What gives the best result - a windscreen standard digital aerial or plugging it into the rear screen element like the original setup? I seem to have success with both but Classic FM cuts out sometimes using both methods.

I've never found the rear screen aerial brilliant tbh; when listening to CFM or R3 one expects good sound quality and even up here in the city and around FM can crackle and hiss.

For this reason I went down the DAB route, and in fact you'll be able to access CFM on DAB+ (it's already on DAB) from January 2024. Another unrelenting reason was to receive 5Live SportsXtra for the cricket!

Without doubt the best reception comes with an external aerial and some European models came with this fitted on the rear wing; others I have seen with a centrally-mounted roof aerial close to the top of the rear screen.

I tried the stick-on internal aerials for DAB but they were unreliable and squelched as soon as I got out of the city and wouldn't work at all down the entire east coast of England

I ended up, after fiddling around with new internal amps and the like, buying a Halfords magnetic aerial for a tenner and mounting it each time I need it on the rear wing next to the boot lid, keeping it well away from the alternator or any other electrical interference. It's only a nuisance having to plonk it on and unstick it at the end of a journey but it adheres really well up to national speed limits (apart from a couple of really windy occasions) and the reception has been great.

Further investigations have found the rear screen to actually be better than front screen fitted dab aerial for DAB so think I will stick to this. I think there is an in-line amplifier which seems to help.

Hi,
I have a cheap magnetic aerial from Amazon, about a tenner. It sits in the middle of the boot lid, close to the rear window so that cables can easlily be guided through the boot to the radio. It works very well, but you need a good head unit for good reception. I do not have to remove the aerial because it looks like it is original. I use a pioneer head unit and this has not only exellent reception of all the dab radio stations but also a great sound quality.

I've had fairly good results with this DAB/FM splitter that shouldn't work due to the original aerial amplifier but unless one of the previous owners has removed or bypassed it, it works really rather well surprisingly.

Lancer, so does this splitter need a separate 12v supply or just plug and go? Does it stop the drop-outs?

It does, I tap into the remote control (usually blue) feed coming out of the headunit so it turns on and off with it. I think you might have to experiment with it, for me it does pretty well and only drops out when in particularly remote places but if your primarily staying within strong signal areas I think it'll do pretty well.

Again, I must stress that a splitter like that shouldn't work as the Coupe has a built in aerial amplifier so my car may have had it bypassed or removed(I haven't looked behind the C-Pillar trims), There are cheaper DAM/FM splitters on ebay and the like if you'd like to give it a try before splashing out on the £40 one from InCarTec.

Ive got the splitter and I get drop outs quite often. Not too bad but would prefer none obviously

I have the same issue, hardly any reception with DAB using a splitter.
I want to improve, since I am planning to use a Coupe as a daily driver for a while.

No sticker arial, since it has has bad reception also according to some post and is ugly.
I don’t want to drill a hole in the body.
An other option is the magnetic arial, a bit scared it will lead to scratches on the paint. And from pictures I have the impression it needs a cable connection on the outside of the body

Did someone try the reception quality after removing / bypassing the standard amplifier in the left c-pillar? And dab via the splitter? If so, this seems the way to go. Asking since Lancer is not sure if it has been bypassed..

Or perhaps a DAB antenna in one of the bumpers? Or is this too low for quality reception?

Hello.

A splitter is not a good idea. The amplifier has bandpasses internally. These are tuned for AM and FM reception.
The length of the wires in the rear window also does not match the frequency of DAB.
FM in Europe is from 87 to 108 MHz. The DAB frequencies are in VHF Band III. So from 174 to 230 MHz.
That's almost twice as high as VHF. If you replace the amplifier with one for DAB, it could work.
Although the adjustment of the wires in the rear window does not fit for frequency.
If I had an original amplifier, I could measure and modify it. More and more people are installing a DAB radio.

Tino

‘ I had an original amplifier, I could measure and modify it. More and more people are installing a DAB radio.’
=> topic for the fccuk board? I don’t have a spare myself.

Also found this, antenna in the front bumper of a Boxter:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9u9TFhI35nw
He did not record the resulting sound quality unfortunately.

Seems to work on a BMW
https://www.e46zone.com/forum/topic/27377-the-solution-to-dab-aerials-problems-is-here/

The bumper is probably the worst place for an antenna.
You don't put the antenna for the TV in the basement because the reception is so good there.
The best place is of course on the roof.
But who wants to drill a hole in the roof of a coupe? In Germany some 20VTs had cell phone preparation.
I don't know if that existed in the UK too. They have an antenna on the roof of the vehicle. These could be replaced.
If you still have some time, I'll get an amplifier and see if I can modify it.
But the reception will never be as good as in a modern car. There are 3 or even 4 antennas installed here between which the radio is switched.

Sure, would be great. I am not in a hurry.
I am in NL btw. My coupes don’t have GSM preparation nor the extra motorized antenna on the left-rear.

Update: Since Classic FM has switched to DAB+ I don't seem to get any major signal dropouts so rear screen is sufficient. Don't think I will bother with other bespoke solutions.

I have the sticker on the windscreen. Sound quality is ok. Not the best aesthetics.

Hi Jaaps2. Tried the sticker on inside of screen and it looked pretty naff and had too many dropouts so reverted back to rear screen heater.