[cboy]

If you own a short wheelbase or straight axle rod AND you like your cruisin' tunes you have probably experienced CD Skip - that annoying bounce your CD player takes whenever you hit a speed bump, pot hole or railroad track. It's been a long time problem with my '32 pickup.

While two of my gizmo crazy nephews were here over the 4th I asked them what CD player they would recommend to eliminate this problem. And both immediately said, "ditch the CD's and get a automotive player that uses flash memory". "No moving parts. No possibility of skipping."

So I spent a day on the web and came up with what looks like a reasonably priced solution. A Clarion head that plays USB Flash Memory thumb drives. I ordered one from an Ebay store for $112 (plus a 1 Gb thumb drive for $25).

Anybody else using a similar set up?

[78novaman]

I haven't gotten one of the in-dash players with the USB, but I use my g/f's MP3 player or my laptop on the radio in my truck all the time. If it's really bounce I won't use the laptop, but the MP3 player or my minidisc portable can take it like a champ. That 1GB flash drive will hold up to 20hrs or so of music.


I've been looking at one of the MP3/CD players for my truck that have the RCA inputs on the back. Then you can connect whatever you want: MP3 player, laptop, DVD player, etc.

[matt167]

ither the anti skip on your head unit is crap, or it's mounted improperly, tipped back too far, there mean't to be almost mounted compleatly horizontal, no more than a few degrees off.

[WakBordr7387]

Ive used the Cd players that had the auxillary input with my portable Mp3 player just fine.
It wasn't a big mp3 player but it held more than enough music for me. I didn't use the radio or cds again until my deck was stolen and they stole my plugin on the Pioneer headunit.


Brad

[302 Z28]

Sounds like the ticket, let us know how it works out. I love the flash drives for MP3's. I have a 1GB USB flash drive I take to work and it has over 200 songs on it

Vince

[cboy]

The new Clarion player arrived yesterday and I got it installed this morning. Here is a shot of the overhead console with the new player and then a shot closer up so you can see the thumb drive sticking out the right hand side of the player.

I found the Clarion db365usb at Locust Audio (ebay store) for $112 and the one gig thumb drive was $25 at Tiger Direct. I already have 11 full CD's on the thumb drive and have room for 4-5 more. But I just had to get it installed and do a test drive. What a difference over the old player. No skips...no problems...and the sound is terrific.

I'd definitely give this a big thumbs up for any of you looking for a new player or if you're having problems with your old player skipping. This is an am/fm unit, with full CD playing ability AND it will play thumb drives or any portable music players with a usb hook up (as long as they don't have proprietary coding like the ipod). It will play mp3 or wma (windows media) files. Oh, and it has a remote control so you or your passenger can control the player. This is handy because the buttons on the player head itself are pretty small and one would have to take their eyes off the road at times to find the right buttons. The remote buttons are quite a bit larger and you can hold it right up in front of you if you need to poke around.

At $112 bucks I'm thinking this is a good bargain. An HR.COM Best Buy!!!!!

[WakBordr7387]

Looks good Dewey. It is a good idea.
Only problem I would ever have with that is that Im kinda clumsy
And I would break off the thumbdrive within a week if it were in one of my cars.
Personally I like the ones that you plug into the back. And then I run a wire to like my console or under the carpet where it comes up beside the driver's seat, and I'll plug my Mp3 in with it, and just hold the player in my hand and so I can change the song without ever takeing my eyes off the road. I think its safer that way since alot of people mess with there stereos and cause wrecks.
And if I ever want it to look like a clean installation and hide the MP3 player. Unplug it and stuff the cord between the seats. You'll never know it was there.


Brad

[Blazin72]

Looks good cboy... Seems like a pretty good price for it too

As far as the CD players skipping goes. You can find units that will stand up to the vibration but they aren't cheap. My '72 Blazer isn't exactly the smoothest riding vehicle on the road by any stretch of the imagination and I've gone through a couple different units. The first one I had didnt make it six months before it crapped out. After that I went out and bought a $225 Alpine unit and it's worked great for about four years now. It's been exposed to dust, heat, cold, moisture, and just about anything else an open-top vehicle can be exposed to 8 months out of the year up here in the great NW. It's been down some pretty nasty mountain logging roads and trails during that time too.

[matt167]

I'm stuck with AM radio's in my rides, which are safer I guess, 6 big push button presets for 6 news channels. I may drop $550 for a new stereo for my '51 Chevy, Chevsofthe40s.com sell a original looking solid state AM/FM radio with a built in dual speaker that goes behind the speaker grill just like the original analog speaker does, also has an auxiliry in for a Cd player or such but $550 for the raido and another $79 for the 6-12v amplafier because my car is 6v, kinda steep for me