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  • DAB Radio

    I have a Insignia 158 CDTI SRI NAV. It is a 2011 model which does not have a DAB radio. I've seen one on eBay through a breakers. I've asked them questions about compatibility and fittings with no response. The radio is from a 2010 model. Does anyone know if it will fit my car, also any extra information such as fitting instructions and extra aerials would be great 👍

  • #2
    I couldn't advise about fitting, but in my experience DAB in moving vehicles is rubbish. The reception is interrupted more times than my patience will allow. I usually leave mine on FM just to save my sanity.
    2015 SRi Nav CDTi 140 VX-line Nav

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    • #3
      Cant say i agree about DAB in cars....had it in my last Insignia and my new one and bar a few spots i never have an issue. I even used it in my old ST170 using a Pure Highway adaptor thing which worked pretty well. I drive from Chesterfield to Derby for work and never have an issue bar one small valley and losing signal will depend on how long you get caught in that little valley at the traffic lights. If you get lucky and they are on green you will not lose anything, end up at the lights on red for a few minutes and you will lose it. Some stations are better than others as well, yesterday morning i drove from my house over towards Baslow to take the dog for a walk on the moors and around Chatsworth. Lost Radio X as i dropped down the hill towards Baslow but BBC Radio stations were working fine.

      DAB is worth it if only for not having to listen to the fuzziness on Radio 5 over AM!!

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      • #4
        Originally posted by bransoj View Post
        Cant say i agree about DAB in cars....had it in my last Insignia and my new one and bar a few spots i never have an issue. I even used it in my old ST170 using a Pure Highway adaptor thing which worked pretty well. I drive from Chesterfield to Derby for work and never have an issue bar one small valley and losing signal will depend on how long you get caught in that little valley at the traffic lights. If you get lucky and they are on green you will not lose anything, end up at the lights on red for a few minutes and you will lose it. Some stations are better than others as well, yesterday morning i drove from my house over towards Baslow to take the dog for a walk on the moors and around Chatsworth. Lost Radio X as i dropped down the hill towards Baslow but BBC Radio stations were working fine.

        DAB is worth it if only for not having to listen to the fuzziness on Radio 5 over AM!!
        100% in agreement.
        I fitted the Pure DAB into my Vectra and it worked perfectly...…….I travelled the country and the only place I had trouble was on the A66 around Brough......signal lost every single time I crossed into this area.

        now the insignia has it factory fitted.....guess where I have trouble picking it up...……...A66 around Brough...…..so, DAB for me is top class reception....except for where ive mentioned.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by RBH View Post
          100% in agreement.
          I fitted the Pure DAB into my Vectra and it worked perfectly...…….I travelled the country and the only place I had trouble was on the A66 around Brough......signal lost every single time I crossed into this area.

          now the insignia has it factory fitted.....guess where I have trouble picking it up...……...A66 around Brough...…..so, DAB for me is top class reception....except for where ive mentioned.
          Yep, just seems to be the same deadspots each time and not that many. Other two i've come across is a dip in the road near Langtoft on the way to Scarborough and one on the main road from Scarborough to Whitby near Robin Hoods Bay. Both times you drop a bit into a dip and its enough to kill the signal briefly. As soon as you get back to the top it comes back fine. By comparison we bought a DAB radio for our old house and had to take it back as just couldnt get a signal despite the signal checker website saying we were fine. At our current place the DAB radio is in the kitchen which is part of the extension we had and i have to dangle the little wire reception ariel out of the window to get a signal due to the foil backed insulation that seems to kill all signal into that part of the house. Dont get any mobile signal either!!

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          • #6
            Originally posted by bransoj View Post
            Yep, just seems to be the same deadspots each time and not that many. Other two i've come across is a dip in the road near Langtoft on the way to Scarborough and one on the main road from Scarborough to Whitby near Robin Hoods Bay. Both times you drop a bit into a dip and its enough to kill the signal briefly. As soon as you get back to the top it comes back fine. By comparison we bought a DAB radio for our old house and had to take it back as just couldnt get a signal despite the signal checker website saying we were fine. At our current place the DAB radio is in the kitchen which is part of the extension we had and i have to dangle the little wire reception ariel out of the window to get a signal due to the foil backed insulation that seems to kill all signal into that part of the house. Dont get any mobile signal either!!
            so much for nationwide coverage .....but its not as bad as some make out.

            we've perfect signal here in Central Scotland

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            • #7
              Originally posted by RBH View Post
              so much for nationwide coverage .....but its not as bad as some make out.

              we've perfect signal here in Central Scotland
              I can probably tell when its going to go because of the terrain etc i'm in at the time. 99% of the time i have no issues at all, its better via DAB in my Insignia than it is when i use the other halfs Astra that doesnt have DAB and i stream radio via an app on my phone. That drops out loads on the same work commute because the mobile signal is so up and down with a couple of areas where i just about get a 3G signal!

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              • #8
                I've had factory fitted DAB in my last 3 cars (Vectra C, Insignia A pre-facelift and Insignia B), and have had poor reception on all of them on certain stations (particularly Planet Rock), and as aitkenaj says geography plays a large part in that. My dead spots are on the A635 over the Pennines past Dovestone reservoir.
                2018 1.5T SRi Nav
                Bi-colour 18" alloys, de-chromed grille and foglights, full heated leather, reversing cam with park assist, heated front screen and steering wheel, blind spot monitoring, self parking (used once, it's crap!), Nextbase 522GW front & rear dashcams

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by PeteH View Post
                  I've had factory fitted DAB in my last 3 cars (Vectra C, Insignia A pre-facelift and Insignia B), and have had poor reception on all of them on certain stations (particularly Planet Rock), and as aitkenaj says geography plays a large part in that. My dead spots are on the A635 over the Pennines past Dovestone reservoir.
                  I think some of it is down to the station and where they are transmitting from. As mentioned i've been places where i cant get some stations but BBC stations work fine. The places where BBC stations fail is next to none whereas i listen to Radio X quite a bit and thats the one i see have issues in the spots i've mentioned.

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                  • #10
                    i find it rubbish on DAB, so much so i drive with radio off, find i concentrate on the roads better now

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                    • #11
                      Where I live I have enough problems getting a decent FM signal - the car is set up for FM/DAB linking and spends all its time on FM !! Scenery is nice though, so I do not worry too much when the radio looses its signal !!!

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                      • #12
                        Mine works ok and never really had a problem---have seen it switching from DAB to FM and back again automatically on several occasions and never noticed the difference in reception or sound---we use it in the wife's Astra and that seems to be fine also------Dave

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                        • #13
                          Lots of responses folks, thanks. But any ideas on the compatibility and fitting questions I asked?

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                          • #14
                            Mate i would say look at getting the Pure add on. A hell of a lot cheaper and easier to install that retro fitting DAB.

                            You would need to add an extra antenna and module and then get it coded (think the last bits right)

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Spark View Post
                              Mate i would say look at getting the Pure add on. A hell of a lot cheaper and easier to install that retro fitting DAB.

                              You would need to add an extra antenna and module and then get it coded (think the last bits right)
                              Thanks. Will look into this

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