Dab Aerial

[sparky543uk2000]

Hi all,

I have bought a Dab radio for my 2010 XC90 as I prefer a London station to local. It also bypasses the problem with hands free calls and diverting calls to another sim fitted in the car.

Problem is, the supplied windscreen aerial is crap and causes signal loss constantly. I would like to fit a better aerial.

I would like some advice on what aerial is best to improve the signal received, I'm thinking a roof mounted one which would bring me to my next question, on how do I remove the headlining without damage and causing problems to fit.

I'm very confident to work on the car, just worried about the airbags and having cables in the way of them.

Or maybe someone would know if there is another way so there is no aerial visible like it is now with the standard radio.

Thanks in advance
Mark

[SwissXC90]

At the rear of the XC90 is a plastic roof panel

On the earlier XC90s, the AM and FM and TV antennas were installed under the roof panel

On the later XC90s, such as your 2010 XC90, the AM and FM antennas are on the rear most side windows. But the roof mounted plastic panel still exists.

I would recommend mounting the antenna under the roof plastic panel so that it is out of the weather and cannot be seen.

Run the antenna cable from the radio up the A-pillar, tuck it under the roof lining to the rear of the vehicle.
You can access the rear of the vehicle by pulling down the rear roof panel from the inside. You have to remove the side panels first.

Very important for good DAB reception is a solid ground connection to the body of the car, so use one of the various bodywork bolts you'll find under the panel to connect the antenna ground.

[bluey_xc90]

Make sure the poor signal is not due to interference from other low voltage add ons - I fitted a pure DAB which was fine and good reception until then adding a dashcam. The additional noise from the power supply killed the DAB reception... other things like cheap USB chargers in the 12v supply can also cause this.

Worth checking these first.

[sparky543uk2000]

Thank you both. The unit I have is a next base with the wiring that piggybacks a fuse in the fuse box. I had interference with a cheap phone charger when I first got it but lose signal in different areas of town or on my way to work.

I like the sound of the plastic panel area and will be investigating that over the weekend.

Thank you so much.