Android head units. Some tricks for faster start up and potential for Defenders!

[@8151noname]

Good idea, I have yet to install a radio in my Ex- Military 110. That's funny because it was an FFR vehicle.

[@BritannicaRestorations]

Lol!

[@iceman9678]

Ministry of Defender makes a nice dash conversation to Puma style dash for early defenders.

[@jameskerr5756]

Would be a nice upgrade for the Defender certainly, although the more technology is advancing, I find myself more and more regressing back to the KISS theory. An age thing among other reasons. Thanks for the mention.

[@iceman9678]

Exactly! An aux port would be nice.

[@BritannicaRestorations]

Rather like I said, the first LR you buy will probably be your worst!

[@sweetdefenderlife]

I installed one of this into my defender and integrated the rear camera as well. It makes good audio too. One of the best upgrades I did.

[@alfredsteidle5035]

When I see the clean Defender, no red soil inside ! Wonderfully. Grüße von Alfred

[@BritannicaRestorations]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@AnthonyTeasdale]

I have a 7" single din unit in my defender. And yep my USB from yourself lives in the car also. Works perfect. As you say, you need a good quality one.

[@BritannicaRestorations]

You really do need to splash the cash on one of these! I had a wacky idea of taking this head unit out, and replace it with a better one, and make this into a shop 'radio' in a stand-alone box - so I could just have a clock, internet access and a music player - also the advantage of having a wipe clean surface - very handy!!

[@AnthonyTeasdale]

@@BritannicaRestorations That's a great idea. I currently use a old headunit for music in the garage. Last thing you want is a slow unit in the car. Looking forward to see what you install in your defender also.

[@joelfcant]

I have a Teyes unit, was a bit more expensive but the software seems much more polished, and has 8GB memory. I used the MUD console and then 3D printed an adapter plate, as it’s slightly bigger. Made it with clips so that it can be removed and doesn’t require any modification to the MUD console

[@BritannicaRestorations]

Sounds interesting - would you be willing to share the drawing for me to look at?

[@matthewhaddon599]

I had a nice Panasonic unit in my Discovery 2, with the screen that folded up to give a 7 inch display...worked really well, but was too old to have Android Auto etc. Sadly the car had to go due to rusty chassis so I sold the Panasonic off and put the original radio back in. Was a really nice motor, shame that LR used poor steel for the chassis.

[@BritannicaRestorations]

When I was working on that D2 last year with the check engine light issue, I was most annoyed at the fold up unit - especially when working on the electrics and having to switch the ignition on and off!

[@defendermods9420]

Love to see that work in a defender.

[@BritannicaRestorations]

Me too!

[@roamingyak]

Thanks for the video mate! I've found these units to generally be poor value/poor reward. Better to invest in a tablet (with Sim card slot so it has GPS, not just the Wifi model) and a decent holder (I use Ram Mounts) for it in your vehicle. I then use a cable/bluetooth to connect to a amp and subwoofer for music. This way I can use the tablet outside of the vehicle such as watching your videos in my rooftent at night(!), remove it from sight of criminals when parked and its easy slot into multiple vehicles. I mostly use it for GPS maps in Africa, music when driving, music when in a camp (tablet can be removed to your camping chair to control it) and entertainment at night. Cheers, Darrin

[@BritannicaRestorations]

Well, as we say - horse's for courses - tablets and me never get on too well

[@fraserbenton6496]

​@@BritannicaRestorations An android head unit IS a tablet 🤷‍♂️ Just is set up for easier use in a vehicle, and just like a tablet, comes in a variety of quantities. A cheap tablet is horrible and slow too

[@Rderbbux]

Your could mount the defender one to the right of the green landrover badge so you can see it and its at a good eye height/angle. On the front where the radio and gauges are it might be a bit low to see properly.

[@BritannicaRestorations]

Was thinking of making a custom adaptor with an angle to the driver - JP made me one years ago out of a block of aluminium - but today it can be 3d printed

[@greebo7857]

That boot up time?? My first PC was an XT, or 186, running DOS. 10 MB drive. IT booted up faster than that thing🤣 CarPlay for me, although it probably won't read the files on your great USB stick, Mike.

