TheSamba.com :: View topic - Found: Weather Band Radio with AM/FM, CD, MP3, etc that fits

Sun Aug 05, 2012 6:29 pm

Yeah, I am in the same situation. Have reviewed posts and feedback on this and am still trying to figure out what to order. Seems like retro sound and custom autosound offer comparable products. (retro sound looses all presets from what I can gather if on a kill switch or wired similarly) What I really am looking to achieve is easy usage, good sound, and a low profile, original look while still playing my iphone, ipod, or usb. My wife's stereo has the ipod plugin that operates the ipod from the head unit. For my simple needs, I do not like this. When rocking the phone or pod, I want the head unit to amplify, not control.
I also want to be able to charge the phone or ipod from the unit. Still learning but not totally sure if that is possible from these options.
What is the true, all in one, modern stereo?

Tue Mar 05, 2013 11:02 pm

Any additional feedback on these units?
I looking for a new head unit for my Joker and I like the fact that these look retro and have weather bands.

I don't care about USB or iPod. I'm strictly old school CD's for the better quality sound.

How is the fidelity of these units? Has anyone hooked up a Sirius/XM unit to them?

Thanks!

Fri Mar 08, 2013 6:13 pm

Thanks for introducing me to these great stereos. I just ordered the CSS-i6600E. This updated model now has basic iPod control as well as 2 SD card slots. I can't wait to get it into my van. Thanks again.

Fri Mar 08, 2013 7:28 pm

About losing presets - I swear I saw it somewhere in this forum. Someone figured out how to insert a small re-chargeable battery (like what is used for smoke detectors, etc.) in line with the stereo - when the engine was turned off (or if you have a toggle to disconnect from the aux. battery), the re-chargeable battery would maintain the radio presets.

Sat Mar 09, 2013 9:50 am

CansoJim wrote: Thanks for introducing me to these great stereos. I just ordered the CSS-i6600E. This updated model now has basic iPod control as well as 2 SD card slots. I can't wait to get it into my van. Thanks again.

I've had mine in for about six months. I bought mine in hopes the plain style would allow my Westy to pass the qualifications for collector plate status (British Columbia, Canada).
I'm not very impressed with it's performance. If I wasn't trying to qualify for collector status I would have looked elsewhere.

Sat Mar 09, 2013 9:58 am

911pickup wrote: CansoJim wrote: Thanks for introducing me to these great stereos. I just ordered the CSS-i6600E. This updated model now has basic iPod control as well as 2 SD card slots. I can't wait to get it into my van. Thanks again.

I've had mine in for about six months. I bought mine in hopes the plain style would allow my Westy to pass the qualifications for collector plate status (British Columbia, Canada).
I'm not very impressed with it's performance. If I wasn't trying to qualify for collector status I would have looked elsewhere.

Can you please elaborate a bit more? I'm considering one of their models and would love to more reviews.

Tue Mar 19, 2013 11:22 am

So sounds like mixed review but I ordered on either way...I like the styling, no frills approach to a head unit that looks like it fits in my van. I am curious to see how it attaches since I believe my stereo has been hacked by PO.

Either way, almost a year since the last post...we will see. If anyone has some feedback on how they are liking it what they don't like, how they installed with the factory connectors I would appreciate it.

I ended up getting the CSS-6000E since I have a BlueTooth thingy in my van already and wanted something simple with auxillary. I don't use CDs, I don't use SD cards, I don't use an Ipod...all my stuff is on my phone on google music.

Mon Mar 25, 2013 9:22 am

Drifty84 wrote: I have ordered this radio. I ordered the head direct from Custom Radio Corp. for $125, although I talked to Cindy, not Sherry. She was super nice and I felt like I was doing business with an actual company and not an overseas consortium.

I ordered the Metra power and antenna adapters off eBay for $1.98 and $5.99, respectively. I am hoping that because this radio is apparently designed for trucker use, it is high quality and no nonsense. I will report my experience as it develops.

Drifty, did the install in your '84 go smoothly? I'm wondering about the wiring and the physical fit because I believe the '84 radio and wiring is different than the newer vans. Thanks

Wed Apr 10, 2013 7:15 am

I posted about this radio and its install about a year ago and have a few observations after using it on two long trips (Virginia to Alaska and Virginia to Baja) of about 25K miles total.

