Android Headunits - My Experience / Tips
06-05-2019, 12:35 PM
#1
MBWorld Fanatic!
Thread Starter
Android Headunits - My Experience / Tips
So, I'm posting some info about my experience with Android headunits...hopefully help some people looking to get one. It's been a few years now, as in 5, since I've been dealing with Android units. What seemed like a fad at the time, it's clearly here to stay.
Manufacturers
- Realistically, there are a FEW manufacturers that sell units to resellers. These resellers choose to install their own firmware on the units, many times.
- Manufacturers make different versions of the same unit, reflected in price. The outside might look the same but the insides might have worse processors, less RAM, worse display tech, etc.
- Some manufacturers make units that fit specific models of cars (basically look like the stock unit). These are generally more expensive than a generic unit and MAY have outdated hardware.
- They also offer generic units, which generally have better hardware for a much lower price. You have to worry about trimming it out for your car though.
Resellers/Quality of Headunits
- These guys generally handle the firmware/software that's installed on the headunit.
- Resellers have different levels of customer service. Generally though, they've been accommodating with my requests and responded quicker than US based sellers (generally via text/chat etc)
- Firmware usually comes in 2 parts: android side and hardware side.
- Based on the unit, firmware updates can be good or bad. I would generally stay away from updating the hardware side firmware if everything works fine.
- They may be forthcoming or stingy with their updates, based on how you approach them.
Joying
- Headunits have digitizer issues. 2 of the units I used failed (most likely sun/heat related) after 2 years.
- 1 of the units arrived with a broken radio module. Joying offered to refund/send a new one if I sent it back.
- Overall, I would stay away from them.
Pumpkin
- Digitizer started separating from display after a while (sun related). Was easily fixed.
- Customer support was good, provided updated firmware/GPS maps promptly.
Dynavin
- I had one of the first ones made for the CLK. It had software issues and quality didn't seem great. They seem to have improved since then.
- Their new units mention a 833MHz CPU. No thanks.
- They seem to be on DynOS now which may or may not be Android based. Either way, no thanks.
- Great instructions and customer service though.
Xtrons
- Most comprehensive/professional package so far in terms of build quality, instructions, harnesses etc. We'll see how things go.
- Top notch hardware specs and Android 8.
Adapters/Harnesses
- Depending on the unit, it might come with a "CAN decoder" which will be able to read illumination status, reverse, button presses, ACC, etc. These can work well or not at all. Some work on both facelift/non facelfit cars like the Xtrons unit.
- A lot of the units include multiple harnesses that provide either RCA outputs and plain wire outputs. You can wire them however you see fit.
- The facelift CLK has a MOST decoder box that allows you to retain your stock AMP/fiber optic system. Price is usually steep (for what it is) at about 100$. I would prefer to run my own amps with better speakers.
- Use adapters for the stock GPS antenna. Do not use the antenna that comes with the unit if you want good GPS reception.
- Based on where you tap ACC power, you may need a power filter to eliminate noise. I found the cig lighter power to be pretty "dirty". I decided to run a wire from the rear SAM instead.
- Try to get a specific wiring diagram for your VIN from SDS. There may be slight variances between years, wire colors etc.
General Connections/Tapping Wires (no CAN adapter)
- Illumination: cigarette lighter (middle pin is power for the built in bulb)
- Reverse: tail lamp, shift indicator
- GND: main stock headunit harness
- ACC: cig lighter, rear/front SAM via fuse tap.
- BATT: main stock headunit harness
- CAN: main stock headunit harness
- AMP: remote turn on for the amplifier
- ANTENNA: remote turn on for the radio antenna module
- KEY1, KEY2: resistive interface for button presses
Wifi Antennas/Mics/Reverse Cameras/Steering Wheel Controls/AMPS/Antennas
- If your unit comes with several wifi antennas, do not bury them in the dash behind metal. Try to spread them out and place them behind plastic parts or you will have no signal.
- Depending on the unit, the mic might be average or terrible. Feel free to chop up the stock mic wire and adapt it to the new headunit if possible.
- Headunit harnesses usually come with an RCA connector for backup cameras. If you have aftermarket cameras with built in IR LEDs, like I do, it's unwise to have them powered at all times. What you want to do is use a relay to distribute power to them when the car is in reverse. So, wiring would look like this: reverse signal -> relay (source power from fuse box via fuse tap) ->camera.
