Installing the RadioGuy Double Din

[RichB]

I've just got mine installed and I must say I am very pleased so far. But I do have a couple of issues, some of which others have commented on. Now I installed this in 20 mins without reading the manual(?) so some might be me being a numpty...

General Fit:

I haven't seen this mentioned before, but the bottom edge of my unit doesn't sit flush with the heater control panel in the dash. It will push into position, but springs back out again, even with the top screws in place. Is it just wiring blocking access at the back? It feels like the weight of the unit hanging at the back is pushing the bottom-front out.

Radio:

I connected the car aerial and the supplied stick on aerial to the two sockets on the back of the unit. I can pick up most radio stations but the reception is generally poor on the move with plenty of hissing and crackling. Is there a way to improve this?

RDS is working, I can see it retune the channel to stronger frequencies. But it seems to wait until reception has gone very poor until it does this. My previous kenwood RDS retuning was almost imperceptible. Maybe this will be fixed when my aerial/reception is improved?

TA button is puzzling me. With TA turned on, it would do a search (RDS description says TA seek) about every minute or so and the radio sound would go off during this time for about 5 seconds, but it would never find anything. I drove 280 miles from North to South and never received one traffic announcement.

Satnav:

Having never owned a satnav, I'm very pleased with IGO8 and find it very easy to use. However, it doesn't seem to have the road info for my area (Bracknell). In fact, I drove from Bracknell, along M4, M25 and A1M and only 20 miles up the A1M did it detect the road it was on. It could see POI's such as petrol stations as I passed them, but when trying to set a route it kept saying could not detect current position. On the way back, my mapped stopped at the A329M. When I look on the overview map, I see Wokingham in detail, but nothing for Bracknell. I think this must be an issue with the IGO software missing some data???

When checking TMC settings, it first had to detect the hardware and then went on to detect stations. None were found. I have ordered a splitter as others have and hope this fixes the TMC.

Oh, and the loudness button doesn't seem to do anything??

On the plus side I have discovered my Sony Ericsson C905 supports bluetooth music streaming which I am well happy about, so no need to plug my USB memory stick in!

I still need to wire up the steering controls and connect the wire to dim the display when lights are on, will do that when my aerial splitter arrives. If anyone can suggest improvements for the radio reception I would much appreciate it.

Cheers,
Rich

[HarryM1BYT]

I've just got mine installed and I must say I am very pleased so far. But I do have a couple of issues, some of which others have commented on. Now I installed this in 20 mins without reading the manual(?) so some might be me being a numpty...

Does that mean you actually managed to read and make sense of the manual later

General Fit:

I haven't seen this mentioned before, but the bottom edge of my unit doesn't sit flush with the heater control panel in the dash. It will push into position, but springs back out again, even with the top screws in place. Is it just wiring blocking access at the back? It feels like the weight of the unit hanging at the back is pushing the bottom-front out.

You probably have cables slightly trapped, I had the same at first - it is quite a bunch. Having said that, it is quite a weight to be hanging from just the two screws alone and I was thinking to fit some sort of support at the bottom rear.

Radio:

I connected the car aerial and the supplied stick on aerial to the two sockets on the back of the unit. I can pick up most radio stations but the reception is generally poor on the move with plenty of hissing and crackling. Is there a way to improve this?

Might be worth checking your aerial amp has its 12v supply.

When checking TMC settings, it first had to detect the hardware and then went on to detect stations. None were found. I have ordered a splitter as others have and hope this fixes the TMC.

We all found that and yes the splitter should resolve it.

Oh, and the loudness button doesn't seem to do anything??

It did seem to make a slight difference when I first put mine in, but now I'm being a bit more critical - I cannot tell any difference at all. Is there a setting somewhere which might set the difference it makes?

On the plus side I have discovered my Sony Ericsson C905 supports bluetooth music streaming which I am well happy about, so no need to plug my USB memory stick in!