I purchased the remote control since it was only $7 but never thought I would use it. I was really wrong in that I use the remote all the time when driving on long stretches of road. I can change volume, switch CD tracks, etc. without my eyes leaving the road.

I really like the radio for its simplicity, lack of flashing lights, and the way it matches the dash in the van. I have original factory speakers and the radio meets my needs and to my tin ears, sounds pretty good.

I have had no problems until our recent trip with Mark and the group to Baja. During the trip, the CD would randomly pause for a second or two and then resume without losing any music--this happened once or twice while playing each CD and also happened while the van was not running.

After returning home, I called Custom Radio and explained the problem. They said to return the radio and they would work on it and return it to me within 48 hours--all under warranty. Wow! That kind of customer service alone makes me really glad I purchased from them.

Harold

VANGAUX

Tue Mar 11, 2014 8:48 am

any more updates on these?
I'm really thinking of pulling the trigger and contacting them once my tax return comes in.

thanks.

Mon May 19, 2014 9:37 pm

Hello All! Last year I was looking for a new audio unit for my '91 Westy and while in the process of my on-line research I came across this discussion. It has been very helpful and as a result I have signed up to The Samba so that I can provide info. to other users so that in turn I may help them. As this is my first post, please have a little patience and understanding if I make any errors of any kind as this is also my first experience with on-line forums. That said, now to the audio unit under discussion.

I purchased one last year from Custom Radio Corp. http://customradio.net/us_en . The purchase process was extremely easy. (I also spoke with Sherry as recommended by another poster in this topic). Any technical questions that she could not answer, such as the maximum SD card capacity that could be used in the unit, were swiftly answered by their tech. support team.

As my intention was to purchase a unit that would last many years I decided to go for the one with all the bells and whistles and so I opted for the CSS-6520 AM/FM/CD w/Weather Band, USB, & 512M Flash Memory as I no longer wanted to carry CDs or DVDs. When I looked at the image on the Custom Radio Corp. website I saw that there was a button marked 'VID' on the unit and assumed that therefore the unit was capable of playing videos either via the USB port and/or SD card slots. It was only after I had the unit installed by my local car audio store that I discovered that the unit did not have video playing capability, even though when I pressed the button marked ‘VID’ the word ‘VIDEO’ scrolled across the display. I ‘phoned Sherry and explained that the unit wasn’t playing videos and she told me that that unit didn’t have that function. I said that I thought that the button marked ‘VID’ the word ‘VIDEO’ scrolling across the display were misleading. She was very professional and diplomatic, and although she didn’t go as far as to say she agreed with me, she very nicely said that if I wanted to I could return the unit for a full refund. I said that I would like to return it but that the next day I was leaving for a month long road trip in the van and that it would be 5-6 weeks before I could do so. She said that wasn’t a problem, provided I returned it in as new condition when I got back from my trip. As a result I was able to thoroughly test the unit on our Alaska Highway road trip. Here, I will back-up a little and talk about the installation of the unit.

As I have already said, it was installed by my local car audio store, and there were no major problems. Although I was present during the installation, my knowledge of vehicle electronics is very basic. The installer found the installation area in the dash a little cramped to work in but the unit fitted the original dash opening perfectly. Underneath the top of the dash there was a bracket that we assumed helped secure the rear of the original radio, and this bracket prevented the new unit from going all the way back into the dash. By taking out the in-dash ash tray and using a Dremel he was able to cut enough of the bracket off so that the unit was no longer fouled by it. As to wiring the unit to the aerial and speakers, I am unable to answer any questions on that as the unit that was taken out was not the vehicle’s original unit and I had new speakers fitted at the same time. I can say that no additional wiring was required for the speakers, and that the aerial had already been adapted to take a modern unit. As my van is not my daily driver I had a kill switch installed at the lower left-hand side of the steering column so that I could avoid the battery being drained by the unit’s display when the van is parked for long periods.

During our drive along the Alaska Highway the unit functioned perfectly. Even on the worst sections of road everything worked great. We often used the Weather Band function, and on a couple of occasions we were able to camp early as we knew that to keep going would mean heading into bad weather. Even the alarm clock function was handy as a backup too.

