DAB interference

[mikeyranson]

I havnt been on here for a few years but now upgrading my car next year and want to know if any manufacturers have come up with a dash cam that does not interfere with UK DAB radio. I spent over a thousand pounds about six years ago trying install a 4ch DVR into my range rover. Tried everything to stop the interference by making a faradays cage around the DVR, shielding all different types of cables including hours wrapping RF shielding tape around all the power cables to double shield and ferrite cores at every possible point, but it would not stop the interference. I tried various twin cameras and set ups and ended up just having the front camera which worked without fault. The 4 ch DVR set up was to have a 360 degree coverage.
Before i get my next car, i want to know if any dual cameras are available that do not interfere with UK DAB. Every car will be different but be great to hear from other land rover users who can recommend a set up or if anyone has proven methods that work.

 

[LateralNW]

I havnt been on here for a few years but now upgrading my car next year and want to know if any manufacturers have come up with a dash cam that does not interfere with UK DAB radio. I spent over a thousand pounds about six years ago trying install a 4ch DVR into my range rover. Tried everything to stop the interference by making a faradays cage around the DVR, shielding all different types of cables including hours wrapping RF shielding tape around all the power cables to double shield and ferrite cores at every possible point, but it would not stop the interference. I tried various twin cameras and set ups and ended up just having the front camera which worked without fault. The 4 ch DVR set up was to have a 360 degree coverage.
Before i get my next car, i want to know if any dual cameras are available that do not interfere with UK DAB. Every car will be different but be great to hear from other land rover users who can recommend a set up or if anyone has proven methods that work.

Welcome back @mikeyranson

What model-year Range Rover do you have?
I did see this as a problem for some dashcam owners and I am interested in following your progress here.

You certainly went to great lengths to prevent the problem.
Did you have a person who understands radio frequencies and exactly how a Faraday shield/cage works? I ask because I have done some experiments with radio and have found it is difficult to block signal - it can leak out or even through the shielding material.
I don't have an answer for you but I'm sure other members will chip in.

 

[SawMaster]

Things are still no different than years ago The problems are the same (the cars are still partially at fault in this) and the mitigation techniques are the same.

Your best bet is always to follow the lead of someone who has achieved success, although that may mean a different cam system than you wanted. The best place to find such a person would be on a forum specific to your car model if such a person doesn't show up here.

The only real solution is to design and engineer both car and cameras together, and with dashcams being almost completely aftermarket items that's likely not going to happen.

Phil

 

[thomas-dash]

Any chance it had to do with the dash cam and radio sharing the same common ground in your car? Do you still get the interference if you power the dash cam directly from a secondary battery/power bank not connected to your car in any way?

 

[mikeyranson]

sorry fo rthe delay in response and thankyou fo rthe replies.
I have 2010 RANGE ROVER SPORT. There was a lot of threads on this forum back then where many were having a problem with DAB interference. I had contact from a guy in china who was an electrical engineer for a automotive company working on that exact problem but he disappeared. When i gave up with my 4ch DVR project as it had failed, i bought a 2 ch blackview and the rear camera also caused interference so sent that back and stuck with the front camera only. I ran the cable both in the roof and under the floor carpets which still caused interference as well.
On the question about earthing, i put faradays cage to a separate earth from the other earth connections i made. The screened cable and earth at the hard wire point at the fuse box all had their own individual earths.
I'm upgrading my range rover in the next few months where i would still like to try the 4 ch DVR project again but afraid to in case i be wasting my cash again. I'm planning on buying the car with the factory installed 360 degree camera views, where hopefully, i can cable the unit to the DVR, which is still being looked into whether it can be done or not as i dont have access to the wiring diagrams for the car yet.
Failing that, i will have to go to another 2 ch dash cam but idealy buy once and fix once and make do. I dont want to be running different camera kits because it interferes with the DAB.
If anyone has a range rover 2020 onwards and have a 2ch dash cam, then please tell me which dash came your using and conform if you have any interence or not.
thanks

 

[Kremmen]

I've read somewhere that a ferrite core round the power wire, close to the dashcam end, can help.

If your vehicle has the radio aerial in with the rear glass heater elements then that is almost impossible to solve.

 

[LateralNW]

I have 2010 RANGE ROVER SPORT

Looking at a diagram of the rear of that vehicle and it's no wonder you get interference.
It looks like there are two antenna's one on each back side window.
In the roof, there is a splitter for the antenna and possibly even signal boosters.
Of course, if everything was perfect then there shouldn't be any interference, but how many things are made perfect? Usually to a price point.

