You need to have a suitable DAB aerial to receive DAB services. Portable DAB radios will usually have a telescopic one, but if you are retro-fitting a DAB radio into a car, you may need to add a DAB aerial. External aerials are also available for DAB and will significantly improve reception.
If you’ve ever wondered, “Does a DAB antenna require power?” the answer is yes. An active aerial needs to be powered with your 12-volt car feed. In some cases, your adapter or radio will be able to provide power through the coax wire, and you can enable this setting to simplify things.
Do DAB radios require a new aerial?
You can either buy a combined FM/DAB roof mounted aerial for your car and replace your existing aerial with it, or you can buy a separate DAB aerial to sit alongside your existing FM aerial.
Can I use a normal car aerial for DAB? – Related Questions
How can I improve my DAB reception?
Try moving the radio around to see if you can find a better position where you get good reception of all the stations you want to listen to. In most circumstances the supplied telescopic aerial should be perfectly adequate, and as a rule of thumb DAB aerials tend to work best when vertical and extended at least 35 cm.
Why does my DAB radio keep dropping out?
There’s a transmitter fault. You are in a poor signal coverage area. Radio positioning and/or telescopic aerial needs adjusting. A cable or connector is damaged or has become disconnected.
Is a DAB aerial different to normal radio?
TV & Radio Antennas Use Different Frequencies
The broadcasting frequencies used by TV aerials, FM and DAB radio are all different. Radio is broadcast in the Very High Frequency (VHF) band and TV aerials use the Ultra High Frequency (VHF) band.
What is a DAB aerial?
This combined omni-directional radio antenna, DAB-FM F is used for FM (analog radio) and DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) simultaneous or individual signal reception. The antenna has a single coaxial cable connection carrying both FM & DAB signals which can be diplexed out later (at the head-end, wall outlet etc).
Is DAB aerial same as FM?
Basic FM / DAB aerial facts
This was christened Digital Audio Broadcasting, or DAB, and, unlike FM, it is transmitted on a Single Frequency Network. Also, unlike FM, packages of stations are transmitted together (a bit like the Freeview MUXES).
You may need to use an antenna to maximize your reception or keep the digital signal locked in. Many digital radios come with an antenna. Even if you receive the WILL-FM analog signal without an antenna, you still may need an antenna to receive WILL Radio’s digital signals.
Is it worth buying a DAB radio?
The benefits? You don’t need to tune, so DAB isn’t as fiddly and you’ll pick up clearer sound quality. Some of the best DAB radios also have extra features, whether that’s Bluetooth connectivity, connectors to charge your phone, or the ability to add more of your favourite stations as presets.
Which is better FM or DAB?
DAB delivers lower sound quality than FM. Digital radio switchover should not lead to listeners receiving their favourite stations at lower audio quality, therefore stations must switch to using DAB+ prior to any FM station being switched off.
Is digital radio the same as DAB?
DAB stands for Digital Audio Broadcasting.It is a digital radio service which is broadcast from a UK-wide network of transmitters. It uses digital technology which enables broadcasters to package together several radio stations; this is called multiplexing.
How do I know if my car radio is DAB?
Firstly, if you can access a broad range of channels and don’t need to manually scan to find them, then you probably have a DAB digital radio. If on the other hand, you have to scan through frequencies manually or can only choose between AM and FM stations, you have an analogue radio in your car.
Do you need WiFi for DAB radio? Nope. Although some newer DAB radios, including some of the radios on this list can be connected to the internet to allow you to stream music from Spotify or online radio services like BBC iPlayer.
Will a DAB radio work anywhere?
No. DAB digital radio is a terrestrial technology using land-based transmitters. You can only listen to stations when you are within their transmission range.
What does DAB stand for radio?
DAB stands for Digital Audio Broadcasting. So basically, it is just digitally transmitted sound. This is different to FM, for example, which is sound that is transmitted via radio waves, and you can adjust it to suit your location.
Is FM radio being phased out UK?
FM should continue until at least 2030 in the UK according to a Digital Radio and Audio Review by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
What frequency is DAB radio in the UK?
BBC National DAB
The BBC’s national DAB ensemble broadcasts on frequency block 12B (225.648 MHz) across the United Kingdom, with coverage currently at 96.4% of UK households.
Can you get BBC sounds on a DAB radio?
BBC National DAB includes radio services such as BBC Radios 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 Live, and digital-only services like BBC Radio 6 Music, BBC Radio 4 Extra, BBC Radio 1Xtra can be found on block 12B. BBC Local and Nations radio services on DAB digital radio are transmitted by commercial broadcasting operators.