DAB worth it?

[heady2010]

Whats everyones experience of dab radio, im about to upgrade my stereo to a rcd 510, but it seems like its gonna cost about £100 extra to to get the correct stereo and new aerial lead, just wondered if its really worth it?

[wigit]

i really regretted speccing this on the rocco for the following reasons

you lose the TIM function which records the traffic news at set times

if you are travelling some distance on DAB the RDS doesn't always keep up with local bbc stations so you end up defaulting to classic

will not miss it, did sound good through the dynaudio though

[jedi-knight83]

Whats everyones experience of dab radio, im about to upgrade my stereo to a rcd 510, but it seems like its gonna cost about £100 extra to to get the correct stereo and new aerial lead, just wondered if its really worth it?

I went with a rcd510DAB but am yet to get DAB working. I had wanted to just change the aerial module in the tailgate as the OEM fitment used the rear screen but having looked closer today I dont think my rear screen has the DAB aerial filament so they must have used different glass in DAB cars??

Only other option is a DAB beesting aerial to replace my GPS shark fin but I hate the look of the bee sting.

So at the moment... its not been worth it.. and I havent even heard it yet.... and the normal FM reception isnt as good as its still running through my diversity box under the seat so forcing the radio to change frequency too often.

[daveangel]

can you not split split the diversity, and use one to feed the dab.

bit dirty but it worked for while i was waiting on aerial cables?

[heady2010]

I'm thinking I might just give it a miss, I know what u mean about the bee sting, it shouts max power and halfords

[jedi-knight83]

can you not split split the diversity, and use one to feed the dab.

bit dirty but it worked for while i was waiting on aerial cables?

Ive hunted high and low for dab aerial info and found very very little which i was quite surprised about. Where and how would I split the diversity?

Its annoying my favourite website wagenstead has gone down (was like an online etka) as im sure id have solved it by now :(

[daveangel]

The existing head unit I'm guessing has two fm inputs into the back of it as one plug. Cars before 08 need an adaptor tp convert the aerial cables in the car to the new fakra plugs to fit on newer radios. The rcd 510 dab has two fm aerial inputs and a dab input. If you purchase the adaptor it has converts the cars twin plug into two single plugs on fly leads. I would suggest putting one on fm1 and the other on dab.

This gets the dab and fm working with on the lose of fm diversity that you won't use anyway as your dab will be working. Cheap an easy.

The proper engineering solution is to replace the aerial with a fm/gsm/dab/gps unit and run an additional aerial cable 4.5m to the front. I put the part no.s in a how to somewhere.

Look up te standard on fakra plugs. Each colour coded plug has a different function and key although the ve adaptor fits everything

[heady2010]

So you can use the existing aerials on the car as dab aerial? Mines a 55 plate.

[daveangel]

i would yea.  i'm guessing the aerial setup is the same as my08.

you need 7L6 051 551

http://www.my-gti.com/1088/
 
to split the double plug tho...

[jedi-knight83]

The existing head unit I'm guessing has two fm inputs into the back of it as one plug. Cars before 08 need an adaptor tp convert the aerial cables in the car to the new fakra plugs to fit on newer radios. The rcd 510 dab has two fm aerial inputs and a dab input. If you purchase the adaptor it has converts the cars twin plug into two single plugs on fly leads. I would suggest putting one on fm1 and the other on dab.

This gets the dab and fm working with on the lose of fm diversity that you won't use anyway as your dab will be working. Cheap an easy.

The proper engineering solution is to replace the aerial with a fm/gsm/dab/gps unit and run an additional aerial cable 4.5m to the front. I put the part no.s in a how to somewhere.

Look up te standard on fakra plugs. Each colour coded plug has a different function and key although the ve adaptor fits everything

when you say FM1 which of the two pins on the double plug on the back of the headunit is this?

I did try this but as soon as I drove around reception on both DAB and FM broke up. BUT... it was still running through the diversity box under my drivers seat. I think I need to bridge that out of the equation and try again?

[heady2010]

Whats a diversity box?

[jedi-knight83]

Whats a diversity box?

see here.. 

http://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,37207.0.html