Hi

Has anyone any thoughts, opinions or information on the DAB radio option??

I have added it to my specification but am not really sure of the benefits if any in Ireland.

Will it allow me to listen to foreign radio stations?

 

DAB is either you've got reception or not, there is no inbetween. No idea on what DAB stations you have in Ireland but before going through the expense of getting it for the car I would buy a cheap DAB radio and try it at home first. In regards to the foreign stations I wouldn't think so as they are locally broadcast and don't carry  a long distance.

Dozz. The best solution to Internet WiFi for picking up Global Radio is to go for the in Car WiFi. You can then buy a Sim to install in the car and just connect your phone with Tune in Radio App for accessing Radio. Although this is always then dependent on signal strength and reception.

 

 

Thanks for the info.

Does anyone know if the DAB system also includes a regular FM receiver as well?

24 minutes ago, Dozz said:

Thanks for the info.

Does anyone know if the DAB system also includes a regular FM receiver as well?

I've always found that a DAB radio has FM too. Sometimes even MW band.

2 hours ago, Dozz said:

Does anyone know if the DAB system also includes a regular FM receiver as well?

 

Yes and it will automatically tune to the FM station when you lose DAB signal. 

In my experience, DAB is useless.

If you stay in a city/town with good reception its fine, but if you are driving about its always losing signal, at least for me in the last 3 cars I have had. I just plonk it on FM or SD card and be done.

Great. Thanks for all the info all.

My next question.....

Is an SD card slot standard with the basic 8 inch radio system?

I love DAB and always prefer it to FM. They've just added further 435 transmitters to improve transmission:

 

https://radiotoday.co.uk/2017/03/dab-radio-coverage-improved-and-celebrated/

I have a dab Columbus in my mk3 Octavia, it's brilliant very very few loss of service areas

 

ive used it in the south ROI  a few times. Plenty of dab channels there, and it picks up most U.K. Dab channels and n.ireland ones too

Thanks for the replays everyone

9 hours ago, Dozz said:

Is an SD card slot standard with the basic 8 inch radio system?

 

According to the Kodiaq User/Owners Manual the Basic Bolero and above have an SD Card Slot.

I assume this is all markets, but to check, build a car using your local web configurator. It should list "With SD card slot without CD drive" or similar in the "Safety, Functionality and Comfort" section when you click View Configuration Summary.

Edited 29 March, 20179 yr by Mr Grump

On 28/03/2017 at 19:45, bigboss said:

I love DAB and always prefer it to FM. They've just added further 435 transmitters to improve transmission:

 

https://radiotoday.co.uk/2017/03/dab-radio-coverage-improved-and-celebrated/

 

Many others will dissagree and it is why FM switch off has been delayed indefinitely. Sales of DAB radios in the UK are very low, and there is one main reason for that and its sound quality and coverage. I like to listen to music in Stereo on FM rather than 64kbps in Mono from a lot of DAB stations. 

 

The UK system is poor compared to the rest of the EU, we are stuck using 1980s MP2 technology rather than the rest of the EU which have dumped it in favour of DAB+ which uses more modern AAC encoders. Most new DAB radios support both, but we in the UK will never fully switch to DAB+ because none of the DAB radios sold in the 1980s, 1990s and early to mid 2000s support it. 

 

DAB in the UK is not new, it was launched nearly 30 years ago as a premium product promoting good sound quality. DAB stations used to be 256kbps and sounded great back then until the money grabbers cottoned on, and now its quantity of quality just like on Freeview and Satellite TV.

 

I dont know the Irish situation as a lot of the country is rural and hilly so coverage could be very patchy.

Yes, you're right. Technology is still lagging behind in DAB. Some channels I listen to isn't available on FM. Always good to have DAB...It's not as if you won't get FM if you choose DAB. If DAB reception is poor, it automatically changes to FM of the same channel if available.

Edited 30 March, 20179 yr by bigboss