Converting a jap import car radio

[jdm]

Hi there,

I have just bought a jap import car and it has a Kenwood DPX-440 cd player
( 2 din )

This model seems to have been sold in the USA as well as Japan.

Does anyone know if these can be converted from 76MHz - 90MHz to 88MHz -
108MHz ( I do not want to use a band expander )

There may be a diode that needs to be moves ( or a wire link )

If anyone can sed any light I would be great ( otherwise I will have to
pull it out an suck it and see )

Option is to change it with a new one but I am a little broke at the moment.

Cheers

John

 

[Phil Allison]

"jdm" <

I have just bought a jap import car and it has a Kenwood DPX-440 cd player
( 2 din )

This model seems to have been sold in the USA as well as Japan.

Does anyone know if these can be converted from 76MHz - 90MHz to 88MHz -
108MHz ( I do not want to use a band expander )

There may be a diode that needs to be moves ( or a wire link )

If anyone can sed any light I would be great ( otherwise I will have to
pull it out an suck it and see )

Option is to change it with a new one but I am a little broke at the
moment.

** Don't all you kiwis know about these:

http://www.eforsale.co.nz/fm-band-expander-nissan-plug-xidp46024.html




......... Phil

 

[jdm]

Hi Phil,

Yes I know about band expanders but I don't want to use one.

John
"Phil Allison" <philallison@tpg.com.au> wrote in message
news:57p6auF2e0a2mU1@mid.individual.net...

"jdm"

I have just bought a jap import car and it has a Kenwood DPX-440 cd
player ( 2 din )

This model seems to have been sold in the USA as well as Japan.

Does anyone know if these can be converted from 76MHz - 90MHz to 88MHz -
108MHz ( I do not want to use a band expander )

There may be a diode that needs to be moves ( or a wire link )

If anyone can sed any light I would be great ( otherwise I will have to
pull it out an suck it and see )

Option is to change it with a new one but I am a little broke at the
moment.



** Don't all you kiwis know about these:

http://www.eforsale.co.nz/fm-band-expander-nissan-plug-xidp46024.html




........ Phil

 

[Bob Parker]

On 7/04/2007 19:56 jdm wrote:

Hi Phil,

Yes I know about band expanders but I don't want to use one.

John
"Phil Allison" <philallison@tpg.com.au> wrote in message
news:57p6auF2e0a2mU1@mid.individual.net...
"jdm"

I have just bought a jap import car and it has a Kenwood DPX-440 cd
player ( 2 din )

This model seems to have been sold in the USA as well as Japan.

Does anyone know if these can be converted from 76MHz - 90MHz to 88MHz -
108MHz ( I do not want to use a band expander )

There may be a diode that needs to be moves ( or a wire link )

If anyone can sed any light I would be great ( otherwise I will have to
pull it out an suck it and see )

Option is to change it with a new one but I am a little broke at the
moment.


** Don't all you kiwis know about these:

http://www.eforsale.co.nz/fm-band-expander-nissan-plug-xidp46024.html

........ Phil

I just downloaded the DPX-440 manual from the Kenwood USA website at
http://www.kenwoodusa.com/support/simple.aspx?men=2&M2=69
It says the FM frequency range is 87.9 - 107.9MHz in 200kHz steps
and doesn't mention anything about the 76 - 90MHz band.
This is very strange...

Bob

 

[Phil Allison]

"jdm" <not@home> wrote in message news:46176abc$1@news01.wxnz.net...

Hi Phil,

Yes I know about band expanders but I don't want to use one.

** Then kindly go to hell and fuck yourself !!

You brainless, ASD fucked, top posting pile of sheep fucking SHIT.





.... love, Phil

 

[Phil Allison]

"Bob Parker"

I just downloaded the DPX-440 manual from the Kenwood USA website ....

** Wake up, Bob - the OP has the Japanese version.

" Jap Import " = kiwi jargon for a vehicle that comes ( second hand )
direct from Japan to NZ.

Never heard about how hard it is to get a vehicle re- registered in Japan
that is over 4 years old ??

Most are sent to the wreckers.





........ Phil

 

[Bob Parker]

On 7/04/2007 23:25 Phil Allison wrote:

"Bob Parker"

I just downloaded the DPX-440 manual from the Kenwood USA website ....


** Wake up, Bob - the OP has the Japanese version.

" Jap Import " = kiwi jargon for a vehicle that comes ( second hand )
direct from Japan to NZ.

Never heard about how hard it is to get a vehicle re- registered in Japan
that is over 4 years old ??

Most are sent to the wreckers.


