I'm considering getting a DAB radio for the car but want some feedback

especially what the reception is like from folks that have it already.

DAB radio in cars isn't advanced enough yet to work properly.

The frequency and wavelength of DAB radio waves that make it near on impossible (at the moment) to get a good signal whilst on the move. Stationary (ie your kitchen/living room) is fine but as soon as you start moving, the Doppler effect takes its toll on the signal which causes drop outs.

Some very expensive DAB headunits have integrated buffers, collecting the data before playing it out (bit like youtube does)

Id stick with good ole FM and its better quality anyway and will be around for many more years :)

Hope that helps

If you have a smartphone or iPhone, you can stream all the stations you'd get on dab. Plug it into you head unit (if you can) or use an fm transmitter. Maybe worth a thought?

I have a dab receiver in my vectra, but it doesn't work...

The Americans have something called sirius satalite radio, this is clever stuff as it uses satalites and they work very well. Us British are behind in radio technology.

HTH

teh DAB in the cars I work with works fine, but they're jags/range rovers to they'll likely have the buffer ting mentioned above

All the hire cars I've had with DAB radios have been fine around the Midlands, no dropped signal etc. I've been looking into this myself and as with anything it seems you get what you pay for. Oh, and stay reasonably close to the speed limit and the Doppler Shift is accounted for no problems.

BUT who sticks to the speed limit?

Errm, apart from me that is. Ahem

You'd have to be topping well over a ton before it became a problem

Think of it this way, RAF jets stream huge amounts of data both ways without break in signal, but Civilian DAB systems are a fair bit behind.

All of Wales has had full digital TV for near on 2 years and the terrestrial has been switched off, but you still get signal drop outs in heavy rain. Some parts of England are still running on terrestrial, pain in the arse when you want to watch something on a Freeview channel and realise you only have 5.

I've got a cheapo Sonichi DAB headunit and it has it's own DAB aerial which is magnetic and is attached to my bonnet, never had an issue with the signal dropping out (except with radio stations such as Trax FM as they aren't hosted anywhere near Sheffield!)

Might have to think about one of these. Do you get Kerrang alright?

Not my sort of music tbh so I can't really say. I might tune in on low volume so id hear any drop outs for u if u'd like (or if you are near chapeltown in Sheffield, you can have a listen...)

Hehe - I won't put you through that, I'm down the road in Derby, so a little bit of a trek, I just figured if you could pick it's Bruminess up, I can.

BUT who sticks to the speed limit?

Errm, apart from me that is. Ahem

Me, religously.

9 points and a speed awareness course kinda make you do that

Think of it this way, RAF jets stream huge amounts of data both ways without break in signal, but Civilian DAB systems are a fair bit behind.

All of Wales has had full digital TV for near on 2 years and the terrestrial has been switched off, but you still get signal drop outs in heavy rain. Some parts of England are still running on terrestrial, pain in the arse when you want to watch something on a Freeview channel and realise you only have 5.

still running terrestrial in the south east of England last place to switch over, but being so close to the sea and on flat ground means signal isn't an issue.

Hehe - I won't put you through that, I'm down the road in Derby, so a little bit of a trek, I just figured if you could pick it's Bruminess up, I can.

I've just tried and I can pick it up (was stationary at the time) but even with a 20% signal strength, it was awful (you know that digital interference you get with a weak signal) whereas I've listened to Hallam and capital @ ~10% signal and they've been fine