DAB radio

Hey guys.

Another question I know... But what ever happened to DAB radio? I would have thought it would be standard in new cars by now... but that doesn't look the case. Can the 500 be fitted with DAB without affecting the look of the dash?

crabman

it won't be standard until the government decide when they will switch over the analogue radio signal. The car manufacturers aren't going to put it into new cars until they know there will be a need for it. Apparently the conversion cost will be c£300. Personally I won't bother as i only really listen to music on my USB stick!

DAB doesn't lke a moving target.

Isn't it an option? Think it was for the bravo.

There was a programme on tv the other day where they were testing DAB car radios in London... and the upshot of it was that the signal wasn't good enough, although that was balanced out by the extra choice.

I have read that the coding of DAB may be changed to DAB+ in a few years time when the government can make its mind up about the future of DAB, rendering most DAB radios available at the moment redundant. Some (eg the Pure Evoke Flow) are being sold with the capability to upgrade them to DAB+ for a fee if/when it becomes necessary.

It was only 12 months ago Fiat fitted CD players as standard across the range

DAB will be a while longer

That's available here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8137429.stm

Actually one of DAB's design objectives was for use in cars.

Unfortunately the suppliers of DAB tuners insisting on using a "price skimming" model (i.e. really high price) for so long that the technology has been completely superceeded by FreeView and Internet radio, leaving just in-car use where it would really be of benefit.

It would be greatly beneficial for the Government to get rid of AM & FM since, like FreeView, DAB needs far less transmitters. But realistically there are far too many sets that would become obscelete so it's unlikely to happen any time soon.

Re conversion cost, frankly it is next to nothing. Bosch have had a single-chip DAB tuner for a long time, hence the arrival of the £25 DAB sets in Sainsbury's etc.

Cheers

I reckon we'll have upgraded our mobile wifi before DAB gets a chance to take off, we'll all be listening to internet radio in our cars...yay!

I know it's not the most elegant solution but we've got one of these and it works great

http://www.pure.com/products/product...oduct=VL-60905

Agree with this. DAB has no future IMO.

DAB on grande puntos......but who listens to the radio especially radio one

several people have written in to Radio Times complaining about the quality of DAB radio when compared to a good FM signal, and enquiring about when the FM signal will be turned off... I think the reply was that DAB has to have been taken up by a fairly high percentage of the population before this will happen, which I doubt any time soon.

Planet Rock is good though

96.3 rock radio

http://www.rockradio.co.uk/scotland/

DAB signals are crap. The present analogue system works just fine thanks, and if the government thinks we are all going to throw our old radios out just for some crappy novelty replacement, offering nothing but any number of puerile kiddy stations, it has got another think coming.