....... Phil

You're right - I wasn't paying much attention. Yeah, I've been told
about the Japanese flogging their hardly-used cars to NZ and other places.
Kenwood don't have the most user-friendly websites. The only one I
found where I could easily download the manual was the US one.
I sorta expected that there might be a tiny switch on the back or
similar to change FM frequency bands, but I can't see anything in the
..pdf manual.


Bob

 

[Phil Allison]

"Bob Parker"

** Wake up, Bob - the OP has the Japanese version.

" Jap Import " = kiwi jargon for a vehicle that comes ( second hand )
direct from Japan to NZ.

Never heard about how hard it is to get a vehicle re- registered in Japan
that is over 4 years old ??

Most are sent to the wreckers.


You're right - I wasn't paying much attention. Yeah, I've been told
about the Japanese flogging their hardly-used cars to NZ and other places.

Kenwood don't have the most user-friendly websites. The only one I found
where I could easily download the manual was the US one.

I sorta expected that there might be a tiny switch on the back or
similar to change FM frequency bands, but I can't see anything in the .pdf
manual.

** Such a switch cannot do the job that is needed.

A band up shift of nearly 20 MHz requires the RF stages to be retuned -
likely with different coils and cap values.

Merely re programming the local oscillator frequencies on the PPL is not
enough.




....... Phil

 

[Bob Parker]

On 8/04/2007 00:12 Phil Allison wrote:

** Such a switch cannot do the job that is needed.

A band up shift of nearly 20 MHz requires the RF stages to be retuned -
likely with different coils and cap values.

Merely re programming the local oscillator frequencies on the PPL is not
enough.


...... Phil

I'm the first to admit that I'm not familiar with car entertainment
systems.
I just didn't think it made much sense to have two different
versions of the same unit built to cover different FM bands with exactly
the same model number, unless it was the same unit with some kind of
electronic band switching like maybe PIN diode switching of the
front-end tuning components.
Like I said, I'm ignorant about what's out there in car systems
these days.

 

[jdm]

Thanks Bob,

I did not try the US site, I just tried the Japanese site.

Hopefully this will be able to be converted, I remember as an apprentice
converting a lot of home stereos for a chain store, they imported them with
the wrong band, I just had to move a diode and everything was fine.

Thanks

John
"Bob Parker" <bobp.deletethis@bluebottle.com> wrote in message
news:46177e48$0$17281$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...

On 7/04/2007 19:56 jdm wrote:
Hi Phil,

Yes I know about band expanders but I don't want to use one.

John
"Phil Allison" <philallison@tpg.com.au> wrote in message
news:57p6auF2e0a2mU1@mid.individual.net...
"jdm"

I have just bought a jap import car and it has a Kenwood DPX-440 cd
player ( 2 din )

This model seems to have been sold in the USA as well as Japan.

Does anyone know if these can be converted from 76MHz - 90MHz to
88MHz - 108MHz ( I do not want to use a band expander )

There may be a diode that needs to be moves ( or a wire link )

If anyone can sed any light I would be great ( otherwise I will have
to pull it out an suck it and see )

Option is to change it with a new one but I am a little broke at the
moment.


** Don't all you kiwis know about these:

http://www.eforsale.co.nz/fm-band-expander-nissan-plug-xidp46024.html

........ Phil

I just downloaded the DPX-440 manual from the Kenwood USA website at
http://www.kenwoodusa.com/support/simple.aspx?men=2&M2=69
It says the FM frequency range is 87.9 - 107.9MHz in 200kHz steps and
doesn't mention anything about the 76 - 90MHz band.
This is very strange...

Bob

 

[Bob Parker]

On 8/04/2007 07:15 jdm wrote:

Thanks Bob,

I did not try the US site, I just tried the Japanese site.

Hopefully this will be able to be converted, I remember as an apprentice
converting a lot of home stereos for a chain store, they imported them with
the wrong band, I just had to move a diode and everything was fine.

Thanks

John

After thinking for a few moments, I seemed to remember that
microcontroller-controlled receivers have varactor tuning of the front
end as well as a PLL for frequency control. The micro just needs to be
told which band to use, via a menu option, diode, link or a switch.
I looked around but couldn't find a schematic. I hope you can do
better.

Bob

 

[Phil Allison]

"Bob Parker"

After thinking for a few moments, I seemed to remember that
microcontroller-controlled receivers have varactor tuning of the front end
as well as a PLL for frequency control.

** Varactor tuning is not so simple.

It has to cover both RF and local oscillator tuning ranges, which must track
each other quite closely in an FM receiver - as the operating band is only
250 kHz wide.

