Jem45
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I've bought an E36 BMW Tourer while my Volvo wagon is off the road and the standard E36 naff radio reception issue is present - the aerial is an element on the rear glass and ain't working at all. Head unit just scans with no stations to be found.
Rather than trying to fix it, which involves repairs to the aerial amplifer in the C pillar which I understand people have mixed success with, I'm thinking about a cheapish DAB receiver.
Do DAB car radio receivers need a pre-exisiting aerial signal to work or do they, by some magic I don't understand, transmit a separate signal to the head unit - thus solving my reception problem! Here's hoping :-)
Ta, Nick
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Carbs 'n chrome
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Hi, I've never got the glass mount aerials to work, with or without amps.
Both mine have dab radios fitted, one is a Kenwood with a bolt-through roof aerial, and the other is a pure dab unit with a magmount 23cm mast, which cost about£15 from the usual auction site. This tunes itself to a FM signal unused by anyone else which is picked up by the archaic FM radio which was in the car when I bought it.
Norfolk reception is a bit hit & miss, I'm a Planet rock fan, but coming further inland both receive fine
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Jem45
Posted a lot
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Thanks mate. So that suggests to me that for scenario 2 (cheaper version!), you need your existing FM reception to be functional. Nuts.
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Carbs 'n chrome
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I've got one of those flash wind-out screen jobbies in the electronic time bomb, the radio won't receive anything but dab from the pure unit, so since they're next to each other that might not be the case? That's fitted with those stupid rear side window aerial glass elements and amps.
If you're thinking of a pure unit I'd buy one and try it, like you say it's the cheapest option, although as standard they come with glass mount aerials, so I'd get a magmount at the same time.
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Oh and glass mounted don't like hrw or hfs either
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60six
Posted a lot
(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻
Posts: 1,657
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Last Edit: Aug 5, 2019 21:41:47 GMT by 60six
Some 9000's, a 900, an RX8 & a beetle
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^^^ your halfrauds must be considerably better than mine, ask me how I know glass mounted aerials don't work with heater elements in glass, despite their insistence that it would, and the small print, helpfully inside the package which you can't see before you open it, that they're non-compatable!🙄
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Iv'e got a venerable Pure Highway stand alone DAB thingy, had it for at least 10 years in loads of cars and never had a problem with reception, other than frequency conflict.
Never stuck the antenna down, just had it hanging off a Jesus handle near a window and there you go! Cant be without my 6 music or 5 Live
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Last Edit: Aug 6, 2019 11:03:59 GMT by swampy442
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Jem45
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,021
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Much gratitude for the responses lads but... do we think a DAB receiver will work with a head unit that has no AM/ FM reception? Sorry if I'm being dim but not sure what I've read so far is conclusive either way.
:-)
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Carbs 'n chrome
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Mine does, if the dab looses signal, the radio just tunes endlessly through the FM signal until either the dab signal returns, or I get fed up with it & switch it off
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Jem45
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,021
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That's what I wanted to hear mate, thanks.
Course, in the meantime I've started tracing the wiring back and removed half the passenger rear and boot trim as it turns out E36 Tourers have 2 aerial amplification modules! - just need to find my multi meter now! If I can't fix the problem, a second hand Pure receiver sounds like a good alternative.
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Carbs 'n chrome
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Don't know if they're the same, but I've got a pair of range rover P38 aerial amps from the BMW engined one sat here doing nothing, been stored a while but working when I took them out, yell if they're any use?
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Jem45
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,021
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That's very good of you and typical of the attitude I've seen in a lot of your posts mate.
Many thanks - but hopefully a bit of resoldering will do the trick once I find where the break is.
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Carbs 'n chrome
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No worries, hope you get it fixed 👍
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pow
Part of things
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I've always found the BBC mast to have the strongest signal, the others drop out whereas BBC is 99% solid.
In cars where I retrofitted DAB I always got the halfords £15 magnetic areials - they're brill.
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I've found I get better reception connecting my phone to the station via a media player and then relaying it to the car with bluetooth.
Doesn't seem to use much phone data either.
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squonk
Part of things
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Aug 17, 2019 10:59:10 GMT
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You could just replace the whole aerial system with a decent roof mounted aerial and get much better reception anyway. Probably the cheapest and most effective option.
If you want to add a DAB radio I can thoroughly recommend a Nextbase DAB 350. I got two of them from ebay at £25 each and fitted them to two of my cars. I am amazed at how good they are. They use a stick on windscreen aerial and I can honestly say that the reception is amazing. Even on a recent trip through the Peak District the tuner held on to DAB signals where previously it has been difficult to just receive FM.
This unit also has the added advantages of being able to stream music from a bluetooth device and work as a hands free device for your mobile phone. It does have the capability to transmit to an existing head unit via FM but in both my installations I am using direct aux in connections.
Highly recommended.
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2004 Chevrolet Avalanche Z71
2005 Mercedes CLK320 Cabriolet
1996 Mercedes C180 Elegance Auto Saloon
1996 Rover 620Ti (Dead fuel pump)
1992 Toyota HiLux Surf
1987 Range Rover Vogue (Rusty)
1992 Range Rover Vogue SE (More Rusty)
2006 Chrysler Grand Voyager
2008 Corsa 1.4 Design
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Jem45
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,021
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Aug 17, 2019 19:52:29 GMT
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Thanks for that rec, Squonk. Have been musing about these on Amazon. As you say, about £25 so worth a punt.
Naturally, I'm still faffing with the original aerial but will get bored of that soon no doubt!
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Carbs 'n chrome
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Jem45
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,021
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Sept 8, 2019 20:05:25 GMT
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Just to round this off... haven't got to the bottom of the FM antennae amp problem so more work to do there. In the meantime I picked up a Pure Highway on ebay for £20 and with the screen mount aerial and aux in lead to the stereo it works a treat. Happy for now. Thanks for all the responses.
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Carbs 'n chrome
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