Unconnect DAB reception?

[rolopolo]

Hi folks,

Had my x290 ducato since late last year, latest spec euro6

Was told the dab aerial is attached to the roof aerial not mirror.
On looking at mirror connections this could be correct.

However, reception is diabolical, drops out all the time.

So I pulled the unit out, stuck a dma-1006 mag mount dab aerial from dab on wheels, in the back,

I would say approx 90% better, BUT still drops out too often

So, purchased a dra-6001 (again from dab on wheels) roof mounted, amplified unit on,

Back to being worse as original!!

Dab on wheels want to test the aerial, no issues there.

My old 2012 ducato had same amplified unit fitted albeit to a kenwood head unit, never dropping signal unless in Scottish mountains or Cumbria/lakes.

So,

Is it possible if anyone knows, could it be the Uconnect unit just being rubbish?

Not liking an amplified signal?
Dab firmware update? (Fiat garage at service didn't even check tyre pressures never mind looking at firmware!)

How many channels do they receive or hold or should they?
Mine seems to find either 47 or hardly any when I search, 47 being in a good 360 view area

Anyone else had issues similar?

Thanks

Neil

 

[Tipotwo]

I have a DAB connection issue, which going by this thread and the general lack of information, appears to be a rare problem.

The Uconnect 7 touchscreen on my 2019 Tipo now no longer gets any DAB stations. Reception has gradually dropped out over the past month so that now every station shows "unavailable". My wife's car's DAB works fine, as does the DAB radio in the house. The rest of the unit works fine.

Fiat want £140 for a diagnostic. I have tried resetting the unit back to original and nothing. Any suggestions before I have to fork out that much?

 

[Troubles with 500c]

Is the reception still awful with the engine switched off?

 

[Tipotwo]

Is the reception still awful with the engine switched off?

There is no reception at all, engine on of off. All the DAB channels show as unavailable.

 

[Tipotwo]

I may have sorted the problem. A friend said his car sometimes lost DAB reception and he would have to find all the stations again. I went into Browse (bottom left corner of the screen) and brought up the list of DAB stations and after a few attempts, as I selected each one, they reappeared. Hopefully they will stay.

 

[Tipotwo]

That lasted one day and there is no DAB reception today, apart from a few seconds of the BBC Gaelic channel. Bugger.

 

[Tipotwo]

Fiat have charged £182.04 for a diagnostic and a new aerial, with the aerial billed at £14.76. As soon as I started the car and radio, it was not working. It goes in again for a senior technician to look at, with no diagnostic charge. Pretty annoyed.

I am not convinced the diagnostic revealed anything, since the service receptionist said it was standard practice to replace the aerial when the radio stops working.

 

[chris3234]

I assume you have tried searching/retuning the stations?

 

[Tipotwo]

Yes, I searched through "browse" and for a day I had all the channels again. Next day, nothing.

 

[Tipotwo]

The car went back to Fiat for a "senior technician" to check and they wanted another £380 to fit an aerial base. That is too much to just get back DAB, so I declined. Replacing the aerial antenna has meant I have gone from no DAB to maybe 50% of the time, but that means it constantly cuts out. Not much for the nearly £200 I had already paid out.

I though Fiats were cheap to repair.

 

[Tipotwo]

As mysteriously as DAB reception disappeared, it has now reappeared and I have had no issues for a few weeks now. I declined paying another £200 to replace the aerial base, so now feel I have saved £200 as well as wasted it. It is clear the Fiat dealer had no idea what the actual problem was and they were just guessing and wanting to replace parts in the hope it started to work.

 

[Tipotwo]

That DAB reception gone again. I now know to just bide my time and wait for it to come back and not waste money on Fiat pretending to try and fix the problem.

 

[rolopolo]

I’m onto a newer van since I posted the original thread

Only way to cure the dab problems with the factory head unit and antenna is if possible replace the whole lot

I’m now enjoying a hugely impressive upgrade, better sound, better dab coverage, etc from a pioneer sph-da230dab coupled to a calearo dab fm amplified roof antenna

Should have ditched the awful OE stuff years ago