Replacing an old 12v radio - what's the best and easiest to use out there?

[Tigerr]

So, the new to us boat has an old school Pioneer radio. Its wired into a nice set of speakers but it is one of those pioneer models with a completely incomprehensible control system, much like the one I installed in our old boat in 2012.  Old school single line type interaction, with abbreviations that probably made sense in Korea or Japan but could be enigma code to us old folks. 

I suspect plenty on here will recognise this little hell. 

We cant even find the off switch. we have to turn the damn thing off via the control panel at the back of the boat. 

I dont think it has bluetooth capability, but even if it does it is so far down a button pressing menu selection menu that we've never gone there. We rejoice if we can get anything other than the default of 1980's pop, which we both loathe. 

What I want it for is to play my audiobooks and music. 

I am capable of installing and wiring a new system, did so on the motorhome a few years ago. Got the crimping tools.

I can also manage drilling in and mounting a local on/off, but I'd rather it was easily found on the radio itself.

I mounted a Sony system in the van, it's not bad, but I suspect there are better choices. 

What I'd like, is a nice intuitive touch screen based system, with bluetooth, that I could replace the old model, but use the same slot in the wood bulkhead. 

I am sure someone here knows what I want. 

 

[Paul C]

Alpine

[Tigerr]

14 minutes ago, Paul C said:

Alpine

Thanks Paul. 

I think you are directing me to the touch-screen options. Are the Alpine ones better? 

[Paul C]

I am not familiar with their current range but in the past I’ve had 2 Alpine stereos and they’ve been easy to use and good quality.

[GUMPY]

I got bored with rubbish radio reception and fitted a Nobsound  It has line in and BT. I streamed stuff off my phone or ran it  from the TV output.

Worked very well just like a large BT speaker 😉

There are lots of Nobsound units on the market each slightly different 🤔

[Onewheeler]

2 hours ago, GUMPY said:

I got bored with rubbish radio reception and fitted a Nobsound   🤔

For only 20 p more you can get a 2 kW unit (scrolling down on the eBay link) 🤠

[Paul C]

2 hours ago, GUMPY said:

I got bored with rubbish radio reception and fitted a Nobsound  It has line in and BT. I streamed stuff off my phone or ran it  from the TV output.

Worked very well just like a large BT speaker 😉

There are lots of Nobsound units on the market each slightly different 🤔

 

I assumed from the OP that DIN mounting size (and probably ISO wiring harness already there), based on "use the same slot in the wood bulkhead". If steering away from fixed mounting, then a bluetooth speaker would be a good option.

[GUMPY]

My old system was a din mount as well, I just fitted it in its place using a blanking panel and used din to cable adapters where required.

Possibly not suitable for the OP  but it worked for me, twice and might suit someone else looking for ideas.

[dmr]

Its a real problem, most modern car radios are all about bluetooth sources and working hands free with the phone and streaming spotify from the phone. Actual radio reception is an afterthought.

and I share yiur frustration about finding the on-off switch.

 

Am currently listening to radio 4 streamed from the internet to the PC and sent via an optical cable to the bookshelf speakers, 😀 I was defeated by the radio but will try again in a couple of days.

[Arthur Marshall]

I've got a Pioneer car radio with a USB socket for music listening. l did have a DAB car radio but it ate the battery, so for radio stuff I now have a Pure Dab radio, USB rechargeable battery. No Bluetooth.

[MtB]

I too have a car radio with Bluetooth in the boat. I have Spotify and BBC Sounds apps installed on my phone which then plays via the car radio and its speakers via the bluetooth connection. Play volume, station, music choice etc are then all controlled directly on the phone handset. 

 

Sounds more complicated written down than it actually is. Well worth trying. 

 

 

 

 

[Mike Hurley]

In the house i use my phone linked to a Sony bluetooth speaker, sounds better than any car speaker I've ever had, all controlled from the phone screen and last 20 hours on a full charge. Speaker was about 150 quid though.

[pearley]

We just listen via Alexa..

 

[Alan de Enfield]

13 minutes ago, pearley said:

We just listen via Alexa..

 

 

 

 

[JoeC]

10 hours ago, Mike Hurley said:

In the house i use my phone linked to a Sony bluetooth speaker, sounds better than any car speaker I've ever had, all controlled from the phone screen and last 20 hours on a full charge. Speaker was about 150 quid though.

I enquired a year or so ago and had Sony SRS XB12 and Sony SRS XB23 bluetooth speakers recommended to me. Don't know if they are still current models or not.

[Mac of Cygnet]

9 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

 

 

Yes, but.......  You have to call her by name before she replies.  I got one for Christmas a few years ago and when I recently dug her out I realised I'd forgotten her name.  Then when I remembered it and tried to listen to any BBC station she went wittering on about having to link my BBC account to a profile on the Alexa app on my phone.  I don't have a smartphone.  I'm sure I could listen to BBC stations without all this when she arrived.  Bloody woman.

Help! I think I've been left behind 

[Mike Hurley]

2 hours ago, JoeC said:

I enquired a year or so ago and had Sony SRS XB12 and Sony SRS XB23 bluetooth speakers recommended to me. Don't know if they are still current models or not.

Mine is a SRS-XB43, sounds great

[Machpoint005]

A digital telly also receives digital radio. 

Just sayin'.

 

 

[Slim]

5 hours ago, Mac of Cygnet said:

 

Yes, but.......  You have to call her by name before she replies.  I got one for Christmas a few years ago and when I recently dug her out I realised I'd forgotten her name.  Then when I remembered it and tried to listen to any BBC station she went wittering on about having to link my BBC account to a profile on the Alexa app on my phone.  I don't have a smartphone.  I'm sure I could listen to BBC stations without all this when she arrived.  Bloody woman.

Help! I think I've been left behind 

Why not change "her voice" to a "his voice". I did. My hearing loss is in the higher frequencies and I find a male voice easier to understand.  Equally most smart speakers  are a no go area as they  don't  have any meaningful form of bass/treble adjustment. 

 

 

[Tony Brooks]

I agree that most modern car radios are needlessly complicated to operate. I suspect the internals across brands use common integrated circuits. One tends to think brand name = quality and long life, but me experience of Sony car radio do not bear this out. I have just looked for "basic car radio" on Amazon and found a few around £20, at least one of which has an obvious power button. At least one had an EQ button, so it should be possible to address the higher frequency hearing loss someone raised. None seemed to have a fader control, so if you have speakers at the front and back of the boat, you won't be able to turn one end volume down to zero. At that price for what looks like a simple radio, I suspect one is worth a punt.