Recent content by EdMuse

Yeah, that's what I've been doing. Problem with it is that, if someone isn't trying to sell you their product, then most people are reviewing the one product they've just proudly (or not so much) purchased. So the reviews seem to say that the unit is the best on the face of the earth, or it's...

Two things--one thread. First of all, I have bene hunting for some sort of impartial buying guide to car audio. Something that does product comparisons based on objective tests, sort of ala Consumer Reports (who doesn't seem ever to have reviewed car stereos). Any ideas? Second, before my...

Okay, I think I've decided what I'm going to do. I just spoke with Blaupunkt, who told me that they don't publish ambient tem data on their gear (translation: the guy on the other end of the phone didn't know and didn't feel like checking), but that all stereos from any company would have the...

You mean to have the AC cool the unit? Actually, I'd think about it if the **** AC worked at all:) . I've thought about taking it out completely, as the compressor's bearings are going, the evaporator is in the way of some of the bolts I need to get to for the mods I'm doing on the front end...

Yeah, you're probably right. I was thinking, though, that I can either try isolate the ductwork from the stereo, or the stereo from the ductowrk. If I do the latter, I'd be creating a little environment for the stereo that is independent of the rest of the environment behind the dash. I...

A quick search turned up: http://www.glenbrook.k12.il.us/gbssci/phys/Class/circuits/u9l1a.html Somewhere in this site, right next to an illustration of electron flow from a battery through a bulb back to the battery, from + to -, is the quote "...Similar reasoning would lead one to conclude...

Try this: put a piece of aluminum foil on a stove. Put your hand on the foil. See if the heat gets through. Now, try this: take a foot long piece of foil and twist it into a foot long "stick." Put one end on a hot stove. Try to touch the other end and see of it is hot. Any material will...

Volvos are made in Sweden (or at least they used to be). It gets pretty cold there, so their heating systems tend to be pretty good. Even with the heat cranked, it ends up being cooler by the time it difuses out into the cabin. Still, I keep the heat slider about a finger's width from minimum...

Nothing's gonna burn in there. I mean, we think of paper as being pretty flamable, right? Its flashpoint is 455 degrees F. Alcohol doesn't even boil until 168 degrees F. So, I'm not worried about anything flaring up at 150 degrees F. My problem is that I just haven't found a suitable...

Hey, one thing nobody seems to have mentioned is that mp3 files, by nature, don't sound as good as CDs. Remember that the reason you can fit so many mp3 files on a CD is that they are compressed. Now, some methods of compression are better than others, and as far as quality vs. file size goes...

Originally Posted by SirSyko Get a deck with the option of the internal amp to turn off. Mine does this. True. Actually, I removed the stock Volvo external amp when I put the Blaupunkt HU in. I don't know how much power it was pushing, but I figured any decent aftermarket unit would do...

My interpretation is that he means that, if I got a stock HU, it would be built to handle the heat of the car it was put in. Actually, Volvos had an external amp as well, so power isn't an issue with the stock stereo. The only reason I replaced mine was that it wasn't working when I got the...

I'm still trying to get in touch with Pioneer to find out how hot they test their gear. I've thought of using a computer case-style fan. I'm worried that it will just blow hot air all over my stereo. I figure if Volvo couldn't efficiently duct the hot air away, I probably can't. Also, it...

Beacuse it's not quite that simple. If it were, I would have done it originally. The problem is that there isn't enough space between the ducts and the bottom of the headunit's sleeve to get any decent insulation in there. There is, perhaps, 1/8" of clearance. Now, if you could suggest to me...

I'd agree, but it's a problem even when the vents are closed, as long as the heat is on, even a little bit. -EdM.