- If you don't have a CAN decoder box, get one. Otherwise, a lot of units also provide a 2 wire resistive connection (usually labeled KEY1 and KEY2) for steering wheel buttons. In this case you'll need a couple products from PAC that can translate the CAN signals to a resistive signal. Check their site for the latest versions.
Non-Facelift CLK (Comand)
- If you have the DB2 fiber optic system, you're screwed in terms of retaining the stock amp. I couldn't find any DB2 fiber optic adapters that would allow me to use the stock amp with the new unit. Do they exist? Maybe.
- If you don't have a Bose amp, most of the units should be plug and play with the right harness.
- I used 2 separate amps to run my speakers (1 for the front/rear speakers and sub, 1 for the center speaker/channel).
- The stock GPS antenna is a "HRS GT5-1S" plug. So, you will need a cable that's GT5-1PP on one side and whatever your headunit uses on the other side.
- The stock radio antenna is an ISO connector so you will need a cable that's ISO on one side and whatever your headunit uses on the other side.
- The steering wheel controls should work fine if you properly connect the CAN adapter that comes with your unit or you can go the resistive route with adapters from PAC.
Facelift CLK (Comand)
- If your car comes with the fiber optic system/amp then you need a MOST adapter for your unit. This will allow the headunit to retain the stock amp.
- If you don't have the fiber optic system then units should be plug and play with the right harness.
- The stock GPS antenna uses a FAKRA connector. You should have no trouble finding an adapter for your unit if needed.
- The stock radio antenna should also be FAKRA, so you might need an adapter for that as well.
- The steering wheel controls should work fine if you properly connect the CAN adapter that comes with your unit or you can go the resistive route with adapters from PAC.
Other Tips
- A lot of the harnesses that come with the Android units are extensive, to cover all possible versions of the car. Space behind the headunits in the CLKs is pretty tight so fell free to remove all wires that are unused from the new harness. That will clean things up.
- Use Tesa tape on everything to eliminate rattles.
- Solder and heat shrink connections where possible. Don't use wire taps, butt connectors, home depot connectors etc.
- If your unit comes with USB cables, you can either run them to the center console or to the glove box, fairly easily. You can use these to connect wireless keyboards, flash drives, mice etc.
- Draw yourself a diagram so when time comes to replace the headunit again you know wtf you did.
- Get a unit that has actual buttons on it. Using a touch screen while driving is one of the most annoying things ever.
- Check the headunit specs using apps from the play store. Sometimes 4G of ram is really 2 and other possible surprises.
- Before purchasing, think about what you want out of the unit. You want usability and stock feel? Go for a unit specifically made for your car. You want a big screen and apps? Go for a generic/tablet look unit with a 10.1 inch screen.
- Protect your unit from the sun when parked. These units are not built to the same standards as OEM units and they will gradually take damage from the heat.
Lastly
- Don't get too attached to your Android headunit. As technology advances, you will probably want a new one in 2 years or so, if you still have your car. The units are also designed to last around 2-3 years it seems, which is fine for the price point. Don't pay over 500$ for any of these units because realistically they're worth around 300$ (all of them). If you search hard enough you can find any of them for about 350$ shipped, unless they were JUST released, or are specialty/hard to find.
- If you're into modding/hacking your unit, check XDA-developers.com before you buy to see what kind of support from the community your specific unit is getting.
Manufacturers
- Realistically, there are a FEW manufacturers that sell units to resellers. These resellers choose to install their own firmware on the units, many times.
- Manufacturers make different versions of the same unit, reflected in price. The outside might look the same but the insides might have worse processors, less RAM, worse display tech, etc.
- Some manufacturers make units that fit specific models of cars (basically look like the stock unit). These are generally more expensive than a generic unit and MAY have outdated hardware.
- They also offer generic units, which generally have better hardware for a much lower price. You have to worry about trimming it out for your car though.
Resellers/Quality of Headunits
- These guys generally handle the firmware/software that's installed on the headunit.
- Resellers have different levels of customer service. Generally though, they've been accommodating with my requests and responded quicker than US based sellers (generally via text/chat etc)
- Firmware usually comes in 2 parts: android side and hardware side.
- Based on the unit, firmware updates can be good or bad. I would generally stay away from updating the hardware side firmware if everything works fine.
- They may be forthcoming or stingy with their updates, based on how you approach them.
Joying
- Headunits have digitizer issues. 2 of the units I used failed (most likely sun/heat related) after 2 years.
