DAB Quality Improvement - Aerial?

[Kannon Fodda]

My Ducato 2019 based PVC has an Xzent X-422 multimedia reversing camera sat nav phone bluetooth DAB radio thing. The reception quality of the DAB is poor suffering far too many drop outs. As the radio stations I prefer to listen to are DAB only that has become a pain in the lughole.

I know DAB generally can have problems when in moving vehicles (despite the frequent ads on the radio stations promoting it), and indeed I often find problems needing precise positioning of portable radios. Essentially compared to FM where a signal is analogue and so just fades away, DAB will either receive a complete signal that can be decoded, or there is a gap.

So my suspicion is the aerial in the Ducato isn't up to the mark. I don't know where it is. Some suggestions is there is something in a door mirror? The Xzent manual says it has a power output for a aerial, but I've yet to venture to try and pull it out of the dashboard and see the connections. I'm also reluctant to start pulling the van apart to run different wiring to something else, but if that is what must happen ....

So what recommendations do people have? Replacing the Xzent seems extravagant, but if it would work and what should I use that retains all the other sat nave and camera functions? Is it aerial that I need to look at, and if so what? Would something on the windscreen work if I could avoid the Remis blinds? Is there something I could try and fit perhaps inside the overcab storage area?

 

[Pausim]

Digital streaming is better quality than DAB and it buffers, which covers most drop outs.

 

[Kannon Fodda]

Agreed, and I do stream at home, even then my Echo things have quite a few hiccups and switch off unexpectedly, but perhaps that may be my router. That however is a different issue.

For the MH, for the moment don't want to be getting myself into scenarios where I'm chewing through mobile data. Reception in cars, and I've had a few now with DAB, has at times been iffy. The MH is far worse, making me think there must be scope for improvement in the DAB.

 

[Pausim]

I think it may be easier to receive good DAB in a metal box than in a plastic one.

 

[SteveJ]

I have found from messing around with DAB in cars and the MH that you really do need a decent aerial. I have tried various ones in a few cars and the only ones that I found work, with any consistency, are decent roof mounted powered ones, tried the screen mount ones and got too many signal losses whilst driving around. Similar with the MH. Ended up biting the bullet and drilling a hole to fit one. Ran a power lead from the fuse box off of the same fuse as the head unit uses, main power not the permanent feed for the system memory/presets, so if the head unit was working then power was being supplied to the aerial as well (bear in mind that whilst the aerial power is small it is still a drain so you want to be sure that it doesn't stay powered on when you switch the ignition off) As you have a PVC you shouldn't have any issues with a good ground plane as long as you ensure that the aerial is well connected to the roof. Best place for some good advice is DAB On Wheels, I fitted one of these and as long as there is a signal I seem to pick it up, even get better reception then the factory fitted one in my car.

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[Sandancers]

You just need a £15 Halfords DAB magnetic base aerial, fix it up on your awning box and it'll work fine. Hardly ever get dropout on ours. In fact it works way better than the VW factory fitted DAB reception in the car.

 

[TerryL]

Have to say I've never had much of a problem with the screen mounted DAB aerial they fitted when I changed the radio. I admit we do get the occasional dropout but that's generally in poor reception areas when the FM isn't much good either - my Kenwood reverts to FM if the DAB signal drops out.

 

[Lenny HB]

You shouldn't get much drop out these days if you have a good aerial.
I would fit a good quality roof mounted aerial a decent one will be the wrong side of 50 quid but worth it.

 

[eddie]

My Ducato 2019 based PVC has an Xzent X-422 multimedia reversing camera sat nav phone bluetooth DAB radio thing. The reception quality of the DAB is poor suffering far too many drop outs. As the radio stations I prefer to listen to are DAB only that has become a pain in the lughole.

I know DAB generally can have problems when in moving vehicles (despite the frequent ads on the radio stations promoting it), and indeed I often find problems needing precise positioning of portable radios. Essentially compared to FM where a signal is analogue and so just fades away, DAB will either receive a complete signal that can be decoded, or there is a gap.

So my suspicion is the aerial in the Ducato isn't up to the mark. I don't know where it is. Some suggestions is there is something in a door mirror? The Xzent manual says it has a power output for a aerial, but I've yet to venture to try and pull it out of the dashboard and see the connections. I'm also reluctant to start pulling the van apart to run different wiring to something else, but if that is what must happen ....

So what recommendations do people have? Replacing the Xzent seems extravagant, but if it would work and what should I use that retains all the other sat nave and camera functions? Is it aerial that I need to look at, and if so what? Would something on the windscreen work if I could avoid the Remis blinds? Is there something I could try and fit perhaps inside the overcab storage area?