Any EMF from the dashcam could be amplified by the signal booster. (5A) 174.928 MHz - (12D) 229.072 MHz
A tool like this may have helped work out where the interference was coming from. RF Digital Power Meter and Frequency Counter Not a recommendation. Using the right tools should help.

i put faradays cage to a separate earth from the other earth connections i made.

You went to a lot of trouble as I have said previously. Depending on the frequencies you are trying to eliminate will depend on the thickness of the box that's used. Do you have any photos of how the setup looked? I'm curious.

While it is only academic now can you remember if you earthed the shield at each end of the wire?

 

[mikeyranson]

I've read somewhere that a ferrite core round the power wire, close to the dashcam end, can help.

If your vehicle has the radio aerial in with the rear glass heater elements then that is almost impossible to solve.

I put ferrite cores all along the cable in the end. I changed all power cables to screened cable i pinched from work screened cable and also wrapped all cables in a copper tape and nothing improved. As soon as i unplugged the rear camera, i had both DAB and the TV back working as normal. The problem was the power cable running to the rear of the car. I did everything i could. I'm a dab hand at cabling and wiring as my work is within railway signalling so all the cables and materials was top spec that we use on the railways. I thought i had it licked but it beat me. The radio antennas are on the rear side windows but with the protection i gave everything, i could solve this problem.
I really want a rear camera because of the idiots we have here in london on all forms of transport including cyclists, joggers, school kids and anything else that is human that breaths.

 

[mikeyranson]

Looking at a diagram of the rear of that vehicle and it's no wonder you get interference.
It looks like there are two antenna's one on each back side window.
In the roof, there is a splitter for the antenna and possibly even signal boosters.
Of course, if everything was perfect then there shouldn't be any interference, but how many things are made perfect? Usually to a price point.

Any EMF from the dashcam could be amplified by the signal booster. (5A) 174.928 MHz - (12D) 229.072 MHz
A tool like this may have helped work out where the interference was coming from. RF Digital Power Meter and Frequency Counter Not a recommendation. Using the right tools should help.

You went to a lot of trouble as I have said previously. Depending on the frequencies you are trying to eliminate will depend on the thickness of the box that's used. Do you have any photos of how the setup looked? I'm curious.

While it is only academic now can you remember if you earthed the shield at each end of the wire?

Thanks lateral.
I had photos somewhere as i wanted to show off my work when i completed it but god knows where i stored them. If i find them, i will post for sure. I tried the DVR under the back seats, in the boot behind the interior panel and under the passenger seat. |I routed the cable everywhere i could thread the cable. I tried seeking advice from land rover but eventually went they did reply, they only protect their own equipment in their cars and basically dont give a toot about any non land rover products. Didnt off any help or advice.
The RF meter. I should have tried one of them. we use them sometimes on computer cabinets. didnt think about that. Good idea. When i upgrade, i will get a car with the 360 degree camera system and see if i can attach and DVR to that system. The cables are already run so if the DVR is at the front of the car then it cannot interfere with the antennas on the rear windows. I'm a few months away yet before i purchase. For now, i just want to do a 2 ch dashcam but finding a 2ch dashcam that does not give out any EMF. I would have thought blackvue had improved their cameras as they were common back then for causing DAB interference.

 

[LateralNW]

Thanks lateral.
I had photos somewhere as i wanted to show off my work when i completed it but god knows where i stored them. If i find them, i will post for sure. I tried the DVR under the back seats, in the boot behind the interior panel and under the passenger seat. |I routed the cable everywhere i could thread the cable. I tried seeking advice from land rover but eventually went they did reply, they only protect their own equipment in their cars and basically dont give a toot about any non land rover products. Didnt off any help or advice.
The RF meter. I should have tried one of them. we use them sometimes on computer cabinets. didnt think about that. Good idea. When i upgrade, i will get a car with the 360 degree camera system and see if i can attach and DVR to that system. The cables are already run so if the DVR is at the front of the car then it cannot interfere with the antennas on the rear windows. I'm a few months away yet before i purchase. For now, i just want to do a 2 ch dashcam but finding a 2ch dashcam that does not give out any EMF. I would have thought blackvue had improved their cameras as they were common back then for causing DAB interference.

Thanks for the reply.
I expect if anyone is going to resolve this issue it will most likely be you!

Good luck.
Cheers

 

[Kremmen]

Do you have a power socket in the boot that you could test a single camera from ?