[Europe] DAB+ reception and reliability

[widodh]

The European version of Model S supports DAB(+), comparable to XM Radio in the US, but it's free to air, no licenses required. It's supposed to replace AM and FM.

I have my Model S since Thursday, but what I noticed is that the DAB+ reception is poor sometimes, but sometimes it shows 2 out of 3 bars, but the music doesn't play. When it does play the quality is really excellent!

In the Netherlands the channels 11C (Commercial stations) and 12C (public stations) are used and I have the issue with both channels.

How is this in other parts of Europe? I know that both Germany and Norway transmit in DAB+, so I'm wondering if people experience the same there?

It could be that the transmitters in NL aren't configured correctly yet since they started transmitting DAB on Sept 1st, but it could also be a bug in Model S.

What are the experiences with DAB+ in other parts of Europe?

 

[ChrisgG]

In Switzerland it's quiete mixed too. On my first drive back from Winterthur it worked quiet well. But in many places afterwards it didn't work so well. Right now I mostly consume music over the memory stick feature.

 

[OleJA]

The European version of Model S supports DAB(+), comparable to XM Radio in the US, but it's free to air, no licenses required. It's supposed to replace AM and FM.

I have my Model S since Thursday, but what I noticed is that the DAB+ reception is poor sometimes, but sometimes it shows 2 out of 3 bars, but the music doesn't play. When it does play the quality is really excellent!

In the Netherlands the channels 11C (Commercial stations) and 12C (public stations) are used and I have the issue with both channels.

How is this in other parts of Europe? I know that both Germany and Norway transmit in DAB+, so I'm wondering if people experience the same there?

It could be that the transmitters in NL aren't configured correctly yet since they started transmitting DAB on Sept 1st, but it could also be a bug in Model S.

What are the experiences with DAB+ in other parts of Europe?

Poor DAB reception, or actually fallout of sound, is a problem reported by lots of Model S owners on the Norwegian forum also. In my car I have observed the following DAB(+) problems:
- Sounds suddenly disappears even if signal strength is 3 bars. Apparently something *is* received as the 'Now playing' text is correctly updated even if sounds goes away.
- DAB may switch to another channel within the same DAB block on its own.

The only workaround I have found for this in my car is to either wait sufficient long (several minutes) for the sound to come back, or completely power of the car and wait min 10 sex before starting it again.
This is completely crap, but we have been assured that Tesla is working with a software fix.

 

[widodh]

Poor DAB reception, or actually fallout of sound, is a problem reported by lots of Model S owners on the Norwegian forum also. In my car I have observed the following DAB(+) problems:
- Sounds suddenly disappears even if signal strength is 3 bars. Apparently something *is* received as the 'Now playing' text is correctly updated even if sounds goes away.
- DAB may switch to another channel within the same DAB block on its own.

The only workaround I have found for this in my car is to either wait sufficient long (several minutes) for the sound to come back, or completely power of the car and wait min 10 sex before starting it again.
This is completely crap, but we have been assured that Tesla is working with a software fix.

Yes, that's exactly what I'm (and others) are experiencing!

I want to rule out that the problem lies with the transmitters here in NL, but reading your story it seems the same.

Where did you report this to Tesla?

 

[Banzai]

Yes, that's exactly what I'm (and others) are experiencing!

I want to rule out that the problem lies with the transmitters here in NL, but reading your story it seems the same.

Where did you report this to Tesla?

In my Ampera DAB reception is much better in the Netherlands as in the Model S. Currently I think FM radio in the Model S is way better than DAB+, which should ofcourse be the other way around.

 

[widodh]

I upgraded to the 5.6 firmware last night and this morning I had to pick up some things, so I took the S and it seems the DAB+ worked much better.

I have a long drive ahead (400km) today and that will tell me if the DAB+ reception has improved, but my preliminary test shows it does.

