Date: Thu, 2 Jan 2003 10:16:33 -0500
Reply-To: David Brodbeck <gull@CYBERSPACE.ORG>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David Brodbeck <gull@CYBERSPACE.ORG>
Subject: Re: CD/MP3 Player suggestions
In-Reply-To: <16.2a962d64.2b45950d@aol.com>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
On Thu, 2 Jan 2003, Frank Condelli wrote:
> Gary, I'm just about to do the same. There are many units out there
> that will fit as long as they are 1 din in size. The one I find the most
> intresting so far is the Jensen MP3510. 180 watt, cd/mp3, am/fm, remote
> control, aux input on the face and good price, $130 ~ 160 if you look around.
> List is $329. Good place to start looking for this and others is Ebay under
> car audio equipment.
I recently bought a Jensen MP3310 for my Honda Civic. I don't know if
it'd fit in a Vanagon. I think the width and height are okay, but I'm
unsure about the length. It was a bit of a tight fit in my Civic. In the
Vanagon it may depend on whether you're willing to give up your ash tray.
;)
I've been pretty happy with it so far. The MP3 playback works well and
the controls are fairly easy to use without taking your eyes off the road
for long, once you get used to them. It has folder browsing and ID3 tag
display. It can handle CD-RW discs as well as CD-R. I'm not an
audiophile, but the sound is at least as good as the stock Honda stereo
(really an Aiwa) was. There is no CD antiskip, but it takes a pretty good
jolt to make it skip. Typical Michigan front heaves won't do it, but a
rough railroad crossing or a sharp speed bump will.
My only complaints:
- The AM radio's AGC is a bit weak. Distant stations require turning up
the volume.
- CB radios in nearby trucks overload the AM radio's front end filtering.
They need to be within a few car lengths, though, and probably running a
"kicker".
- The front panel lighting is very clear and evenly lights all the
controls (unusual for an aftermarket radio), but a dimmer would be nice.
Maybe not so much of a problem in a Vanagon since the radio is farther
from your line of sight.
_ _
__ _ _ _| | | | David M. Brodbeck (N8SRE) Ypsilanti, MI
/ _` | | | | | | +-----------------------------------------------------
| (_| | |_| | | | @ cyberspace.org
\__, |\__,_|_|_| "To the optimist, the glass is half full. To the
|___/ pessimist, the glass is half empty. To the engineer,
the glass is twice as big as it needs to be."
| 
