Alpine FM reception

[sigfrid]

hi all.....

i am trying to replace my current head unit with a new one which would be probably (Alpine)... but i am wondering how good is it regarding FM reception (selctivivty and sensitivity)...

anybody have an idea. comments, please help

thank you

[SIDEWALKSISSY]

Originally posted by sigfrid
hi all.....

i am trying to replace my current head unit with a new one which would be probably (Alpine)... but i am wondering how good is it regarding FM reception (selctivivty and sensitivity)...

anybody have an idea. comments, please help

thank you

excellent head units... reception not soo good

[ppia600]

Haha... true. That was the one of the only complaints from customers when we sold alpine... that and the complex menus on some models. We heard "I can't pick up xyz station and my factory unit picks it up perfectly..blah,blah,blah" often.

[SIDEWALKSISSY]

Originally posted by ppia600
Haha... true. That was the one of the only complaints from customers when we sold alpine... that and the complex menus on some models. We heard "I can't pick up xyz station and my factory unit picks it up perfectly..blah,blah,blah" often.

yep.... i still love alpine though. i really don't listen to fm. my music isn't appreciated on main stream radio. i hear the sony xplode has killer reception

[Glowbug]

I've owned four Alpine head units, and I haven't had any particular reception problems with any of them.

[N-Channel]

I presently have four Alpine head units: two 7980s, a 7392S, and the almighty 7618.

Units I have had in the past: 7136, 7162, 7171, 7273, 7901, 7914, and a 7544. None of their tuners (even the 7618's T10-II tuner) were ever that outstanding, and they were regulalry beat out on FM reception by the factory units they replaced (some of those OEM units having been made by Alpine!).

I guess they just spend their R&D money on the strictly audio stuff: Amps, pre-amp ckts, CD/DVD audio, equalization/active crossovers, etc.; and fund the tuner research with the unspent (left-over) money.

[junglejuice]

I have had a 7292s a 7392s and now the brilliant 7620 and none had particularly brilliant tuners, my old Kenwood that I got rid of recently had a much better tuner!!!

But I will stay with Alpine....

[N-Channel]

AMEN. BTW, Juice, I found some 7620 pics on the Web. Cool unit. Did you ever get the demo mode on the 7618 to run?

[junglejuice]

Hiya mate, I must admit that I haven't had the time to look at it really.
How did you go with the input mod?

[N-Channel]

You're gonna love this- the 7618's (and 7392S's) RCA inputs are active when CD Shuttle mode is selected (provided that the appropriate M-Bus CD shuttle is attached). If there is no magazine in the changer, or if the magazine is empty, it just goes into a "pause" mode with the RCA inputs still active, thus enabling external audio to be fed into the system. I guess to activate either of the inputs (DIN or RCA), the head unit needs to actually sense the changer, and will not work with some type of hack or by-pass installed in place of the changer.

So, I will simply connect either a short (< 2 feet) RCA-to-3.5mm stereo, or RCA-to-5-Pin DIN, or RCA male to RCA panel-mount female patch cable and let them hang free near the console. Or, I have another idea: Since the 1993 year Accord had four knockouts near the emergency brake handle on the console (presumably an alternate location for the power window switches), I will "fill" one (or several) of these knochouts with any of the previously-mentioned connection methods: 3.5mm stereo, RCA or 5-Pin DIN. I am scrapping the idea of the relay-activated switchbox, greatly simplifying things.

When I finish, I will post pics of the installation for all to see.

Steve