Poor Radio Reception - DAB & FM - T6

Stoneybroke · Jan 7, 2017

Having spent quite a lot of cash on our T6 Beach, I have been disappointed by the radio reception, so I thought I'd just ask if anyone else was disappointed in the DAB & FM reception?
Both locally and on a longer journeys, the DAB keeps dropping and switching to FM. The FM reception is also flakey. Some journeys this poor signal persists for minutes, so not just a local blackspot.
The thing is that the DAB reception on my old Caravelle was fine (retro fitted) in the same areas.
Anyone else had a problem?
T5 owners seem to think the DAB Aerial in the wing mirror isn't really up to the job.
I raised it with my dealer and they acknowledged that many owners complain about the poor reception and they, too, blamed it on the mirror mounted ariel, but couldn't offer any solution.
Is this something we should raise with VW as a group? Any thoughts or observations?

briwy · Jan 7, 2017

Same on our T5 with RNS510.
Aerials and head unit changed but it's still rubbish.
I too think it's likely to be the aerial position.
Same unit in our Yeti is fine with the aerial on the roof which provides a good ground plane.
Going to have a play with a magmount aerial and see if it improves. Of course can't put a magmount on the roof being alloy so it will be a compromise.
I had a Caddy van courtesy vehicle with a Discover system in which was perfect. Not sure where the aerial was though.

Meoncoast · Jan 7, 2017

I find DAB reception on our trips very up and down (general finding of DAB radio we have rather than van radio) when away we have a portable DAB radio but find there are many places where we have been there is no or poor signal my conclusion is that if it will not work well on a DAB radio camped up how would it work when driving around.

RoB5urf · Jan 7, 2017

Our DAB radio never had good reception here in mid kent. I see Norway is switching off its FM broadcasts from this year and that the UK is considering the same. Bad luck on all those Norwegian drivers with only FM radios.

WelshGas · Jan 7, 2017

I must be lucky on my T5.1. DAB works fine as does FM. Have good reception wherever I've driven in U.K. Seamlessly switching from one to the other in the Welsh valleys, London, Cornwall wherever. RNS 510. No Bluetooth or phone plugged in.

Stoneybroke · Mar 4, 2017

UPDATE
My dash cam stopped working the other day. The camera was fine, but, after testing, it looked like the hardwired 12v to USB gizmo from Amazon had died.
I decided to use the original dashcam plug-in converter, hardwiring a cigar lighter socket onto the same circuit and hiding the plug/socket underneath.
DAB reception from Staffordshire to Cumbria was perfect. A couple of local low spots (underpasses, etc) perfect.
So it seems that, even though some distance away from the Ariel or radio, these cheap transformers are so poorly shielded that they are causing some of the reception problems.