Yet another DAB aerial post

Started a new thread as although there are loads of threads on DAB reception, I think it would be useful to summarise and see what folk have managed to get to work. Basic question is has anyone (particularly those not living in good dab reception areas) managed to get good dab reception through the windscreen, if so how? And is a diversity windscreen better for DAB than a non-diversity windscreen? Here's my setup with an aftermarket stereo (atoto android): -non-diversity windscreen with single aerial connector on driver's side -factory aerial amp in driver's a pillar bypassed with porsche pccm lead -aftermarket splitter/amplifier off amazon that was recommended by someone on here The result is excellent FM reception, crap DAB reception, so I use an aftermarket stick-on dab aerial on the windscreen. I live out in the sticks and the stick-on aerial gives better but still only mediocre reception. Compared to factory BMW setup in my daily it's still pretty poor. I may be having the windscreen out soon for other work on the car, so am exploring what I might be able to do. I'm wondering whether the diversity aerial windscreen is any better, whether there are any better splitters/amps and generally what folk have done that works? I wonder whether the windscreen just isn't the best location and I need to reconsider. I'm not keen on running a shark fin on the roof which I suspect would be the best option and would probably forgo dab altogether rather than do that.

worth testing the system not fitted in but plugged into the window to make sure it's not an installed issue do you still have or need the Antenna booster ?

The factory antenna booster has been removed through using the pccm bypass cable, the stick-on aerial I think works as intended, no idea whether the windscreen is working and a bit pants, or not working as it should be.

you need to test the antenna set up in a suitable location

I've had dab installed in the car for a few years and used both antennas. The antenna setup - I have two - using the original windscreen with the booster is poor, using the stick on aerial is mediocre in good reception areas, but not good in rural areas. A suitable location - a suitable location to me is where I use the car as that's where it needs to work. As i say, my daily BMW receives good dab reception in the same locations. What I don't know is, acknowledging that the 996 windscreen potentially isn't the best dab antenna, are my results what I should expect, or has someone else managed to get good reception out of one (and if so which screen, diversity or not, and using what booster etc).

I've got a DAB Becker retro unit in my 3.2. The stick on aerial is on the A pillar side of the windscreen. It looks like one of those contraptions off a TV detector van. It's shite for reception to the point I'd rather tune in FM. There's no getting away from the fact factory installed DAB units give the best reception (my Mini BMW is perfect) unless you happen to have a McLaren in which case both DAB and FM are useless

I tried off & on for years with no luck & at least a half dozen different aerials. The only antenna I could get to work was a through glass stick on with telescopic antenna on the outside. Worked brilliant, so I tried hiding it behind the "C" pillar only for it to stop working. Seems the 997 is a brilliant Faraday cage. Even the new cars have garbage reception. My VW works fine outside my house, whereas any Porsche just doesn't.

Subscribing to this. Ive got the same set up as Zingari and neee to improve FM reception, and get DAB up and running.

The very 1st thing I'd do is get a DAB tranny radio and take it with me in the car. When the reception is shoite on the car, compare it with the tranny radio. If you're in a remote area, you haven't got a clue whether it's poor broadcasting or poor receiving.

Quotes source post: 2832822

Hasn’t the OP done that already by using his daily BMW factory system to prove the reception is ok? Can the atoto android headunit be part of the problem? In all the aerial test situations this stays constant and hasn’t proven to be good yet?

Sorry, I missed the bit about the BMW reception.

Quotes source post: 2832822

Probably the first guess. After all, isn't DAB an acronym for "Doesn't actually broadcast"?

I read somewhere that someone solved the poor reception issue by running a better earth to the head unit. Straight to an earthing point off the body rather than the one in the loom?

Quotes source post: 2833723

Good point. I wonder if the earth required for the windscreen aerial is also a problem. The Idea is the flat (wide) copper tail connects under the window pillar trim. That requires scraping off paint so there is contact to bare metal.

Thanks chaps, must admit I haven't looked at this for ages and more or less gave up on it. I was considering a carbon roof when I was looking into this as thought it might be an opportunity to add a diversity wiindscreen - but have parked the roof idea as I've decided I like the sunroof. With the gen porsche aerial amp bypass lead, the aerial uses the factory grounding point on the a piller. On mine it then goes to a generic signal booster/splitter and the result is pretty great FM, pretty awful DAB. So I switched to using a stick on windscreen aerial for dab which doesn't work particularly well either and is sad as it's not very oem. The dab module is a generic usb plug-in module into the head unit that seem to be the de facto and be quite well reviewed. I'm not sure whether the diversity windscreen would fare any better or whether the signal booster is to blame (it's been so long I can't remember if I tried different flavours of signal booster - I wonder whether there's a gen porsche part).