DAB - Now an option?

[Lancerlot]

Although listed as an option for GT3, DAB radio does not currently appear in the options list for other 991's, unless of course it's already on the Porsche Centre systems, but has not yet filtered through to the public configurator. [8|]

I would think anyone considering ordering a 991 will want to clarify this since it is unlikely DAB can be retrofitted inexpensively. [&:]

Regards,

Clive.

 

[lamboman]

strangely you can spec DAB radio on 981 Boxster

 

[Nick_USA]

Spoke to dealer last week, it is available as an option from June onwards ..... no mention of any retrofit options for existing cars though.

 

[BigCat]

DAB is now a "standard" option on the UK 911 configurator, I took delivery of a new 991 in January this year, the OPC at the time I bought the car (it was a showroom stock car) said they had no knowledge of if/when DAB would become an option so I find that a bit hard to believe given the option is now announced as the new PCM/Radio would have been in testing at Porsche for some time prior to making it available as an option.

More worryingly is that our Government still has a target date of 2015 for the switchover from FM to DAB, here is the latest version of the Digital radio Action Plan published last October 2012 www.gov.uk/government/publications/digital-radio note that meeting the switchover criteria is defibed as:

- 50 per cent of all listening is to digital; and
- National DAB coverage is comparable to FM, and local DAB reaches 90 per cent of the population and all major roads.

The document also discusses the 5 key objectives of the plan, this is number 3:
AFFORDABILITY
"¢ Of household conversion: to ensure that switching to digital is an affordable option
for the vast majority of the population.
"¢ Of in-vehicle conversion: to provide a wide range of affordable options to convert
vehicles to DAB radio.

When the switchover happens not only will the FM radios in any Porsche cease to work, the SAT NAV traffic information will also be disabled as this is carried on the top of FM broadcasts.

So, is Porsche going to provide an affordable upgrade to it's cars fitted with the latest FM version of the PCM as fitted to the 991 etc in line with objective 3 of the plan?

Here is the vision from that document:

"The Government will, by the end of 2013, make a decision on whether a radio switchover is in the best interests of broadcasters, manufacturers, and most importantly consumers. This decision will provide a clear statement of the Government's intentions and set out in detail how any future radio switchover would be funded and implemented"

Maybe time to start lobbying Porsche for their plan to provide an affordable upgrade to the many thousands of affected owners.

 

[jonathanw]

I am happy to lobby too

 

[bucksman]

I recently purchased a 991 with a factory order with my own specification delivered at the beginning March 2013. I specifically wanted a DAB radio module along with a very comprehensive specification for the car.
I was told the DAB option wasn't available and there was no sign of it becoming available in the near future. Then to my total amazement I found out at the beginning of april 2013 that DAB radio was standard on all 911 models only a month after taking delivery of a £93k vehicle.
I agree with a simular post that Porsche were already testing /planning the imminent fitting of this module while their staff were denying its existence saying there was no sign of availability of DAB in the 991.
BY 2015 the most used part of the ICE will be unusable and defunct.
Porsche have to address the issue of retrofit of the DAB module to the 991 as a mattter of urgency.

ORIGINAL: Lancerlot

 

[uknick]

Bucksman, when did you actually confirm the spec and the order go to the factory?

I would have thought Porsche HQ Germany would have known DAB was coming some months ago, even as far back in 2012. Therefore, it could be construed somebody at Porsche was being a little disingenuous with regard to DAB and its availability, so as not to delay you placing an order.

Did you get anything in writing about the DAB option not being available? If so, you may have some leverage, because, if FM is truly switched off in 2015, I think 2nd hand values of cars without DAB may well suffer.

 

[daro911]

ORIGINAL: bucksman

I recently purchased a 991 with a factory order with my own specification delivered at the beginning March 2013. I specifically wanted a DAB radio module along with a very comprehensive specification for the car.
I was told the DAB option wasn't available and there was no sign of it becoming available in the near future. Then to my total amazement I found out at the beginning of april 2013 that DAB radio was standard on all 911 models only a month after taking delivery of a £93k vehicle.
I agree with a simular post that Porsche were already testing /planning the imminent fitting of this module while their staff were denying its existence saying there was no sign of availability of DAB in the 991.
BY 2015 the most used part of the ICE will be unusable and defunct.
Porsche have to address the issue of retrofit of the DAB module to the 991 as a mattter of urgency.

The final report (written by Digital Radio Working Group) says FM should be switched off between 2017 and 2022. And this switch off is recommended to boost digital radio and improve profit of United Kingdom digital radio IC suppliers. No further details about alternative use were provided [1] This report is only a recommendation and successive Governments have admitted that FM VHF Band II analogue radio would not cease until the "majority" use "digital", so no actual date has ever been agreed. Digital listening figures however consistently include Satellite, DTT and online streaming, not just DAB. In any case there is a commitment to maintain community FM Radio. This means that as long as there are significant numbers of listeners on FM in the United Kingdom no government is likely to take the politically unpopular decision to turn off analogue. Support for the FM Switch Off in the UK is limited. There is a lot of hype from the Government as explained here www.ten-myths-of-dab.co.uk

 

[BigCat]

As per my original posting the latest version of the UK Government's Digital radio Plan is dated October 2012 (see the link below) and that document states that the target date for FM switch off remains 2015, however it also states that a final decision on that date will be made at the end of 2013. The majority of new cars now have DAB available as an option. Regardless of if it is 2015, or 2017 or 2022, it's going to happen so my guess is that Porsche will probably offer the retrofit as a new PCM which I suspect will be several thousands of pounds, the question then will be is the retrofit going to cost less than the extra depreciation? Will a car without DAB become more difficult to sell? There will probably be third party solutions but I doubt if there will be anything that fully integrates with the PCM and of course the Sat Nav traffic info will stop as well.