BBC Sounds via the internet bluetoothed to the head unit

People get really arsey with us and say "what DAB aerial do you recommend" and we say none of them and we won't fit one

 

[Kannon Fodda]

People get really arsey with us and say "what DAB aerial do you recommend" and we say none of them and we won't fit one

<<< Strikes that one off the conversation list for August

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[thebriars]

There has been some problems with the Xzent having the wrong aerial fitted for DAB. Worth checking with the dealer.

 

[eddie]

<<< Strikes that one off the conversation list for August

Genuinely I spent a fortune on the last motorhome, buying and trying all sorts of DAB aerials, and fitted them in a variety of ways

In the end, I got hold of one that was pretty good, I mounted it to a metal plate which I when I fitted it as close to the middle of the roof as I could, I connected directly to the chassis with a 6mm square wire and used a signal booster to amplify the input signal into a plus £2k head unit

It worked, most of the time, but I had spent hours, literally hours on it and I could be bothered listening to my staff arguing with customers who couldn't undertstand that their new £150 ('ish) aerial could cost hundreds of pound to install depending on the motorhome and "No, Sir, sorry it still doesn't 100% guarantee you reception.

So we decided to simply say "No" we don't know of one that will 100% guarantee you reception and as I couldn't be bothered to go through all that again when we got our new camper last year, I didn't so I listen to the radio on the internet and rarely have any issues what so ever, nor do I get my wife asking "Why's the radio gone off?

Bliss

 

[Kannon Fodda]

There has been some problems with the Xzent having the wrong aerial fitted for DAB. Worth checking with the dealer.

Interesting. I wonder how anyone will know if it's right or wrong without pulling all sorts of stuff apart?

On the other hand as the PVC is Ducato based, would any one have changed the standard Fiat aerial and if that was intended, as a commercial vehicle for only FM type stuff?

 

[Kannon Fodda]

Genuinely I spent a fortune on the last motorhome, buying and trying all sorts of DAB aerials, and fitted them in a variety of ways

In the end, I got hold of one that was pretty good, I mounted it to a metal plate which I when I fitted it as close to the middle of the roof as I could, I connected directly to the chassis with a 6mm square wire and used a signal booster to amplify the input signal into a plus £2k head unit

It worked, most of the time, but I had spent hours, literally hours on it and I could be bothered listening to my staff arguing with customers who couldn't undertstand that their new £150 ('ish) aerial could cost hundreds of pound to install depending on the motorhome and "No, Sir, sorry it still doesn't 100% guarantee you reception.

So we decided to simply say "No" we don't know of one that will 100% guarantee you reception and as I couldn't be bothered to go through all that again when we got our new camper last year, I didn't so I listen to the radio on the internet and rarely have any issues what so ever, nor do I get my wife asking "Why's the radio gone off?

Bliss

If you've spent that sort of time and effort trying to get a decent reception, I suppose spread over the lifetime of a MH the cost of phone data becomes viable.

Reality is that, despite the promotion, DAB radio actually is no better than FM was. The bandwidth used, and thus compression of the music will limit sound quality that some who are into their audio will be able to complain about. Reception is definitely all or nothing and even at home with static based radios, I will get drop outs. So in a vehicle, the same must be expected. But if DAB really was that useless, it would have gone the way of so many bits of technology and it certainly wouldn't have been capable of promotion.

But trying to use the mobile phone to stream the radio is also going to be problematic. One of my favourite sites in the New Forest (closed this year) I couldn't get even voice phone signal, let alone data and that is standing outside and wandering around. Even if I tried the Mifi type stuff that isn't going to overcome the lack of mobile coverage.

 

[Sandancers]

Interesting. I wonder how anyone will know if it's right or wrong without pulling all sorts of stuff apart?

On the other hand as the PVC is Ducato based, would any one have changed the standard Fiat aerial and if that was intended, as a commercial vehicle for only FM type stuff?

Can you access the back of your radio easily ? If so, get a £15 DAB aerial from Halfords, and a 5m cable. Fix a piece of 3mm mild steel to the top of your awning box, lead the cable tho a window and connect up. See if you can get more DAB stations, we did, then take it for a run to check reception. If no better you have only lost £20. If better wire it in properly.

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[Kannon Fodda]

Can you access the back of your radio easily ? If so, get a £15 DAB aerial from Halfords, and a 5m cable. Fix a piece of 3mm mild steel to the top of your awning box, lead the cable tho a window and connect up. See if you can get more DAB stations, we did, then take it for a run to check reception. If no better you have only lost £20. If better wire it in properly.