Typically requires a DC control voltage of 2 to 30 volts to cover the 88 -
108 MHz band.

The micro just needs to be told which band to use, via a menu option,
diode, link or a switch.

** That is a BIG assumption in relation to Japanese, local model, car
radios.

No need for those radios to have band compatibility built in.



........ Phil

 

[Phil Allison]

"jdm"

I did not try the US site, I just tried the Japanese site.

Hopefully this will be able to be converted, I remember as an apprentice
converting a lot of home stereos for a chain store, they imported them
with the wrong band, I just had to move a diode and everything was fine.

** Were the Nips sooooo dumb they made 240 volt home stereos with the WRONG
FM band ??





........ Phil

 

[Bob Parker]

On 8/04/2007 14:18 Phil Allison wrote:

** Varactor tuning is not so simple.

It has to cover both RF and local oscillator tuning ranges, which must track
each other quite closely in an FM receiver - as the operating band is only
250 kHz wide.

I thought (being from an RF background), that most of the
selectivity in a receiver is in the IF not the front end, and as long as
the front end's selective enough to reject image frequencies, there's no
real problem?

** That is a BIG assumption in relation to Japanese, local model, car
radios.

No need for those radios to have band compatibility built in.

My point is that it seems ridiculous for there to be two variants of
the same receiver covering different band segments, with *exactly* the
same model number ... not even a suffix to indicate which is which ...
unless that same unit can handle both band segments by being told which
one to use.


Bob

 

[Phil Allison]

"Bob Parker"
Phil Allison wrote:

** Varactor tuning is not so simple.

It has to cover both RF and local oscillator tuning ranges, which must
track each other quite closely in an FM receiver - as the operating band
is only 250 kHz wide.


I thought (being from an RF background), that most of the selectivity in
a receiver is in the IF not the front end, and as long as the front end's
selective enough to reject image frequencies, there's no real problem?

** You thought wrong.

Good RF pre-selection is essential for any high performance AM or FM
broadcast receiver.

The same does not apply to narrow band, two-way radio systems which you may
well be thinking of.

** That is a BIG assumption in relation to Japanese, local model, car
radios.

No need for those radios to have band compatibility built in.

My point is that it seems ridiculous for there to be two variants of the
same receiver covering different band segments, with *exactly* the same
model number ... not even a suffix to indicate which is which ...

** You have no reason to make that assumption either.

The 76-90 MHz version is sold only in Japan.





........ Phil

 

[Bob Parker]

On 8/04/2007 15:14 Phil Allison wrote:

My point is that it seems ridiculous for there to be two variants of the
same receiver covering different band segments, with *exactly* the same
model number ... not even a suffix to indicate which is which ...


** You have no reason to make that assumption either.

The 76-90 MHz version is sold only in Japan.


....... Phil

So what you're saying is that they manufacture two quite different
versions of the same unit, and give them identical type numbers so
there's no way of telling them apart?
I'm only asking because I don't recall seeing that happen before...

Bob

 

[Phil Allison]

"Bob Parker"

Phil Allison wrote:

My point is that it seems ridiculous for there to be two variants of
the same receiver covering different band segments, with *exactly* the
same model number ... not even a suffix to indicate which is which ...


** You have no reason to make that assumption either.

The 76-90 MHz version is sold only in Japan.



So what you're saying is that they manufacture two quite different
versions of the same unit, and give them identical type numbers so there's
no way of telling them apart?

** Don't be stupid.

You have not seen the Jap version nor it's manual to say any such thing.

Being sold ONLY in Japan suggests the unit will be marked and the manual
written in Japanese characters.





......... Phil

 

[Bob Parker]

On 8/04/2007 16:01 Phil Allison wrote:

** Don't be stupid.

You have not seen the Jap version nor it's manual to say any such thing.

Being sold ONLY in Japan suggests the unit will be marked and the manual
written in Japanese characters.



........ Phil

I was simply asking a question not making a statement, because I
don't remember seeing anything like that before.
I'm trying to learn something from your experience ... which is what
newsgroups are supposed to be about.


Bob

 

[Phil Allison]

"Bob Parker"

I was simply asking a question not making a statement,

** That Q contained an unwarranted assumption that was all yours.






........ Phil

 

[Bob Parker]

On 8/04/2007 16:42 Phil Allison wrote:

"Bob Parker"

I was simply asking a question not making a statement,


** That Q contained an unwarranted assumption that was all yours.


....... Phil

It's over 10 years since I got out of doing repairs full time, but
now I remember that Yamaha and others do have different variants of the
same model with the same type number, for different markets.
I withdraw some of my earlier comments.


Bob