Conference terri::cars_uk

    Model: Panasonic C62 'Alpha Tuner'.
    Age  : 2 years.
    cost : 210 quid.
    
    It's a quad system. It's everything a good car hi-fi should be. Usable
    features and benefits, superb radio and cassette deck and plenty of
    power. Absolutely no problems to report, after two years of heavy use.
    
    My Audi has ITT speakers too, which make the unit sound even better. I 
    chucked out/sold the Blaupunkt Melbourne which came with my car, in 
    favour of the Panasonic. The cassette deck in the Panasonic was a big
    improvement over the Blaupunkt, although the radio was not quite as
    good. I've had a few Blaupunkts, and I am not impressed with their
    cassette decks at all.
    
    Panasonic are reputed to be one of the best makes around...so says 
    an auto electrician friend of mine!
    
    If you just want a cassette deck, take a close look at the sets on offer
    from Clarion and Lucas. 
    
    
    
    

Model:		Philips DC 670
Owned since:	January 1990
Overall view:	Reasonable quality radio cassette.   Reasonably simple to use,
		but reading the manual first is recommended, some of the 
		functions are not intuative.

Problems:	no problems, no chewed tapes, reasonable sound quality.



Other notes:	blurb from brochure follows -

. 4-figure security code
. Micro-processor controlled PLL Quartz tuning
. 20 station electronic memory
. Additional 10 station autostore memory
	Autostore system automatically tunes and stores the 5 strongest  
	available FM and 5 strongest available MW stations ready for push
	button selection.
. Transflective LCD for 
	frequency
	waveband
	preset number
	FM stereo mode
	FM strength
. Automatic 3-level search tuning, up & down
. Single button storage with confirmatory bleep
. Electronic waveband switching with "last station" memory
. Front/rear fader control
. Continuously variable tone control
. stereo balance control
. Autoreverse stereo cassette deck
. autostop: Tape "salad" protection  (no chewing !)
. Auto replay after fast wind to end of tape
. Auto cassette instertion with autostart
. 4 x 4.5 watts output

Thanks for the "essays" so far - most informative (though they don't HAVE to be
that long!). Good to see that they are all relatively trouble free - must be
just me that's had bad luck in the past.

Robert, thanks for the suggestion of a CD player - however I've got children
with their very important tapes to play on long journeys ("Wheels on the Bus",
"My little Pony" that sort of thing ;-[ ). Mind you, most of my music at home
is on CD...

>>Robert, thanks for the suggestion of a CD player - however I've got children
>>with their very important tapes to play on long journeys ("Wheels on the Bus",
>>"My little Pony" that sort of thing ;-[ ). Mind you, most of my music at home
>>is on CD...
    
    So perhaps you might be advised to get a unit with an input jack, and
    connect a portable CD player to it when you wishto hear CDs in-car.
    
    This is what I do, with a Panasonic unit.  I don't know the model number
    etc, right now, otherwise I'd enter it.
    
    It does have the 'alpha' tuner and has 4-way 25-watt output.
    I've got a Panasonic Amp connected (with a DIN lead) to put out
    150w power to the rear speakers and am quite pleased with its sound.
    It's also a removable design, which is a feature I do use from time to time.
    
    What I don't think all that clever is the design of the buttons.
    The pre-set selection buttons are fine, but the others are small
    (although these aren't used much).  It also doesn't have Dolby.
    
    I've had no problems with it at any time.  I think the newer models
    that have replaced mine (a few years old now) have a much improved
    front panel design, with much better keys.  If I were to buy another
    unit for some reason, I would definitely consider another Panasonic.
    
    J.R.
    

    Model: Panasonic CQL30 (Cass/Tuner/CD Controls)
           Panasonic 12 disk CD auto changer.
           Small Panasonic Amp.
    
    Age  : 3 months old
    Cost : 550 quid. (aprox)
    
    Simplicity itself to use.  Volume/bass/treble/fade/balence are all
    controlled by a rocker switch with a select button to cycle through the
    options.  All this is displayed on a big microdot 'screen' showing the
    current level, mode etc.. (Theres even a remote control feature if you
    want it!)
    
    The cassette deck is of superp quality with all the usual tape
    functions and also includes motorised load/eject.
    
    The tuner is also very good although it could be more sensitive (mabie
    I need a new aerial?)
    
    CD - Excellent, I hardly ever use the tape deck any more.
    
    
    Overall - Excellent!  
    All units are very well constucted and should last for years of use and
    beating.
    Dual azimuth adjustment on the tape deck will ensure long life.
    (All other auto reverse sets I've owned seem to deteriorate on one side
    after about a year)
    Only 2 channel output though, you will need a separate amp for 4
    channel use. (the bigger the better)
    
    ..Craig

    Hi Robert,
    
    550 covers all I mentioned including the amp (small one).  A bigger amp
    would increase the sound quality even more (I'm saving!)
    
    I suppose my useage ratio is something like:
    
    80%  CD
    10%  Radio
    10%  Cassette
    
    Before CD, the cass deck was used about 90% of the time, not any more!
    
    ..Craig