Audio 101

Do You Need A Loft/Roof Mounted Aerial For Your System?

Your radio system is only going to be as good as the signal it receives. So when you're investing in a DAB or FM radio system for your home you should consider adding an appropriate aerial. This matters most with ceiling speaker radio systems, where the amplifier is often tucked inside a wall or ceiling void and the built-in aerial can struggle. All of our radio systems come with an internal aerial, and in some cases these will provide a great signal that needs no further improvement. However it is often quite difficult to get a decent DAB signal from an internal aerial, and no one likes a bit of white noise when they're listening to FM radio!  Using A Roof/Loft Mounted Aerial A proper roof or loft mounted aerial will be sure to give you the best signal possible. We recommend that your aerial is installed and set up by a professional where possible. However it's not too difficult to get a decent radio signal by yourself. You'll need to run a 75 ohm coax cable from your radio system to your loft space. Using one of our FM/DAB aerial kits with loft spike you'll mount the spike to the ceiling, then connect the aerial. With a bit of adjustment you should find your aerial reception improves. We do not recommend installing a roof mounted aerial yourself unless you are an experienced DIYer with appropriate equipment due to the risk involved with working at height. Types Of Aerials FM Omni Aerial  Ideal for improving your FM radio's reception. These are good for improving your FM signal. DAB Aerial Designed to pick up DAB signals, the go-to aerial for our DAB radio range. These aerials will achieve a great DAB reception in most cases, however they aren't too good with FM so don't expect an amazing FM signal from it. These aerials should be mounted vertically to a pole. Aerial Boosters  The problem with aerial boosters is that it can only amplify what it receives. So it doesn't necessarily mean that your sound quality will significantly improve. For optimum sound quality we suggest that you address the real issue and install a proper aerial rather than amplifying a weak signal. Simply installing an aerial booster may not give you the result you were hoping for. Please remember that the sound quality of an FM/DAB radio is only as good as the signal it receives. A poor signal will decrease the quality of the system until rectified and this is not the fault of the radio itself.  Check Your DAB Coverage  There is a handy website that lets you get a rough guide to national commercial coverage. Simply visit the site below and enter your full postcode for details of which DAB digital radio stations you're likely to receive.