My quest for a DAB retrofit...continues
03-27-2011, 12:40 AM
#1
Contributors
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: London, UK
Posts: 4,719
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes
on
3 Posts
My Ride: BMW E60 520d SE Saloon M47 2.0dTitanium Grey II, Grey−Dakota Leather, Visibility Package, Media Package, Through Load System, Lumbar support − fr seats, Automatic Air Conditioning−Advanced, High beam assistant, Hi−Fi Loudspeak
Model Year: 2006
DAB was never available when I bought the car. But for the past few years I've been trying to find a way to retrofit it. Still not done and quite a long way off...
The official DAB retrofit comprises of the following.
1. DAB Tuner. (and mounting bracket)
2. DAB rear screen Amplifier.
3. DAB Shark Fin.
4. DAB rear screen.
5. Coding (of course)
I picked up the DAB tuner from ebay. But the external tuner is only used on the CCC. On the CIC DAB is included within the CIC itself. So I don't even know if my DAB tuner will work or not.
You will need a couple of more parts to connect the DAB tuner into the MOST bus circuit. Various ways of doing this. But the most difficult is finding the MOST wires. Problem is that BMW sell the MOST only as very long cables which you need special tools to cut and crimps which I didn't have (nor can afford). Easiest solution, Dension sell spares of their Optical MOST cables which work perfectly.
You then need the plug itself. The plug is the same one used on the CDC. The part number is not shown on the E60 but is the same used on the 1 and 3 series. That plug gives you both power and the MOST connections to the DAB tuner.
Next to need to get reception.
According to the WDS you need to connect this to the rear screen via a DAB aerial amplifier and the Shark fin. What I found later was that the Shark fin is used for Band L (which we don't have in the UK, but France and Germany do) and the rear screen is used for Band III (which is used in the UK). Would have helped if I knew this before I bought the parts!
Worst still, I bought the rear aerial amplifier thinking it would replace my diversity amp and give me a DAB aerial output. Wrong. The DAB uses a different rear windscreen altogether and the DAB amp is in addition to the diversity amp.
So the OEM aerial route is out of the question for me.
The official DAB retrofit comprises of the following.
1. DAB Tuner. (and mounting bracket)
2. DAB rear screen Amplifier.
3. DAB Shark Fin.
4. DAB rear screen.
5. Coding (of course)
I picked up the DAB tuner from ebay. But the external tuner is only used on the CCC. On the CIC DAB is included within the CIC itself. So I don't even know if my DAB tuner will work or not.
You will need a couple of more parts to connect the DAB tuner into the MOST bus circuit. Various ways of doing this. But the most difficult is finding the MOST wires. Problem is that BMW sell the MOST only as very long cables which you need special tools to cut and crimps which I didn't have (nor can afford). Easiest solution, Dension sell spares of their Optical MOST cables which work perfectly.
You then need the plug itself. The plug is the same one used on the CDC. The part number is not shown on the E60 but is the same used on the 1 and 3 series. That plug gives you both power and the MOST connections to the DAB tuner.
Next to need to get reception.
According to the WDS you need to connect this to the rear screen via a DAB aerial amplifier and the Shark fin. What I found later was that the Shark fin is used for Band L (which we don't have in the UK, but France and Germany do) and the rear screen is used for Band III (which is used in the UK). Would have helped if I knew this before I bought the parts!
Worst still, I bought the rear aerial amplifier thinking it would replace my diversity amp and give me a DAB aerial output. Wrong. The DAB uses a different rear windscreen altogether and the DAB amp is in addition to the diversity amp.
So the OEM aerial route is out of the question for me.
03-27-2011, 12:47 AM
#2
Contributors
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: London, UK
Posts: 4,719
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes
on
3 Posts
My Ride: BMW E60 520d SE Saloon M47 2.0dTitanium Grey II, Grey−Dakota Leather, Visibility Package, Media Package, Through Load System, Lumbar support − fr seats, Automatic Air Conditioning−Advanced, High beam assistant, Hi−Fi Loudspeak
Model Year: 2006
I then started looking at how (if any) people do the retrofit.
I found two companies in the UK that provide this service. When I asked them how they do it one said that they use the X5 amp with another wire put in the rear screen - this makes sense because on the X5 the aerial is hidden under the rear screen spoiler. The other said he does it using the OEM route but without changing the screen - I don't buy this (yet).
I did find a couple of people have done this on an E90 car and they have used an after market DAB antennae. However I don't fancy having another aerial in addition to the shark fin sticking out of the top. One guy report that he stuck the aerial upsidedown inside the boot and it works - interesting, I need to try this out.
My biggest issue now is that I have moved to the CIC I don't know if the external DAB tuner will work or not. If not a lot of my parts will be on this forum shortly!
I found two companies in the UK that provide this service. When I asked them how they do it one said that they use the X5 amp with another wire put in the rear screen - this makes sense because on the X5 the aerial is hidden under the rear screen spoiler. The other said he does it using the OEM route but without changing the screen - I don't buy this (yet).
