Car digital radios

Brassknocker

I know this is a bike website, but assume most drive too...

I'm keen to get a Digital radio in my 10 year old car, but looking at the ones in Halfords and briefly online, is it possible to get something that doesn't look like it's aimed at 17 year old boyracing chavs?

Anything fairly plain and conservative, not the horrific Kenwood graphic equalizer that you could land a plane with type thing.

Anyone got experiences of those Pure add-on kits?

Any info appreciated.

eric_draven

I bought a JVC i think its a KD52AT or something simular to that,the display is great you can have just text up and choose from as many colours as you want for the text,it is get to listen to better stations also has a usb so you can use an ipod/phone or mp3 player for longer distances,like a 1070 miles home to Mt Ventoux last year,think it cost me about £120 (off ebay) with a digital areial which is some that you will need

flipp

have a look at celsus dab motion .I have one in my car and it works brilliantly ,it is a separate box that is the radio that sends a signal which is then picked up on a fm channel on the original stereo,as a comparison the wife has a complete after market unit (JVC)that can only get around 6 channels while mine can get all station in our area when both cars are parked on our driveway side by side

Monkeypump

flipp wrote:

have a look at celsus dab motion .I have one in my car and it works brilliantly ,it is a separate box that is the radio that sends a signal which is then picked up on a fm channel on the original stereo,as a comparison the wife has a complete after market unit (JVC)that can only get around 6 channels while mine can get all station in our area when both cars are parked on our driveway side by side

Um... isn't having a DAB and then listening to it through a spare FM channel missing the point a little?

I think I'd rather have a proper DAB head unit.

ballysmate

I briefly had a digital radio and the only station worth a w@nk on DAB was Planetrock.
Said station has since become available on Fm, leastaways around the West Mids.
No plans to splash out on not needed technology.

flipp

Monkeypump wrote:

flipp wrote:

have a look at celsus dab motion .I have one in my car and it works brilliantly ,it is a separate box that is the radio that sends a signal which is then picked up on a fm channel on the original stereo,as a comparison the wife has a complete after market unit (JVC)that can only get around 6 channels while mine can get all station in our area when both cars are parked on our driveway side by side

Um... isn't having a DAB and then listening to it through a spare FM channel missing the point a little?

I think I'd rather have a proper DAB head unit.

Not really missing the point I think as the original post asked the question if any one had used an add on DAB .When I was looking at dab for the car I did not want to change the original stereo and a small box under the dash and a small aerial on the screen seemed perfect. Any sound quality issues etc are out weighed by the choice of stations and that a car is an acoustic disaster for sound anyway.

sloppyschleckonds

8 track

arthur_scrimshaw

Monkeypump wrote:

flipp wrote:

have a look at celsus dab motion .I have one in my car and it works brilliantly ,it is a separate box that is the radio that sends a signal which is then picked up on a fm channel on the original stereo,as a comparison the wife has a complete after market unit (JVC)that can only get around 6 channels while mine can get all station in our area when both cars are parked on our driveway side by side

Um... isn't having a DAB and then listening to it through a spare FM channel missing the point a little?

I think I'd rather have a proper DAB head unit.

Depends what you mean, most DAB stations (esp the commercial ones) broadcast in low quality mono, often at 80 kbit/s or less. Only BBC r3 regularly broadcasts in a quality comparable to FM.

WindyG

For a simple look and cheap in-car DAB have a look at Blaupunkt Nashville DAB47

Brassknocker

thanks for all the replies Chaps ... appreciated!

big_p

I have the orange one in this link and it's excellent, you can pick them up for about £100.

http://www.kenwood-electronics.co.uk/tech/dab/kdc/