Sound quality wise, it is difficult to say. Vanagons are not the most sound-proofed vehicles and the speaker positions are not in the best of locations. Similarly, the quality of the installed speakers will also come into the equation. I was also playing MP3s, so again sound quality is negatively affected. Add to that the fact that everyone’s hearing sensitivity is different, and it’s nigh on impossible to give a definitive opinion. Personally speaking, for my audio books, podcasts, MP3s, and movie sound – it sounds o.k. to me. As most of our time was spent moving I cannot comment on signal strength etc. of radio stations and frequencies.

Like another poster, Harold, VANGAUX, I found the remote control to be very handy when driving and wanting to change channels, functions etc. Also in the mornings when getting up, there was no need to crawl to the front of the van to turn the unit on as it could be done from the comfort of the bed. It was also handy when camping as I plugged my portable 7” DVD player sound-out into the unit’s auxiliary port and was able play the movie’s soundtrack through the van’s speakers and then adjust the volume, balance, etc. from my listening position in the rear of the van. Well worth the additional $7.

I have a 2nd generation iPod which I plugged into the USB port and was surprised to discover that the unit recognised it so I was therefore able to operate the iPod functions through the unit.

Upon returning home from our trip I packaged up the unit and returned it to Custom Radio Corp. with a note addressed to Sherry reminding her as to why the unit was being returned and within a few weeks I had a full refund credited to my card. The van then went into winter storage.

This spring I ’phoned Sherry and purchased a CSS-6800E AM/FM/WB/USB/SD Card/MP3/WMA Video Player. It was $250 USD, dealer price plus taxes, S&H, and import duty. (Custom Radio Corp. are in the U.S.A. and I live in Canada.) It arrived in a timely manner. I’ve just had it installed and everything seems to be working fine except a couple of things. These are: it doesn’t seem to want to play MP4s and it doesn’t recognise my 2nd generation iPod. (I think that this may be because my iPod is now too old of a version to be recognised as my Android ‘phone can be hooked up and is recognised and I can play the MP3 files on it via the unit’s as well as the remote’s controls.) The MP4 issue is not a problem as I just convert videos to AVI files using Any Video Converter http://www.any-video-converter.com/products/for_video_free/ a free download. Similarly, the iPod issue doesn’t affect me as I have two SD cards in the unit, one for music files and the other for audio books and podcasts. Movies are on a USB that I plug into the USB port.

The unit has a maximum capacity of 32gb per SD card and USB giving a total of 96gb of file storage plus whatever device you plug into the aux. port. Hook up a 64gb iPod to the aux. port and you have a grand total of 160gb of file storage coupled with 18 FM pre-sets and 10 AM pre-sets which should be enough to get you around the world without having to hear ‘I’ve Been Everywhere Man’ until you’re pulling back into your driveway 80 days later!
At the back of the unit are line-outs for RCA plugs for left and right audio, and video. When the unit was installed I had the RCA cables draped down behind the heater vents so that they exit from the right hand side into the passenger side foot well by about 12”. These can be coiled up and tucked in behind out of sight when not using the video function. When in use I use an RCA extension cable to extend the video cable to the video line-in on my 7” DVD player. There is no need to extend the audio cables as the sound is emitted from the vehicle’s speakers. (A ‘poor man’s surround sound!’). In retrospect I should have just had the video line-out cable installed from the rear of the unit as the audio-out cables are not required.

I’ve noticed that when power to the unit is disconnected for a period of time and then reconnected it remembers most of the settings but not the clock setting. I’ve yet to check if this is the case with the alarm function.

This second unit came with a remote control included. It differs from the $7 one in that it has additional buttons for the video functions.

All units come with an owner’s manual which has very clear written instructions as well as illustrations and connection diagrams. If there are any problems Custom Radio Corporation has a tech. dept. that you can email or ‘phone.

These units do not look at all out of place in a Westy. They have way too many functions and features for me to write about every one of them here. My advice would to be to make a list of the functions that you consider to be essential and then move on from there. If you contact Custom Radio Corporation they will email you the PDF data sheet on any of their products. If you still have questions, then you can contact them either by email or phone and they will get back to you in a timely fashion.

One thing I have noticed is that Custom Radio Corp. is constantly improving its products. For example, the original units with SD card capability only had one slot whereas all SD card units now have two. I wouldn’t be surprised to find that next year they are selling a unit that has all the capabilities that mine has with some other features such as Bluetooth added.