I think this will be the weekend's task to work out how to get into the van's dashboard and release the Xzent unit so I can trace wires and connections, work out where the current aerial might be, and where another might be located if I change. But the magnetic type aerial for that sort of price will be worth experimenting with.

 

[thebriars]

I think this will be the weekend's task to work out how to get into the van's dashboard and release the Xzent unit so I can trace wires and connections, work out where the current aerial might be, and where another might be located if I change. But the magnetic type aerial for that sort of price will be worth experimenting with.

Much simpler, check with the dealer first. As I said, it is a known problem with Trigano vehicles.

 

[Kannon Fodda]

So I’ve prodded poked and contorted myself. A DAB aerial, or at least a lead for one is connected to the Xzent thing. Impossible to trace where it goes as it’s into a taped wire loom but suspect passenger door mirror. Turning pose setting for DAB aerial makes no difference, only a single aerial lead comes out I can’t detect from the mass of wires if there is a separate power feed in the main bunch to the aerial.

bought the cheapo Halfords magnetic aerial suggested. That doesn’t have added power so perhaps not needed. temporarily fitted on roof with wire through door but reception is as bad if not worse.

there is a rubber grommet above van windscreen for standard aerial mount point but it doesn’t seem worthwhile trying to fit proper aerial. May have to take Eddies advice above and try Bluetooth phone data

 

[Spawn_e_git]

DAB seems fine in my car in suburbia and cities and motorway corridors.
Anywhere outside of these areas, its crap and that is where you spend a lot of time in MH.
We are currently near Alnwick which is the middle of nowhere and DAB is useless. We have hired a car for this trip (Hyundai Tuscon) which has factory fitted DAB and that is just as crap.
I put a roof aerial (powered) and its great around the areas mentioned above, go outside of these and its pants.
IMO it's worse than FM because with FM you get hiss and fade, DAB gives drop outs and those horrible squeaks and glitches.
I have MIFI and use TuneIn app on the Androd double din. rarely drops out as it buffers. Data from VOXI, £35 a month unlimited data and rolling monthly contract so can cancel or downgrade for months we wont be using it.
I think eddievanbitz is bang on. Advise it's likely to be flaky and advise to spend the money on a better data contract.

 

[pandas]

The Dab on our new Hymer (2019) always had interference. Had a roof arial fitted by Hymer as part of the original spec.
After several months, changed the radio, upgraded the radio software, they eventually tracked it down to a faulty connection on the roof part of the arial. Replaced the arial and all is perfect, as it was intended. Dab every time for me.

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[BOOMEL]

I have a Rapido V68 Campervan with Pioneer radio. The DAB was never brilliant, but now since I had the reversing camera installed, non existent DAB signal. Any suggestions please? Mike

 

[Lenny HB]

Old thread but we get brilliant reception from our standard roof mounted aerial on our Hymer.

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

DAB was crap on my new van so when I took it back for warranty work I said about it, new Ariel fitted yeh!! Still crap

Have given up now.
It’s a bit of a lottery, I’ve had work vans that have had brilliant DAB reception and also very nice new cars that the reception has been rubbish.

 

[stevewagner]

Mine has a Drivesmart adapter that works really well

 

[TerryL]

I was getting BBC Radio 2 DAB between Calais & Boulogne with a simple stuck to the screen aerial!
Odd because I couldn't get it in UK!

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[huck999]

Forget DAB in the UK.
It's low powered, mono and not maintained.
The aerial in most ducato's is in the mirror so if you have the van between it and the broadcaster, you get next to nothing.
Better to invest in broadband. I doubt a whole day of Spotify uses 500mb.

 

[Pausim]

DAB and the word “quality” don’t really belong in the same sentence. The bitrates used for most stations are far too low, some are in stereo. I use DAB for voice but music is far better streamed.

 

[Lenny HB]

Better to invest in broadband. I doubt a whole day of Spotify uses 500mb.

Music streaming uses approx 60mb per hour, so you are not far out.

I often stream when driving but data signal can drop out more than DAB in rural areas.

 

[Gerry77]

Do you happen to know which aerial Hymer fit and what do they do about a ground plane?

Old thread but we get brilliant reception from our standard roof mounted aerial on our Hymer.

 

[Lenny HB]

Do you happen to know which aerial Hymer fit and what do they do about a ground plane?

Sorry don't know, its a small whip aerial on the roof which is aluminium so doesn't need a seperate ground plane. Same aerial is used for FM and TV, TV reception is very good, they fit an amp for tv somewhere I've yet to find it.

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