Good innit? I have never come across bluetooth which connects so quickly and so reliably. Turn the ignition on and a second later the phone in my pocket bleeps as the bluetooth connects

If anyone can suggest improvements for the radio reception I would much appreciate it.

Reception was not as good with my hi-line, as on my previous F*rd - the new DD unit suffers similarly - so I suspect the aerial system is not as effective as it could be.

[Checker09]

Might be worth checking your aerial amp has its 12v supply.?????

I need a 12V supply? for wich aerial? I connected 2 areials a GPS ( with magnet) and a very long one ???? (Should have TMC / RDS/ TV)

Cheers Niki

[RichB]

Originally Posted by HarryM1BYT

Might be worth checking your aerial amp has its 12v supply.

My car is a basic spec one with a Kenwood CD player. The aerial is tied into the loom along with the other connector blocks, not down in the footwell like highline owners report. Is my aerial still amplified? If so, how have I disconnected the supply when swapping from the kenwood to the double din?

Cheers,
Rich

[Checker09]

RichB
I have tha same problem with the radio as you. I also got a very poor signal.

Hope someone can help me too.

Cheers Niki

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by RichB

My car is a basic spec one with a Kenwood CD player. The aerial is tied into the loom along with the other connector blocks, not down in the footwell like highline owners report. Is my aerial still amplified? If so, how have I disconnected the supply when swapping from the kenwood to the double din?

Cheers,
Rich

I don't yet know the 75 that well, but I suspect they all must have an aerial amp to help make up for the size of the antenna located in the rear window. My grandson, who put the TV antenna's in the rear window suggested he found my radio antenna amp behind the cover of the D pillar, the off side one I think. He had slapped the cover back on, before I actually got to see it or more importantly check its 12v supply. I don't think my reception is bad enough to suggest the amp isn't working, just not as good as I am used to.

The amp on my Ford came with its 12v at the amp disconnected and its reception was terrible until I spotted the problem and sorted it out - my 75 is not even nearly that bad.

[Clickernick]

Originally Posted by RichB

I've just got mine installed and I must say I am very pleased so far. But I do have a couple of issues, some of which others have commented on. Now I installed this in 20 mins without reading the manual(?) so some might be me being a numpty...

General Fit:

I haven't seen this mentioned before, but the bottom edge of my unit doesn't sit flush with the heater control panel in the dash. It will push into position, but springs back out again, even with the top screws in place. Is it just wiring blocking access at the back? It feels like the weight of the unit hanging at the back is pushing the bottom-front out.

Radio:

I connected the car aerial and the supplied stick on aerial to the two sockets on the back of the unit. I can pick up most radio stations but the reception is generally poor on the move with plenty of hissing and crackling. Is there a way to improve this?

RDS is working, I can see it retune the channel to stronger frequencies. But it seems to wait until reception has gone very poor until it does this. My previous kenwood RDS retuning was almost imperceptible. Maybe this will be fixed when my aerial/reception is improved?

TA button is puzzling me. With TA turned on, it would do a search (RDS description says TA seek) about every minute or so and the radio sound would go off during this time for about 5 seconds, but it would never find anything. I drove 280 miles from North to South and never received one traffic announcement.

Satnav:

Having never owned a satnav, I'm very pleased with IGO8 and find it very easy to use. However, it doesn't seem to have the road info for my area (Bracknell). In fact, I drove from Bracknell, along M4, M25 and A1M and only 20 miles up the A1M did it detect the road it was on. It could see POI's such as petrol stations as I passed them, but when trying to set a route it kept saying could not detect current position. On the way back, my mapped stopped at the A329M. When I look on the overview map, I see Wokingham in detail, but nothing for Bracknell. I think this must be an issue with the IGO software missing some data???

When checking TMC settings, it first had to detect the hardware and then went on to detect stations. None were found. I have ordered a splitter as others have and hope this fixes the TMC.

Oh, and the loudness button doesn't seem to do anything??

On the plus side I have discovered my Sony Ericsson C905 supports bluetooth music streaming which I am well happy about, so no need to plug my USB memory stick in!

