DAB Radio has weak/no signal

[branston4me]

Hiya.
I am totally new to this forum AND totally new to an Octavia,

Its an Octavia III estate;  TDI 2.0 CR LE S

I really love this car but one of the main attractions (after considering emissions (tax) and mpg, both of which are exceptional) was the DAB.
And its turning into a bit of a disappointment.

 

I'm also sure it's been covered on this forum but there are thousands of posts so apologies.

 

I'd like to hear people's experiences.

One day it can on the drive, great reception and be ok "most" of the way to the office 100 miles away, right into the office car park.
Then next day, whilst still in the office car park - its really REALLY pants and doesn't truly recover all the way home.  I end up playing mp3s :o(

 

I listen exclusively to 6 music so there is no FM alternative.

 

The previous car was a xsara picasso retro-fitted with a DAB/mp3/CD and i NEVER had any problems with that - even with the magnetic aerial stuck to the INSIDE of the boot!

 

I'm not sure I want to hear the answer .....  but Is it a design flaw in this car?
Have we picked a duffer?

 

Cheers

 

Ian

[lastgasp]

Don't think it's a design flaw.

Like you I listen almost exclusively to  6Music, and I have been pleasantly surprised by the quality of reception with the Amundsen in my Octy.

I travel all over the country and it is very rare for it to ever "drop out", and if it does it comes back in seconds.  Even at my daughter's home, where DAB reception is abysmal, I still get 6Music crystal clear in the car.

I think it must be a fault with your particular installation.

[arnold]

1 hour ago, branston4me said:

Hiya.
I am totally new to this forum AND totally new to an Octavia,

Its an Octavia III estate;  TDI 2.0 CR LE S

I really love this car but one of the main attractions (after considering emissions (tax) and mpg, both of which are exceptional) was the DAB.
And its turning into a bit of a disappointment.

 

I'm also sure it's been covered on this forum but there are thousands of posts so apologies.

 

I'd like to hear people's experiences.

One day it can on the drive, great reception and be ok "most" of the way to the office 100 miles away, right into the office car park.
Then next day, whilst still in the office car park - its really REALLY pants and doesn't truly recover all the way home.  I end up playing mp3s :o(

 

I listen exclusively to 6 music so there is no FM alternative.

 

The previous car was a xsara picasso retro-fitted with a DAB/mp3/CD and i NEVER had any problems with that - even with the magnetic aerial stuck to the INSIDE of the boot!

 

I'm not sure I want to hear the answer .....  but Is it a design flaw in this car?
Have we picked a duffer?

 

Cheers

 

Ian

 

Ian mine is the same. I live in the sticks in North norfolk and most of the time the DAB is so bad i turn it off back to trusty old FM. Even when i trip to a major city the reception is diabolical. Mines a 2016 model so maybe a backward step in radio performance. I would give up such luxury as  Android auto for just a reasonable reception. The aerial is in the rear screen which is probably the issue. I installed a rear dash cam and had to remove it as it totally wiped out DAB and reduced FM significantly . I have searched for some sort of amp but couldn't find anything.

Edited 3 August, 2017 by arnold

[Skaut]

I experience the same, eventually realised bad reception coincided with charging my phone with a cheap adapter in the lighter socket.  Reception seems to be particularly sensitive to electrical interference so phone chargers, dash cams etc unless very well suppressed will cause drop outs when when signal is weak.  

 

See this thread.

[branston4me]

Thanks for that, guys.
Although I think 2 views that are directly opposite helps alot :o)

maybe I'll go back to the garage and get them to check it out.

 

Thanks for taking the time to reply

[branston4me]

you know what - i DO have a cheap (7day shop) charger permanently plugged into to the cigarette lighter socket.

I'm going to take it out and test it again!  Thanks for the heads up!

[stevetheboy]

I too had intermittent DAB issues.
I have found that the DAB radio is almost unusable when using the 12v port to charge devices.
However, using the dash USB port is all Ok.

[branston4me]

I have removed all charging equipment from the 12v supply but have yet to do that long trip again.

Over the next week I'll try  WITH and WITHOUT that charger thing in.  My gut feeling is that things will be a little better.  
Now that it has been mentioned on here, the use of that charger seems to (in my failing memory) fit with the poor signal.

I have also looked further into this forum and found the very interesting thread by andyvee, where he did extensive testing (from 2015), reported to Skoda UK and all kinds of things, only to end up a year later posting with an air of real frustration that nothing could be done by users and nothing would be done by Skoda, despite proving that what is needed is a little more gain on the antenna!

This is the topic.....

 

 

I'll try and remember to report back in a week or so when I have definitive evidence that something in the 12v socket can interfere with the signal.

But it appears pretty conclusive that Estates have a significantly weaker signal and estate owners will always be the poor relation.....

 

[Miz]

Unplug anything you have in the 12V power sockets, USB chargers Sat Nav etc and see how that changes the reception. It could be interference that is blocking the DAB signal.

 

Also, the DAB antenna is in the rear side windows on the estate.

[branston4me]

Well it's taking a bit longer to check the 12v supply than i hoped.

But I will say that when I went to windsor last week, i did not use the 12v (cigarette lighter) as a charger and had no problems at all with the DAB.

It burbles a tiny bit going past Banbury but no debilitating loss of programmes

 

So  it seems that all the advice on here was right and I am very grateful

Estate antennae are a bit further away than a saloon and all are susceptible to chargers in the 12v supply.

I can live with that!

 

Many thanks to all!

 

cheers