eSeM

I fitted the aerial last week and an Alpine CDE-136BT yesterday.

The fitting of the aerial was pretty straightforward and like Nick I bonded a big washer into place underneath the wing.

The DAB unit was more or less a straight swap with the Alpine CDE-104BTi that was already in the car. Only problem being that it has an ISO am/fm aerial connector so I have had to order an adapter. I have also had to order another adapter for the other end of the cable as the aerial has a Hirschmann type connector. I bought the DAB cable with the aerial.

The CDE-136BT seems to be like other Alpine units but I am a bit disappointed with the DAB implementation on it. Each ensemble has to be selected individually before selecting the station from the block .... only the first ever portable DAB radio I purchased many years ago had this method of selecting stations, since then all of the DAB radios I have bought present me with a full list of stations from all ensembles in alphabetical order. This makes finding stations a pain in the butt.

Once the station is tuned in the sound quality is excellent.

The manual for the radio is pretty crap, it doesn't clearly explain how to setup DAB stations on the unit.

Nick Graves

They're funny things - I think my Sony could only find Punjabi Radio in my drive, so I had to park on top of a hill near Ware & it found the lot and now I can listen in the garage with the door closed.

eSeM

What is your reception on Planet Rock like? I am finding it pretty patchy around here.

Radio 5 Live is the important one and I don't have any problems with that.

Nick Graves

It's actually got worse over the years, I think. Which since Planet Rock all I really listen to on the DAB.

On the uplands fine, but the NSX (regular steel mast) no longer works in Hertford ('til about Cole Green!) and the S2000 isn't all that. Valleys, trees & buildings are the issue.

I think the NSX may have a bad earth, or another issue exacerbating it. It used to be really quite excellent.

But we've not considered it worth converting the other cars. I'm sure it's not just my dodgy instal skills.

I find sometimes streaming internet (PR, or Dawg FM from Canada) a problem in the 86. And at home too, come to that.

So I've simply shoved six CDs into the Leg End's heater controls and thought sod it.

Nottm_S2

I'm trying to fit a pure 300di into the BM. It's all very nicely put together but as it's all integrated to the Idrive might be a bitch

I've ordered a harness adaptor as don't want to hack owt