Stereo upgrade - DAB

[Langers]

Has anyone installed an aftermarket head unit with DAB? I'm a bit lost on DAB antennas :?

So it seems that a standard FM antenna is questionably useful for receiving DAB. Some head units come with a DAB aerial that you secure to the inside of the windscreen, but there seems to be some instances of this not working very well (and I'd prefer something that is properly integrated into the car). You can install a DAB antenna in place of the FM antenna, but this doesn't seem to be as simple as a new aerial tip - there are threads talking about running wiring for a DAB antenna?

Or, there is this a DAB aerial splitter, claiming to do away with the need to fit any other aerial.
http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/dab/antenna-cables/autoleads-pc6-536-dab-aerial-splitter

Has anyone had any experience with this?

 

[Pete-r]

I fitted an alpine nav cd 2 din with dab in my Mk5 golf and used a windscreen antenna but got bugger all reception. I switched to a proper replacement bee sting and it was brilliant

 

[rally-chris]

Forget the standard FM aerial, it won't work with DAB due to the fact it is connected through integral filters and amplifier in the BMW electrical system.

You just need to buy a powered stick on aerial and fit it on the inside of the windscreen. Most head units will allow power to be sent to the amplifier to power it over the aerial signal connector by activating the option in a menu. I've used these in my last three DAB retrofits (all BMW/MINI) and the reception is as good as factory DAB in my Volvo.

Chris

 

[rally-chris]

I fitted an alpine nav cd 2 din with dab in my Mk5 golf and used a windscreen antenna but got bugger all reception. I switched to a proper replacement bee sting and it was brilliant

You probably had issues with the stick on aerial because the aerial was either:
1) A very cheap unpowered type
2) Powered type without being connected to a power source from the head unit
3) Powered type without a proper earth connection being made to the vehicle body (you have to scrape paint away and then stick on a flexible foil strap from the aerial base)

Chris

 

[Pete-r]

It was an alpine one, powered and properly earthed, it just didn't work very well.

 

[Langers]

Forget the standard FM aerial, it won't work with DAB due to the fact it is connected through integral filters and amplifier in the BMW electrical system.

Where are the FM filters? Are they built into the amplifier, or could you bypass them?
Has anyone seen any electrical drawings/wiring diagrams for this?

 

[rally-chris]

It is built into the base of the aerial, mounted to the underside of the rear wing.



Chris

 

[Sidewaze Samm]

Fitted a Kenwood with screen mounted aerial - really good reception. Modern units with lots of fiddly buttons really benefit from having MFSW though.

 

[paullyjay]

Yeah - I fitted a Pure Highway with screen mounted aerial - works a treat! also has BT music streaming and Phone calls too!

 

[Chris1981]

Yeah - I fitted a Pure Highway with screen mounted aerial - works a treat! also has BT music streaming and Phone calls too!

I can second that, the PURE highway worked fantastic in my car only ever dropped signal through tunnels.

 

[Langers]

It is built into the base of the aerial, mounted to the underside of the rear wing.

Thanks for the picture - it looks like that could be removed/bypassed with relative ease if required?

I found this article from 2013... https://www.carbuyer.co.uk/news/88608/bmw-offering-retro-fit-dab-radio-£299
Which explains how BMW offered a DAB retrofit for any car post-1998 with RDS FM. Even they fitted the aerial to the windscreen! It seems like this may be the best solution then.

Yeah - I fitted a Pure Highway with screen mounted aerial - works a treat! also has BT music streaming and Phone calls too!

I can second that, the PURE highway worked fantastic in my car only ever dropped signal through tunnels.

This sounds promising. Are you talking about one of these? https://www.pure.com/uk/car-audio/products/highway-600
How reliable is the FM link to the original stereo? I remember some years ago you could get FM broadcasting gadgets to play from your MP3 player, but they were a bit unreliable. Though the technology must have come on a bit now. This does have some appeal as you retain the OEM stereo, rather than a single-din in fascia; which I'm prepared to do, it just doesn't look great.

 

[mmm-five]

How reliable is the FM link to the original stereo?

Depends on the frequencies used in the areas you drive.

I have mine set to low 87s in the north west and get no interference, but as I travel south I get more & more, so I change it to another frequency.

There are some that will change the frequency automatically, but I didn't see them when I bought mine (Highway 400).

You can also wire it in directly to the back of the stereo so that you don't have to contend with any of the FM interference at all.

 

[z4too4]

Unless you are in a good reception area for Dab+, do not rely on one of these windscreen mounts.
It is intermittent in my E90, so didn't bother getting Dab+ on the Z4. Dab being digital, good reception is pretty much all or nothing, the squeaks and pops will do your head in.

Not sure about a Z, as the FM reception was spot on, but the E90 is complicated as all hell, search Google for "e90 entertainment and communication pdf" it contains stuff like...


Maybe there is a document for Z.

 

[mmm-five]

Unless you are in a good reception area for Dab+, do not rely on one of these windscreen mounts.

It is intermittent in my E90, so didn't bother getting Dab+ on the Z4. Dab being digital, good reception is pretty much all or nothing, the squeaks and pops will do your head in.

I agree, although the one in the Alfa (windscreen aerial provided with a Sony DAB head-unit) works fine everywhere

On the other hand, in the Z4, the powered/amplified one provided with the Highway is nowhere near as good, despite being grounded properly. Not just clicking, popping, squeaking, but also the muffled, underwater effect :thumbsdown:

 

[z4too4]

Used to love my Alfa Veloce Cloverleaf :driving:

 

[Langers]

So there doesn’t seem to be a solid way to get DAB in the Z4! :headbang:

 

[z4too4]

Don't know if anybody has mentioned it, but some peeps fit a full size house aerial inside the back bumper. You'll have Google it if you are interested.

 

[z4too4]

Ah ha... Here's one...
http://www.e46zone.com/forum/topic/27377-the-solution-to-dab-aerials-problems-is-here/

 

[Langers]

Thanks for the link, that's an interesting solution..! Despite the need to take the bumper off & solder a coax cable, that is actually a relatively simple solution. And nicely hidden away. Would need to look into where to route the cable back to the head unit though.

 

[z4too4]

Through the driver side rear bumper wiring grommit, into the back of the driver side cubby area, along the center consolle, up into the front console, or along the bottom of the doors into the footwell, up into the front console.
I had to do it for the parking sensors and rear parking camera, but this should easier as there no need to run a wire for a relay from the fusebox to the back.
Good luck!