As a company, in all my dealings with their staff they have been excellent. It appears that they put customer satisfaction ahead of profit which is why I have no hesitation in recommending them to anyone reading this post.

Well, for my first post it’s been a long one. I hope that it is of value to someone. Lastly, I would just like to take this opportunity to say a big ‘Thank you’ to all Vanagon owners out there who have posted pictures, comments, suggestions, solutions etc. that I have used to help keep my ‘Valerie’ going.

Happy Camping!

Peter.

Tue May 20, 2014 7:14 am

WOW great 1st post Thank you and welcome

Tue May 20, 2014 1:11 pm

MsTaboo wrote: Any additional feedback on these units?
I looking for a new head unit for my Joker and I like the fact that these look retro and have weather bands.

I don't care about USB or iPod. I'm strictly old school CD's for the better quality sound.

How is the fidelity of these units? Has anyone hooked up a Sirius/XM unit to them?

Thanks!

The fidelity will not be high. There are various levels of fidelity available to you which differ in terms of cost and labor. At the highest level no car will match the fidelity of a good home audiophile system. OTOH, it is hard to listen to music at home while driving your house.

This unit will be pretty low-Fi rel. to other head units. If you are willing to spend say $1,000 on speakers, amp, head unit, sound dampening etc. then you will want to get a different head unit.

If you want a top quality head unit, it might be fun to look for a high-end lexus at a junkyard and pull out all of the sound system, retune it and install in your Vanagon. The aftermarket has pretty much abandoned HiFi for cars. But if you want a whole bunch of digital flashy lights there are many choices.

Thu Mar 31, 2016 12:31 pm

I recently came across this sweet vintage style radio that looks like a great single DIN, Vanagon dash fit. It has USB, blue tooth, aux input...

Thu Mar 31, 2016 1:03 pm

had to search up a link, unsure where to buy one.
http://www.continental-automotive.com/www/automoti..._products/

a search on the model number and I see them on Ebay germany will ship to USA, not too bad $140/shpd at this time.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Continental-TR7411U-OR-MP3...1579949216

Thu Mar 31, 2016 2:18 pm

I found it on the Becker autosound website
http://beckerautosound.com/upgrade-radios/3126974
Their price is $350. The ebay.de price seems like a great deal for a sweet radio.

Thu Mar 31, 2016 9:51 pm

I bought a Jensen Heavy Duty. Bluetooth, USB, Weather Band. No CD. Sounds good. Great build quality. Under $200 bucks. Love it.
(remote and microphone cost extra, there's reviews saying the remote doesn't work, but mine works great)

http://www.jensenheavyduty.com/jensen-am-fm-wb-usb-ipod-iphone-siriusxm-ready-bluetooth-stereo.html

Thu Mar 31, 2016 10:12 pm

otiswesty wrote: I found it on the Becker autosound website
http://beckerautosound.com/upgrade-radios/3126974
Their price is $350. The ebay.de price seems like a great deal for a sweet radio.

Depth is only 116mm, so no interference with the dash bracket behind the radio space.
http://www.continental-automotive.com/www/download..._OR_en.pdf

Fri Apr 01, 2016 12:48 am

noganav wrote: I bought a Jensen Heavy Duty. Bluetooth, USB, Weather Band. No CD. Sounds good. Great build quality. Under $200 bucks. Love it.
(remote and microphone cost extra, there's reviews saying the remote doesn't work, but mine works great)

Thanks for that. I'd forgo an optical drive to save a few bucks and get NOAA at my dash. My "trusty" Kenwood (that starts playing, at random times in CD mode, after I turn it off. :roll: ), and campfire smoke stained Eton crank WB/AM/FM/TV portable with sand in the switches, are getting long in the tooth.

This is highly subject to conditions and location etc. but do you generally get consistent reception of a NOAA channels wherever you are?

Are you able to see the display under heavy sunlight while driving?

That's my biggest b**ch with my newer Kenwood in other bus; can't see the display no matter what setting used, in sunny conditions.

Rant, rant, rant, back to our regular programming.

Neil.

Fri Apr 01, 2016 4:03 am

If you want a basic looking head unit, another optional is to install a vintage stereo, and plug in a Redi-Rad which adds a 3.5mm input jack for mp3, Sirius XM, etc.

https://rediscoveradio.com/index.php?main_page=pro...a33da8b517