Dashcam install has killed DAB!

[pinkpanther]

Prompted by the recent thread regarding Dashcam installation thought I'd enquire if any Karoq owners had encountered issues with DAB signal attenuation?

 

I had a Road Angel Halo Pro (front & rear) installed (hardwired) in my 2023 Karoq 1.5 TSi SEL just after I took delivery, following which I noticed the DAB signal regularly drops out (the stations reappear when the dashcam is powered down).

 

I had the same dashcam installed in a previous Suzuki SX4 and there was no detrimental effect on DAB .

 

More recently I had the same dashcam installed in a newly acquired FIAT 500 and again there is no appreciable impact on DAB sensitivity.

 

The Auto electrician who installed the Dashcam in the FIAT commented he'd encountered this effect on both VAG and BMW vehicles and had formed the opinion it related to the Wi-Fi signal from the Dashcam interfering with the DAB antennae, rather than interference from the (shielded) leads running to the rear camera.

 

I have tried Ferrite cores in the Karoq, but DAB sensitivity remains very poor, whenever the dashcam is powered up.

 

Of note no Ferrite cores were installed (or required) in either the Suzuki or FIAT.

 

Slightly frustrated the dashcam has effectively wiped out useable DAB in the Karoq, as I use it regularly and now typically resort to streaming Radio via Android Auto, whereas both a considerably older Suzuki and FIAT have no such issues.

 

There appears to be no facility to switch off Wi-Fi in the dashcam config, as they have no screens (the very reason I've stuck with them, along with the very reasonable cost @ Costco) and are controlled / accessed via a Wi-Fi connection to a Smartphone App.

 

Grateful for any insights.

 

 

Edited 12 September, 2023 by pinkpanther

[Baxlin]

Dashcam I fitted to my previous Lexus killed DAB, same camera switched to my current Octavia, same semi-hardwire bits (piggyback fuse and hidden trailing ciggy socket) no problems.  The Lexus dealer had no idea how to fix it, I just lived with it.

[Routemaster1461]

Does DAB work if the dashcam is off? If so, a different camera may solve the issue.

[MrSecretPotato]

I would think every dashcam which supports WiFi also has a function to turn that feature off within it's settings menu.

I have one hardwired, without WiFi and have no issues with DAB signal in the Central Belt of Scotland.

[danigo]

I have installed a front and rear dashcam (NextBase 522GW) in my Karoq. DAB is still usable but the rear camera definitely makes it more prone to dropping out when the signal is poor - it's fine with front camera only.

 

There's a weak signal area near me, and I can make the signal disappear by plugging in the rear camera - it comes back when I unplug it again.

 

Any Wi-Fi would be generated by the front unit as the rear is wire only to the front camera, so in my case I doubt it's that. At some point I might experiment with different wire paths and/or camera location to see if I can improve it

[pinkpanther]

18 hours ago, Routemaster1461 said:

Does DAB work if the dashcam is off? If so, a different camera may solve the issue.

It does - all DAB stations reappear when the camera is powered down.

15 hours ago, MrSecretPotato said:

I would think every dashcam which supports WiFi also has a function to turn that feature off within it's settings menu.

I have one hardwired, without WiFi and have no issues with DAB signal in the Central Belt of Scotland.

No facility to disable WiFi from what I can see.

[MrSecretPotato]

27 minutes ago, pinkpanther said:

It does - all DAB stations reappear when the camera is powered down.

No facility to disable WiFi from what I can see.

I see that it has no screen, that makes it a bit more difficult, yes. What sort of options do you have within the accompanying app?

[pinkpanther]

3 hours ago, MrSecretPotato said:

I see that it has no screen, that makes it a bit more difficult, yes. What sort of options do you have within the accompanying app?

And therein lies the rub!

 

It is only possible to access camera settings once the app is connected to it via Wi-Fi.

 

[pinkpanther]

19 hours ago, danigo said:

I have installed a front and rear dashcam (NextBase 522GW) in my Karoq. DAB is still usable but the rear camera definitely makes it more prone to dropping out when the signal is poor - it's fine with front camera only.

 

There's a weak signal area near me, and I can make the signal disappear by plugging in the rear camera - it comes back when I unplug it again.

 

Any Wi-Fi would be generated by the front unit as the rear is wire only to the front camera, so in my case I doubt it's that. At some point I might experiment with different wire paths and/or camera location to see if I can improve it

We too have a weak signal area nearby and I've experimented by switching the ignition off and back on and have verified the impact the dash camvhas, in terms of somehow attenuating the DAB radio.

 

One electrician I spoke to was hopeful using ferrite cores would help, but another is of the opinion the DAB interference is solely related to the Wi-Fi network setup by the front dash cam.

 

I did try installing ferrite cores and initially thought there was an improvement, but in the longer term this has proved not to be the case.

 

Slightly intrigued that the identical dash cam setup had no appreciable impact on either a FIAT or a Suzuki 🤷‍♂️

Edited 13 September, 2023 by pinkpanther

[Oli]

Have to say our DAB signal is poor at the best of times. No idea why, been like that since we picked it up. No Dashcam or alternations yet. Have a Nextbase to put in at some point.

[pinkpanther]

On 14/09/2023 at 20:40, Oli said:

Have to say our DAB signal is poor at the best of times. No idea why, been like that since we picked it up. No Dashcam or alternations yet. Have a Nextbase to put in at some point.

I pretty much covered the length and breadth of the UK in a variety of Yeti's and rarely had the DAB drop out, although admittedly none of them had a WiFi enabled dashcam installed.