I still need to wire up the steering controls and connect the wire to dim the display when lights are on, will do that when my aerial splitter arrives. If anyone can suggest improvements for the radio reception I would much appreciate it.

Cheers,
Rich

Hi Rich,

I too have a 1mm protrusion at the bottom, its the wires at the back. When mine comes out next weekend for the Freeview tuner and Sub install I will tidy them up a bit.
My car has a radio support mounted on the rear of the D/Din opening just under the chassis tube, does yours not have this?? Maybe another Project drive deletion!! This takes the weight of the unit well.

I think most of your other worries are related to the aerials.

Firstly discard the supplied TMA bit of string on suckers as it is woefully naff.
Obtain a spitter or make one from 2 mail and 1 femail Aerial jack from Maplins and a foot of coax. Cost £7 all in.
Connect the aerial input to the splitter and then splitter to the two inputs on the rear of the set. TMA sorted and radio reception as well.

The loudness button is a bit of an anomaly but it works in your favor. If the tone controls are at nutral, it WILL bost the loudness of the output from the amp, (play a punchy track) but if you have whacked the bass and treble up, especially to full, it will cut the loudness, i.e the opposite to what you might expect. This may seem to be a little naff but it stops the amp from busting the poor speakers with the tone controls set to full!!

I beleive the rear screen must be amplified already as the car has some gear stuffed in the read nearside 'C' post inner cover, you can check here by pulling if off and looking, I know the Hi line systems have their tv aerial boosters there.

I have Two different critiques!!
1/The Brightness control dosent really allow you to dim the display all that much for night driving so i just hold Mute button for 2 seconds and the screen illumination is suspended, until you touch a control! good huh!

2/The BT Music function does not allow one to choose tracks at random or from a list etc from my iphone, just play, stop, forward, backward. The Ipod function allows everything all from one rotary knob!!

DVDs are brilliant, even on standard car speakers, watched Quantam of Solace today and the surround sound was awsome, as was the picture. God knows whats going to happen when my Vibe 12" sub woofer in installed,,,might need replacement glass!!!!!

Pop in an SD card or memory stick with pictures on (Jpegs) and the unit will throw a nice slide show of all pics.
If you have a favourite one, pause it, just grab the remote and press 'Prog' and that pic will become your Boot/DVD screen!!

The steering controls are not bad at all, just splicing two wires and thats it, apart from setting up in 'settings'

Happy days!!

[HarryM1BYT]

Obtain a spitter or make one from 2 mail and 1 femail Aerial jack from Maplins and a foot of coax. Cost £7 all in.
Connect the aerial input to the splitter and then splitter to the two inputs on the rear of the set. TMA sorted and radio reception as well.

Two 12" aerial extension cost me around £1.75 each from a car accessory shop. Then all you need to do is cut the female of one lead off and T the cut end into the other lead.

The loudness button is a bit of an anomaly but it works in your favor. If the tone controls are at nutral, it WILL bost the loudness of the output from the amp, (play a punchy track) but if you have whacked the bass and treble up, especially to full, it will cut the loudness, i.e the opposite to what you might expect. This may seem to be a little naff but it stops the amp from busting the poor speakers with the tone controls set to full!!

Thanks for that, I knew it had seemed to do something when I first tried it.

[Clickernick]

Originally Posted by HarryM1BYT

Two 12" aerial extension cost me around £1.75 each from a car accessory shop. Then all you need to do is cut the female of one lead off and T the cut end into the other lead.

Nice one Harry! Didnt know you could get 12" extention leads!! That beats me on the 'El cheapo' stakes and only one set of soldering to do!! Excellent!

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by Clickernick

Nice one Harry! Didnt know you could get 12" extention leads!! That beats me on the 'El cheapo' stakes and only one set of soldering to do!! Excellent!

BTW...

The none coloured hot melt glue, dribbled over the T joint makes it firm after it has been soldered. It is good at least upto the gigaherz range and much better than tape or sleeving to apply.