New Gathers unit...

[witsend]

Not sure if this has been mentioned on here (its been a while since I've been around!)

http://www.honda.co.jp/ACCESS/beat/audio/index.html

http://www.honda.co.jp/ACCESS/beat/audio/img/compo02.jpg

Oz - can you translate please? UK prices?

Part no 08A52-E1A-001

Paul W

[Steve_M]

http://www.u-ukhbc.co.uk/vbb/showthread.php?3306-New-Gathers-Head-Unit-with-Ipod-USB&highlight=audio

[steveinjapan]

Not sure if this has been mentioned on here (its been a while since I've been around!)

http://www.honda.co.jp/ACCESS/beat/audio/index.html

http://www.honda.co.jp/ACCESS/beat/audio/img/compo02.jpg

Good you waited for the yen to nosedive - price now (w/o Japan VA taxes) around 400 quid.

Oz - can you translate please? UK prices?

Part no 08A52-E1A-001

Paul W


Good you waited for the yen to nosedive - price now (w/o Japan VA taxes) around 400 quid.

[witsend]

Thanks Steves!
I thought it would have been picked up by the eagle eyed on here!

Do we have any easy way of getting them over to the UK?

Paul W -
(Eyes on Beat number 4..)

[steveinjapan]

Wouldn't they be available by order from UK Honda dealers? If I buy it here I'd have to pay the VAT.

== I suppose you would have to pay UK VAT!!! ===

[witsend]

Wouldn't they be available by order from UK Honda dealers? If I buy it here I'd have to pay the VAT.


== I suppose you would have to pay UK VAT!!! ===

I've tried to get them from honda UK and they say its not a UK item...not very helpful!

PW

[Steve_M]

I've tried to get them from honda UK and they say its not a UK item...not very helpful!

PW

I'm not surprised and any way you wouldn't like the price if HUK imported it and each of the parts areas put on their bit, recon that £400 price tag would be more like £2000!! What with import duty & VAT.

Probably best trying the usual Japan parts importers. Jessie etc.

[hotdog]

Are these headunits any good? Has anyone used or seen one yet ?

Apologies, first post/reply Hi to all - Im a new Beat owner !

[Obsessive]

Are these headunits any good? Has anyone used or seen one yet ?

Apologies, first post/reply Hi to all - Im a new Beat owner !

I've not got one but I they do look good. Biggest issue would be the tuner not being set for UK (or New Zealand for that matter).
You could use a band expander to sort this, but for the price I'd not bother.

Here's my solution (http://vehiclesecurity.co.nz/blog/the-obsessive-beat).

[fxdlidon]

I think they look great, and good for Gathers to do something to celebrate 20 years of the Beat.
If they hadn't made them so 'Apple' biased I'd have got one last year but buying a head unit then having to go out and buy an iPhone, so I can play music on it, I can't justify! Why couldn't they just have given it a USB, mp3 slot?

[steveinjapan]

I think they look great, and good for Gathers to do something to celebrate 20 years of the Beat.
If they hadn't made them so 'Apple' biased I'd have got one last year but buying a head unit then having to go out and buy an iPhone, so I can play music on it, I can't justify! Why couldn't they just have given it a USB, mp3 slot?

It does have an "AUX" input and an adaptor cable with a 1/8" audio plug is available. Also has a USB input for a memory stick. (And it does NOT connect to the CD changer)

[Ending Credits]

I'm quite tempted to try and fit a car PC instead. Would potentially be cheaper as well.

EDIT: Does anyone know some rough dimensions for the Gathers units? I don't have my Beat here with me atm and I'm thinking the standard 7" screens are going to be too big.

EDIT2: One other problem I can see if that I'll need a new amp and I don't really know much about ICE systems.

[witsend]

I've considered mounting an old smart phone up front with an amp in the void behind, would be enough to get some tunes on the go. I also have a cheap android tablet that may fit..I just need the car to see...

PW

[witsend]

How about...

http://www.mito-oem.com/product.php?id=MILPVR15

[steveinjapan]

Oh, yeah..... I like it.

[Ending Credits]

Personally I'm thinking:


Rip out my broken Bass Speaker
Raspberry Pi where speaker used to be
Find/make some modules for Bluetooth, Radio and Audio In
Possibly a small HDD
Possibly some power circuitry and backup battery (so it doesn't die every time I stall)
7" touch-screen where Gathers unit sits
Amp fitted somewhere (could tear apart the current Gathers and use that)


So a reasonable car PC for ~£400 with internal storage, audio-in, bluetooth and DAB/AM/FM.

The only problem is that the Pi only has an audio-jack and an HDMI output for audio so if the HDMI is going to be used for the display then there will only be two audio-channels available.

[Obsessive]

Sounds like a cool project. I've been using my Galaxy S3 in my other car (not the Beat), as navigation via the built in dash screen. This works by using the MHL/HDMI output from the phone, then a converter to RCA Video which taps into the screen. It can do the audio too, but I've been using Bluetooth for that.
I have had to root the phone to make it stable, but the result is good. I'll be keen to see how this one develops. If anyone want's more details on my hack then let me know.

[crguitars]

Has anyone fitted one of the updated Gathers Head units? Any feedback on operation / fitting ? I notice two for sale on ebay atm £599
Colin