I can listen to truck stereo again!

[SvilleKid]

With work very slow due to the economy (plus, project was somewhat of a PITA), I've been putting off replacing the speakers and radio in my old F150.

I brought some speakers off flea-bay 4-5 months ago, and grabbed a JVC radio off the shelf at Wallyworld today. I was surprised at the lack of power in radio units these days. I guess everything expects you to add a secondary amp. I really don't have the need for ultra high fidelity in the truck, but I would like decent sound. The replacement speakers are three-way units, rated at 400 watts (which they will never see!). The old radio had lost almost all antenna reception, and it was an old cassette tape unit that didn't even play cassettes. Now, I can hook my iPhone into the front of the new radio, in a input jack, or into a UBS jack (which will charge phone while I play tunes. While the new setup won't win any awards, it is 500% better than the original setup, even when the truck was new. Now I can cruise with the windows down, smoking a stogie, and still hear my music!

This is the best of the four speakers I pulled out:



This what I put back in:



I would have taken it for a road trip and test the "stogie factor" this afternoon, but I've got a raging head cold, and there's no use wasting a cigar that I won't taste.

[awsmith4]

I did that in my 92 Dodge Dakota about 6 months before giving it to my sister, it was such a welcome addition to the ride. I have an 05 Explorer now with a Ford "Premium" system but it doesn't have an RCA jack for my iPhone. I have a thing now that broadcasts over the FM but the sound quality is noting compared to a direct input. Enjoy your new tunes!

[SvilleKid]

Originally Posted by awsmith4

Isn't this the truth!! With over 3500 songs on my iPhone, and over 10,000 to chose from on my portable hard drive, I really have little need for radio stations!! I do think I'm going to like the USB port on the radio I installed. It gives me power for charging, and it also gives me a read-out of what is playing without looking at the phone. And, if I want radio, I can use the iHeart app, and pull up a station that is playing what I want to hear!