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2005 Radio options

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Randomrunner12

Fueling questions

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Brake proportioning valve

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Bigceltic, which Kenwood did you get? Ozymandias which Pioneer did you get? I've been searching Crutchfield and am overwhelmed by the choices available. I think I have to give up on the CD idea as none seem to have it. I'm old and I have several, but I guess I can get a Bluetooth CD player that should work with any of them.
 
Oh, and I just stumbled over the install. Don't connect the wire to the e-brake, just ground it permanently. The only function of this is to keep you from doing some stuff with the unit while driving. The Nanny so to say...
 
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Ozymandias said:
Mine isn't available anymore.

Check these out, the all come with CD slot like mine.

https://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Car/DVD+Receivers

DVD superceded CD, but they all play ordinary CDs too.

Here is the link for Crutchfield.
All of these fit your needs.
https://www.crutchfield.com/g_168550/In-dash-DVD-Receivers.html?tp=20217

If you decide on one, ask us what we think about your choice before ordering.
Click to expand...
Thank you for reminding me about the DVD playing CDs. That makes it easier. I’ll probably go somewhere in the $200 - 300 range. I don’t need top of the line picture. I just want functionality, especially something easy to use while driving. Every one of them is probably light years ahead of the old factory radio. I do want Bluetooth to connect with our phones, and a radio that can pull in lots of stations. Back when I listened to Rush Limbaugh every day, AM clarity was really important. Now, with Rush gone, there probably isn’t a lot of future in AM besides local sports. I do want a backup camera. I got spoiled with the rental Toyota Corolla I drove for a couple weeks after my wreck.
 
Are you going to install yourself?
SLT doesn't have Infinity system right?

Rearview Camera I got from Amazon, NATIKA brand, very decent cameras that fit the bill.
Get the ine that is best for your install situation.
 
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Ozymandias said:
Are you going to install yourself?
SLT doesn't have Infinity system right?

Rearview Camera I got from Amazon, NATIKA brand, very decent cameras that fit the bill.
Get the ine that is best for your install situation.
Click to expand...
No Infinity. I’ll probably install it myself.
 
Blakers said:
Bigceltic, which Kenwood did you get? Ozymandias which Pioneer did you get? I've been searching Crutchfield and am overwhelmed by the choices available. I think I have to give up on the CD idea as none seem to have it. I'm old and I have several, but I guess I can get a Bluetooth CD player that should work with any of them.
Click to expand...


I got the Kenwood Excelon DDX6905S, and it had CD player (one of the reasons I picked it). I did not pick the one that had the wireless Android auto but wish I had. I ended up adding a box that allows that. I was also able to retain my steering wheel controls.
 
IMG_4183.jpeg
Just found this under the middle seat. I don’t know if there is any power going to it. Anyone know anything about it?
 
Ozymandias said:
Vehicle must have had an ALPINE head unit in it once in the past.

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_500CHAS634/Alpine-CHA-S634.html
Check out the reviews for it, almost 20 years old.

My guess is that the previous owner took the HU out but left the Changer behind as this isn't used anymore today. You'll probably find the unused wiring for it behind your Radio.
I'd get rid of it, uses a lot of space in the box.
Click to expand...
There are services that will transfer your CD's to a thumb drive pretty economically.
 
Ozymandias said:
Vehicle must have had an ALPINE head unit in it once in the past.

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_500CHAS634/Alpine-CHA-S634.html
Check out the reviews for it, almost 20 years old.

My guess is that the previous owner took the HU out but left the Changer behind as this isn't used anymore today. You'll probably find the unused wiring for it behind your Radio.
I'd get rid of it, uses a lot of space in the box.
Click to expand...
I bet the guy I bought it from didn’t even know that was in there as he bought it from someone in Florida. Probably didn’t even know that compartment was in there. And the current radio in the truck is a Mopar unit that has “2002 Cherokee” written on it.
When I opened the “secret” compartment in the middle, I was really hoping to find a Colt Python! LOL
 
Blakers said:
I think I have to give up on the CD idea as none seem to have it. I'm old and I have several, but I guess I can get a Bluetooth CD player that should work with any of them.
Click to expand...

One feature you might look for in any new setup would be a USB port, either USB A (traditional), or USB C (the new style). I've got a 32GB flash drive filled with over 5,000 music files that I ripped from CDs. Set that puppy to shuffle and it will play for more than 2 weeks without repeating a song. It's a bit of work to rip them into MP3s, but once you have it the work is done. And since backing them up is really just copying files to somewhere, you never have to worry about degradation over time since you just buy another flash drive and copy the backup over.
 
Crunch said:
One feature you might look for in any new setup would be a USB port, either USB A (traditional), or USB C (the new style). I've got a 32GB flash drive filled with over 5,000 music files that I ripped from CDs. Set that puppy to shuffle and it will play for more than 2 weeks without repeating a song. It's a bit of work to rip them into MP3s, but once you have it the work is done. And since backing them up is really just copying files to somewhere, you never have to worry about degradation over time since you just buy another flash drive and copy the backup over.
Click to expand...
That's a lot of files!!
 
Regcabguy said:
That's a lot of files!!
Click to expand...

Yep. I started with a 1GB flash drive and had to be particular about what I wanted. But when I bought a 32GB flash drive it freed me up. I basically ripped all my CDs to WAV files, pulled them into an audio editor to match the levels for them, and then batch converted them into MP3s for the flash drive. I also like to hit estate sales to pick up unusual tools and such, so I started buying CDs as well. The 32GB flash drive only has about 500MB of free space, so I bought a 64GB flash drive to keep the party going. If I fill that I will have over a month's worth of music. My one mistake? I rented a 2023 "connected" Suburban last year when my transmission was being rebuilt. When I plugged the flash drive in, our friends at Google downloaded a bunch of folders on to the drive without asking me. Flash drives are notoriously difficult to write protect unless they come with utility software, so the only solution I can think of is to fill it so full there is no room for Google to add anything. The music I have on that drive spans more than a thousand years, though it obviously was recorded a lot more recently.
 
Blakers said:
I don't think I want to go THAT big!
Click to expand...
Let me tell you, bigger REALLY IS better, particularly since so many of the controls are now through the touchscreen. It only seems big for the first week. After that you realize you can't go back to anything smaller.

Regardless of what size you get, be sure to get a panel mounted connector similar to the one circled below. Great for charging phones and other things, as well as playing your songs from USB media.
10-inch-w-USB.png
 
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Back Issues
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Buyer's Guides
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What Makes Us Tick?
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