Car DAB radio and AM?

The_stingemeister

Thinking of having one fitted. Would really like to know if they come with a separate AM band? So if there is no DAB signal, and you're listening to Radio 5, then you can revert to AM. I know you can switch from DAB to FM.

If you can't get this I may stick to analogue, as the digital radio switchover looks to be 10 years away now.

daveyjp

Both our cars have in built DAB and both have FM and AM.

facade

Most seem to, you will have to check the exact model you plan on getting though, just in case.

The factory fitted one (Bosch) in my Suzuki does DAB/FM/AM.

I'm not a fan of DAB, the reception is terrible when moving, I find FM approximately 100 million times better

Could be down to the trendy bee sting aerial I suppose, I've been looking out for a longer mast without success.

Username03725

Some do but it can vary by manufacturer - the only way to know is to check the specific model of radio that you're thinking of fitting and confirm it before completing the purchase. The one I fitted recently in a van had DAB, FM & AM but no LW. I've never seen one that automatically does the graceful switch to AM when the DAB signal drops out, although that was specced in the BBC's early requirements for both DAB -> FM and DAB -> AM.

DAB radios with AM are likely to disappear as more & more AM (MW) stations are switched off, but it may not be an issue depending on where you are - the BBC's DAB network is very widespread (much better than commercial radio incl Classic FM) and covers the vast majority of the UK with an emphasis on major road networks and population density, so if you're within reasonable range of a motorway, trunk road or decent sized town the signal should be robust enough not to need AM.

AdrianC

Do they still broadcast on AM MW/LW?

Username03725

facade said:

I'm not a fan of DAB, the reception is terrible when moving, I find FM approximately 100 million times better

Could be down to the trendy bee sting aerial I suppose, I've been looking out for a longer mast without success.

Whereas I find the opposite, that DAB is rock solid and never misses a beat but FM occasionally suffers from multipath interference or drop outs etc. BBC DAB is a single frequency network where signals from different transmitters can be combined to improve reception, whereas the 22 FM frequencies that each national FM station uses must be at least 0.2MHz apart to avoid interference. The SFN was one of the big pushes for DAB 25 years ago.

Sound quality is very good - you're in a car not sitting in front of a hifi and I can honestly find nothing to complain about when 6M is on, or R4 speech, or R2 for fun music. It's a good solid sound with no interference. Compare and contrast with the sound of frying bacon that was always present on R3 FM no matter what permutation of aerial and tuner I heard it on. All irrelevant now, all proper listening at home is via the BBC's HD streams into a decent streamer.

BOWFER

Dab is solid on my car in Aberdeen.
Wasn't so hot in the wife's Kia Sportage, there were zones you could predict you'd lose it and several were when driving past schools, which intrigued me.
Back to solid in her Evoque.
As it's the only way to get BBC R6, I wouldn't want to be without it.

The_stingemeister

It's hard to tell which bands they have, as they state AM, but it could mean it has AM but not on  a separate band. People will think I'm daft but was thinking of getting a DAB radio without the special aeriel. I wouldn't probably get their stations, but it would future proof me. Who knows, in the future, a tiny portable aerial may get invented? Don't really want the faff of another aerial fitting. I've seen two nice radios, one DAB and one non-DAB...for same price.

The_stingemeister

Also, in my kitchen, the DAB radio does cut out a lot on any station, but not with FM. Thinking of that, I think separate AM is a must in a car. 

The_stingemeister

Also, in my kitchen, the DAB radio does cut out a lot on any station, but not with FM. Thinking of that, I think separate AM is a must in a car. 

mobileron

Drove 150 miles to Yorkshire and listened to 5 all the time. Tend to lose signal passing railway stations in Milton Keynes.