DAB on board

[mcanderson]

With a new, to us, boat on the way I have been thinking about upgrading the stereo to a DAB unit with bluetooth. My last boat I installed a bluetooth unit and it is a must for streaming. With the DAB I see I need another antenna, but I can also find splitters that then use the existing antenna as the source for both digital and analogue signals.

If you have installed a DAB unit, what did you do??

I am probably going to buy a Kenwood unit.

 

[johnalison]

Not much use abroad.

 

[elton]

You wouldn't be "upgrading" if you installed DAB, you'd be downgrading. DAB is rubbish, and I predict it will eventually be withdraw. Then after a suitable period of mourning, they'll launch DAB+, which is what it should have been at the outset, if the government hadn't been so impatient to get their hands on the broadcaster licence fees. Unfortunately DAB+ is incompatible with DAB, and will require yet another new radio.

 

[lw395]

Is this for use in France?

 

[mcanderson]

Oui! DAB+ is supported by Riviera Radio transmitting from Monaco.

 

[billcole]

www.dabonwheels.co.uk sells in car dab receivers, aerials, converters etc, with some good information on the various options.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

You wouldn't be "upgrading" if you installed DAB, you'd be downgrading. DAB is rubbish, and I predict it will eventually be withdraw. Then after a suitable period of mourning, they'll launch DAB+, which is what it should have been at the outset, if the government hadn't been so impatient to get their hands on the broadcaster licence fees. Unfortunately DAB+ is incompatible with DAB, and will require yet another new radio.

+1. What a terrible service it is. I've been an FM fan for decades, DAB is woeful

 

[MikeBz]

I've used almost nothing but DAB in my car for the last 4+ years, I can't imagine going back to the dark ages. I have also installed a DAB car stereo in the boat - it came with an aerial which you stick to the inside of window and works fine in Suffolk/Essex/Kent (haven't been further afield in the UK to try it) despite that fact that I read the instructions after installing it and stuck it at 90deg. to the specified angle...

 

[dune16]

I've used almost nothing but DAB in my car for the last 4+ years, I can't imagine going back to the dark ages. I have also installed a DAB car stereo in the boat - it came with an aerial which you stick to the inside of window and works fine in Suffolk/Essex/Kent (haven't been further afield in the UK to try it) despite that fact that I read the instructions after installing it and stuck it at 90deg. to the specified angle...

Agree completely, really haven't had any complaints with dab and don't like having to go back to FM

 

[BlueChip]

As an alternative to DAB with Bluetooth, consider adding a Bluetooth receiver to the AUX input your existing radio and stream digital radio from your phone or stand alone receiver. I just fitted one of these - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00O8GASEA/ref=pe_3187911_189395841_TE_dp_1
which works very well and I use it to stream Spotify.

 

[elton]

Agree completely, really haven't had any complaints with dab and don't like having to go back to FM

How do you cope with mono? Are you deaf in one ear? And what about the ridiculously restricted audio bandwidth? I guess you won't notice that if you're much older than 50. I assume you power it off mains, or the boat battery bank, because a set of D cells don't last five minutes.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Not often I find myself agreeing with the honourable member known as Elton, but I'm 61 and to my ageing but well-trained ear, even in my car the DAB sounds like a 1960s AM tranny whereas FM is a mellifluous feast of bandwidth-limited loveliness.

 

[jakeroyd]

Been mentioned above I know but do be aware DAB radios use a lot of energy.
Your battery bill will be large.
Even rechargeable ones like Pure are rubbish on battery life.

 

[dune16]

How do you cope with mono? Are you deaf in one ear? And what about the ridiculously restricted audio bandwidth? I guess you won't notice that if you're much older than 50. I assume you power it off mains, or the boat battery bank, because a set of D cells don't last five minutes.

I don't have dab on the boat but have it in my car and it's certainly stereo and not mono? While I'm certainly no audiophile and only 40 (so no hearing issues I'm aware of yet) the sound quality appears perfectly fine to me.

 

[elton]

I don't have dab on the boat but have it in my car and it's certainly stereo and not mono? While I'm certainly no audiophile and only 40 (so no hearing issues I'm aware of yet) the sound quality appears perfectly fine to me.

The last time I checked, which wasn't that long ago, in the UK only the BBC was transmitting DAB in stereo, and only certain stations at certain times of the day. I assure you, the audio quality as measured objectively, is abysmal and seriously inferior to FM.

WIkipedia: "Criticisms of DAB in the UK" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_radio_in_the_United_Kingdom#Criticisms_of_DAB_in_the_UK

 

[dune16]

The last time I checked, which wasn't that long ago, in the UK only the BBC was transmitting DAB in stereo, and only certain stations at certain times of the day. I assure you, the audio quality as measured objectively, is abysmal and seriously inferior to FM.

WIkipedia: "Criticisms of DAB in the UK" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_radio_in_the_United_Kingdom#Criticisms_of_DAB_in_the_UK

When I do listen to radio it would normally be Radio 1 although I spend most of my time listening to Spotify nowadays anyway.

 

[ashtead]

No problem with DAB in the car but I am curious as to the benefits on board where you can listen to channels via TuneIn radio or suchlike which seems to have most channels available via wifi ?

 

[MarcJ]

For my two pennyworth I fitted a DAB radio (special deal from Halfords at the time) last year. I fitted a splitter to the main up the mast aerial also one of the 6" cheapo jobs which sits in a locker. Out of curiosity I tried disconnecting the splitter a couple of weeks ago - didn't make much difference! As for the quality - the unit I have switches between FM and digital automatically, can't say I can tell any difference, but then again, I'm over 50!

 

[PaulRainbow]

Heathens !!

I have a Samsung soundbar, which runs off the boat batteries via a cheap DC-DC converter, as it's 14v. Probably run straight off the batteries, but i wanted a stable supply. Draws about 0.3 amps at a sensible volume. It has a digital cable from the TV and has Bluetooth.

Music is provided by my phone, via the Radioplayer app' This has a zillion stations, available anywhere there is an internet signal and the sound is excellent. There are of course other internet music options.

 

[cagey]

Mr Rainbow,
What is Samsung part no or similar please, did quick google but too many possibilities.
Ta
Keith