US Car Stereos?

[FaithStalker]

Can we buy US car stereos an install them here with no problems?
They have such a big selection of Double Din and the
price's are hugely better then here.

BUT

will the radio work??

[Alex]

You need to find out what frequency the US Radio's run at then compare it to UK....of course you could get one which has a DAB plugin then get a UK spec DAB unit.

(Digital Audio Broadcast)

Clarion are big on DAB
I've got their only UK double Din offering.

[Simon]

If it helps,
I have a US mini hifi system for my home office (the office is small so the hifi needed to be small as well!), the radio works fine.
I would therefore expect the car radio's to work as well.

[Flipfinger]

NO

I had an American unit (Kenwood Z919 MP3 player) and the radio does NOT work, they do NOT have RDS, and you'll end up with only one or two stations able to be tuned into (fuzzily).

I paid £300 for the priveledge to have the first car MP3 CD player, and over a hundred quid import duties (this thing was 2nd hand too!) and I KNEW beforehand the radio wouldn't work.

I think there ARE a few selected radios that will work in the UK, but very very  few.  Bear in mind that, over £100 you WILL get screwed for import duty, and the good deal turns into a bad one.

[Simon]

Flipfinger,
sorry but my hifi does pick up all radio stations. I cannot speak for car units however. I was making the observation that if my hifi worked then I might expect a car radio to work as well.
I bow to your experience in these matters. :)

[Flipfinger]

My US hifi picks radio stations up too - but my car stereo didn't, and my understanding was none of them pick up RDS data, and most won't even get the right stations (I'm not sure if a band expander exists, or if it is possible).