This weekend I engaged in an activity that took me back to my eager first motoring youth.
I first fitted a car radio into my first Ford Capri, The only push button radio I could afford was one that came in kit form, from a place in Acton somewhere, It was AM only and I had to cut the dashboard about with a hacksaw blade to fit it.
The second was one of the first Stereo FM radios around, cost a fortune and would hiss like a kettle and crackle in time with the revs, despite many chokes, capacitors, and new leads being fitted. The radio was as deaf as post and could pick up rock all.
Anyway, the stock radio in the Lancer, while being ergonomically good, with good function (reads MP3, Audio in jacks) was rather lacking in the tonal department.
SOOOO
Internet shopping sees a new Kenwood head unit (USB/Iphone input) and Inphase XTC62 speakers arrive in the post for around 100 quid. Postman Pat also delivered a trim removal kit, a set of keys to remove all known breeds of radio and an ISO adaptor harness.
Removal of the Old head and insertion of the new was a breeze, as it was a standard 1 din slot, so we move to the speakers.
Off with the door trims, to reveal non standard mountings for the speakers (17cm but with speakers moulded into a unique plastic adaptor). So off we trots to local ICE place with new and old speaker, to be met with a gruff "you'll have to make it out of wood pal"
A browse of Halfords reveals that a Ford Mondeo speaker adaptor can be -adapted-.
So off we go back, marker pen/drill/jigsaw making a perfect adaptor ring. The foam packing of the new speakers ( a perfect 17cm cutout) making great baffle/seal/tunnel to the existing grills moulded into the door trims.
The sound is, well, superb. Deep Deep rich bass, perky treble. The functionality is all I need, operating (and charging) the Iphone or my 30gb MP3 player from the head unit. The only thing missing is steering wheel controls, but I figure no-one has got that right yet (apart from Renault who's implementation of remote stereo controls is superb)
Sitting in the car listening to the long version of "money for nothing" I pondered on how far we had come in all things digital music and in car ICE since 1973.
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i remember selling those kit radios with a bit of flat dexion and a 4 inch speaker ,the name eltax seems to ring a bell
i bought one of the first imported sanyo radio cassettes when they first came into the country it cost about 2 weeks wages so was bought on one of those access cards from lloyds bank
i backed it up with one of the first harry moss power amplifiers that got very hot after a while but was a superb bit of kit
one channel went to a bass bin i had built and fitted in the back of the van i had at the time,its pretty common for kids to have large woofers in their cars these days but i reckon i was one of the first in about 1978
fast forward 30 years and now i lose track of mp4 players in cars etc
one final thought AE you are sure water cant get onto your modified speakers through the door tops :-)
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Nah, the original paper speakers had no drip sheild and are not in line of the window seals.
Besides the new speakers have fibreglass cones, and chrome basket and coil cage, weigh an absolute ton. The would still be playing on the Titanic.
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I have in front of me, as I type, a Sanyo casette 'musical stereo demonstration'. It came with my first radio/cassette player.
Tracks:
La Cuca la cha
Les parapluies de cherbourg
La macarena
La playa
Circa 1976 I'd guess.
I still don't know how they managed to get a level that high on cassette!
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",the name eltax seems to ring a bell"
Well it would do wouldn't it, bell boy?
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"(apart from Renault whose implementation of remote stereo controls is superb)"
- agree, that was the outstanding feature of my LagunaII (nice controls, pity about the sound and the rest of the car).
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Also agree re Renault Controls.
Couldn't tell you the last time I used the Seat's steering wheel audio controls! When I had my Scenics I don't think I ever touched the radio controls!
But your post brought me back to my mark 2 Escort. I fitted the latest Goodmans radio/cassette and back shelf speakers (the shelf was sloped so the sound went straight into the seat back!)
I kept the radio on the shelf at the passenger side (no airbags or gloveboxes in those days) and when parked, left a cloth on top of it. Meanwhile where the radio should have been, I had positioned a set of cut off wires which, to the passing tea-leaf, looked like someone had beaten them to my radio.
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I'm going to have a gripe - why can't VW get the MW right on their radios? Trying to get 5Live in the Lake District is a real pain and when you do get a signal, the quality is rubbish. Same on the Fabia, Octy, Golf, New A4, Tourvan to my knowledge.
I fitted an original MW unit into the 83 Mini and it works very well, I love that it's the original. Very simple to use too, none of this disco light display nonsense.
Right, gripe over. Back to the port.