 

[ZBB]

The European version of Model S supports DAB(+), comparable to XM Radio in the US, but it's free to air, no licenses required. It's supposed to replace AM and FM.

Just a point of clarification... DAB is equivalent to HD Radio in the US -- which also a free-to-air terrestrial digital broadcast. XM is different -- while it is digital, it's a subscription-based satellite broadcast. Originally there were two services for sat radio (where each required its own receiver) -- Sirius and XM, but Sirius bought out XM and both services are now branded "Sirius/XM".

 

[widodh]

Just a point of clarification... DAB is equivalent to HD Radio in the US -- which also a free-to-air terrestrial digital broadcast. XM is different -- while it is digital, it's a subscription-based satellite broadcast. Originally there were two services for sat radio (where each required its own receiver) -- Sirius and XM, but Sirius bought out XM and both services are now branded "Sirius/XM".

Ah, thanks! Didn't know that.



I drove 800km last weekend in the Netherlands (South to North and back) and it seems that with the 5.6 firmware update the DAB(+) reception improved vastly!

There were some spots where FM still worked and DAB went down to 0 bars (out of 3), but that could be that the transmitters here aren't functioning 100% yet.

It is however a great improvement over the 5.0 firmware, although the release notes didn't mention anything about DAB.

 

[widodh]

A few weeks later I'm still seeing DAB issues. It works better with 5.6, but it's far from optimal.

I just purchased a Philips OR7200 DAB+ radio for at home and that plays all the DAB+ stations here flawlessly, where my Model S when on the drive-way is having a hard time playing DAB.

 

[Mark Petersen]

Yes I have the same problem
Some times it will just stop playing for 1-3 sec and then come back again at full bars
On rare ocations it will stop playing all together even searching for a different channel will not fix it and I have to reboot
The problem do not apper to be related to AF

 

[DLB]

A few weeks later I'm still seeing DAB issues. It works better with 5.6, but it's far from optimal.

I just purchased a Philips OR7200 DAB+ radio for at home and that plays all the DAB+ stations here flawlessly, where my Model S when on the drive-way is having a hard time playing DAB.

I have the same problem. When driving in the city, tall buildings even stop reception. But went into a very, very large (metal-roofed) warehouse where they had a DAB radio INSIDE the building working perfectly, while my MS had NO reception standing outside of that same building! This really SUCKS.

 

[widodh]

I contacted Tesla again and they said they are working on this. The 5.8 firmware should hopefully resolve most or maybe all outstanding DAB issues.

There is no ETA for 5.8, but I heard something like December somewhere else on the forum?

 

[LuckyLuke]

Same problem here, the DAB radio is useless at the moment. Not a minute passes by without some seconds silence.

The FM signal is acceptable, but not as good as in my other car.

 

[Suntronics]

If it works, the quality is great, but most times i have problems.

Fm is poor!

So even with 5.6 in belgium i have same problems : full reception and even song is displayed but no sound.

 

[hileyms]

I contacted Tesla again and they said they are working on this. The 5.8 firmware should hopefully resolve most or maybe all outstanding DAB issues.

There is no ETA for 5.8, but I heard something like December somewhere else on the forum?

Some guys in the US got updated to 5.8 yesterday

 

[widodh]

Some guys in the US got updated to 5.8 yesterday

Interesting, although the release notes seem the same as 5.6

 

[brianman]

Interesting, although the release notes seem the same as 5.6

Not present in 5.6:
"Changing Wheels & Resetting Tire Pressure Sensors"
"Wipers Service Mode"

 

[widodh]

Not present in 5.6:
"Changing Wheels & Resetting Tire Pressure Sensors"
"Wipers Service Mode"

True! We'll just have to wait for the first EU car to get 5.8 I guess.

 

[hileyms]

User Celter from Norway reported about 30 minutes ago that he did car was updating

 

[OleJA]

DAB works great in my car with 5.8. Used to be quite useless with 5.6.