as you might know, im trying to get 6 music playing in my car. ideally id like to plug a ickle mobile unit into my aux socket and leave it there. even better would be if i could store some of my albums on it too. even even better would be if the dab had a buffer for when the signals crap.

does such a beast exist? a quick google says not. or do i need to use my phone with ‘tune in radio’ app and albums on its card?

thanks

My son has a philips DAB pocket radio that we got him about 3 years ago with a 1gb flash memory built in… I am sure there are better out there now. Can’t say I’ve played with it but he seems happy with it.. that may work

If you have an smartphone, then tunein app plus its usual music abilities, is the way to go. It does exactly what you describe, even if it is a bit of a faff setting it up every time you get in the car.

thanks, ill give it another go. i tried before but it kept dropping signal, but since then ive increased the buffer.

would you say thatd give me the best option for uninterrupted listening, or is it worth trying to listen over the internet using my data? (unlimited giffgaff/02)

thanks

Tunein is a great app, but isnt DAB and relies in your precious data. Might not be ideal in rural areas.

I found this from iriver:

http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/4-/15698870/iRiver-S100-8GB-DAB-MP3-Player-Black/Product.html

Which seems to do what you’re after and iriver are a decent make.

ah right, i was thinking it was using airwaves and signals rather than data. dur 🙂

just looked at that link and seems a good choice, although it seems out of stock everywhere. just looking at links now from googling ‘dab mp3’ rather than ‘dab hard drive’ and theres a few out there, but whatever i fancy doesnt seem in stock anywhere.

just tried tune-in on a 30 min journey, with settings at 30sec buffer (the max) and it only lasted 10 mins before cutting out 🙁 same on way back, so looks like im gonna have to forget that.

thanks

Surely the problem is going to be that the aerial on a portable set is going to be crap so reception will be crap so you need the buffer.

Dab On Wheels specialise in this sort of stuff – one of their add on radios, with a better (glass mount) aerial would probably be a better bet.

I’ve just ordered the Kenwood DAB headunit to fit to our car (same reason….)

been in touch with dab on wheels but couldnt get the aerial thing sorted. basically as you say, id prob need an external aerial for it, which i havent got the know-how to sort. the glass mount aerials had pretty poor reviews.

dont the little personal radios work ever so well then, or do the headphones act as an aerial? frustrates me not being able to listen to 6 music on my commute 😀

dont the little personal radios work ever so well then, or do the headphones act as an aerial? frustrates me not being able to listen to 6 music on my commute

Got it in one. The headphone lead acts as antenna. Where I work most of the walls are sheet steel and brick, and my old Pure PocketDab was useless, and even my little Pure One struggles at times. Here in North Wilts even the analogue stations suck, unless they’re crappy commercial rubbish, like Heart. Radio 2 has 2W output from the local mast, and starts to break up before you leave Chippenham, and is non-existent six miles away in Corsham. The DAB transmitter puts out 86W, is about four miles away, but does seem to give a decent signal around here.

They give a very good rating to this external glass mount –

No drilling needed – capacitive connection through the glass. I’m going to give that a go before I try removing the roof lining and get the drill out.

If you have an smartphone, then tunein app plus its usual music abilities, is the way to go. It does exactly what you describe, even if it is a bit of a faff setting it up every time you get in the car.

Doesn’t that eat in to your data allowance?

it does mate, but i get unlimited data so that wouldnt be an issue. its just the dropping connection after 10 mins that spoils it for me, cos the buffer gets eaten into so quickly.

ideally i dont want to be going into roof linings either, and i also want to just use my aux socket in my centre console armrest, but i just dont understand enough of the techy stuff on dabonwheels to be able to choose a unit.
if i use my armrest cubbyhole for the unit, then im going to have to get an aerial cable to it somehow, so ill look into that too. wouldnt have imagined itd be so difficult just getting this sorted!! 😀

if i use my armrest cubbyhole for the unit, then im going to have to get an aerial cable to it somehow,

I’m planning to fit the aerial on the glass opposite the rear view mirror. Cable then hidden along edge of top of windscreen, down the A pillar and behind the dash to the head unit (same route currently used for a handsfree mic). It’s usually easy enough to get behind the trim on the centre console so similar route might work for you. You’ll need power as well if you’re going to stuff it there.

just looked at that link, i was expecting a flexible sort of aerial stuck to the glass. it says caution, long mast on there, whats that all about? and i assume you need something on the inside of the screen opposite the aerial? so if you put it other side of mirror, where would the inner part go?

what radio you got/getting?

Have you looked at the new Pure Highway?
Link to Pure website

You can get it at halfords now and elsewhere soon/maybe.

i was expecting a flexible sort of aerial stuck to the glass. it says caution, long mast on there, whats that all about? and i assume you need something on the inside of the screen opposite the aerial? so if you put it other side of mirror, where would the inner part go?

