Date:         Wed, 16 Jul 2003 08:28:02 -0700
Reply-To:     Steven Johnson <sjohnso2000@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Steven Johnson <sjohnso2000@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Heidelberg Radio Discussion
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Hi all,

If you are not interested at all about the hook-up or
workings of the Heidelberg radio then you can delete
this now... (Very little VC)

I've been on this list since it started way back in
1994 and have left the list for maybe 1/2 a year
because I got tired of the same old issues and excess
blah-blah but I zip through the archive messages to
check for any new and useful info. (thanks to those
who made the archive happen)....  Anyway, in scanning
and searching the archive I was never able to find
anything about hooking up a Heidelberg VIII radio
which is from an early 90's Corrado that I purchased
from E-bay a couple years ago.  The person I got it
from gave me the code but I was never able to get the
display to show up so I could punch in the code.  I
thought something was wrong with the radio and so
I posted to this group to see if anyone could help.
I got a few responses with one in particular that
mentioned that there may be a second power hook up
and I should jumper to it to fix this.  Well, I
tried this but could not locate a the correct pin
to jumper to.  Little did I know at the time that
this was the right tree to bark up, so to speak.

So after a year or so of leaving the unit to collect
dust on a shelf and occasionally looking for info
on the web for a local repair shop and pin diagrams
and references to I ended up relocating another
cassette/radio from my wife's car and used that for
some time.  Her car got a new CD player to upgrade her
tune listening.  But recently, the display went out
on the one I put in my van and made it difficult to
use on the fly.  So I started re-examining the
Heidelberg VIII.  While at a flee market I found a
concession for a local radio dealer that said they
worked on auto radios and said they could take a look
at mine.  So I took it in a week or so later.  There
attempt was dissappointing at best.  He said that he
was unable to get the display to work and needed the
instruction manual (that I didn't have) and thought
that it was probably stolen and would exchange it for
one of his units instead.  I saw where that was going,
especially after the quoted $200 more I would be
paying for the newer unit.  Ugh!!!  So I skidaddled
out of there with my unit as fast as I could and went
home dissapointed.

So on I went searching the web for more clues when I
came across a diagram for a standard Blaupunkt
radio/cassette:

http://dev.12v.org/tuning.php?include=stereo

Lo and behold it had the same configuration as
the Heidelberg VIII.  I looked at the pin outs and
found that they appeared to be just like the ones on
the back of mine.  So I decided right there that I
would try the jumper trick again and "Holy Smokes" it
lit up the display when I applied power to the pin it
said to!  Now why is it that I can hear a virtual
chorus of "Well duh!" in the background of my mind?

Well, I don't care.  At least I was elated.  So I says
to myself, "Now all you need is the correct harness
to buckle in to the back and you'll be all set.  Not
so fast says my internet search.  Well sort of.  Most
of the local places only have the receiver harness
because they all assume you're putting in a new head
unit and don't need the original push in the back
plug.  Well, I found a place in the good old UK that
just happen to have what I was looking for.  They are
called Blue Spot Audio:

http://www.bluespot.co.uk/cables.asp

Look under there cables and connectors section and you
should find it.  I ordered 2 so I could have a spare.
I'm sure I'll mis-place it so I won't be able to find
it when I do need it later....

So they sent me this ISO connector in a few days for
about $15 U.S.  and now I'm happy as can be.

There is one issue though.  It does get pretty hot on
the left side of the unit.  Is this an indication of
problems to come?  If anyone can suggest any thing
or re-assure I'd appreciate it.

Thanks for reading along.  I hope I helped someone
else with this kind of dilemma.

Steven



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