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The MW was rubbish on my Tourvan as well, and in my friends T5 tranporter. The common denominator here is Blaupunkt and bosch amplified aerials.
In contrast the MW on the (non blaupunkt) radio in the Altea was superb.
The germans were always rubbish at low frequency recievers, the reason they never found out about RADAR till too late was because they thought that lower frequencies were no good for that kind of thing.
(mind we didnt thnk that higher frequencies were any good either, so we missed a few tricks there as well - to our cost at times.
Edited by Altea Ego on 24/01/2010 at 23:10
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What happens to existing car radios in 2015 when FM disappears in favour of DAB? Will they be just so much scrap?
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Can't imagine it'd be difficult to make an adapter that would transfer Digi to old-fashioned FM. Sort of like the devices that you can attach to your iPod and then tune in on FM with your stereo.
Whether they'll be much cope is another matter...
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There is no commitment to phase out FM in 2015 and its not going to happen.
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There is no commitment to phase out FM in 2015 and its not going to happen.
Like they said, just scare stories to generate newspaper sales.
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The common denominator here is Blaupunkt and bosch amplified aerials.
I fitted an non-amplified Hella roof-mount aerial on a golf once. It was absolutely hopeless even for FM. I don't know why as it's the ideal position, high up and away from the engine; perhaps they are an inherently inefficient design?.
For replacement aerials, Hirschmann are apparently reckoned to be the best (at a price):
www.hirschmann-car.com/English/products-for-afterm...l
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Citroenian- Your not alone. Reception of five live is rubbish here in Oxfordshire.You can get a signal easily but it has interference from another (foreign?) radio station. Its not just mine and my wifes Mazda's either. The radio's in Company and loan cars I have driven have been just as poorat getting MW. FM reception though is superb.
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.I first fitted a car radio into my first Ford Capri The only push button radio I could afford was one that came in kit form from a place in Acton somewhere It was AM only and I had to cut the dashboard about with a hacksaw blade to fit it.
I built one of those, too! The company was RT+VC Ltd. (Radio, Television and Video Components) and they used to sell cheap stereo systems, music amplifiers and all sorts of electronic things. I bought quite a bit of stuff from them over the years. In fact, come to think of it, I've actually still got a pair of their hi-fi speakers up in my loft!
They later opened a shop in Edgware Road, close to Henry's Radio.
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Bought an F (suffix) reg Hillman Imp - it came with a push button radio that took 5 mins to warm up. It had a valve unit in the (front) boot. I replaced it with an 8 track stereo - thought I was great playing Neil Diamond's Soolamon on it! I even had an 8 track copy of Simon & Garfunkels Bridge Over Troubled Water.
I simpy hung an old transistor radio over the rear view mirror when I wanted to listen to pirate radio.
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Portable radio on the front seat with an external aerial that had a slot mount to go over the nearside window, held in place by winding the window up as far as it could go.
I also fitted a new-fangled negative ground radio to my positive ground Triumph Herald by insulating the case and aerial mounting - I think.
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I also fitted a new-fangled negative ground radio to my positive ground Triumph Herald by insulating the case
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>>>i did this for a cassette player and as i went by the house on the prairie on the M62 it somehow slid to one side and caught fire,there was plastic cabling burning all over,
managed to pull the car into the hard shoulder pulled the thing out in one lump and peace was restored although i burnt my hand i carried on to blackpool for a day at the pleasure beach with mates
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The first kit built car radio that I made had low voltage (12v) valves, but transistors for the audio stage. I cannot remember many kit designs using the low voltage valves.
A marked improvement over the vibrator? driven valve radios with a massive inverter power unit in the boot (or under the bonnet). The mechanical push button arrangments were wonderfully complex as well. Some very early car radios used a 12v motor/dynamo arrangement to provide the HT but memory fails as to what these units were called.
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These will take you back!
tinyurl.com/ygzrelw
serious in car kit!
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In the late seventies I splashed out on what was then one of the first FM/stereo car radios.This was from a firm I hadn't heard of before called Amstrad.
There followed about 6 months of trying to find why the radio picked up interference, where any saving I had made on the radio was negated by having the unit taken out , refitted, engine electrics checked, etc.
Eventually I packed it up and sent it back in disgust to Amstrad. A few days later I got a letter from a Mr Sugar, asking what did I expect from a cheap radio.
