Poor DAB

[Pauly]

Agreed, the DAB in the T6 is pretty poor. I have noticed that it completely fails if the Satnav and/or phone are being charged.

Others have said similar, not had it myself, IIRC its only one of the 12v outlets that effects it

 

[Rob]

@Scruffy what are you using to charge it because I as issues like that in our Audi to start and it turned out to be the 12v charger. I ended up purchasing one which claimed to to affect it which did work to a degree but the whole VAG dab system is really disappointing.

 

[Absolut5]

The factory dab was shocking I my T5.1, which I still have, but has a Pioneer AVIC f88dab in it and it is much better, now I have a T6 with factory radio and I'm back to square one, so going to drop a new radio in..

 

[Rob]

Is there not some sort of booster that can be fitted or alternative ariel because I like the discover media unit but desperately need a fix.

 

[Scruffy]

@Rob, I've tried every type of charger, in all the 12v holes, and covered them in Ferrite coils to no avail. The 12v supply in the T6 is obviously very "dirty" which hampers an already weak DAB system.

 

[Rob]

I manly charge my phone with the built in Usb on the dash but to be honest I haven't noticed any different when using the 12v socket to charge multiple devices.

I might have a word with a auto electrician I know to see if he can improve it somehow.

 

[Caravellet6]

Agreed, the DAB in the T6 is pretty poor. I have noticed that it completely fails if the Satnav and/or phone are being charged.

I'd be back to the dealer that can't be right?

 

[Absolut5]

Cheap electronics in some USB devices, inc sat Nav, witness cameras, Led lighting and again some DRLs can affect the signal even with a roof aerial..

See it all the time..

 

[Rob]

Right this is bizarre. I am sitting here outside. Supermarket listening to DAB when I notice the headlights are shining on someone else clearly bored waiting for his wife so I turned them on to side lights when the DAB signal dropped out. So I turned them back on and signal came back. I tried this quite a few times (I bet it thought it was a dogging car park) with the same results every time. Now I have changed bulbs in he can the the poor DAB problem was there before when everything was standard.

If anyone else who suffers for poor DAB could give this a go please and let me know if you get the same results.

 

[Absolut5]

Looks like you have LEDs in your side lights, do these go out when you switch on the headlights ?

It's a weak signal already due to the poor aerial design so any RF interference will knock it out, so if the channel is weak signal, then the poor aerial, add a little RF issue, hand goes the signal,

 

[Rob]

@Absolut5 i have got dummy bulbs in the side lights which came with the DRL's as apparently according to Philips you cannot run DRL's and side lights simultaneously.

 

[Rob]

Well just been on a journey that I know loses DAB all the time and as done since day one of having the van but this time I put the head lights on and no signal loss at all. Clearly something is a miss somewhere.

 

[Absolut5]

Strange, my Dab reception the last 2 nights along the A303 has been terrible

 

[Rob]

@Absolut5 would you say my issues are down to he factory DRL's being replaced with LED bulbs?

 

[Absolut5]

Yes probably is Rob, as its a weak signal due to poor aerial design, any RF from Led's, USB sockets will affect it even more

 

[Keeff]

I have a 12 volt charger with built in volt meter and because of the charging system work when lifting off the throttle the van runs at 12 volt only most of the time. When I turn on lights it goes up to 13.5 so the bulbs run at the designed voltage . My old custom didn't so it had poor headlights . This could have something to do with signal?
I don't use the dab but I will give it a go and look at the voltage.

 

[Scruffy]

I'm running around in a courtesy car at the mo ( a Citreon something ) and it just confirms just how bad the Dab is in my T6. Its never dropped out once, and I'm charging everything I can lay my hands on.

 

[Keeff]

I have been monitoring the voltage on mine and without lights on 12.2 volts and goes up to 14.7 volts when off throttle. Turn lights on and it jumps up to 13.4 volts so bulbs run at correct voltage and up to 14.7 again on lifting off throttle. Don't think it would affect the DAB but if you want to charge a second camping battery faster put you lights on .

 

[tram]

My DAB is very poor, the signal dropping out such that it is too frustrating to even try and listen whilst on the move. But I carry a portable Roberts DAB radio, and so I put this on the passenger seat and it didn't drop out hardly at all, just where you would expect, like in a remote valley.

I am disappointed. I was hoping for a good radio. The stations I listen to are DAB only. I really am unhappy. The van is great, but the DAB so poor it may not as well be there. But the Roberts portable radio can do it. How? How can this not be tested and made good by the designers. I am sooooo happy with the rest of the van, but, well, the radio is sooooo important. How sad.

 

[chriscroft]

My DAB is very poor, the signal dropping out such that it is too frustrating to even try and listen whilst on the move. But I carry a portable Roberts DAB radio, and so I put this on the passenger seat and it didn't drop out hardly at all, just where you would expect, like in a remote valley.

I am disappointed. I was hoping for a good radio. The stations I listen to are DAB only. I really am unhappy. The van is great, but the DAB so poor it may not as well be there. But the Roberts portable radio can do it. How? How can this not be tested and made good by the designers. I am sooooo happy with the rest of the van, but, well, the radio is sooooo important. How sad.

It's not good enough, but seems people have different experiences. Ours is fine, but I have been told that some models have an aerial in both wing mirrors; and the unit can switch between them. We've got led headlights so drl's may be different. Had this on a motorhome once, purchased a £100 state of the Genuine Hirschmann AUTA 16 V Roof Mount DAB Car..., bloody hell. I travel the length and breadth of UK and WOW dab and FM are superb.
I wonder if because they use DAB+ in Germany as opposed to our backward DAB system in the UK; if that is why it gets through R&D without it being sorted. Come on UK, we need DAB+. (the real pisser is the BBC virtually invented DAB, that is why we have the first generation DAB solution)