In today’s digital age, more and more analogue systems are either being scaled down or turned off completely to make way for a better quality version. TV has been at the forefront of this for the last few years and finally radio now has its turn. DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) is now being installed into newly built cars but there are still a fair few million cars on the roads that are going to lose radio reception within the next few years. Here at Source we try to be a market leader in all new products and there has been an increased development in DAB products recently.
REPLACEMENT STEREO
The best way to receive DAB radio stations is to replace (if possible) the old radio in your vehicle with one that has a DAB+ tuner built in. This can be done by either a single DIN stereo or a touchscreen system.
By doing this you can also get more up to date features such as Apple Carplay and Android Auto. As well as new features an aftermarket radio/screen will generally also give you a better sound from the vehicle speakers.
Once you have chosen a suitable radio/screen, a DAB aerial will be required.
DAB AERIAL OPTIONS
External Roof Mount
An external roof aerial is always the best type of aerial to use as it’s outside and above the vehicle, allowing for the best type of reception (dependant on vehicle). When the vehicle already has a roof aerial fitted, it may be possible to use a combined FM/AM and DAB aerial to save having two aerials on the vehicle.
Internal Glass Mount
This aerial is generally the cheapest option and easiest to fit as it goes on the front windscreen, discretely out of the way.