It’s 50cm long I think so longer than a lot of the others (which are mostly about 30cm) but that’s probably why it gives much better reception. Hopefully it will arrive today and I’ll fit it over the weekend.

I’ve got this Kenwood head unit on the way. If you don’t mind fitting a new head unit that or the JVC seem better value than the add on PURE for the same money with aerial. For a little more cash (£40 on the JVC, c£100 on the Kenwood) you can add a bluetooth module for hands free calls and audio streaming from your phone. The Kenwood supposedly uses Parrot tech so *should* be better quality and uses the on set controls rather than putting the control buttons on the mic lead as the JVC does.

yeah, ive seen that pure one mate but close to £200 to get sorted. id like to get something sorted sub-£100 really.

i dont really want a new head unit as my present system ties in with parking sensors and other electric gubbins, so its just over the top for me. basically i want to listen to one channel!! the acoustic solutions jobby on dabonwheels is only £30 (as opposed to £180 for pure??) plus a better aerial mebbes, so ive mailed em asking a few questions about it that i dont understand.

right, just had a mail back from dabonwheels recommending i go for the pure highway, plus nearly the same aerial as you suggested, but T4002 rather than 4001 (i cant see any difference).

ive seen the highway in the flesh and its too big for my liking and i dont really want a big sucker unit on my windscreen, so im about to ask if theres any smaller units. but…… going back to my original question, is it feasible to buy the aerial only, route it to near my aux in, and plug it into a cheapo personal dab type jobby rather than buying car specific unit?

T4002 rather than 4001 (i cant see any difference)

4002 is telescopic.

Possible to route an external aerial to anywhere but you’ll need a device that’s designed to accept an external antenna input.

would you not just substitute the headphones for the aerial lead, plug into aux and good to go?

right, after being in contact with dabonwheels, looks like ill prob buy the clarity unit, which comes with a ‘get you going’ glass mount aerial. thatll prob be useless, so im asking about swapping for the 4002 version of your link. which leads me to…….

I’m planning to fit the aerial on the glass opposite the rear view mirror. Cable then hidden along edge of top of windscreen, down the A pillar and behind the dash to the head unit (same route currently used for a handsfree mic). It’s usually easy enough to get behind the trim on the centre console so similar route might work for you. You’ll need power as well if you’re going to stuff it there.

cant really tell from their pic, but is it a two piece aerial, mast sticks to outside glass (in your case behind rear view mirror), then the inside part is routed behind trim? so the signal in effect travels through the glass with no cables on the outside?
and if thats the case, and youre placing the aerial other side of the mirror, where would the internal section go?

ta

Fitted it at the weekend (though only tried the aerial with gaffer tape as we’re waiting for a screen repair/replacement). It will sit just off centre on the passenger side of the rear view mirror.

Reception was ‘very strong’ but then I took the aerial off (so that just the cable remained) and it still showed as ‘very strong’ so not much of a test.

im sorted now too 🙂

just an update on what ive done, just in case anyone else wants to do the same.

after a bit of trial and error thanks to dabonwheels 45 day return policy, im sorted as best i can be i think. ive ended up with this clarity unitand its DOW-4 adaptor.

the ‘get you going’ included aerial was crap, so tried a glass mount kinetic DEGA aerial. this lost signal regularly in town, so tried a mag mount aerial

i really didnt want cable trailing over my roof, but i thought ill tidy it up as best i can if it works better, which it did.

so…… im sorted now, for around £70. the good thing about the clarity unit for me is that it sends out its own fm signal and when you switch it on it tells you what to turn your car stereo to, to get its signal. so i can either plug it into my aux, or if i didnt have one, the fm stereo will pick its signal up on 87.5. i use aux as i beleive cable is probably better than over the waves, even though i cant tell the difference.

ive experimented with the aerial either close to the top of the windscreen for minimal cable showing (cable tucks nicely around the edge of windscreen and into car near the wing mirrors and then hidden away with no hassle) or on the hatch near the rear wiper (again, cable tucks along the rear glass, up the side and in at the top corner where i can hide it along the inside, down side of seats and to the unit which i keep hidden in armrest cubbyhole.

both areas are fine, at the moment its on the hatch, if it plays up ill stick it on the roof, but its fine at present.

as this unit can be used with any car stereo, and the aerials magnetic, if i was to use the works van, itd be no problem bringing the whole unit with me in that. its just a couple of minutes untucking cable, chucking it on front seat of van, aerial stuck to roof and away i go again.

so……. im sorted 🙂

thanks for all your advice on this, and i hope it might help someone else who’s wondering how to set a system up.

cheers