DAB aerial - wing mirror?

[davepoth]

I have a DAB radio inbound, so I'm trying to work out what to do about an aerial. I don't want to drill holes in the roof, and I'd rather not have anything stuck to the windscreen.

One thing that does look promising is that the VW camper vans have an aerial inside the wing mirror. What I was wondering was whether the glass mount sticky antennas need to be attached to glass, or will they be OK on a bit of plastic?

[Dr Doofenshmirtz]

They'll stick to plastic and work fine.
Another option is to use the existing antenna with a DAB/FM splitter.

[colin_p]

Unless you live and only drive close to the transmitters anything other than a proper roof mounted DAB antenna is going to lead to bad reception and signal drop outs.

Been through this with various stick on wot-nots, these all dropped the signal a lot of the time and the thing is with DAB unlike FM which will just crackle a bit and fade is that DAB will just drop out. There is no middle ground with DAB one moment all good the next nothing.

The only way to overcome this I found is to fit a proper roof mounted antenna. I bought a duel DAB/FM one and now only get signal drop outs if in the deepest darkest parts of the middle of knowhere.

Some tough choices to make if you don't already have a hole in the roof. I think you will be disappointed with the stick jobbies.

[catso]

colin_p said:

Some tough choices to make if you don't already have a hole in the roof.

Do they not make those through-the-rear-windscreen jobbies like they used to do for car phones?

[untakenname]

Panorama make a decent through the glass one http://www.co-star.co.uk/images/pdf/gmdab3l(1).pdf

[colin_p]

You still get a lot of signal dropouts with those glass mounts but they are better than the sticky internal ones. If you don't venture out of town much and live in a flat landscape then a glass mount will probably be ok. For me Planet Rock needs to get through where ever I go !

The reason I know as much is that I've tried quite a few until I ended up biting the bullet and fitted proper roof mount aerial.

Edited by colin_p on Tuesday 11th October 11:12

[Spangles]

I've fitted 30odd DAB aerials, unless you drill a hole in the roof you're going to be disappointed. I've tried them all, internal glass mount, through glass mount, mag mount, etc. all drop out way too often to be listenable over long journeys. Even combined DAB/FM are a compromise albeit one you usually get away with.

[Timbo_S2]

I've had a glass mount dab arial for over two years and never had a problem. Pioneer aftermarket radio, in a caravelle so a large vertical windscreen. I travel all over the country, and reception has always been good...

[Craikeybaby]

I've had a sticky glass mount antenna on my wife's Fiat 500 for a few years now and it is fine on BBC stations, but has occasional drops on commercial stations. The performance is no different to OEM solutions.

[nickwilcock]

It seems that newer DAB/DAB+ radios, such as the Kenwood KDC-BT49DAB, come supplied with a Kenwood DAB A1 all-band active antenna amplifier for Band II (VHF-FM), Band III (DAB/DAB+) and L-Band (DAB but not in use in UK) which uses windscreen film antenna elements.

By all accounts, it works very well indeed.

Edited by nickwilcock on Sunday 23 October 19:51

[66mpg]

nickwilcock said:

It seems that newer DAB/DAB+ radios, such as the Kenwood KDC-BT49DAB, come supplied with a Kenwood DAB A1 all-band active antenna amplifier for Band II (VHF-FM), Band III (DAB/DAB+) and L-Band (DAB but not in use in UK) which uses windscreen film antenna elements.

By all accounts, it works very well indeed.

Edited by nickwilcock on Sunday 23 October 19:51

I have this and I can confirm that it works very well. I did lose signal in some remote parts of the highlands recently but then I had no FM either.

[HotJambalaya]

66mpg said:

nickwilcock said:

It seems that newer DAB/DAB+ radios, such as the Kenwood KDC-BT49DAB, come supplied with a Kenwood DAB A1 all-band active antenna amplifier for Band II (VHF-FM), Band III (DAB/DAB+) and L-Band (DAB but not in use in UK) which uses windscreen film antenna elements.

By all accounts, it works very well indeed.

Edited by nickwilcock on Sunday 23 October 19:51

I have this and I can confirm that it works very well. I did lose signal in some remote parts of the highlands recently but then I had no FM either.

I'm pretty sure I also have this one, and it works great. Installed on the far left on the windscreen, can barely see it. Don't see why it couldnt be mounted behind the rear view mirror and be totally invisible from the driver seat.

One thing about this radio specifically though, i lost all reception, took it back and they had to pull it out to reset it, apparently the older kenwood units could be reset from the front easily, this one has to be pulled out. Bloody nuisance.