DAB car radio

N

Norfolknick

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 Aug 2008
Messages
120
Location
Not near enough to my boat :-( which is at Gosport
Visit site
The stereo on the boat has finally blown...it was very old!

Looking about for are replacement I was wondering whether to look at a DAB stereo. We rarely listen to LW as we use web based forecasts.

I have seen varying assessments of the DAB car stereos in cars but have no experience of them on boats at sea. I do however use one at home and very much enjoy the improved sound quality.

Looking for something with a USB such that I can plug the old iPod in and listen to good old Radio 2.

Any thoughts?
 
We've got a Sony DAB which was on the boat and was excellent. We use the radio a lot and it just used too much juice from the batteries so its now in my car. We use a Roberts DAB radio on the boat.

You need a decent DAB aerial if you use a car radio. I made my own and mounted it on the backstay.
 
nigelmercier said:
Which is odd, because the quality of DAB is nowhere near as good as FM. Quite acceptable for a car or boat though.
Click to expand...

It depends on where you live. In my part of the world DAB reception is far better than the very mediocre FM. The same can be said for some south coast harbours.

But I agree that, if you can get a good good signal from both, then FM is probably better.
 
May I suggest you take a good look at the mounting of the existing unit to check that the new one will fit. I bought a cheap, secondhand radio/CD unit for the boat and then found that the radio/cassette unit was almost touching the hull, so the deeper CD unit wouldn't go into the mounting!

Rob.
 
RichardS said:
I've got a top quality FM / DAB radio in my car and DAB is totally useless when the car is moving! Should be OK in a boat though.

Richard
Click to expand...
DAB useless in our non-moving house too. A poor but listenable FM signal, DAB totally impossible unless you like the sound of bubbling water.
 
Recently fitted a Sony Dab in my boat, reception is way better than FM, I used a stick on DAB antenna attached to the hull.

Need to figure out a way to save the stations etc when the 12V is powered down, may run a lead from Battery or fit a small sealed lead acid 12V battery to keep the memory alive.

Have DAB in my car and get very occasional drop outs when driving. But was a factory fitted Radio so suspect the antennas quite good.
 
RichardS said:
I've got a top quality FM / DAB radio in my car and DAB is totally useless when the car is moving!
Click to expand...

Interesting, I have a little Pure 2500 radio that lives in the centre armrest and inputs to the car radio's Aux socket. It's brilliant most of the time with just the odd areas where it becomes unlistenable - mainly in fairly remote areas or down heavily wooded lanes.
 
RichardS said:
I've got a top quality FM / DAB radio in my car and DAB is totally useless when the car is moving! Should be OK in a boat though.

Richard
Click to expand...

I installed a Sony DAB radio in the motorhome, expecting that I would mostly use its FM radio. Suprise surprise, it receives far better than the FM one. On the journey we make quite frequently from Wrexham to Milford Haven it never loses signal, whereas the FM one always does in mid-Wales. Quality seems good and it receives many channels that I have never even heard of previously. Not all worth listening to, it has to be said.
 
vyv_cox said:
I installed a Sony DAB radio in the motorhome, expecting that I would mostly use its FM radio. Suprise surprise, it receives far better than the FM one. On the journey we make quite frequently from Wrexham to Milford Haven it never loses signal, whereas the FM one always does in mid-Wales. Quality seems good and it receives many channels that I have never even heard of previously. Not all worth listening to, it has to be said.
Click to expand...

Hi Vyv - mine is also a Sony. Maybe it's just a DAB reception problem in our area. It's quite hilly in the Cotswolds (by definition, I guess!). I've never actually tried DAB anywhere else but I will give it a go next time I'm away from home.

Richard
 
Don't bother to get a DAB radio for use in Scotland. You can actually get a signal in a few places inland near towns (but not likely around the west coast) but there are only a few BBC channels, and no local radio on DAB, not even BBC Radio Scotland.
 
Just remember-there are large swathes of UK where there is no effective digital reception-non whatsoever up here in NW Highlands
 
dutyhog said:
Don't bother to get a DAB radio for use in Scotland. You can actually get a signal in a few places inland near towns (but not likely around the west coast) but there are only a few BBC channels, and no local radio on DAB, not even BBC Radio Scotland.
Click to expand...

Radio Scotland is available on some transmitters according to the Beeb.
New aerials are being added all the time so it is worth checking from time to time. You just need to enter your postcode.....which isn't a great deal of use if you want to check for reception in a car or boat..... http://www.bbc.co.uk/reception/digitalradio/

With my DAB radio I retune them every now and again. There are always new stations. With DAB retuning is very easy; you just press a button and it does it for you.
 
Last edited:
I use DAB on my boat all the time (Irish Sea), I use a Sony one and to solve the battery eating problem I use a Sony PSP fit 12v charger, it's same output and fitting as the radio and cost the princely sum of £1.79 post free from China - marvellous!...........

For talk radio (BBC R4) I find DAB much superior to FM and to suggest otherwise is perhaps Luddite nonsense.... :)
 
In what way is super digital-clear interference and hiss free DAB inferior to analogue FM? That's like saying CDs are inferior to cassettes or records.
 
At the top quality end, with good signal strength and good equipment, most aficionado's agree that FM is better. But it is only at the top end. For practical purposes, and certainly for talk radio, DAB is better.....if you can get a reasonable signal.

The much wider range of stations is a bonus. eg Radio 4 Extra is superb.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top