Another new toy for me

[Rod.H]

And it is, somewhat. For sometime in me car there has been a 12V multi-socket adaptor thingy with it's sockets permanently inhabited by a iPod FM transmitter and phone charger with a socket free for what ever additional device needed it. Resulting in a ratsnest of cables strung and duck taped to the center console. I'd been looking on and off for a better solution for sometime and was coming to the conclusion that a new stereo might do the job. Especally after finding out the FM freq I'd normaly use had been taken over by a broadcaster.

After looking at all the available after-market car stereos for some reason I'd decided the ones Alpine had fit the bill, especially the CDE-103/114BTi series.
Then a few watchings of the following later

I'd decided to install http://www.alpine.com.au/showItem.php?item_id=160 myself. Half-hour job my arse! I took more like 2 hours to pull the old one out, fit and test the new and put all back. Even without requiring the use of a soldering iron, don't know why they did in that vid, when prewired harness are available.

So now my car pre-flight is down two steps, me tunes come through clearer and I've a somewhat tidier car. One fun thing is that the radio tunes down low enough to pick up ADF NDB nav beacons so can practice interpreting Morse Code as I drive if I want.

Oh and in these days of removable faceplates why can't I get one that's truly compatible for a RHD car? Every one I've seen's designed for the LHD market.

--Rod.H

[Rod.H]

*pops a rez*
Man, it's really been nearly a year since I did this. I though it was either longer or less than that.....
Anyhows, here's a update I picked up a Kensington iphone cradle with universal mount. I found that I didn't like the windscreen mount and the air vent mounting....forget about that.
So I got a second aftermarket dash stowage thing, messed 'bout with a spade bit in my driver, pulled the dash apart to get the radio out and put it all back.

Resulting in:

From another angle

Huh, now is that glint of something metal down there behind the ipod. You'll be right!

What's holding the shaft which normally goes to a windscreen suction cup is a cut down 20mm copper T-junction, with alot of epoxy putty keeping it in place. The other hole you can spot is of cause where the head unit's ipod cable is run. It's also a step up from what I did to the other one - hacksaw & chisel to make a jaggered squarish hole - it made me wonder why I didn't drill the hole earlier.

I'm also still wondering why I can't get a proper RHD configured radio.

--Rod.H