Radio aerial (DAB, FM, AM)

[Transporter]

My caravan has a TV aerial, but I hardly watch any TV. What I would like is a radio aerial that would pick up digital radio (DAB), FM, and all the AM bands (SW, MW, LW).

Does such a thing exist? If so, would I need to mutilate the van to install it?

(I've tried connecting the radio to the TV aerial -- waste of time.)

 

[rob_jax]

Hi,

Not really:

DAB broadcasts on 200-ish MHz, FM on 100-ish MHz - and these can share the same aerial - the broadcast frequencies are harmonics of one another - so a FM aerial will work on DAB, and vice versa.

MW and SW aren't a simple harmonic of the FM band - so the FM aerial won't work, more importantly MW and SW are in a totally different frequency region, and they need a much longer aerial...

So two aerials are needed...

The mushroom aerial (and integrated amplifier) fitted to UK caravans does have reception of FM bands - and should work on DAB as well - but the MW and SW frequencies are actively "cut" by the amplifier.

Note: There have been reports of frequently botched aerial installations in UK caravans, basically the cable has loose wires in the connectors, and once checked out (and rectified) it should work "OK" on FM...

Robert