Car Radio

[petersracing]

I just had my dashboard renewed by Paul Matty (and they did a good job of it) and whilst they were doing it they fitted this radio / CD which I bought in Halfords. It works well (except it loses its pre-set stations when I turn the battery switch off) and they didn't claim to have had any difficulty fitting it.
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_801713_langId_-1_categoryId_165474

Wow the spec for that is 165mm deep. Wonder how that happened.

[Shiny_kit]

My Blaupunkt looks like this:-

[Spyder fan]

I just had my dashboard renewed by Paul Matty (and they did a good job of it) and whilst they were doing it they fitted this radio / CD which I bought in Halfords. It works well (except it loses its pre-set stations when I turn the battery switch off) and they didn't claim to have had any difficulty fitting it.
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_801713_langId_-1_categoryId_165474

Wow the spec for that is 165mm deep. Wonder how that happened.

I fitted a Pioneer DIN specification CD radio to my +2 dashboard, BUT a 25mm front packing spacer was needed, it sort of looked okay. When I changed the dash it went to live under the glove box in the passenger footwell, I agree that there physically isn't room on a +2 to fit a full size unit unless you butcher the bulkhead, can't see how this was acheived with the Halfords item without spacers.

I'm currently fitting the Beat 175 deckless unit to my S4 Elan, not because the shallow design is needed but because I don't like cluttering the car with CD's or loose flying ipod's, the output is 40 watts per channel and not the 20 or so in the technical spec, I'm using 4 pioneer 5 1/2 inch 120 watt dual cone speakers, 2 in the doors and 2 in a rebuilt panel behind the seats, this should provide useable sound quality even with the top down, I will report back once it's up and working and hopefully have a good report to give, IMHO the look of the Beat 175 is more in keeping with a classic car as it doesn't have blue backlit jazzy display unlike some others.

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

I just had my dashboard renewed by Paul Matty (and they did a good job of it) and whilst they were doing it they fitted this radio / CD which I bought in Halfords. It works well (except it loses its pre-set stations when I turn the battery switch off) and they didn't claim to have had any difficulty fitting it.
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_801713_langId_-1_categoryId_165474

Wow the spec for that is 165mm deep. Wonder how that happened.

I fitted a Pioneer DIN specification CD radio to my +2 dashboard, BUT a 25mm front packing spacer was needed, it sort of looked okay. When I changed the dash it went to live under the glove box in the passenger footwell, I agree that there physically isn't room on a +2 to fit a full size unit unless you butcher the bulkhead, can't see how this was acheived with the Halfords item without spacers.

I'm currently fitting the Beat 175 deckless unit to my S4 Elan, not because the shallow design is needed but because I don't like cluttering the car with CD's or loose flying ipod's, the output is 40 watts per channel and not the 20 or so in the technical spec, I'm using 4 pioneer 5 1/2 inch 120 watt dual cone speakers, 2 in the doors and 2 in a rebuilt panel behind the seats, this should provide useable sound quality even with the top down, I will report back once it's up and working and hopefully have a good report to give, IMHO the look of the Beat 175 is more in keeping with a classic car as it doesn't have blue backlit jazzy display unlike some others.

Hi Alan,

recognising you as being a man with "impeccable taste" I'm keen to know more about that radio & speakers you're intending to fit.
My S4 has an 80's Radio/Cassette player in the slot but it also has a separate power Amp which I can't really find a suitable space for in the boot.
I also want to fit the speakers into the places you have mentioned so it sounds like the set up you've described will suit me fine.

Can you post some web sites or references (ebay, maybe?) that I can take a look at please?

Cheers
John

[rcraven]

I just had my dashboard renewed by Paul Matty (and they did a good job of it) and whilst they were doing it they fitted this radio / CD which I bought in Halfords. It works well (except it loses its pre-set stations when I turn the battery switch off) and they didn't claim to have had any difficulty fitting it.
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_801713_langId_-1_categoryId_165474

Very sorry, I'd missed the fact that this is a Plus 2 thread. My car is a Sprint.

[Spyder fan]

Robert,
That makes a lot more sense, hope you are enjoying your Sprint?

Regards

[Spyder fan]

Grumpy Bodger wrote:

Hi Alan,

recognising you as being a man with "impeccable taste" I'm keen to know more about that radio & speakers you're intending to fit.
My S4 has an 80's Radio/Cassette player in the slot but it also has a separate power Amp which I can't really find a suitable space for in the boot.
I also want to fit the speakers into the places you have mentioned so it sounds like the set up you've described will suit me fine.

Can you post some web sites or references (ebay, maybe?) that I can take a look at please?

Cheers
John

[/quote]

Hi John,

'Impeccable taste' ! I like it

Here's an ebay link http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BEAT-175-Car-Stereo-RDS-Radio-USB-SD-Card-MP3-Ipod-/230465869196?pt=UK_In_Car_Technology&hash=item35a8d6158c
Picture below

Technical Specification:

Deckless SD / MP3 / tuner head unit
FM range 87.5 - 108
4 x 40 w power output
Slim mount for easy installation
High quality build and truly excellent sound quality
12 month comprehensive warranty included

Speakers I'm using are these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pioneer-TS-G1313i-13-cm-3-Way-Coaxial-Car-Speakers-140W-/270771915514?pt=UK_In_Car_Technology&hash=item3f0b438afa although there is a good budget option from Halfords here http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_701563_langId_-1_categoryId_165707

hope that helps.

Regards

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

Grumpy Bodger wrote:

Hi Alan,

recognising you as being a man with "impeccable taste" I'm keen to know more about that radio & speakers you're intending to fit.
My S4 has an 80's Radio/Cassette player in the slot but it also has a separate power Amp which I can't really find a suitable space for in the boot.
I also want to fit the speakers into the places you have mentioned so it sounds like the set up you've described will suit me fine.

