DAB aerial location - options?

[E42]

Hi, next week’s task for my long suffering mechanic is fitting a Pioneer head unit with DAB antenna and reversing camera. I’d rather avoid putting the antenna at the top of the screen, I think I read on an old thread that it can be placed on the top of the glovebox, does this sound possible or have I dreamt it? Any advice much appreciated as always, thanks!

Dom

[Mark-RS]

I put mine on the metal bar running across the glovebox. Box itself is covered in wooly matting, so unless you peel a bit off, it won't stick. Box drops down easy enough so it's a quick job

[Shoppinit]

I put mine on the metal bar running across the glovebox. Box itself is covered in wooly matting, so unless you peel a bit off, it won't stick. Box drops down easy enough so it's a quick job

What's reception like?

[E42]

Hi, thanks for the reply

Dom

[Mark-RS]

I put mine on the metal bar running across the glovebox. Box itself is covered in wooly matting, so unless you peel a bit off, it won't stick. Box drops down easy enough so it's a quick job

What's reception like?

No issues at all. I use Google Maps for any long journey and it's never let me down, never not connected and only ever lost GPS in tunnels.

[Shoppinit]

What about DAB reception, though?

[Banana man]

How about adapting a oem aerial to work with the element on the back screen?

[Mark-RS]

What about DAB reception, though?

Who listens to radio these days ?

Spotify ! Nothing else.... Didn't even connect the DAB ariel, it's still in the box.

[Shoppinit]

Did you misread the title of this topic?

Banana man, I think that’s worth a try but the antenna is plugged into the diversity unit and that’s a royal pain to get to, at least on the Avant - it’s behind the roof lining IIRC. Can’t remember where it is on the loon.

[Mɐʇʇ]

Only think I can add is that I replaced the aerial on my saab 9-5 aero estate. It's in exactly the same location as on the Audi and in the case of the saab, once I'd removed the rear pillar trims, it was easy to get enough movement on the roof lining to slide my arm in and replace the aerial. Not tried it on the audi, though.

[Mark-RS]

Did you misread the title of this topic?

Now I feel stupid.

Anyone got a cold dark rock I can crawl under ?

[Banana man]

What about one of these to replace the GPS aerial if you’ve got one? I’m not sure on the type of hole that’s in the roof for it already but even though I’m not a fan it’s probably be less noticeable in real life.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 3612380909

[Banana man]

Did you misread the title of this topic?

Banana man, I think that’s worth a try but the antenna is plugged into the diversity unit and that’s a royal pain to get to, at least on the Avant - it’s behind the roof lining IIRC. Can’t remember where it is on the loon.

On a loon it’ll most likely be behind the c pillar trim, and tbh that’s probably worse as mine just wouldn’t come off when I took the headliner out to re glue it well not in one piece anyway.

I know on the c6 when adding DAB you just tap onto the connections on the glass edge, I read of someone using a conductive glue, depending on how the diversity unit behaves you could just piggy back the FM aerial maybe? Is the aerial in the rear quarter glass on the avant?

[Shoppinit]

I'm pretty sure that the diversity unit only responds to information from the OE head units. If you use an aftermarket one, the diversity unit is useless. Might even be worse than useless.

On the avant there are loads of antennas with amps on the rear windows. Might be a way of tapping into the amplified signal before it goes to the diversity box.

[Banana man]

Yea I was referring to if the diversity unit is on constantly which could hinder the DAB signal if you was trying to use the same element on the window.

I’d be inclined as you say to piggy back off the fm element and tuck everything behind trim keeping the car oem looking.

I would say, you soon get used to the windscreen mounted aerial though, but admittedly I didn’t fit it on an rs6 so I didn’t really care