[NRG21]

Thank you Teq, I'm still looking for a CIC HU with dab.. :-(

[NRG21]

I finished the retrofit, but I'm not very happy. I bought a OEM diversity with DAB and replaced the old one. But the signal is lost every few minutes while driving arround. :-(

[ptpending]

but what headunit or dab receiver do you use ?

[maca535]

Hi, i know this is an old thread now but hoping for some help.

I've recently installed a DAD equipped CIC unit in my E91 LCI. Its all been coded to the car so works as it should.

The DAB also works but I'm currently using a glass mounted antenna and would prefer to use an oem hidden antenna of some sort.

The car currently has a shark fin with 3 connectors on the bottom which I guess are GPS, Blue Tooth and FM ??? ... not sure.

I've been trying to find out info about antennas and came across this thread.

So my questions are ...

Would the E90 DAB diversity amplifier fit in place of the E91's and if it would does that mean I just run a Fakra cable to the diversity amplifier and it works or would that diversity need coding to the car.

2nd .... would the cabrio antenna work ? could this be installed in the bumper ? If it could would that connect straight to back of CIC unit or would it need to go via the diversity amp ?

Thanks in advance for any help.

[ptpending]

Originally Posted by maca535

Hi, i know this is an old thread now but hoping for some help.

I've recently installed a DAD equipped CIC unit in my E91 LCI. Its all been coded to the car so works as it should.

The DAB also works but I'm currently using a glass mounted antenna and would prefer to use an oem hidden antenna of some sort.

The car currently has a shark fin with 3 connectors on the bottom which I guess are GPS, Blue Tooth and FM ??? ... not sure.

I've been trying to find out info about antennas and came across this thread.

So my questions are ...

Would the E90 DAB diversity amplifier fit in place of the E91's and if it would does that mean I just run a Fakra cable to the diversity amplifier and it works or would that diversity need coding to the car.

2nd .... would the cabrio antenna work ? could this be installed in the bumper ? If it could would that connect straight to back of CIC unit or would it need to go via the diversity amp ?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Since the main band used nowadays for dab is DAB-III, for E91 you have to replace on of the trunk side glued glass with the version with DAB antenna wire and add genuine dab amplifer to the glass

[Andystobbs]

I did this on my E91. OEM design does utilise a piece of glass with pre bonded aerial on right side quater glass as mentioned above. BMW still sell it, at least here in UK think it was nearly £300, then you've to have it fitted, also worth noting that if you have tinted windows then that'll need re-doing too.

You will need 6520 6933328, signal booster/connector and a corresponding pink 3 plug that goes into it from the glass - I don't have part number on that to hand. But could find it, and the wiring layout next week.

Now the sneaky bit which actually gets you the antenna without a new window...

This is what I have done and it works perfectly

Completely bare a length of copper wire, 665mm long. Any wire 0.35mm2 to 0.75mm2 will do.

Using tape stick it [the copper wire] to the glass of the existing quarter window as far to the periphery as possible so that it can't be seen from the outside or inside but avoid letting it touch the metal work. Start with both free ends near the booster unit - they'll be going into the 3 pin plug mentioned earlier. Lay it all out before you start taping.

With hindsight it may not matter if the wire is bare or not but I was at my wits end and wanted the best chance of success for my cheap gamble.
Use good tape and clean the glass or it'll fall off.
The original window has embedded wires coming into the visible area of the glass, I ignored those completely and ran around the outside as mentioned.

I also ran a spare leg of coax to the back of the car in readiness for band L if it ever came back. Originally shark fin wires go up the left side but it's easier to use the right side.

The E90 antenna is a different unit to the E91 and running any additional cables to the tailgate is a real pig of a job in my opinion.

[maca535]

Originally Posted by Andystobbs

I did this on my E91. OEM design does utilise a piece of glass with pre bonded aerial on right side quater glass as mentioned above. BMW still sell it, at least here in UK think it was nearly £300, then you've to have it fitted, also worth noting that if you have tinted windows then that'll need re-doing too.

You will need 6520 6933328, signal booster/connector and a corresponding pink 3 plug that goes into it from the glass - I don't have part number on that to hand. But could find it, and the wiring layout next week.

Now the sneaky bit which actually gets you the antenna without a new window...

This is what I have done and it works perfectly

Completely bare a length of copper wire, 665mm long. Any wire 0.35mm2 to 0.75mm2 will do.

Using tape stick it [the copper wire] to the glass of the existing quarter window as far to the periphery as possible so that it can't be seen from the outside or inside but avoid letting it touch the metal work. Start with both free ends near the booster unit - they'll be going into the 3 pin plug mentioned earlier. Lay it all out before you start taping.

With hindsight it may not matter if the wire is bare or not but I was at my wits end and wanted the best chance of success for my cheap gamble.
Use good tape and clean the glass or it'll fall off.
The original window has embedded wires coming into the visible area of the glass, I ignored those completely and ran around the outside as mentioned.

I also ran a spare leg of coax to the back of the car in readiness for band L if it ever came back. Originally shark fin wires go up the left side but it's easier to use the right side.

The E90 antenna is a different unit to the E91 and running any additional cables to the tailgate is a real pig of a job in my opinion.

Thanks for this, so I'd only need the booster unit and the connector ?

The connector will basically join the wire on the glass to the booster unit ? Then where does the booster unit plug in to ? Does that just need power and then have a fakra lead from it to the HU ?

I'll have to look into the cost of this and then see if it better than what I've currently done.

Over Christmas I fitted one of these antenna's which is designed to be hidden behind plastic / fibre glass and so on. At first I tried to put it around the rear 1/4 glass as you did with your wire but got bad reception, may have had it to close to metal.
Then I had an idea, I removed the front grills and taped the antenna wire to the plastic of the bumper and refitted the grills over the top. Ran the fakra lead back in to the car via the bulk head and it worked. Near perfect reception. I did learn that the little amplifier it cones with can't go directly behind the HU else it loses reception to that had to be hidden in passenger footwell.

There are places where I live that the signal drops out for a few seconds I spent ages trying to stop this only to discover that my neighbours brand new volvo with Dab does the same thing.

[Andystobbs]

Yup you've pretty much got it. The booster is just plugged into the fakra. No external power.

[Opa_Apo]

Originally Posted by maca535

Thanks for this, so I'd only need the booster unit and the connector ?

The connector will basically join the wire on the glass to the booster unit ? Then where does the booster unit plug in to ? Does that just need power and then have a fakra lead from it to the HU ?

I'll have to look into the cost of this and then see if it better than what I've currently done.

Over Christmas I fitted one of these antenna's which is designed to be hidden behind plastic / fibre glass and so on. At first I tried to put it around the rear 1/4 glass as you did with your wire but got bad reception, may have had it to close to metal.
Then I had an idea, I removed the front grills and taped the antenna wire to the plastic of the bumper and refitted the grills over the top. Ran the fakra lead back in to the car via the bulk head and it worked. Near perfect reception. I did learn that the little amplifier it cones with can't go directly behind the HU else it loses reception to that had to be hidden in passenger footwell.

There are places where I live that the signal drops out for a few seconds I spent ages trying to stop this only to discover that my neighbours brand new volvo with Dab does the same thing.

I'm sorry for digging this post out but I need details on your installation. You fitted "one of these antennas" only and connected it directly to the HU? Or did you install the splitter from the picture as well?