a long time. Hopefully FM will not disapear.

 

[Dodger524]

Hi Woodentop, I have looked at a couple of websites and it looks as though most of Europe is using DAB + or converting too. Reading up on this The websites are saying that DAB+ can convert/ use DAB signals but not the other way round. I am not technicaly up on this, but just trying to help. And it lòks as though the UK main DAB stations will not change to DAB+ for a long time. Hopefully FM will not disapear.

Thanks for that extra info.

I understand that the whole idea of introducing DAB is to free the FM frequencies for other uses.

 

[Woodentop]

Hi Woodentop, I have looked at a couple of websites and it looks as though most of Europe is using DAB + or converting too. Reading up on this The websites are saying that DAB+ can convert/ use DAB signals but not the other way round. I am not technicaly up on this, but just trying to help. And it lòks as though the UK main DAB stations will not change to DAB+ for a long time. Hopefully FM will not disapear.

Thanks for that extra info.

I understand that the whole idea of introducing DAB is to free the FM frequencies for other uses.

Well, that's the daft bit. 88-108MHz is a WRC allocation worldwide so, although it is not often explained, the intention is to move only national stations to DAB so that FM - which is much cheaper to install and operate - can be used for local radio.

HMG have decreed that they will consider moving entirely to DAB when over 50% of the population listen to it. What they mean is when 50% of the population listen to DAB radio, but those pushing DAB (like Digital UK) are taking the line of when 50%+ of the population listen to the radio through digital means which includes
DAB
Internet on PC/laptops and mobile phones/tablets
Freeview radio
Satellite radio

At the moment less than 30% of the population use DAB for their main radio source - the vast majority still use FM.