Fitting DAB

[jonnyoctyvrs]

I know it wasn't an option when new, but how have people gone about fitting DAB to their Octavias?

I've seen the Columbus units on eBay and then an antenna to go along with this unit, but it is as simple as this?

[john999boy]

Pretty much so (depending upon which MY your car is)

 

Some additional coding will be required if you've got Maxidot though to gain the full benefit.

[Garnett]

Hello

 

It is really. I recently did the upgrade. Good quality external antenna and leads. GPS antenna. Columbus Unit. If you shop around you can get that for around £800. There is a cheaper option which i think is the RCD310 if you are not worried about sat nav and looks.

 

Good luck.

 

Garnett

[adamal]

Also see here for some aerial info. Its the more fiddly aspect:

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/339985-dab-ariels/#entry4103879

[john999boy]

There is a cheaper option which i think is the RCD310 if you are not worried about sat nav and looks.

 

Or an RCD510 which is the Bolero equivalent.

[Wardy-]

How difficult is it to fit maxidot? What equipment do you need for that?

[john999boy]

How difficult is it to fit maxidot? What equipment do you need for that?

 

You'd need expert help!

[chr1staylor]

Hello

 

There is a cheaper option which i think is the RCD310 if you are not worried about sat nav and looks.

 

Good luck.

 

Garnett

I did this. Picked up the RCD for around £100. I also had to buy and fit a newer CAN Gateway to avoid battery drain, but if your car is 08 or newer you should be ok on that.

 

Installed an internal aerial on the corner of the windscreen. It's difficult for me to tell if this is actually a compromise or not as the area where I live is appalling for digital radio reception, but all the BBC DAB channels are rock solid, and most others are when I get out of the valley.

 

Quite a few pics of my installation here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/51707969@N04/8203011214/in/set-72157632058161464/

Edited 27 January, 2015 by chr1staylor

[Wardy-]

You'd need expert help!

Can't tell whether that's serious or sarcastic haha!

[john999boy]

Definitely serious as it's not an easy job.

[colinecek]

@Adam: The antenna you have installed is without FM diversity – no curry colored Fakra.  Does the Columbus care about that?

 

This is what I have in mind for my upgrade: OEM 1K0035501J Original Skoda - Roof Shark Antenna GPS, GSM, RADIO, DAB RADIO, WEBASTO.  This does have diversity.

[adamal]

Colin

My diversity aerial is in the rear quaterlight and wholly separate from the roof aerial and related connections. I just left that as it was. In my case I initially got confused by the extra wire from the roof mount which gave a GSM connection to the phone preparation that pre dated Bluetooth modules but otherwise it was leave that hanging and run two cables for DAB and GSM and reconnect the other two (FM/AM and GPS) to the new aerial. You could potentially re use the old GSM line if you have it but I don't know where the old phone prep controller is and where the line comes out. And given you have to run a DAB cable, you may aswell run a new GSM one.

In the pre FL the aerial connections are not FAKRA though so you need to get adaptors. It is easier to see when you drop the headlining but you need a fakra female to fme male for GPS and fakra female to RAKU female for FM/AM. I have some bits left over from my install which may help if you struggle to find these but I found most of what I needed on co-star.co.UK and from rfsupplies on ebay for the GSM and DAB cables. I used RG174 for GPS and RG316 for DAB.

Webasto is to receive the remote signal to turn on the car heater in Scandinavian countries and that is the curry connection (not diversity). You would leave that hanging or buy 6r0 035 501 d which doesn't have it (see eBay.de).

Adam

Edited 1 February, 2015 by adamal

[adamal]

Some links

http://www.co-star.co.uk/prod/2125/fakra-gps-female-fme-male-200mm-rg58.html

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/330651503750

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/330843979035

[bigman1976]

I used a Kenwood DNX521DAB (currently for sale in the for sale section) and it had a windscreen mounted DAB aerial. There was only 1 occasion where the signal dropped (in deepest Devon) but I believe a roof mounted aerial would have been better. 

 

The advantage for this unit is that it's plug and play. I got the aerial installed by a automotive electrician as I wasn't comfortable pulling the interior to pieces, but it didn't take him long. It's also got all other features I wanted (ipod compatability, bluetooth etc) installed.

[colinecek]

Thanks for setting me right on this Adam.  That explains the window antenna listed in my car’s delivery configuration.  Just for the record, I got my info from the amphenol site that listed Curry as Radio with IF "Output (antenna diversity)".  Obviously I misinterpreted what is exactly meant for the curry connector. 

 

My thanks also go out to BigMan for sharing experience with window mount DAB antenna.  I came to the conclusion that roof mount is a better solution.

 

Colin