Electrical Interference Question...

[its_neil]

I have a portable DAB that I use around and about most days (uses the headphones for an ariel) and has excellent signal for that purpose. I want to use it in my car (using a tape on a lead) but it appears as soon as I turn anything electrical on in the car (either by starting the car or just flipping the radio on) then the signal dies on my DAB. I can only assume that the electronics are 'noisy' and causing issues - I can sit in my car with the engine off parked up and listen to the DAB fine with earphones but as soon as I turn the radio on or twist the key in the ignition it's gone.

I popped into Halfords earlier and they had something you bolt onto the alternator that helps reduce interference and have seen those doughnut shaped things that are meant to help.

Is there a way of shielding or perhaps reducing the interference without spending a bucketload or having to fish behind the dashboard and individually wrap wires? car is a 2002 Audi S3 and the regular FM radio is fine.

 

[jimmp]

hi neil,

hmm, that sounds a bit like the last resort to me. The Doughnut shaped thing is a ferrite-core that is intended to reduce the electro magnetic "flare" of current carrying wiring and is seen more on data cabling to reduce fields being induced into the lines.

I've got a DAB radio at work and the signal can be patchy- I think if you've got good enough reception the EM spikes from the vehicle shouldn't be an issue. I'd be trying to extend the incoming aerial infrastructure to accomodate your DAB receiver and then I think you'll find it's then not susceptible to anything.

JimP