- 1 of the units arrived with a broken radio module. Joying offered to refund/send a new one if I sent it back.
- Overall, I would stay away from them.
Pumpkin
- Digitizer started separating from display after a while (sun related). Was easily fixed.
- Customer support was good, provided updated firmware/GPS maps promptly.
Dynavin
- I had one of the first ones made for the CLK. It had software issues and quality didn't seem great. They seem to have improved since then.
- Their new units mention a 833MHz CPU. No thanks.
- They seem to be on DynOS now which may or may not be Android based. Either way, no thanks.
- Great instructions and customer service though.
Xtrons
- Most comprehensive/professional package so far in terms of build quality, instructions, harnesses etc. We'll see how things go.
- Top notch hardware specs and Android 8.
Adapters/Harnesses
- Depending on the unit, it might come with a "CAN decoder" which will be able to read illumination status, reverse, button presses, ACC, etc. These can work well or not at all. Some work on both facelift/non facelfit cars like the Xtrons unit.
- A lot of the units include multiple harnesses that provide either RCA outputs and plain wire outputs. You can wire them however you see fit.
- The facelift CLK has a MOST decoder box that allows you to retain your stock AMP/fiber optic system. Price is usually steep (for what it is) at about 100$. I would prefer to run my own amps with better speakers.
- Use adapters for the stock GPS antenna. Do not use the antenna that comes with the unit if you want good GPS reception.
- Based on where you tap ACC power, you may need a power filter to eliminate noise. I found the cig lighter power to be pretty "dirty". I decided to run a wire from the rear SAM instead.
- Try to get a specific wiring diagram for your VIN from SDS. There may be slight variances between years, wire colors etc.
General Connections/Tapping Wires (no CAN adapter)
- Illumination: cigarette lighter (middle pin is power for the built in bulb)
- Reverse: tail lamp, shift indicator
- GND: main stock headunit harness
- ACC: cig lighter, rear/front SAM via fuse tap.
- BATT: main stock headunit harness
- CAN: main stock headunit harness
- AMP: remote turn on for the amplifier
- ANTENNA: remote turn on for the radio antenna module
- KEY1, KEY2: resistive interface for button presses
Wifi Antennas/Mics/Reverse Cameras/Steering Wheel Controls/AMPS/Antennas
- If your unit comes with several wifi antennas, do not bury them in the dash behind metal. Try to spread them out and place them behind plastic parts or you will have no signal.
- Depending on the unit, the mic might be average or terrible. Feel free to chop up the stock mic wire and adapt it to the new headunit if possible.
- Headunit harnesses usually come with an RCA connector for backup cameras. If you have aftermarket cameras with built in IR LEDs, like I do, it's unwise to have them powered at all times. What you want to do is use a relay to distribute power to them when the car is in reverse. So, wiring would look like this: reverse signal -> relay (source power from fuse box via fuse tap) ->camera.
- If you don't have a CAN decoder box, get one. Otherwise, a lot of units also provide a 2 wire resistive connection (usually labeled KEY1 and KEY2) for steering wheel buttons. In this case you'll need a couple products from PAC that can translate the CAN signals to a resistive signal. Check their site for the latest versions.
Non-Facelift CLK (Comand)
- If you have the DB2 fiber optic system, you're screwed in terms of retaining the stock amp. I couldn't find any DB2 fiber optic adapters that would allow me to use the stock amp with the new unit. Do they exist? Maybe.
- If you don't have a Bose amp, most of the units should be plug and play with the right harness.
- I used 2 separate amps to run my speakers (1 for the front/rear speakers and sub, 1 for the center speaker/channel).
- The stock GPS antenna is a "HRS GT5-1S" plug. So, you will need a cable that's GT5-1PP on one side and whatever your headunit uses on the other side.
- The stock radio antenna is an ISO connector so you will need a cable that's ISO on one side and whatever your headunit uses on the other side.
- The steering wheel controls should work fine if you properly connect the CAN adapter that comes with your unit or you can go the resistive route with adapters from PAC.
Facelift CLK (Comand)
- If your car comes with the fiber optic system/amp then you need a MOST adapter for your unit. This will allow the headunit to retain the stock amp.
- If you don't have the fiber optic system then units should be plug and play with the right harness.
- The stock GPS antenna uses a FAKRA connector. You should have no trouble finding an adapter for your unit if needed.
- The stock radio antenna should also be FAKRA, so you might need an adapter for that as well.
