[Closed] DAB Headunit advice

I've just put one of these in:

http://www.halfords.com/technology/car-audio/dab-car-stereos/pioneer-mvh-x580dab-car-stereo

Pretty good. Could do with the display being more easily readable in sunlight is all I would say.

For antenna- go external- I used this, and glued a large metal washer on the scuttle panel between windscreen and bonnet:

http://www.halfords.com/technology/car-audio/stereo-fitting-accessories/sonichi-magnetic-roof-mount-dab-antenna

Any head unit, but amplified external aerial. We've since got signal where it used to cut out, even in FM deadspots.
Dab on wheels cover it quite well.

I have the aerial on the Halfords link on my Van and it's brilliant, the reception is as good as the factory set up in my car.

Just bear in mind that depending on which Van you have, you may have to drill into the roof to mount the aerial. I had an old Escort Van and I managed to mount the aerial on the very back of the roof and run the wire through a grommet in the door gap.

When I got my Vivaro, I tried a few ways of running the wire through from the outside and it just wasn't happening. Couldn't mount it at the very rear as the wire is too short. Ended up drilling, I think, a 8-10 MM hole to run the wire through next to the factory aerial. Then just got some grommets from Toolstation and using 2 together to seal the hole.

The aerial plug on the DAB is not as big as a standard FM aerial, but the wire is really thin so you end up drilling a big hole and having a thin wire going through but it's still a million times better than the windscreen ones.

I have a Kenwood unit, nothing fancy, the current equivalent would be about £80.
It's around six years old, and I muddled along with the supplied antenna that sticks on the inside of the screen, which worked ok, but there were areas I couldn't get a signal, like anywhere south of Devizes!
So eventually I had a magnetic one fitted, cost £40 fitted, which was worth it 'cos the head unit is a bitch to get out and access the wiring, as the blood all over the bloke's hand proved, but seriously worth having, I've found very few places I can't get a good signal, and those are only for small distance, close to the water tower on the A350 at Malmesbury on the way to Cirencester being one, but I even get a signal in Box on the A4 to Bath, which is miraculous!
Oddly enough, I've driven several Mercedes where the fitted DAB is bloody awful, as bad as the shitty FM units in Peugeot, worse than mine with the stick-on antenna.
This is the closest I've found to mine, possibly the exact same unit, it's got the same little coil near the bottom:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/DAB-Aerial-for-the-Original-Pure-Highway-Car-Radio-28cm-High-Gain-4m-cable-/151425611080
This is the head unit, or at least it's almost identical:

[img] [/img]

KDC-DAB-41U
It's been a brilliant little unit, I can't fault it for the money, but it may no longer be available, there has to be an equivalent in the range, though.

I'm looking for one too albiet in double din. Issue is finding one thats not got disco lights, they all seem to look like they're from 1985!

simmy - Member - Block User - Quote

When I got my Vivaro, I tried a few ways of running the wire through from the outside and it just wasn't happening. Couldn't mount it at the very rear as the wire is too short. Ended up drilling, I think, a 8-10 MM hole to run the wire through next to the factory aerial. Then just got some grommets from Toolstation and using 2 together to seal the hole.

I wish I'd known you were doing this. I have a Trafic and found a way to route it to the outside (on the scuttle panel) with no holes needing drilled. I'll take photos later to show you. Mine is a camper though, with no metal left on the roof.

I have a little portable Sony DAB radio and I just stick it on the passenger seat of my vivaro van. If it's not loud enough I plug it into my Minirig speaker. As long as my phone isn't next to it the reception is fine. Only in a few reception not-spots does the antenna need extending.
In the car, we keep it on the back seat and plug it into the aux socket. We've gone upto the lakes and Edinburgh, and down to South Wales with hardly a drop out. 4 rechargeable batteries last about a day.

Nice one.

External aerial it is then. I'm sure I'll get the wire in somehow.

Do the Headunit still come with removable front panels? In fact is radio theft still a thing or is that too 90s for today's youth 🙂

The one I posted above does have a removable face panel.

Do the Headunit still come with removable front panels? In fact is radio theft still a thing or is that too 90s for today's youth

The Kenwood single DIN like the one I've got do, I think the double-DIN ones do as well.
Just taken this photo showing the magmount antenna on the roof of my Octavia, the cable runs along the edge of the headlining, I think, then down the front nearside pillar to the underside of the dash. The most difficult bit for the bloke fitting it was getting to the back of the unit, there was hardly any room with all of the wiring into my Genesis amp that's sat in the boot.

[IMG] [/IMG]

I'll take photos later to show you. Mine is a camper though, with no metal left on the roof.

Thanks, bit late for this van but I like the vivaro so I will replace this with another when it's time so will be useful for future reference

Nice one. Didn't expect so many responses.

I should be ok for room behind head unit as I'm looking at the mechless one's. I.e no cd player.

I'm also thinking about replacing the stock speakers while I'm on. I've got two door speakers and dash mounted tweeters. Is this likely to be a simple swap or will some bodying to fit be needed. Anyone done the same.

What Van is it ?

2010 Kangoo maxi

I took a punt with a window mounted internal aerial on mine after reading mixed reviews, and to be perfectly honest it's been fine. As good as any FM aerial I've had. Only place it's lost reception is a certain few spots around the North Pennines. Not even any glitches anywhere else.

For most vehicles you can get adaptors for the door speakers which replace the original speakers with the adaptors plate and the new speaker of your choice so that if you sell the van, you can just replace the originals straight back in.

I can only find adaptors for the Kangoo 2012 >

I'm not sure if those will fit as I've never seen inside a Kangoo. The dash speakers should just replace. If it's like my Vivaro, which it's more than likely is as mine has parts shared with the Trafic, they should be 4" / 100 MM speakers in the dash.

Cheers.

I think they'll probably be the dame then as only difference between 2012 and mine is a face lift.

I'll get a look at the speakers today and go from there.