wanttaja@ssc-vax.UUCP (Ronald J Wanttaja) (01/28/85)
Suggest, if you are ordering a car or otherwise have the choice, buying the cheapest AM radio offered. Then, you can pull it out and install whatever radio you want to get. The advantages: 1. You get all the power wiring, without having to tap into anything and add your own fuse holders 2. You get an antenna 3. When you decide to sell the car, you can pull your good radio out and reinstall the cheapie, and save money on your next car Last time I checked, GM was asking about $100 for the AM-only radio. Ron Wanttaja (ssc-vax!wanttaja)
broder@magic.ARPA (01/31/85)
In article <383@ssc-vax.UUCP> wanttaja@ssc-vax.UUCP writes: >Suggest, if you are ordering a car or otherwise have the choice, buying >the cheapest AM radio offered. Then, you can pull it out and >install whatever radio you want to get. The advantages: >1. You get all the power wiring, without having to tap into anything >and add your own fuse holders >2. You get an antenna >3. When you decide to sell the car, you can pull your good radio out >and reinstall the cheapie, and save money on your next car All this is true. But if you plan to have a very high quality system, don't ruin it with the cheapo speaker cables installed by the dealer. Car speakers are 4 ohm speakers, that means that at some frequencies their impedance can go down to less than 1 ohm, and cable quality becomes crucial.
mostek@ihnp4.UUCP (James Mostek) (02/01/85)
I have purchased three new cars in the last 10 years.
a 1975 Mazda RX3 (with a dealer radio AM/FM)
a 1977 Nova (without a dealer radio and installed my own and nice speakers)
a 1984 Celebrity Wagon (decided on the dealer AM/FM/Cassette radio)
After the '75, I decided that for the money, I'd rather install my own
nicer system.
I was never upset with the system in the '75, but I figured that the money
the dealer made on the radio could be saved.
I felt the car dealer was more dishonest that the stereo
dealer. (ha!)
Also, the stereo store had more to choose from with nicer names and more
numbers for watts, distortion, ...
After a year or so,
I've had constant problems with the Clarion (that cost $230 in '77) and
the expensive speakers.
The tape player doesn't work quite right and FM keeps going out.
A car stereo is subjected to many problems (bumps,
changes in temperature, moisture, dust) and the listener is usually
subjected to considerable noises (other cars, fans, ...)
Furthermore, one should be listening for horns, sirens, and other important
noised (not LOUD stereos).
Concluding, I decided to get a dealer AM/FM/Cassette at 10% over the Consumer
Reports listed price, not the dealer listed price.
I've been fairly happy with the '84 system except
the rear speaker are too far from the driver (on the tailgate of the wagon).
--
James Mostek, Bell Labs @ Naperville, ihnp4!mostek