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New aftermarket head unit - where to put the usb


arthor
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So, I've installed a new head unit in my Ford Focus MK2.5. It's a JVC KW M730BT and it looks good and works great, does Android Auto (which is amazing), Apple Carplay and a lot of other stuff as well. Great little unit for a very agreeable price. The installed unit looks like this:

IMG_20171215_101353_01.thumb.jpg.b2afb35c9d8679b5da7d0b09df31aab3.jpg

Using Android Auto have presented me with a problem. I need a USB-port to connect my phone and as the car wasn't born with one I'm looking for a way to install it. Right now the USB-cable just runs under the center console trim and comes out next to the gear stick. It works but it's not a very elegant solution. Right now I have come up with 4 different ways of doing it which all have pros and cons. Therefore I'm looking for your experiences and maybe other alternatives I've overseen.

Alternative 1: Glove box

This would be a fairly straight forward procedure, get the glove box out, drill a hole and install a USB-socket like this one. The obvious downside being that it would be in the glovebox. However the phone isn't usable when in AA-mode so I'm not sure that it actually matters and it wouldn't clutter the interior with cables and stuff.

Alternative 2: Chinese usb socket

This alternative involves ordering a socket from China that fits with the buttons below the climate control. It would need a converter as it comes with a USB-mini and I need a USB A and I'm not sure it's a good enough cable for the amount of data required by AA. There is also the concern about color mismatch and them burning up (not sure if this is an actual problem but I've read about it?).

Alternative 3: Next to the 12v socket

This would be the most elegant solution and would involve the same type of socket as alt. 1. I don't have the ashtray with a flap but just a compartment with the 12v socket in it. I haven't picked it apart and looked behind so I'm not sure how much room there is. Also, I don't know how to get it out for drilling which may involve removing the whole center console and that seems like a lot of work for a USB socket. Also, I'm afraid it'll be expensive to get a replacement if I ***** it up.

Alternative 4: Homemade socket in one of the blind buttons

Like the Chinese solution this would involve using on of the blind slots below the climate control. I would then drill a hole and install a similar socket as in alt. 1 and 3 but smaller with a single USB socket. I'm not sure it's actually possible to do as I haven't measured but it would also result in a rather clean result and the replacement part is cheap and easy to get if I ***** it up.

So, fire away. :)

 

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I've got a similar headunit, Kenwood dmx7017dabs in my MK2.5. the USB runs into the glove box so when I'm using android auto the phone is out of the way. No drilling holes requires as it feeds through a gap top right of the glove box. Then just secured to side of glove box. Neat and outta way

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Yeah, I actually considered the Kenwood as well but the lower panel put me off and I ended up with the JVC that has a bit cleaner look to it. The Kenwood is great as well though, no doubt about that. DAB might turn out to be lacking on the JVC, time will tell.

Your way of doing it seems appealing as it doesn't involve drilling. However, I can't figure out where you've fed it through as I can't see any useful gaps. Could you snap a quick picture of it?

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Currently got my usb stick plugged into it by when my phone is connected it's outta the way.. wat it's held to side of glove box is temp at the min but it works..

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Some nice head units there lads, wish I could afford to change mine, how much to upgrade guys, if you don't mind me asking 😀👍

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All in all I think I ended up paying around €500 and then installed the unit myself. The head unit  itself was €360 (I do think it's the cheapest AA unit around), the frame around €40 and the harness and steering wheel interface around €90. You could probably save a little on the interface and harness but I wanted to make sure it was plug and play. The Kenwood is around €400 for the DAB version and €380 without. Other than the logo and interface I think the 2 (3) units are basically the same.

I have very very basic knowledge of car electronics and the install probably took me a couple of hours and didn't prove that challenging, apart from me killing my very old battery by forgetting to turn the dome light off. It was due anyway lol.

That being said, I haven't connected the handbrake, reverse or speedometer cables yet and they might prove more challenging. We'll see.

I've ended up ordering a USB socket from China and will try that out before drilling anything. I'll use the same solution as Dave until then and see if it works well having it in the glove compartment.

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My android unit was £120 refurbished, still working better than the last one. I have my USB sockets installed in 2 of the blind panels which I dremelled out myself; took my time doing it and it looks good & works well :D

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£580 for me fitted by source sounds in Sheffield. £400 for the headunit. Rest was fitting which Inc the facia adaptor and then dab adaptor and steering stalk control adaptor. I don't to electronics!! But they did go through the sound setup with me once it was installed and set it to my liking etc..

They have also changed my Speakers to audison prima component's and sound deadened my doors.

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3 hours ago, synaesthesia said:

My android unit was £120 refurbished, still working better than the last one. I have my USB sockets installed in 2 of the blind panels which I dremelled out myself; took my time doing it and it looks good & works well :D

That's a price I would be willing/ able to pay, where about did you get it from.

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Treat them with caution, just like any chingrish electronics. With my experience I'm happier to meddle if needs be, but be aware that plugging these things into the canbus of a modernish car can be a little worrying for obvious reasons.

Mine came from http://stores.ebay.co.uk/caraudiostar/ - plenty of other sellers out there but went for a UK based one for peace of mind. Found some slightly cheaper from Holland or China direct but didn't fancy the risk.

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When I looked at head units I also had good long look at different Chinese Android units. To be honest they have a bunch of good stuff going for them, easy to connect, very flexible, OEM looks and so on.

However, the downsides are also rather many which made me choose another unit. There's the question of them not always working properly or dying within a short period of time, which seem to be a rather usual problem. The actual price you've paid might be lower but if you'll have to get new ones, repair or fiddle with it, the amount of money saved will quickly diminish. £120 is obviously a good price, but if you want a more proven quality like Xtrons you're paying around £300 anyway.

There's also the question of day to day use. You can always get a launcher and set it up to make things run smoothly but in the end all your apps will be android apps, not always suited for the car. Brand units might not have as many apps but the ones it does have are made for using in the car, not on a tablet.

My 5 cents anyway. I get why people buy the android units and I nearly did myself. In the end it comes down to what you want your unit to do and how much you're prepared to meddle with it if need be.

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