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This thread has jogged my memory somewhat. I'm about 95% certain that I still have a Radiomobile push button radio in my loft, which I salvaged from a seriously rusty 1972 Chrysler 180 way back in 1980 when I bought my first new car.
No guarantee, of course, that it will still be working after all this time, and I do remember that the light bulb needed replacing, but it might be of use to a BR'er with a classic car.
I don't want anything for it, but if anyone is interested perhaps one of the Mods will be good enough to let me have brief details and I'll post it on.
Clk Sec
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>No guarantee, of course, that it will still be working after all this time, and I do remember that the light bulb needed replacing, but it might be of use to a BR'er with a classic car.<
The early 1970s Radiomobile LW/MW push-button set I bought to replace the original fitment 'Siran' push-button job in my Rover P6B cost me 50p at a car boot sale in 1995 - it was in perfect working order and still is, as far as I know.
AM reception on these sets with discrete circuitry is still far superior to AM provision on modern items.
Come to think of it, the Siran (in mint condition last time I saw it) is up in the attic somewhere and I'd be delighted to give to someone with a suitable classic to house it.
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>>Come to think of it, the Siran (in mint condition last time I saw it) is up in the attic >>somewhere and I'd be delighted to give to someone with a suitable classic to house it.
Mine is still available, too.
Clk Sec
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Yes, they have come a long way.
Recently I fitted a DAB radio into my Citroën, which required a second external aerial, and reminded me of the hassle of fitting a basic radio to a 1970 (H?) Mini the best part of 40 years ago, though the head unit was a straight swap with the original Blaupunkt unit.
Generally speaking it's very good on the National MUXs, less so on the local ones because of shadows in town. It's the only way to listen to Radio 5 and 5 Sports Extra, making mono fading MW seem like positively archaic.
Edited by BigJohnD on 25/01/2010 at 17:15
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You mentioned a steering remote, Kenwood make a steering mounted remote control. Not sure how good it is, or if it'll control the Ipod.
Kenwood KCA-RC700A.
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My first few cars had a battery powered portable wireless just placed on the top of the dashboard. When cornering I had to hold onto it with my left hand.
Edited by L'escargot on 26/01/2010 at 06:59
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>>battery powered portable wireless just placed on the top of the dashboard.
It wasn't only me, then? Mine sat very neatly on the dash of my Triumph Herald circa 1970, until someone smashed the quarter light and pinched it.
Clk Sec
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So smash 'n' grab is nothing new, then? I'd somehow pictured that as a modern problem...
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Opening quarter windows were great for ventilation, but a known weak point.
The standard of most catches meant you didn't have to do any smashing before grabbing.
Edited by ifithelps on 26/01/2010 at 11:03
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Used to use house portable in the car - reason - in 1966 a car radio cost £80 - same as today's car CD players. Unfortunately £80 was more than most people earned in a month.
1st car fitted with a car radio was my MGB GT in 73 - under £1300 and the radio was some £75 extra - Motorola MW&LW - the bees knees at the time for radios - apart from some new 8 -track and emerging cassette tape machines!
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In the 1970s I repaired the radio from something like a top of the range Toyota Crown that had a motor-driven dial pointer (the radio, not the car). We had great fun in the workshop trying to make it tie itself up in knots.
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My mk 1 Vauxhall Astra when I bought it came with a cassette stereo that was designed for modern cars, IE it was too deep to fit into the fascia there was this big metal bracket that clipped onto the bullhead and this clamped the stereo in holding it at the top and the bottom
It was a generic brand of stereo no names what so ever on it
Only because of the way the bulkhead was forward to much the stereo used to stick out about a inch, and the cables that where compressed up at the back used to slowly push it out even more.
But you had to leave it like this as when parked as it was all one unit but to keep it from falling out of the bulkhead I had to wedge x2 two pence pieces in the side this would hold it in
Only once when going up the market cobbles, up the bank did it fall out taking some of the cables with it, slightly embarrassing.
Looking back it was rubbish compared to the DAB CD Autochangers of today
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Yes, this thread brings back memories. Upgrading (or even just fitting) a stereo was a right of passage in all the bangers I owned way back then.
Conversely, my 1987 2CV has what I think is the original Sharp radio-cassette. A stereo is of course an irrelevance in a 2CV, but keeping the original keeps the car original!
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my 1987 2CV has what I think is the original Sharp radio-cassette.
Still got the original AM radio in my 63 GMC truck, and though the speaker cone has been eaten away by critters (not yet replaced 'cos it's a contortionist's task!) it does still give passable reception.
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