Classic car owners who are interested in receiving digital radio stations might be cautious about installing a DAB radio or adapter. If you enter your car into shows or just prefer originality and authenticity a flashy aftermarket DAB radio with a windscreen aerial might not be suitable.
Procedures involved in installing aerials and radios, such as removing pieces of trim, could be tricky given the durability of older plastics.
Fortunately aerials and in-car DAB adapters are available which don’t require invasive installations. By their nature they are also easier to remove for shows, security concerns or if the car should ever be sold.
Aerial options
The aerial making the least impact on a special car might be the Kinetic STIC T DSA-3005 from DAB on Wheels. This telescopic aerial mounts on the inside of the windscreen using four self-adhesive pads. The cable can be carefully routed to a DAB adapter in a glovebox or centre console.
Another option is an external aerial with a magnetic base. These can be placed on the roof of the car, or on the boot of a saloon or soft-top. The aerial is removed by simply lifting the magnet from the car. The cable will still need to be routed from the aerial to the radio or DAB adapter. For temporary installations this could simply be somewhere safe through the interior. Care should be taken to avoid water ingress where the cable crosses to the inside of the car.
Cars with telescopic aerials or electric antennas which are powered from the existing radio could also be used. Convertors, also known as splitters, can be fitted and take the single output from the aerial and present an FM/AM connection as well as a new DAB aerial connection. These convertors can be hidden away and don’t require a new aerial at all.
A potential downside of windscreen aerials and splitters is that they generally don’t perform as well as body-mounted or magnetic DAB aerials. Convertors will also need to be powered with a 12V feed.
Digital radios for classic cars
Many classic car owners will prefer to keep the existing car radio rather than replace it with a modern unit. This means an in-car DAB adapter will be more suitable than a single DIN radio. These receive digital stations and relay the selected station on an FM frequency. The existing radio can then be tuned to this frequency to hear the digital station and set the volume.
Some classic cars might only have Medium Wave and Long Wave reception, making them unsuitable for a DAB adapter which transmits on FM. If a new radio is required some models are designed to be plain or even retro. Blaupunkt and Continental both offer DAB car radios which would look suitable in a 1980s modern classic.
In-car DAB adapters require power from a 12V socket and the signal from a DAB aerial, as discussed above. They don’t need to be affixed to the dashboard and could be placed in a cubby hole in the dashboard or centre console. The chosen adapter will need to be one which is compatible with external aerials, such as the Sonichi S100. Some adapters, like those in the current Pure Highway range, are designed to work only with their own antennas.
Before purchasing an aerial or adapter it may be worth discussing DAB with other owners of similar classic cars. Members of owners clubs, dedicated forums and social media groups have often come up with ingenious solutions for satellite navigation, hands-free calls and other modern additions to their cars. A trip to a local classic car show could also provide inspiration.
If a radio or aerial is replaced it’s well worth keeping the old one incase you wish to sell the car and keep your new DAB unit in the future, or in case a new owner wants to revert to the original unit.