I did find a couple of people have done this on an E90 car and they have used an after market DAB antennae. However I don't fancy having another aerial in addition to the shark fin sticking out of the top. One guy report that he stuck the aerial upsidedown inside the boot and it works - interesting, I need to try this out.
My biggest issue now is that I have moved to the CIC I don't know if the external DAB tuner will work or not. If not a lot of my parts will be on this forum shortly!
03-27-2011, 02:40 AM
#4
Contributors
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: London, UK
Posts: 4,719
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes
on
3 Posts
My Ride: BMW E60 520d SE Saloon M47 2.0dTitanium Grey II, Grey−Dakota Leather, Visibility Package, Media Package, Through Load System, Lumbar support − fr seats, Automatic Air Conditioning−Advanced, High beam assistant, Hi−Fi Loudspeak
Model Year: 2006
Nothing for the moment. Because it looks like I'm not going to be able to follow the OEM route anyway. Just need to find a good location to hide the aerial inside the car.
I landed up buying the DAB amp but although that would work in the position of the diversity amp I would then loose FM and remote. So I then thought maybe if I buy the latest diversity I would get the DAB output. I was wrong on both counts, so left the new diversity in there, doesn't do any harm.
I landed up buying the DAB amp but although that would work in the position of the diversity amp I would then loose FM and remote. So I then thought maybe if I buy the latest diversity I would get the DAB output. I was wrong on both counts, so left the new diversity in there, doesn't do any harm.
03-27-2011, 12:29 PM
#5
Senior Members
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Indiana, USA
Posts: 1,380
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes
on
3 Posts
My Ride: 2007 530xi: Sport, NAV, PDC, HUD, Cold Wthr, CA, Logic 7, HD Radio, SAT, Custom NCS coded options 2008 535xi: Sport, Night Vision, NAV, PDC, HUD, Cold Wthr, CA, Logic 7, SAT, Custom NCS coded options, Rear Seat Heat Retrofit, Passport 9500ci
Model Year: 2008
Engine: N54
DAB is the equivalent if HD radio in the US?
03-27-2011, 01:15 PM
#6
Contributors
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: London, UK
Posts: 4,719
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes
on
3 Posts
My Ride: BMW E60 520d SE Saloon M47 2.0dTitanium Grey II, Grey−Dakota Leather, Visibility Package, Media Package, Through Load System, Lumbar support − fr seats, Automatic Air Conditioning−Advanced, High beam assistant, Hi−Fi Loudspeak
Model Year: 2006
03-28-2011, 06:55 AM
#7
Contributors
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: London, UK
Posts: 4,719
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes
on
3 Posts
My Ride: BMW E60 520d SE Saloon M47 2.0dTitanium Grey II, Grey−Dakota Leather, Visibility Package, Media Package, Through Load System, Lumbar support − fr seats, Automatic Air Conditioning−Advanced, High beam assistant, Hi−Fi Loudspeak
Model Year: 2006
OK I have reached the end of the road for my quest for DAB. Problem is, because I shifted to the CIC I can no longer retrofit DAB, even though I know how to. With the CIC the DAB tuner is inbuilt into the CIC and so the CIC doesn't look for another DAB tuner on the MOST bus even when one is connected. DAB tuner now going into the Classified.
03-28-2011, 01:59 PM
#9
Contributors
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: London, UK
Posts: 4,719
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes
on
3 Posts
My Ride: BMW E60 520d SE Saloon M47 2.0dTitanium Grey II, Grey−Dakota Leather, Visibility Package, Media Package, Through Load System, Lumbar support − fr seats, Automatic Air Conditioning−Advanced, High beam assistant, Hi−Fi Loudspeak
Model Year: 2006
I can, infact my CIC is already coded for DAB but all I can see is "Select Ensemble" and then when I click that "All Ensemble". No actual stations appear even with an external aerial connected. I don't get "No Signal" or anything.
However within the CIC there are 3 options for the DAB hardware
I tried changing the DAB HW type in the CIC, there are 3 options double tuner-double hw (this is how the CIC gets coded by defaulted with DA
- with this I had no way of doing a station search. I changed this to single tuner-double hw - with this I get a Search Station option but nothing comes up on the DAB station list. I changed finally to single tuner-single hw and yet nothing.
Something tells me that on CIC cars with DAB CIC is designed to have DAB inbuilt and my CIC doesn't have DAB, my CIC is not looking for an external DAB tuner.
Unless someone has other ideas for me to try. I can see the DAB tuner on INPA but the CIC doesn't.
However within the CIC there are 3 options for the DAB hardware
I tried changing the DAB HW type in the CIC, there are 3 options double tuner-double hw (this is how the CIC gets coded by defaulted with DA
- with this I had no way of doing a station search. I changed this to single tuner-double hw - with this I get a Search Station option but nothing comes up on the DAB station list. I changed finally to single tuner-single hw and yet nothing.Something tells me that on CIC cars with DAB CIC is designed to have DAB inbuilt and my CIC doesn't have DAB, my CIC is not looking for an external DAB tuner.
Unless someone has other ideas for me to try. I can see the DAB tuner on INPA but the CIC doesn't.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
bruce_miranda
E60, E61 Parts, Accessories and Mods
8
12-03-2019 12:37 PM