Maybe the solution is to forget about the DAB retrofit and spend the money on the sports exhaust system and listen to that instead [&o]

By the way I have had DAB in my BMW since 2009 (before I sold it to buy the 911) I also have DAB in my Audi and despite what the other document about Ten Myths of DAB says, I find the coverage within the UK to be very good, driving from Cornwall to Yorkshire with no loss of signal and it's improving all the time. The story I was told when I bought my 991 (January 2013) was that Porsche were very conservative and there were no plans to introduce DAB as an option for the 911 until the UK quality and coverage was better, clearly that was BS.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/digital-radio

 

[bucksman]

Thanks for the reply, the car's final spec was locked down at the beginning of the second week in January 2013 for end of February 2013 arrival at dealer and March delivery.
In reply to uknick I also think Porsche were well aware at this time that DAB fittment in the 991 was imminent with the units probably already in production.
Like bigcat I also have had DAB radios fitted in other cars since 2008. Porsche are just so backward regarding ICE and communication technology. Its such a shame but it's their problem and needs to be addressed. They need to look after their customers.

 

[mnk303]

I have been trying to find the link , but as yet can't (I am sure it was in one of the ham radio journals) , but from memory it stated that as over 95% of all cars on the UK roads don't have DAB and that the smaller radio stations can't afford the upgrade then the government would extend the roll out until 2020.

To be honest it would be a crazy thing to do, would be to risk losing advertising revenue and upsetting the motorist even more.........mind you the government are very good at that.

I have had my 7series with DAB for a few years its good but it fails big time in very built up cities as does my wife's mini DAB, unless you only listen to BBC as their coverage is the only one that is true UK , BTW pure DAB sales numbers are down ....they stated the take up was lower than expected.

Here is one statement that states 2017 http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/35153/dab-switchover-doubt.

This says it all

The Government has set three targets that must be hit before a switchover can take place:
Half of all radio listening must be on digital platforms
National digital radio must match FM coverage, currently 98 per cent of the population
Local digital radio must reach 90 per cent of the population
And while coverage won't be an issue soon, the number of listeners tuning in via DAB is. For example, 20 per cent of all radio listening takes place in cars, but only two per cent of cars on the road have DAB radios.

 

[jonathanw]

DAD is now included as a compulsory option on the 991 configurator.

Hope I can retrofit for a not huge cost. Having a great sound system is wonderful with the car at rest but the 911s are no limos and once on the move the symphony of mechanical sound makes a good sound system IMO unnecessary.

 

[tscaptain]

ORIGINAL: jonathanw

DAD is now included as a compulsory option on the 991 configurator.

But I already have one.[]

 

[jonathanw]

Alan

I have a tendency to a bit of dislexithing. Dab doy that I am!!

Joking aside I should have written DAB !!

 

[Zodiac911]

Has anyone got any updates on possible DAB retrofit from Porsche? I too have been had by Porsche on this issue and missed the chance to spec the option of DAB thanks to Porsche sneaking it on to the configurator and the dealer not letting on it was imminent.

 

[Lancerlot]

When is your build date?

You Centre may still be able to amend your spec. if it's not imminent

Regards,

Clive.

 

[pwebb]

OPC's still don't know when satnav postcode upgrade will be available and that's been standard on 991's for a year now! So Dab upgrade, if it is such a thing, will not be imminent IMO.

 

[Zodiac911]

I have just spent 100k on a 911 C4S Cab ordered in late Feb and was offered a late March delivery this was one as the dealer put it "already in the pipeline" although the dealer knew I was in no rush to take delivery it suited the dealer rather than me and now I know why. Before ordering I enquired as to the likelihood of DAB availability on Porsche cars as it seemed to me the brand was well behind other manufacturers in offering the option.

I had several conversations specifically concerning the slow uptake of DAB Porsche and was sufficiently convinced by the OPC DAB would not be forthcoming. To my utter astonishment 3 weeks later I discovered from the forum that DAB was indeed to be made available across the 991 range and in fact it was already available on the Cayenne although I was not told this either! . I tried desperately to delay or cancel the order but was told it was locked and now too late. I feel well and truly cheated and have to agree there must have been some knowledge prior to it being sneaked on to the configurator. Why do Porsche do this to its customers? I have been told by Porsche GB there are no plans at present for a retro fit. Nice one Porsche, time to exit the brand me thinks!. BTW how is the lobbying going? "" count me in.

 

[Nick_USA]

My understanding that DAB (as an option) is available for June/July onwards builds.

Edit: Optional option on Boxster and Cayman and non-optional option on all 991s

 

[sidicks]

ORIGINAL: Nick_USA

My understanding that DAB (as an option) is available for June/July onwards builds.

Edit: Optional option on Boxster and Cayman and non-optional option on all 991s

Optional option on 991 GT3!