Can you post some web sites or references (ebay, maybe?) that I can take a look at please?

Cheers
John

Hi John,

'Impeccable taste' ! I like it

Here's an ebay link http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BEAT-175-Car-Stereo-RDS-Radio-USB-SD-Card-MP3-Ipod-/230465869196?pt=UK_In_Car_Technology&hash=item35a8d6158c
Picture below

beat175__07157.jpg

Technical Specification:

Deckless SD / MP3 / tuner head unit
FM range 87.5 - 108
4 x 40 w power output
Slim mount for easy installation
High quality build and truly excellent sound quality
12 month comprehensive warranty included

Speakers I'm using are these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pioneer-TS-G1313i-13-cm-3-Way-Coaxial-Car-Speakers-140W-/270771915514?pt=UK_In_Car_Technology&hash=item3f0b438afa although there is a good budget option from Halfords here http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_701563_langId_-1_categoryId_165707

hope that helps.

Regards[/quote]

Ta very much!

Radio ordered, can't go far wrong at that price & spec'.
Will hold fire on the speakers for a while.

Cheers
John

[OldSod]

I keep using the site for info and thought this may be useful, having measured my space behind the radio at around 117mm, I found the Parrot unit but found no measurement on their site, so I asked!

parrot.pdf

Parrot unit

(124.02 KiB) Downloaded 770 times

No DAB but everything less is there.

The unit is 90mm deep

Keith

[vernon.taylor]

Salut Shiny and others

Disappointed with the Caliber I bought I bought a Blaupunkt like Shiny on eBay.de (they had a good selection compared to eBay.co.uk):

... and I made up some leads for an iPod/MP3 automatic input and automatic aerial:

However space is really tight, even for the shallow Blaupunkt and the leads may have to be hardwired to the radio as the DIN plug seems to be in the way.

Shiny - how are you getting on with the installation? Did you get it in? Do you have a mounting bracket?

Merci.

Vernon

[Shiny_kit]

It fits - just - but as you say a 90 degree bend DIN plug would be helpful. Mine sits at a slight tail-end up angle in the dash, which I can live with, but the dash has to come out/forwards soon anyway, as the voltage stabiliser needs replacing and I can't get to it (or even find it!) at the moment.

Volume is louder on mp3 than radio but it's working well.

Andy.

[Keith Scarfe]

Thread resurrection time

Spyder fan wrote:

I'm currently fitting the Beat 175 deckless unit to my S4 Elan ..... I will report back once it's up and working and hopefully have a good report to give

I think you forgot to report back Alan
This Beat unit looks like a good option. I might try one. How is it? I assume you fitted it ok. Is the sound ok? Does it look ok'ish (as can be) on the dash (modern unit on classic dash)? SD/USB work ok?

Thanks for any info.
Keith.

[Spyder fan]

Thread resurrection time

Spyder fan wrote:

I'm currently fitting the Beat 175 deckless unit to my S4 Elan ..... I will report back once it's up and working and hopefully have a good report to give

I think you forgot to report back Alan
This Beat unit looks like a good option. I might try one. How is it? I assume you fitted it ok. Is the sound ok? Does it look ok'ish (as can be) on the dash (modern unit on classic dash)? SD/USB work ok?

Thanks for any info.
Keith.

Hi Keith,

In all the excitement of getting my S4 finished and on the road I didn't have a lot of time or inclination to listen to the radio, I was far more interested in the music coming from under the bonnet and out of the tail pipe

The unit doesn't look out of place on the dash to my eyes, although I'm sure some would disagree.

I'm reasonably pleased with it, as it does what it says on the tin, the SD card and usb work fine and I have all my albums loaded up on a couple of cards that i leave in the glovebox. The downside for a drop head is that the display is a little weak in full daylight. Musical quality is reasonable, but you have to bear in mind again that it's a drophead and also there is limited space as always to fit speakers. I have 2no 4 1/2 inch dual cone speakers in the door bottoms on the front carpeted area of the door cards and 2no 5 1/2 inch dual cone speakers in the side panels behind the seats. The power output from the unit hardly tests the speakers and an amplifier might be on the cards if I was 30 years younger and wanted to be anti-social, but it's plenty loud enough to listen to in reasonable clarity with the top down at 70mph; you just have to remember to turn the sound down when you go through towns and villages or you get looks for the wrong reasons (anti-social).

[Keith Scarfe]

Thanks for that Alan. I think that looks good on yours, goes well with the larger black rocker switches you have on the S4. Mine is the S3 so has the daintier toggle type switches so it may look a bit more out of place. For ?38 though I think I'll get one and give it a go. Anything will look better than the thing I have there at the moment. It would be nice to get an original radiomobile type for the looks, but like you (I assume) I do like a bit of up to date (stereo) music/radio for the dull motorway bits of a journey. Then its off with the radio to hear the music from the carbs for the non motorway bits
I was also considering one of these:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Caliber-RCD110-retro-look-car-stereo-CD-MP3-USB-SD-card-AUX-/380448010591?pt=UK_In_Car_Technology&hash=item589477f15f
Might look more in tune with the S3 dash but I think it is also trying too hard to look retro and is a bit OTT. Plus its expensive. Anyone got one of these?

[vernon.taylor]

Salut Keith

That's too deep for a Plus 2, of course. For an Elan I'd go for an old Blaupunkt (you can make up an aux-in lead). I could sell you mine (;-). It's mono, but wire the speakers in series and you'd never know. Good looks and sound. Or I could sell you the Caliber unit I bought - both are pictured in this thread. The only reason for the sale is that both are too deep for my Plus 2.

@+

Vernon