DAB aerial connumdrum

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Prof Bernard Quatermass

New Member
I want to fit a DAB head unit (or possibly a Pure Highway DAB add-on) but I'm struggling with the aerial. I understand I need a good earth but, how on earth (no pun intended) do I find one on an aluminium car?
I toyed with a roof mounted aerial but (of course) that's magnetic so I'm out of luck I guess.
I'm sure members have practical experience of this problem - any pointers would be most appreciated.

Bernard
 
Prof Bernard Quatermass said:
I want to fit a DAB head unit (or possibly a Pure Highway DAB add-on) but I'm struggling with the aerial. I understand I need a good earth but, how on earth (no pun intended) do I find one on an aluminium car?
I toyed with a roof mounted aerial but (of course) that's magnetic so I'm out of luck I guess.
I'm sure members have practical experience of this problem - any pointers would be most appreciated.

Bernard
Click to expand...
I have a a pure 600 in each of my A2’s and had no problem mounting the earth under the headlining With the window aerial on the windscreen. I get less black spots driving round the Cotswolds in the A2’s than I do in my 67 plate 4 series bmw.
 
aluminium conducts electricity very well, so all you need to do to pick your spot and scrap the paint off the point were the earth point is to be attached. tape the earth point in place

Personally I have the OSS and dont like the glass stick on DAB aerials, so I got a 'through glass' DAB aerial from dabonwheels.co.uk
it was about £30 and is mounted at the very top of the windscreen in the middle. The pick up is on the inside of the glass hidden behind a custom made trim plate between the head lining and the rear vew mirror, it hides the DAB aerial pick up and cable and also the wiring to the Auto dimming rear view mirror

I get perfact DAB reseption using this aerial even over Shap which is notoriasly bad radio reception

I use a 'Pure Drive' DAB adaptor

Cheers
Paul
 
It sounds as though you live close to me (County Durham) so it's good to know you get decent reception! Thanks for the tip. I don't have the OSS so scraping the paint off is the most likely move.
 
depronman said:
dabonwheels.co.uk
Click to expand...
@depronman Paul interested to know which one did you buy please

External glass mount aerials Archives - DAB on Wheels

All our DAB car aerials have been tested by dabonwheels for on-the-road DAB reception performance and give a ‘Star’ rating for its DAB reception capability. Please refer to the star rating on each DAB car aerial, to get an idea of how well they perform. Think all DAB car aerials are equal? Find...
www.dabonwheels.co.uk www.dabonwheels.co.uk
 
I can’t remember the model number but it was the through glass aerial without cable at about £30. The cable is extra as you need the end to suit your DAB radio/ adaptor
It’s got a telescopic two section pole that I have at about 30 deg form horizontal so it kind of follows the screen line

I tried the stick on glass one and it was near useless so spoke to the guys at dabonwheels and that was the one they recommended
The cables are 2m or 5m. I got the 5m but 2m is more than enough

Paul


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I would say the second one in the attached link as the first one looks like a single piece pole and mine as numerous sections. I don’t have it all the way out as it looks too long. Reception doesn’t seem to suffer

Paul


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Prof Bernard Quatermass said:
How did you find an earthing point? Presumably the megnetic earth cable doesn't work?
Click to expand...
When fitting my Highway 600 I snipped the magnetic end off the earth braid that comes with the kit and either crimped or soldered (can't remember now) a ring connector in its place. I then drilled into the car structure (!) right at the top of the A-post (under the trim) and connected the ring to the body by a self-tapper, star washer and a smear of Vaseline. Given that earths are so important to the good functioning of a DAB radio, it's worth the effort. The only place I sometimes lose signal is the final climb across the Cumbria/Co. Durham border on the A66.
 
I installed a Pure Highway 600. I stuck it on to the top left hand corner of the windscreen, put the main cable down the pilar and tucked the eath connector under the celing lining, not attaching it to anything. It works just fine. I suspect that it still gets earth from the 12v connector that you plug it into. I have never had any bad signal on DABs, so if it's working, don't mess with it.
 
I have the highway 600 also and fabricated the stick on through glass by butchering a stick on aerial and soldering the connector via a copper shim.

It still worked but wasn't any better than the stick on aerial.

For me a good trick was to take it to the rear quarter panel rather than the front windscreen as I was getting EMF interference next to USB power connectors, colour DIS and LED headlights. DAB signal is very sensitive to interference of this type so anything you can do to minimise pays dividends.

I mounted the earth strap from the stick on connector underneath the headlining and screwed it onto a thread into the roof - I removed the magnetic part of the earth that comes with the highway 600 as it wasn't needed.
 
@cheechy or other Highway user, Are you using the FM transmitter to listen to the Highway 600 or can you use the CD input on a chorus like the Connect BT system. I like the connect but also like DAB

Another question for RNS-E users, (future plan for me) is there an aux input on that?
 
oneflewover said:
@cheechy or other Highway user, Are you using the FM transmitter to listen to the Highway 600 or can you use the CD input on a chorus like the Connect BT system. I like the connect but also like DAB

Another question for RNS-E users, (future plan for me) is there an aux input on that?
Click to expand...

I'm using 3.5" aux input into a connects2
 
So the highway 600 is only stuck to the screen due to the aerial, if an external aerial is used like @depronman and @cheechy I can hide the other gubbins away close to the connects box so not to have wires everywhere by powering it from that?
 
oneflewover said:
So the highway 600 is only stuck to the screen due to the aerial, if an external aerial is used like @depronman and @cheechy I can hide the other gubbins away close to the connects box so not to have wires everywhere by powering it from that?
Click to expand...

So I use the stick on - as I say I found the glass aerial like Depronman not any better really. Indeed where I mounted the aerial (the side window) it was disrupting the air flow down the left hand side and was causing a wind noise...so if you want to use the telescopic aerial route then for sure it almost certainly needs mounted to the windscreen.

You will marginally have less wires with the telescopic aerial route but in reality you either have the bulk from that and the risk of it being snapped off, or the bulk of an internal stick on aerial!
 
I believe the small cable from the Alpine/Pure Highway box is there just to provide a ground plane which works with the antenna that sticks to the glass to improve the signal. Normally the car roof of great for this. Large metal area in a horizontal plane.
This magnetic tail only attached to the black box (actually a signal amplifier located near the antenna to reduce amplifying noise) by a push on cable crimp connector.
My reckoning is a new tail can be attached, some black great shrink will maintain the look to go with the other cables.
This tail can be attached to the A pillar using a self tapping screw, but ideally, this should go to the roof to work optimally.
I haven't been brave enough to peel back the roof lining and need to investigate a way to attach it so it is secure and provides a good electrical contact. I think there are suitable electrically conductive glues used in circuit board and plumbing applications.
My struggle is with how to pull away the A Pillar trim so that I can hide the cables and then get them to somewhere near the gear stick. Any help gratefully accepted.
 
The A pillar trim is a pain.
There is a method that Timmus uses but can't remember how he does it, it's something like pushing it upwards rather than pulling it out wards if you get my drift.
 
johnyfartbox said:
The A pillar trim is a pain.
There is a method that Timmus uses but can't remember how he does it, it's something like pushing it upwards rather than pulling it out wards if you get my drift.
Click to expand...
Yes, I read the initial post but couldn't get it to work that way. I'm sure I saw something about removing the entire roof lining which filled me with dread. That would enable the A Pillar trim to come out easier ?
 
It definitely wou help yes.
Removing the headlining seems a big job but once you have done it, it will come across as being quite simple,
 
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