- The steering wheel controls should work fine if you properly connect the CAN adapter that comes with your unit or you can go the resistive route with adapters from PAC.
Other Tips
- A lot of the harnesses that come with the Android units are extensive, to cover all possible versions of the car. Space behind the headunits in the CLKs is pretty tight so fell free to remove all wires that are unused from the new harness. That will clean things up.
- Use Tesa tape on everything to eliminate rattles.
- Solder and heat shrink connections where possible. Don't use wire taps, butt connectors, home depot connectors etc.
- If your unit comes with USB cables, you can either run them to the center console or to the glove box, fairly easily. You can use these to connect wireless keyboards, flash drives, mice etc.
- Draw yourself a diagram so when time comes to replace the headunit again you know wtf you did.
- Get a unit that has actual buttons on it. Using a touch screen while driving is one of the most annoying things ever.
- Check the headunit specs using apps from the play store. Sometimes 4G of ram is really 2 and other possible surprises.
- Before purchasing, think about what you want out of the unit. You want usability and stock feel? Go for a unit specifically made for your car. You want a big screen and apps? Go for a generic/tablet look unit with a 10.1 inch screen.
- Protect your unit from the sun when parked. These units are not built to the same standards as OEM units and they will gradually take damage from the heat.
Lastly
- Don't get too attached to your Android headunit. As technology advances, you will probably want a new one in 2 years or so, if you still have your car. The units are also designed to last around 2-3 years it seems, which is fine for the price point. Don't pay over 500$ for any of these units because realistically they're worth around 300$ (all of them). If you search hard enough you can find any of them for about 350$ shipped, unless they were JUST released, or are specialty/hard to find.
- If you're into modding/hacking your unit, check XDA-developers.com before you buy to see what kind of support from the community your specific unit is getting.
Last edited by megacrazy; 06-06-2019 at 03:07 PM.
The following 4 users liked this post by megacrazy:
10-08-2019, 02:11 AM
#2
Very good write up!!
One question and one addition.
Addition - from my research, don't have the can bus connector and things like ACC, Reverse and ILL (illumination) wires all connected at the same time, just use the can bus for all those things otherwise it can cause issues, or so I've read.
Question - what Can bus protocol are you using in the Android HU? I can't get my steering wheel controls working. I've tried all the ones with Benz in the name. (I do get door opening, rear camera, and illumination from the can bus so it must sort of be working...driving me crazy)
I've got a 2002 C209 CLK320 and had a Command with CD changer.
One question and one addition.
Addition - from my research, don't have the can bus connector and things like ACC, Reverse and ILL (illumination) wires all connected at the same time, just use the can bus for all those things otherwise it can cause issues, or so I've read.
Question - what Can bus protocol are you using in the Android HU? I can't get my steering wheel controls working. I've tried all the ones with Benz in the name. (I do get door opening, rear camera, and illumination from the can bus so it must sort of be working...driving me crazy)
I've got a 2002 C209 CLK320 and had a Command with CD changer.
10-08-2019, 12:52 PM
#3
Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: East central Florida
Posts: 16
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08 CLK350
Great write-up! I'm now convinced to leave my system alone (08 CLK350 with 20 B&O audio system and glove box changer).
Nav - read maps and road signs.
Backup camera - turn head/use mirrors.
Phone - hate it, I don't talk on the phone when I drive anyway.
Music - favorite CDs in changer, don't listen to the radio anyway, they don't play what I want.
Sirius - not only don't they play what I want, they want to charge me for it.
Best of all, I don't have to DO anything, no install, no wire splicing, no panels to pull off, no troubleshooting, no warranty issues, it just plays music ;-)
It is obvious that you spent a lot of time learning this stuff and discovering where the booby traps and land mines are. Thank you for saving me the trouble!
Best Regards,
Mike/Florida
Nav - read maps and road signs.
Backup camera - turn head/use mirrors.
Phone - hate it, I don't talk on the phone when I drive anyway.
Music - favorite CDs in changer, don't listen to the radio anyway, they don't play what I want.
Sirius - not only don't they play what I want, they want to charge me for it.
Best of all, I don't have to DO anything, no install, no wire splicing, no panels to pull off, no troubleshooting, no warranty issues, it just plays music ;-)
It is obvious that you spent a lot of time learning this stuff and discovering where the booby traps and land mines are. Thank you for saving me the trouble!
