Viewing 24 posts - 1 through 24 (of 24 total)
  • DAB Radio, Hands Free Phone, Wind Deflectors on Vivaro Van
  • BigJohn
    Full Member

    I’ve got an old (55 plate) Vivaro van, which I really like except the radio doesn’t work and it makes a proper racket when driving with the windows open.

    I’ve seen loads of DAB radios (with DAB antennae) about £80 but I don’t want to fork out only to find I get worse reception than I get with my potable DAB Sony sitting on the passenger seat.

    I’ve been looking at visor mounted hands-free units, as I might not end up with a radio that does that.

    Also, those wind deflectors that clip on to the window surround: do they reduce wind noise or are they just a cosmetic thing?

    Any recommendations or warnings welcome, thanks.

    codybrennan
    Free Member

    I’ve literally (past 5 mins) bought this from Amazon:

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07DNH6YQB/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    Comes with an internal windscreen-mount antenna that will be essential for it. Also adds BT hands free etc, and a line in.

    It might be rubbish. I’ll let you know. But its very cheap at £35. I have a Trafic.

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    wind deflectors reduce noise(only when windows open mind) no doubt about it .

    they also stop that awful pressure drop thing that **** with my ear.

    i used to drive everywhere with windows up unless stuck in traffic because of it , now i can have the windows down.

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    BigJohn
    Full Member

    Thanks for those.  Keep me posted, CyB, I’m not sure how I’d connect it to my not-working-very-well radio though.

    maccruiskeen
    Full Member

    I’ve been looking at visor mounted hands-free units

    I’ve got a couple – both cost around £25 – really tinny buzzy speakers in them so not much use for more than saying ‘send me a text’ or ‘I’ll call you back’. They’d maybe ok in a car but in the noisier cab of van they are barely useable.

    So as a piggy back on your thread I’ll also keen to know if any visor mounted handsfree thingys that aren’t quieter and crappier than the speaker on the phone itself.

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    as ever you get what you pay for , good experiances with the parrot gear. my mates got an older one in his noisy transit van (no bulkhead) and you can tell hes on hands free for sure but not that he is driving a van.

    maccruiskeen
    Full Member

    Any recommendations or warnings welcome, thanks.

    don’t be too proud to get a replacement stereo fitted for you. Theres a baffling mix and match of ‘standards’ out there – even when you have plugs and sockets that fit together that doesn’t mean the car/van is using those leads in the same way.  My merc van has to have a little extra circuit board / chip fitted because it uses the standard sockets in its own proprietary way.

    £20 to someone who knows what they’re doing is money and time well spent. Halfords do an OK job of that.

    BigJohn
    Full Member

    Yes, entirely agree with the fitting comment.

    regenesis
    Free Member

    Sony MEX-N4200

    make sure you pick up a mic though – otherwise it is difficult in a van to be heard.

    no need for anything other than a £5 eBay din adapter

    BigJohn
    Full Member

    Would be good if it had DAB.

    fathomer
    Full Member

    @trail_rat think I’m right in saying you drive a newish Berlinglo/Partner? If so, which wind deflectors did you buy?

    Oh, sorry for the hijack!

    benp1
    Full Member

    I wired in a DAB head unit into my car back in 2006/7. It was a Sony unit and had a separate DAB aerial that I wired in and hid behind the trim on the A pillar. It worked great, good sound quality and good reception

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    Well I did fit team hekos but because of the quarterlight style front panel the passengers passenger’s side one obscured the wing mirror for my wife who sits much further forward than I. I could have cut them but it would have looked shit so returned them.

    You may get better milage from a pair of stick on ones that come right to the front of the window.

    My experience above was with them fitted to an Iveco daily camper.

    BigJohn
    Full Member

    OK, some good advice given above.  I’ve just ordered a Sony MEX-N6002BD from Halfords.  Very keen price, they’ll do the fitting, it has a separate mic and the Knowledgable bloke in store* says he’s got one and it works.  I hope my British Cycling membership gets me the 10%

    Now looking for some wind deflectors.

    *The non-knowledgeable chap is like the guys in Currys – they can tell you everything they know about them  in 5 seconds – “err, they’re over there I think”

    nosedive
    Free Member

    I had a sony mex 6002 fitted to my van by halfords. Its great. Bluetooth reception is superb with stick on ariel. Handsfree phone works well and also playing music from phone via bluetooth. I never got the feature where it reads out text messages to work though but thats a minor niggle

    codybrennan
    Free Member

    BigJohn-

    Just to say that the DAB/BT/Aux device I linked in my earlier post arrived, was easy to fit, and is very very good.

    Would depend on your existing unit working of course. I’ve currently set it up to broadcast over a free FM channel, but line in would be better.

    Anyway, if you have a working (existing) radio, its recommended by me- and for £35, I can’t fault it at all.

    BigJohn
    Full Member

    Thanks but my existing radio wasn’t working. I might try one for the car.

    scotroutes
    Full Member

    I have those wind deflectors. I bought them so I could leave the windows open a little when sleeping in the van. I still don’t drive with the windows down though.

    allfankledup
    Full Member

    For wind deflectors look for dubflecta, Google is your pal.

    Had a couple of sets off him for VW, decent enough service and price.

    st
    Full Member

    John, I’ve got Dubflecta wind deflectors in the T5 and they help. With the windows open no lower than the level of the deflector they make a big difference, wind down further I’d say it’s more that they take the edge off.

    nstpaul
    Full Member

    I’ve got the Heko? smoked wind deflectors on my Vivaro that are kind of boomerang shaped. They fit into the window channel and easy to fit. If anything I think they increase wind noise with window open and reduce airflow into cabin, which was rubbish in our recent spell of hot weather. Another thing that I find annoying is the fact that if you want to look slightly upwards at scenery then they block your view. I bought them for the same reason as Scotroutes but think I will be going down the route of some type of route venting

    BigJohn
    Full Member

    I’ve just fitted some Heko deflectors and my first impression is that they make a positive difference.  I can drive at 70 with the windows open and still hear the radio.  That means Mrs BigJohn is now happy to take the van on longer warm trips instead of the car.  Which means I get to take all my toys with me.

    dskelly81
    Free Member

    I fitted a refurbished Pure Highway 400 to my motor.  Excellent DAB signal & about 15 minutes to fit leaving a tidy job.  Controller is wireless so u can stick it anywhere you like.

    Paid 99 quid with warranty

    BigJohn
    Full Member

    I just upgraded the antenna to a Kinetic amplified one from DabOnWheels and it lets me get perfect signal in a couple of notorious not-spots.  Well worth it.

Viewing 24 posts - 1 through 24 (of 24 total)

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