DAB Queries in the SL

Gkinghorn

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2009
Messages
2,808
Reaction score
180
Location
Bournemouth
Your Mercedes
E350 CDI Cabriolet - 2011
The DAB on the SL is pretty much unusable when you are driving about ..at least in this area...very spotty drop outs as you drive... Sitting in one spot is fine though... Based on the above and what you say Malcolm I assume its to do with a 'busy' fm area if it uses a blank spot which 'moves' or gets occupied as I drive...
 
Last edited by a moderator:

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
The DAB on the SL is pretty much unusable when you are driving about ..at least in this area...very spotty drop outs as you drive... Sitting in one spot is fine though... Based on the above and what you say Malcolm I assume its to do with a 'busy' fm area if it uses a blank spot which 'moves' or gets occupied as I drive...

In the rear where the CD changer is you will find the tuner for TV. In the old one where the connections go in on the top you will see at the far end a antenna plug with 4 leads (3 now as one used for digi TV) just cut a wire from the block of 3 and extend it so that you can plug it into your DAB radio, that will give you good reception :D
 

Wheel

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2010
Messages
288
Reaction score
0
Location
Hampshire
Website
oldmusicvideos.blogspot.com
Your Mercedes
Mercedes B200 Sport
The DAB on the SL is pretty much unusable when you are driving about ..at least in this area...very spotty drop outs as you drive... Sitting in one spot is fine though... Based on the above and what you say Malcolm I assume its to do with a 'busy' fm area if it uses a blank spot which 'moves' or gets occupied as I drive...
What kind of device do you have in your car?

DAB and FM are on completely different wavebands, they aren't mixed like the old analogue television was with digital television.

The only issue I can see with having a crowded FM band, is if you use a device that retransmits DAB to FM.

If you have issues only when you are moving I'm inclined to think there might be something wrong with your set-up.

Having a good aerial is very important too. You don't put diesel in a petrol vehicle and expect it to function well. Having a DAB aerial makes the world of difference, rather than using any old aerial.
 

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
What kind of device do you have in your car?

DAB and FM are on completely different wavebands, they aren't mixed like the old analogue television was with digital television.

The only issue I can see with having a crowded FM band, is if you use a device that retransmits DAB to FM.

If you have issues only when you are moving I'm inclined to think there might be something wrong with your set-up.

Having a good aerial is very important too. You don't put diesel in a petrol vehicle and expect it to function well. Having a DAB aerial makes the world of difference, rather than using any old aerial.

Gordon has a TV antenna in his front screen (horizontal)this should be better than any add on one in the car, it has an amp to compensate for the 50Ω coax and he has a lead in the rear doing nothing and I have told Gordon to use one of those.
 
OP
Gkinghorn

Gkinghorn

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2009
Messages
2,808
Reaction score
180
Location
Bournemouth
Your Mercedes
E350 CDI Cabriolet - 2011
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #5
In the rear where the CD changer is you will find the tuner for TV. In the old one where the connections go in on the top you will see at the far end a antenna plug with 4 leads (3 now as one used for digi TV) just cut a wire from the block of 3 and extend it so that you can plug it into your DAB radio, that will give you good reception :D

Either I am blind or i am looking in the wrong place,,, ...

The CD changer is snug in the space for it... Aside from using brute force and ignorance to haul out the fitting it is in ... The black felt stuff ....all I can get to easily is pull off the fascia to expose the 'front' of the cd and I can see a black/white cable coming up , presumably from the front , and disappearing under the rear section of the armrest. Hauling up the rear section of the armrest , that goes under the rear cabin wall I can see , what looks like a d-type connector going into the rear plugged n and 2 other sockets with 2 orange cables going into each.. The b&w cable seems to go over beyond this and disappears into the offside stowage are somewhere...

As usual with someone my size trying to get hands and fingers into these spaces is a challenge in itself!
 

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
You have to remove the side panel and then you can see it, if you would like the info I can send it to you or talk you through it over the phone

The antenna 4 plugs are the furthest away


Picture736.jpg.html
 

Attachments

  • Picture 275.jpg
    Picture 275.jpg
    52.5 KB · Views: 21
  • Picture 736.jpg
    Picture 736.jpg
    39.6 KB · Views: 23
Last edited:
OP
Gkinghorn

Gkinghorn

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2009
Messages
2,808
Reaction score
180
Location
Bournemouth
Your Mercedes
E350 CDI Cabriolet - 2011
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #7
ok..i can see that now... and i extend it to where exactly ?
 
OP
Gkinghorn

Gkinghorn

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2009
Messages
2,808
Reaction score
180
Location
Bournemouth
Your Mercedes
E350 CDI Cabriolet - 2011
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #9
Which is where? I have no idea where you put anything in this car you know :p
 

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
Which is where? I have no idea where you put anything in this car you know :p

I did not put dab radio into it,,, you have the digi radio on the TV band,,,is that what you are using if so it the signal will beak up as you pass most trees etc.
 
OP
Gkinghorn

Gkinghorn

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2009
Messages
2,808
Reaction score
180
Location
Bournemouth
Your Mercedes
E350 CDI Cabriolet - 2011
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #11
Ha ha yes then that answers that ...... I will desist taking the car apart now!
 

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
Ha ha yes then that answers that ...... I will desist taking the car apart now!

You could add a DAB tuner so easily, you have spare sockets in the tuner in the rear and the antenna also, also the power for it all there
 
OP
Gkinghorn

Gkinghorn

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2009
Messages
2,808
Reaction score
180
Location
Bournemouth
Your Mercedes
E350 CDI Cabriolet - 2011
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #13
Yep..will do just that... Boot struts first I think though... The radio doesn't fall on my head in the wet!
 

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
Yep..will do just that... Boot struts first I think though... The radio doesn't fall on my head in the wet!

Have you tried moving your head so the boot does not fall on it, or are you like me and forget it every time ;);)
 
OP
Gkinghorn

Gkinghorn

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2009
Messages
2,808
Reaction score
180
Location
Bournemouth
Your Mercedes
E350 CDI Cabriolet - 2011
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #15
It fools me by staying up just long enough to lure me into a false sense of security and just as I have both hands engaged doing something inside it drops.... Almost akin to being eaten by it! If I watch it ..it stays up!
 
OP
Gkinghorn

Gkinghorn

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2009
Messages
2,808
Reaction score
180
Location
Bournemouth
Your Mercedes
E350 CDI Cabriolet - 2011
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #16
Many thanks to the Mod who cut this from the other Thread and made it its own - however please note that I think you made the subject of this thread somewhat harsh - 'it wisnae me that said that!'....

On a slightly separate note given the amount of questions on Self-install DAB i wonder if someone might consider putting together their DIY's on self-installing DAB - I didnt notice one in the DIY section..
 
Last edited:

SL63 Mark

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 1, 2012
Messages
4,514
Reaction score
2,589
Location
The South
Your Mercedes
R231 SL63 AMG
It fools me by staying up just long enough to lure me into a false sense of security and just as I have both hands engaged doing something inside it drops.... Almost akin to being eaten by it! If I watch it ..it stays up!

Gordon I have a piece of 4 by 2 which does the job. No need now though, thanks to Malcolm. Owners of old 911s carry a broom handle in the trunk, which does the same job.

There, that's my 100th post !
 

SL63 Mark

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 1, 2012
Messages
4,514
Reaction score
2,589
Location
The South
Your Mercedes
R231 SL63 AMG
I'm a senior member ! Don't feel like one, as I don't actually know anything.
 
Top Bottom