Best Regards,
Mike/Florida
The following users liked this post:
MKnightMD (07-16-2020)
10-08-2019, 04:38 PM
#4
Senior Member
Great write-up! I'm now convinced to leave my system alone (08 CLK350 with 20 B&O audio system and glove box changer).
Nav - read maps and road signs.
Backup camera - turn head/use mirrors.
Phone - hate it, I don't talk on the phone when I drive anyway.
Music - favorite CDs in changer, don't listen to the radio anyway, they don't play what I want.
Sirius - not only don't they play what I want, they want to charge me for it.
Best of all, I don't have to DO anything, no install, no wire splicing, no panels to pull off, no troubleshooting, no warranty issues, it just plays music ;-)
It is obvious that you spent a lot of time learning this stuff and discovering where the booby traps and land mines are. Thank you for saving me the trouble!
Best Regards,
Mike/Florida
Nav - read maps and road signs.
Backup camera - turn head/use mirrors.
Phone - hate it, I don't talk on the phone when I drive anyway.
Music - favorite CDs in changer, don't listen to the radio anyway, they don't play what I want.
Sirius - not only don't they play what I want, they want to charge me for it.
Best of all, I don't have to DO anything, no install, no wire splicing, no panels to pull off, no troubleshooting, no warranty issues, it just plays music ;-)
It is obvious that you spent a lot of time learning this stuff and discovering where the booby traps and land mines are. Thank you for saving me the trouble!
Best Regards,
Mike/Florida
10-09-2019, 07:44 AM
#5
Junior Member
Excellent input! Thank you! This just convinced to me to live with my stock Comand and simply use the audio jack to connect any up to date smartphone. The legacy sound is excellent. I don't use CDs for more than 10 years and radio simply doesn't play much of what I like. I prefer my passenger to play DJ on Youtube. As for GPS, both Comand and smartphone are good. For city driving, smartphone/Google Maps is faster to set up than the Soviet era rotary letter selection button. But that Comand unit has survived sun, water and champagne (I have a cabrio) and navigation works underground 
...in case I get lost in tunnels lol
10-09-2019, 04:54 PM
#6
MBWorld Fanatic!
Thread Starter
Yes the stock sound system will be better than an android head unit with no amps. However, if you run your own amps you will get much better sound on the android side. I think an android head unit is indispensable at this point because of modern navigation, internet, bluetooth connectivity etc etc. While it takes some work to get the system/project off the ground, once it's in place, you will never look back
Of course it's all based on what you do with your car. I can see how people would want to stay stock.
Of course it's all based on what you do with your car. I can see how people would want to stay stock.
10-09-2019, 05:53 PM
#7
Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: East central Florida
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
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1 Post
08 CLK350
Again, I really do appreciate the time, trouble, talent and money you've put into this. You've learned quite a bit about what does work and what doesn't, and how to make it work. This is not trivial, the interrelationships between the various electronics in my CLK are orders of magnitude more complicated than in my airplane.
As with airplanes, the first task is to define the mission. I'm doing that here, too. I don't need modern navigation because the car is a weekend driver, and I'm therefore not in any hurry. I live in a fairly rural area and I am married so I am not looking for obscure addresses ;-) I actually can live without the internet (he tells himself) and I don't have withdrawal symptoms when I'm not connected. I'm not on (and refuse to be on) facebook and other social media. Bluetooth would be nice, but then I prefer not to talk on the phone when I drive anyway. There are only a few people who have my cell number anyway, my wife, the mayor, and that's about it - no kids, so no problems there. I'm self-employed (have been for 50 years) so I don't have a boss (other than She Who Must Be Obeyed) who can call me at their convenience instead of mine. Most of the phone calls I get on my other phones are junk calls anyway, I don't need a Florida vacation, I already live there, no, you can't reduce my mortgage interest rate unless you can get it to less than zero, sorry, I can't help you smuggle a suitcase full of money out of (wherever) and I am NOT about to put up any front money as a good faith deposit.
When the radio in my beater (old Honda Accord) goes out, then I'll put a GPS/CD player into it because I really don't care if that car remains stock or not. I don't NEED the the toys, but these units are now so cheap that it isn't worth replacing the stock radio, the upgrade is only a few bucks more.
(BTW, I really liked the "Soviet era electronics" turn of phrase that our guy in Switzerland used.)
