DAB aerial

[AndrewL123]

Hi 

 

I’m just fitting a new dab radio in my van.  I currently have a cytrac self seeking satellite dish for tv (and for free view radio) but also want the option of using the dab radio.  Is there a simple effective dab aerial set up? I’ve seen glass mounted ones, bee stings antennas also there is obviously the vision plus status which receives dab but seems overkill to install just for dab.  I saw a discreet glass mounted one but reviews say signal can be poor 
 

I currently have an avtex bee sting which I’m not sure receives dab only tv and fm (badly)

 

 

Thanks 

 

 

 

[Tuningdrew]

My Conqueror has an external fm aerial which picks up DAB with no problems via a splitter. 

[David 38]

Does your caravan not have a basic car radio in it now?

 

I took mine out and put a DAB one in and split the aerial feed into normal and DAB.

[AndrewL123]

9 minutes ago, David 38 said:

Does your caravan not have a basic car radio in it now?

 

I took mine out and put a DAB one in and split the aerial feed into normal and DAB.

It does and uses  the avtex bee sting but the reception is poor with fm so I doubt it will any good for dab.  I could try the splitter approach and see what happens but I’m not confident!

How do you find the signal?

[David 38]

17 minutes ago, AndrewL123 said:

 

How do you find the signal?

No idea what a bee sting aerial is, I've got the normal Status Tv aerial that most caravans have. DAB works fine with my set up.

[Rodders53]

Splitters will lose over half the (amplified in the case of the Avtex bee sting) signal input.(-3 dB being half and splitters have -4 dB).  Separate aerials should outperform any split arrangement.

This cheapy from Halfords would be OK if the roof were magnetic? https://www.halfords.com/technology/car-audio/stereo-fittings/autoleads-magnetic-dab-antenna-575883.html and you can get the cable inside. 

 

I'd avoid stick on antennas for caravans (the glue and plastic windows might react).  GRP sided vans will work better with indoor antennas than alloy-sided.  (GRP is used for transmitting antenna shrouds so 'transparent').

Also avoid amplified antennas for FM and DAB radios.  They aren't especially effective and often just add unwanted noise.  

DAB signals are vertical only.

 

But 'suck it and see' with what you have got at the moment in the van? 

Then look to improve it if required at the locations you usually visit?

 

NB Freeview and Satellite radio audio quality far exceeds that broadcast on DAB.  FM (barring low signal background hiss) is better, too. 

[Ukzero]

We listen to digital radio using our TV which like most sets picks up such radio stations such as our favourite R6M on Freeview. No extra aerial required. I am assuming Freesat has a similar channel set?

The sound from our TV is pants (as they all are) so goes to an amplified 2.1 system, so audio quality is pretty good.

You could output the TV sound into an Aux-in if you have such a car type radio fitted.

Our Swift Elegance came with DAB as standard, but the audio quality from this unit and badly positioned speakers is truly terrible, so it is now not used.

Edited November 12, 2020 by Ukzero

[AndrewL123]

Thanks for replies. 
 

I’ll try the bee sting aerial first with a splitter.  The splitter has a power cable does this just splice into power cable on back of radio?

[Woodentop]

The bee-sting aerial is just an aerial - or it should be! The bee-sting feeds an amp which then supplies signal to your normal TV and to your radio. I would check the label on the amp to make sure that it is not a UHF only amp for TV - which would explain why FM is poor. If that is the case then replace it with either a Vision VP3 or a Fringe Easytune. 

The easy answer is to replace the bee-sting with a similar short car radio aerial. The bee-sting caused so many complaints they only lasted a year or so.

Remember that FM radio is mixed polarisation, but DAB is vertically only.

 

[AndrewL123]

37 minutes ago, Woodentop said:

The bee-sting aerial is just an aerial - or it should be! The bee-sting feeds an amp which then supplies signal to your normal TV and to your radio. I would check the label on the amp to make sure that it is not a UHF only amp for TV - which would explain why FM is poor. If that is the case then replace it with either a Vision VP3 or a Fringe Easytune. 

The easy answer is to replace the bee-sting with a similar short car radio aerial. The bee-sting caused so many complaints they only lasted a year or so.

Remember that FM radio is mixed polarisation, but DAB is vertically only.

 

The bee sting has two cables one goes to tv amp (which doesn’t have a radio output only ) the other goes straight into the back of the radio which sounds like it’s why I’m getting such poor fm signal?!

[Rodders53]

Bee sting antenna by Avtex was an amplified antenna - so one coax for the RF signals and another for 12V dc in...

12V from the back of the radio connector block seems probable.

Lack of 12V power would mean it doesn't work at all?

 

But,  that an antenna circa 6 inches long (even when helically wound so effectively a bit longer) doesn't work well on FM where aerials need to be around 30 inches is unsurprising to me.  Especially when sloping rather than vertical or horizontal (when directionality comes into play even more).

 

Status amps with radio only outputs are splitter-fed before the amp which is then split to the multple TV outs in question (see my previous about splitting signals)...  (While it's possible they could be filter-splits, practical results suggest they are wideband and thus a TV out can be used for the radio).

 

Avtex / Caravans with the twigs were given amplifiers to attempt to help performance (Svensson brand?).  BUT cascading one amplifier after another is pretty much deprecated unless very carefully done in fixed multiple dwelling installs with professional metering and much calculation of gain, loss and noise.

Edited November 13, 2020 by Rodders53

[AndrewL123]

6 hours ago, Rodders53 said:

Bee sting antenna by Avtex was an amplified antenna - so one coax for the RF signals and another for 12V dc in...

12V from the back of the radio connector block seems probable.

Lack of 12V power would mean it doesn't work at all?

 

But,  that an antenna circa 6 inches long (even when helically wound so effectively a bit longer) doesn't work well on FM where aerials need to be around 30 inches is unsurprising to me.  Especially when sloping rather than vertical or horizontal (when directionality comes into play even more).

 

Status amps with radio only outputs are splitter-fed before the amp which is then split to the multple TV outs in question (see my previous about splitting signals)...  (While it's possible they could be filter-splits, practical results suggest they are wideband and thus a TV out can be used for the radio).

 

Avtex / Caravans with the twigs were given amplifiers to attempt to help performance (Svensson brand?).  BUT cascading one amplifier after another is pretty much deprecated unless very carefully done in fixed multiple dwelling installs with professional metering and much calculation of gain, loss and noise.

Really sorry but most of this has gone over my head. I’m not particularly technical when it comes to things like this. All I know is the avtex bee sting usesless. I think I’ll just use the Freesat radio 😣