Can I fit a US audio head unit to my car? What are the potential problems/incompatibilities etc.
I assume they are the same size (DIN), same connectors etc, any differences?
The reason I ask is that I am very tempted by a new Alpine unit tinyurl.com/rajnh which is available in the US for about £260, in the UK price is expected to be £400+ when available in June?
TIA
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If I remember correctly the same frequencies are used, so in theory you shouldn't have a problem.
Try comparing a US website specification with a UK equivalent...:-)
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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It will physically fit, and I dont suppose you will have any problems playing CD's. However, you may have problems with the radio. I know that radios made for some foreign markets do not work in the UK as the tuner 'steps' up the frequency range out of sync with UK radio stations, e.g you want 98.9 but the radio will tune to 98.8 or 99.0
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the frequency step scanning on am will be different and will get not much more than noise, and the FM band will be shorter than the uk so you will loose stations at the top.
Its not a good move to use a US head unit.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Thanks for the replies so far.
TVM, good points. It appears FM is 87.7-107.9MHz compared to 87.5-108MHz on UK models, I cannot off-hand think of any stations outside that range. AM is 530.1-1710kHz to 531-1602 on UK models apparently not a problem?
I rarely listen to the radio, however I shall have to look into the possibilities more closely.
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Historically what TVM and ??? say would have prevented effective use of a USA unit in the UK. However in these days of globalisation of and digitally synthesised local oscillators I cannot believe that manufacturers will make 2 different versions. They will be undoubtably be programmable for the target market. However whether you can get the information to reset the options is the big question.
Why not Email the manufacturers or look at the specns of an earlier but similar model to see if it is worth the chance!
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pmh (was peter)
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American spec:
tinyurl.com/pqtln
Similar FM range (87.7-107.9 MHz) but UK is from 87.5 to 108MHz
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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Lots of folk with disapointment buying US head units (and poorer). Its the frequency steps that mess it up rather than the position of the band (except Janpanese ones are shifted).
The US doesn't seem to know or use RDS either ??
(tucked away under 'specs' at www.nakamichi.com )
Frequency Range:
U.S.A: 87.5-107.9 MHz in 200 kHz steps
Other Areas: 87.5-108.0 MHz in 50 kHz steps
AM Tuner Section
Frequency Range:
U.S.A: 530-1,710 kHZ in 10 kHz steps
Other Areas: 531-1,602 kHz in 9 kHz steps
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RDS is in use in the US, some radio stations there even broadcast song title and artist. Whether it is compatible with UK RDS is another matter.
Wouldn't the UK frequencies be available if you set the radio tuner to scan, wait for it to receive the station then set it to memory?. I imagine that manual tuning would use the steps and would miss stations.
Would it be safe to assume that all those private import US market trucks and SUVs etc can't receive UK radio stations?. Haven't heard anything of the sort whenever reading articles on importing US market vehicles. Maybe Kevin will come along and clear it up as he has a US market Chevy Z28 over here now.
£260 is still a fair bit of money to gamble on it not working, would you consider buying a cheap ebay radio for next to nothing and trying that first?. You could always sell on again if it works.
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Thanks martin123 very useful info.
trancer I already have a CD/MP3 playing unit, but fancied a DVD unit so I can get all my collection on 1 or 2 DVDs.
It gals a bit seeing the (probable) price difference. However shall have to wait see what discounts the UK units get, although I bet it will be £350+:-(
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Usually the wee small gem is that *somewhere* in the system is a function to switch it European bands and stepping. Its all chip controlled.
Where that *somewhere* is is the 64,000 yen question.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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The scanning function uses the frequency steps the same as manual tuning. I doubt there is a US/Europe toggle anywhere - it's easy enough to have half a dozen different pre programmed cpus or roms and just insert the one for the market it's aimed at.
My ECU/Dash for mph/kph *C or *F etc is by three links on the PCB - current models have different cpu chips - makes imports a couple of hundred quid more to convert.
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>Maybe Kevin will come along..
My Z28 still has the factory fit ICE and there are some differences to non-US kit. From memory (who listens to the radio when you've got a Texas-spec exhaust system), I think that on FM the radio will only tune to even frequencies ie. for Radio 2-Ten in my area which transmits on 102.9 MHz, my radio will select 102.8 or 103 MHz. Doesn't seem to cause much of a problem with most stations though.
I'd email Alpine to see if the Model Nos. and specs are the same then check import duties and taxes. (I had some clothes shipped over for my wife last year and duty and taxes came to about 30%!)
Kevin...
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>>
I'd email Alpine to see if the Model Nos. and specs are the same then check import duties and taxes. >>
They are clearly not the same.
As someone mentioned earlier, products are geared to the particular market in which they are sold. It costs peanuts to make the changes at the production stage.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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My Camaro has the standard Bose/Delphi head unit and is no problem on FM when I use it in Germany or the UK.
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Quite aside from the technical side, be sure that you can actually get the darned thing sold to you.
I wanted, for example, to buy a particular Yamaha keyboard from the States, as it was so much cheaper, only to run up against Yamaha's policy that they will simply not allow a dealer over there to sell outside the US, end of story.
Of course, going there, picking it up and physically bringing it back gets over that one.
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..then check import duties and taxes. (I had some clothes shipped over for my wife last year and duty and taxes came to about 30%!)
That's a good point - at one time it was pretty random whether you got charged or not, now (in my experience) you always get an import bill (once the goods are over, I think, £18 in value).
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Yes, I had though of the possible VAT, import duty problem. I have a few friends/relatives who make the trip 4 or 5 times a year, would use that method.
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"would use that method."
Also are you sure they are willing to go through the "nothing to declare" channel for you? and if they do and get stopped I'm sure there will be consequences possibly for them and you financially, it's a gamble but you have to know what you are gambling.
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I have a US CD/radio fitted on my car, no problems whatever. I don't know what RDS is but I can look to see if my unit has it and see if it works, but you'll have to tell me what it is and how it is supposed to work.
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Forgot I have the face-off infront of me :o)
It is a Blaupunkt Boston CD189
Buttons/functions I can see include:
Pwr - on/off
AUD - dunno
SC/PS - dunno
MIX - random CD playing
RPT - repeats the CD
II> - pause/play presumably
XBASS - presumably Extra Bass
SENS - dunno
Mute - mute
TS - dunno maybe traffic
BND - band
CD - CD
Disp - runtime remaining or elapsed etc etc.
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The frequency steps (actually channel spacing) are certainly different in the US to what is used in the UK.
However, very often, you will find that the spacing is switchable, depending on which country the receiver is to be used in.
This does need to be checked before spending any money, though. You don't want to spend that sort of amount of money on a radio only to find the channel spacing cannot be changed.
As for the difference in price, it's the old story of what costs dollars in the US costs the same number in GBP's in the UK, and this certainly applies to electrical and electronic goods probably more than anything else. This is why manufacturers won't normally supply you in the UK with US items if there is a UK distrubutor, or, at least, impose some pretty draconian conditions if they do agree.
Some years ago a friend of mine wanted to save some money and successfully imported a US purchased Harley Davidson motorcycle. He was able to do this in spite of the fact that the manufacturers would only supply to a US address. That bit was easy, his sister lives in the states so he just used her address! Shipping to the UK was then arranged after purchase.
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Travellers returning to the UK can bring in goods to a max value of £145 before having to declare the items. Import duty (DVD player is 14%) plus VAT at 17.5%
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Based on the above it would cost £348 to bring to the UK legally. You've then got warranty support issues etc. I'd pay the £400 for a UK model with UK warranty, support and the knowledge that it's engineered for the market.
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