DAB car radio reception

[comfortablynumb]

Hi all, I recently fitted a Pioneer DAB radio , and powered 23cm antenna into my RRC. Most of the time its fine, but middle daughter lives in Norwich (i'm near Downham Market) and the signal 'expires' for Planet Rock around the Necton (A47) junction. What confuses me most is that Magic radio keeps playing fine all the way.
AFAIK these two stations are by the same broadcaster, so why do I loose one but not the other?
Is it poor aerial?
I've tried using the DAB area websites, and I might as well ask the cat!
Anyone know?
TIA
chris

[VW]

I don't know but I recently fitted a sony dab radio. I used the original 70's aerial on my van and added a splitter from ebay.
Reception is great!
I was in a valley surrounded by massive hills in deepest snowdonia. Nothing worked no internet, no phones, but dab reception was fantastic.

I read dab reception needs good aerial placement.

[comfortablynumb]

Yeah i did wonder about that, although the aerial I got was actually more expensive than the (2nd hand) radio! I suppose still that expensive doesn't necessarily mean good.
Also the other night driving that way again, foul evening, had wipers on double speed etc, reception disappeared even earlier, I thought Digital wasn't meant to be affected by weather?

[Bolf]

Try retune /scan in the area

[deano123]

Have you selected the national or regional station?

[Sweetpea]

Hi Chris,

In the wonderful world of DAB a single frequency carries several radio stations. It's known an an ensemble. The ensembles are run by different companies (or groups of companies). This means that sister radio stations can wind up on different ensembles depending on where space was available at the time.

Anyway, Magic is on the 'National 1' ensemble operated by 'Digital 1' and Planet Rock is on 'National 2' operated by 'Sound Digital'. I guess you lose reception of National 2 at Necton.
There is a transmitter at Swaffham apparently. I can't find what ensembles are carried on it but I'm guessing National 2 isn't.

I have to say that DAB should be utterly brilliant. It's a really cool technical solution. It really annoys me that they seem to have made such a complete bog of it. It's so bad where I live that I gave up with it. (Which would be understandable if I lived in the Highlands of Scotland but I don't, I live in Kent...)

James

[ian65]

I gave up with it as well. About 3 years ago I put a Pioneer DAB stereo in my MR2 and it was infuriating. Whereas a FM radio would gradually lose the signal and breakup to the point that you just retuned, the DAB switched channel with no warning whatsoever... one song would change to another in a split second and conversations just mixed together between different stations.... curse word.... I lost patience with it. I've got a mains one in the garage that is mostly OK although the signal drifts a bit sometimes but the Pioneer out of the MR2 is back in it's box and on the shelf.

[accord83]

I bought a motorhome earlier this year with a Pioneer DAB radio in it. It's coming out when I get the time, useless piece of kit.

[Bolf]

Winds me up that its MONO too

[Sweetpea]

Oct 22, 2016 21:03:02 GMT Bolf said:

Winds me up that its MONO too

That was the bean counters cramming too much into the ensembles. Two mono stations or one stereo station? The other thing they did was cut the bit rate too much. It probably sounds ok in a noisy environment like a car but there has been a lot criticism that it sounds pants if you listen to it critically.
Both of these problems are fixable if you have fewer stations using a higher bit rate. Like that's ever going to happen...

Anyway, last week at work I was banging my head against a wall trying to test some gear and couldn't work out why I had no stereo separation at all. I've just realised I was using a DAB set as the source. Hmmph. At least I know the answer now.

[comfortablynumb]

Thanks for all the replies guys, I think Sweetpea has hit the nail on the head here, sounds right why I'm losing some signals.
However i think I'll stick with it, a couple of times i've been forced to go back to analogue in other vehicles, and its made me realise just how abysmally bad they are!!
Thanks again all
Chris

[gregg106]

Signal for Planet Rock had been dire since they changed channel a few months ago, so many black spots where it used to be excellent, it's as if they don't want you to listen to it!