OK, test installation completed and functions checked.
Driving back from Absolute Audio in Amesbury with Test Match Special on BBC DAB Sports Extra clear and undistorted was a complete joy.
To all those who say that a radio is pointless in a Mog I say "Get a proper installation".
DAB works perfectly, FM is OK, I've not tried the CD and iPod connection yet.
What have I used? as mentioned in the first post:
1. Alpine CDE 136 BT head unit. About £220, it does everything.
1a. Alpine Remote: essential given Morgans "hidden Radio" position.... £40.00
2. Standard Morgan antenna, about £8.00
3. Active Aerial DAB/FM splitter, £34.99 from dabonwheels
4. Pioneer TSG 1022 Dual Cone 4" Speakers, about £40.00
5. A box of Dynamat X-treme sound adsorption mat, £150.00
5a A new pack of blades for the stanley knife: you'll need this to cut the Dynamat!
6. New side and end carpet for the drivers side footwell, the trimmer had used so much contact adhesive that it came away in bits. £50.00 from Williams, brilliant Service from Austin.
About £600.
The sound adsorption mat is important, it reduces road noise very noticably and makes conversation without raising voices easy up to about 60mph. It also makes the footwells cooler.
You will see no mention of a Sub Woofer. I talked to Jason at Absolute about this. He advised not to bother. The Alpine SWE1200 is great and will sound fantastic in a stationary car. But in their experience in open cars the bass boost from small units like the Alpine is lost once moving above 50 mph. I'd need to spend much more and put a big sub and Amp on the parcel shelf. Not something I want to spend another £400 or so on.
I lined out the footwells completly, the sides of the transmission tunnel, the floor, insides the doors. I still have to line out under the seats, the back pannel and parcel shelf. One box of 9 sheets is 72 sq ft and "just" enough. I may need one additional sheet for the parcel shelf.
The DAB Splitter works very well with the standard Morgan Antenna, from Amesbury, just north of Salisbuty, it will pull in BBC Radio Gloucester, which is exceptinal. The BBC and national DAB stations are all pin sharp and undistorted. Only the DAB Radio in my BMW is better, and for the price it jolly well should be.
Nothing to do now but enjoy it.