With best regards,
Mike/Florida
As with airplanes, the first task is to define the mission. I'm doing that here, too. I don't need modern navigation because the car is a weekend driver, and I'm therefore not in any hurry. I live in a fairly rural area and I am married so I am not looking for obscure addresses ;-) I actually can live without the internet (he tells himself) and I don't have withdrawal symptoms when I'm not connected. I'm not on (and refuse to be on) facebook and other social media. Bluetooth would be nice, but then I prefer not to talk on the phone when I drive anyway. There are only a few people who have my cell number anyway, my wife, the mayor, and that's about it - no kids, so no problems there. I'm self-employed (have been for 50 years) so I don't have a boss (other than She Who Must Be Obeyed) who can call me at their convenience instead of mine. Most of the phone calls I get on my other phones are junk calls anyway, I don't need a Florida vacation, I already live there, no, you can't reduce my mortgage interest rate unless you can get it to less than zero, sorry, I can't help you smuggle a suitcase full of money out of (wherever) and I am NOT about to put up any front money as a good faith deposit.
When the radio in my beater (old Honda Accord) goes out, then I'll put a GPS/CD player into it because I really don't care if that car remains stock or not. I don't NEED the the toys, but these units are now so cheap that it isn't worth replacing the stock radio, the upgrade is only a few bucks more.
(BTW, I really liked the "Soviet era electronics" turn of phrase that our guy in Switzerland used.)
With best regards,
Mike/Florida
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10-10-2019, 12:39 PM
#8
MBWorld Fanatic!
Thread Starter
Again, I really do appreciate the time, trouble, talent and money you've put into this. You've learned quite a bit about what does work and what doesn't, and how to make it work. This is not trivial, the interrelationships between the various electronics in my CLK are orders of magnitude more complicated than in my airplane.
As with airplanes, the first task is to define the mission. I'm doing that here, too. I don't need modern navigation because the car is a weekend driver, and I'm therefore not in any hurry. I live in a fairly rural area and I am married so I am not looking for obscure addresses ;-) I actually can live without the internet (he tells himself) and I don't have withdrawal symptoms when I'm not connected. I'm not on (and refuse to be on) facebook and other social media. Bluetooth would be nice, but then I prefer not to talk on the phone when I drive anyway. There are only a few people who have my cell number anyway, my wife, the mayor, and that's about it - no kids, so no problems there. I'm self-employed (have been for 50 years) so I don't have a boss (other than She Who Must Be Obeyed) who can call me at their convenience instead of mine. Most of the phone calls I get on my other phones are junk calls anyway, I don't need a Florida vacation, I already live there, no, you can't reduce my mortgage interest rate unless you can get it to less than zero, sorry, I can't help you smuggle a suitcase full of money out of (wherever) and I am NOT about to put up any front money as a good faith deposit.
When the radio in my beater (old Honda Accord) goes out, then I'll put a GPS/CD player into it because I really don't care if that car remains stock or not. I don't NEED the the toys, but these units are now so cheap that it isn't worth replacing the stock radio, the upgrade is only a few bucks more.
(BTW, I really liked the "Soviet era electronics" turn of phrase that our guy in Switzerland used.)
With best regards,
Mike/Florida
As with airplanes, the first task is to define the mission. I'm doing that here, too. I don't need modern navigation because the car is a weekend driver, and I'm therefore not in any hurry. I live in a fairly rural area and I am married so I am not looking for obscure addresses ;-) I actually can live without the internet (he tells himself) and I don't have withdrawal symptoms when I'm not connected. I'm not on (and refuse to be on) facebook and other social media. Bluetooth would be nice, but then I prefer not to talk on the phone when I drive anyway. There are only a few people who have my cell number anyway, my wife, the mayor, and that's about it - no kids, so no problems there. I'm self-employed (have been for 50 years) so I don't have a boss (other than She Who Must Be Obeyed) who can call me at their convenience instead of mine. Most of the phone calls I get on my other phones are junk calls anyway, I don't need a Florida vacation, I already live there, no, you can't reduce my mortgage interest rate unless you can get it to less than zero, sorry, I can't help you smuggle a suitcase full of money out of (wherever) and I am NOT about to put up any front money as a good faith deposit.
When the radio in my beater (old Honda Accord) goes out, then I'll put a GPS/CD player into it because I really don't care if that car remains stock or not. I don't NEED the the toys, but these units are now so cheap that it isn't worth replacing the stock radio, the upgrade is only a few bucks more.
(BTW, I really liked the "Soviet era electronics" turn of phrase that our guy in Switzerland used.)
With best regards,
Mike/Florida
I will keep swapping mine every couple of years when they eventually fail...and fail they will.
