Dab Radio Reception

[Tony319]

Hi

I recently bought a second hand 2012 Prius with the Technology Pack. This includes a DAB radio. However, reception is appalling even though I live in a good DAB area. The signal regularly drops out and is subject to 'gurgling'.

With my previous Prius I had a Pure Highway DAB and an aerial which I simply stuck on the roof with a magnet. This worked brilliantly and I rarely, if ever, had reception problems.

I'm very disappointed with the DAB as I would have expected an integrated system to work properly. I suspect the problem is with the aerial. My suspicions are that there is not a proper connection to the roof aerial.

Does anyone have an experience of this or have any idea of how it could be fixed or improved. I really don't want to spend the next few years trying to listening to a radio with a signal that constantly drops out.

Incidentally I live in Hertfordshire and bought the car second hand from a dealer in Southampton.

Thanks

Tony

[FROSTYBALLS]

As far as I'm aware most cars with DAB have a secondary DAB aerial in addition to the roof aerial. These secondary aerials are sometimes either behind trim on one of the pillars or some makes/models have them built into one of the rear side windows.

[Tony319]

Thanks. If that's the case an internal aerial would explain the awful reception. It seems a bizarre shortcut when the radio costs so much extra. I wonder if it's possible to get an external aerial?

[FROSTYBALLS]

Toyota aren't the only manufacturer to use these types of secondary aerial for their DAB fitments.

[CPN]

Not strictly correct as the latest DAB installations where it is fully integrated use a different type of whip antenna called a top loaded dipole. Our new Yaris has one and it is distinguished by a bulge about a third of the way down from the top. Without getting too technical, it is effectively a dual frequency range antenna giving the additional 200Mhz coverage required for DAB reception. It works well. I've tried replacing it with a shorter single dipole whip and the DAB reception immediately dies. So my first question to the OP would be "do you know that it is the original antenna that came with the car?"

[FROSTYBALLS]

Have a look at your offside rear quarterlight - think the 3rd generation Prius has aerial elements built into the glass of the quarterlight, though that may be just a secondary FM aerial.

[CPN]

This is the top loaded antenna on mine...

[CPN]

...and this is definitely the source of the DAB radio signal as a quick removal whilst it's switched on will confirm...

There are no other antennas of any kind elsewhere on the vehicle.

[PeteB]

on my 2012 Prius there is what looks like heated window elements on the small triangular rear window on the driver's side of the boot - I understand this is part of the aerial system on the Prius but not sure if it affects the DAB (which mine doesn't have).

[FROSTYBALLS]

...and this is definitely the source of the DAB radio signal as a quick removal whilst it's switched on will confirm...

There are no other antennas of any kind elsewhere on the vehicle.

That may well be true of the Yaris - which received its mid life facelift in the summer of 2014 and has the more up-to-date Touch2 system - but may not be true of the Prius. For example from a previous post on the 2013/14 Auris, the DAB aerial was said to be behind the interior trim of the A pillar.

[johalareewi]

Have a look at your offside rear quarterlight - think the 3rd generation Prius has aerial elements built into the glass of the quarterlight, though that may be just a secondary FM aerial.

On the gen3 prius, only the facelift (and PIP) have this quarterlight aerial. This is to help improve the FM reception. It works in tandem with the main aerial on the roof.

The original gen3 suffers poor FM reception due to a lot of RFI created by the prius itself.

@Tony

Whereabouts in your prius is the DAB radio installed?

Is it a toyota installed DAB or aftermarket installed DAB?

AFAIK, DAB was an extra on all gen3 prii and it was installed behind the glovebox.

Pretty sure it had its own aerial as well.

[Tony319]

Hi

Thanks for all your replies. I've been away so will examine my car today. In answer to questions the DAB was installed as new by Toyota as part of their £1750 Technology Pack hence my frustration at the awful reception. FM reception is fine. What I'm trying to work out is whether Toyota or a radio specialist can do anything about it without it costing me a small fortune.

Thanks again

Tony

[RobMagpie]

I have Toyota DAB fitted in my PIP and the aerial is located on the passenger side of the windscreen at the top. The reception is fine.

[Tony319]

Hi everyone

Well I'm pretty sure that I've now found my aerial thanks to your help. It appears to be on the drivers side in that small rear window. Pretty bizarre location and I'm guessing it would cost a small fortune to have a proper roof aerial to replace it.

Seems strange that you pay an extra £1750 for a Technoloy pack and Toyota provides a cheap half-baked solution.

Anyway thanks again everyone

Tony

[MEP's Yaris GS]

Hi everyone

Well I'm pretty sure that I've now found my aerial thanks to your help. It appears to be on the drivers side in that small rear window.

That isn't the DAB aerial, all face lift mk3 Prius have this, its to improve the analogue reception.

[johalareewi]

Well I'm pretty sure that I've now found my aerial thanks to your help. It appears to be on the drivers side in that small rear window.

As has been said, this is a second analogue FM aerial which works with the main roof mounted aerial to improve analogue FM reception. The DAB radio would usually have its own aerial somewhere on the windscreen.

However, it is not beyond the realms of possibilty that the DAB unit has been hooked up to the analogue FM aerial instead of having a separate aerial installed. In which case, reception would be poor.

[CPN]

I am amazed that Toyota haven't applied the same solution to the Prius as they have to the 2015 Yaris? Maybe it causes too much drag lol!