Ever since i've had my 16 plate 500L i have had this annoying issue with the radio keep cutting out & the display showing station unavailable - is this the norm with DAB radio systems or do we think it could be a fault? I miss my cd player ?
General DAB Radio
- Thread starter Mazzab
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General DAB Radio
Hi I was warned about the DAB cutting out by the dealer when He demonstrated the radio to me and he advised using FM if it bugged me. I am impressed with the sound quality and it does have a cd player. Some threads here report their unit switching off randomly and having to have a replacement but that is different issue.
Yeah that other problem does sound different, the sound is far clearer but annoying when your singing along or your fav tune comes on & it disappears. My lounge hasnt got the cd anymore, something i will be looking for in the next car.
DAB signal is either there or gone. Unlike FM that fades and crackles a bit to tell you the signal is crap. Occasionally DAB might growl a little, but mostly just drops off.
It will all depend how good the signal is in your area.
My first DAB radio was in the AA Fiesta. Good reception almost everywhere I went.
When I fitted a DAB radio into the Panda, it came with a silly stick-on aerial to attach inside the windscreen. This lost the signal easily, even in areas where the Fiesta kept it.
I've now fitted a new roof aerial, which is DAB/FM. Had to dismantle half the interior trim to run the new cables through, including the amplifier feed. Signal is now brilliant everywhere.
You'd hope that Fiat would have fitted a good aerial system as standard. But it might be a good idea to compare it.
Find a friend with a good DAB in his car. Go to the places where you lose the signal, and see how the friend's signal compares. If his disappears as well, then you sadly live in an area without good DAB. If his stays, go back to the dealer and get it fixed.
Most DABs have a system that should automatically switch to FM, if there is an equivalent, and back again when the signal improves. BBC radio stations will do this, but others will depend whether an FM equivalent exists, as some are DAB stations only, and if the independent stations actually broadcast the necessary information signal. Might need to browse the menus to activate this feature.
It will all depend how good the signal is in your area.
My first DAB radio was in the AA Fiesta. Good reception almost everywhere I went.
When I fitted a DAB radio into the Panda, it came with a silly stick-on aerial to attach inside the windscreen. This lost the signal easily, even in areas where the Fiesta kept it.
I've now fitted a new roof aerial, which is DAB/FM. Had to dismantle half the interior trim to run the new cables through, including the amplifier feed. Signal is now brilliant everywhere.
You'd hope that Fiat would have fitted a good aerial system as standard. But it might be a good idea to compare it.
Find a friend with a good DAB in his car. Go to the places where you lose the signal, and see how the friend's signal compares. If his disappears as well, then you sadly live in an area without good DAB. If his stays, go back to the dealer and get it fixed.
Most DABs have a system that should automatically switch to FM, if there is an equivalent, and back again when the signal improves. BBC radio stations will do this, but others will depend whether an FM equivalent exists, as some are DAB stations only, and if the independent stations actually broadcast the necessary information signal. Might need to browse the menus to activate this feature.