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Instead of requiring a hole in the roof of the car, it sticks to the roof of the car using a magnet. This is another type of roof-mounted aerial. This type of aerial usually offers the best reception, but is also the most expensive. If you already have an aerial on the roof of your car, you won’t need to drill any additional holes. It offers AM and FM radio as well as DAB and sometimes DAB+. This type can be used to replace the AM/FM radio on an older vehicle. Some advantages of this type are that it usually offers better reception than internal aerials Multi-frequency roof-mount aerial You don’t need to drill a hole in the windscreen because the signal is transmitted using a technique called capacitive coupling. ‘Whip antenna’ simply means that the aerial is a straight rod or wire. It’s a whip antenna with a mounting foot for attaching it to the glass. This goes on the glass on the outside of the car. This DriveSmart DAB Car Aerial is a good example of in internal glass-mounted aerial. However, reception is usually worse than with externally mounted aerials, and this type can’t be used with reflective-coated glass. Some advantages of this type are that it’s easy to install, doesn’t require drilling a hole in the roof and can’t be broken by vandals. It’s a ‘film antenna’, which means that it’s a bit of flat film rather than a rod like a traditional antenna. To get the best reception, it should be positioned vertically. This aerial sticks to the glass on the inside of the windscreen, usually on the passenger’s side. In summary, this aerial is a good choice if you’re confident in your ability to be able to fit it. Most people find that installing this aerial gives them better DAB and FM radio reception than they had before, though it can be tricky to install, and no instructions are included. It uses a DIN plug for DAB and an SMB plug for AM/FM radio. This Eightwood DAB car aerial lets you pick up AM, FM and DAB radio with one antenna. Here are some of the best DAB car aerials and aerial splitters available.
Best car aerial booster install#
This means you will either need to install a DAB car radio or buy a DAB car radio adapter. If you have an AM/FM car radio, simply installing a DAB aerial won’t allow you to listen to DAB stations, as you need some equipment to decode DAB signals. If you’ve replaced your FM car radio with a DAB radio you will either need a new aerial or an aerial splitter, which would allow you to use your existing aerial to receive DAB stations. This article aims to help you choose the right aerial to fix your DAB signal issues. If you’ve tried everything else to improve your DAB radio signal, it’s time to consider getting a new aerial.Ĭhoosing a new aerial can be confusing though. Bad reception on a DAB radio is even more annoying than bad reception on FM as rather than just sounding a bit distorted, the signal cuts out entirely. One of the most frequent complaints with DAB radios is poor reception.
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Even with the best speakers, you need a good aerial to enjoy reliable reception as you drive around.
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In-car DAB will only be as good as the aerial you’re using. This doesn’t impact the price you pay & lets us keep the site free. If you buy via links on here we may get a small commission. Disclaimer: Best Radios UK is audience supported.
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