[@BritannicaRestorations]

lol!

[@Rderbbux]

The android auto should work in landscape full screen. Must be a setting on either the phone or the headunit. I get what you mean. You want to get in the car and it work straight away with music and options for maps radio and speedo. If only you could have it sat at idle constantly and the screen goes off with ignition off. Probably would give a flat battery with prolonged sitting though.

[@BritannicaRestorations]

Yes, I did see on YT someone playing with the 'sleep mode' but I found no reference to it on this unit - you could keep the unit in 'sleep' for up to 3 days (variable from 0), so after 3 days it would boot from cold

[@fire44x]

I did buy a £15 head unit radio with usb charger port for my 110 which charges phone ok tell time but in two weeks it flattened battery so no radio now

[@BritannicaRestorations]

Get into settings and check the sleep mode and reduce it to 0 if you can

[@terryatkinson899]

I think I'd have been disappointed with it. I always buy what I can afford but it helps if you have a clued in friend, one of the few advantages of the influx of foreigners here is that some of them are tech savy and can upgrade things as they know what works without spending a fortune. An Indian lad i met would have that stripped and rebuilt in notime for buttons 😊👍🇮🇪

[@iceman9678]

Generally I prefer analog and simple gadgets in my vehicles. So much software goes unsupported after a short while. Think about software that's 10 years old. Example: the Nissan leaf gen 1 (2017) used 3G to do updates. Now it's no longer supported. 🤔

[@jacqueshickley]

I'd prefer a single din Android with knobs.

[@iceman9678]

+1 🤔 I was beginning to think I was alone in my loathe for touch screens. Maybe it's an indication of an old man.

[@BritannicaRestorations]

Being in the motor trade, a wipe clean screen is a thing to have!

[@richardtedeschi9290]

I'm a caveman with little money and a 300Tdi nude and crude 😂 too much modernity in the truck for me 😂 besides I still after eight years of Landy ownership have to spend money on jobs that need doing rather than jobs I'd like to be doing and it looks like it will remain like this 😂 jokes aside (maybe) thanks for all your super interesting and helpful videos Mike, salutations from Eastbourne UK.

[@BritannicaRestorations]

Thanks! I know where you are coming from!

[@nickboylen6873]

Mike, the full boot up issue could just be a fault with the memory wire (the permanent live) not having a good connection or having an internal break. It could be worth shaving a tiny bit of its insulation near its plug in the back of the unit and testing whether it has 12v while the ignition is off - if only the switched main feed is working, then that’d explain the reboot every time that main feed is shutoff by switching off the ignition. As for it being slow, this video is worth a watch. It also explains why the cheap units can’t play the radio and operate the screen like Google maps simultaneously. kzbin.info/www/bejne/f6HZeIWjadaSgsU. He recommends two Chinese brands and Kenwood in his video, all capable of multi tasking.

[@BritannicaRestorations]

This unit had dedicated wires and plugs - literally plug and play - _ will have a look and see if there is a permanently live wire missing, but I did see another video, where the android has a sleep mode that is variable - I have not found that in the settings - may be missing on this cheap unit

[@BritannicaRestorations]

You could be onto something - I looked at the 'manual' and there is a positive unswitched feed into the unit - and the kit came with factory made cables to attach to the Yaris harness - but just because it has a connector, does not mean there is something on the other end! I will get it in the shop and check it out

[@nickboylen6873]

@@BritannicaRestorations if you can test whether that cable is live with the ignition off or run a temporary bypass from the battery to that cable with a (😬) Scotchlok to test it, at least you can rule out a simple fix if it doesn’t work. Hopefully it will. It still won’t allow you to run the radio and satnav at the same time, but you probably don’t need satnav for a local runabout.

[@BritannicaRestorations]

Checked it today, and there is a live feed to the unit Bugger

[@nickboylen6873]

@@BritannicaRestorations have you checked the power is reaching the unit itself, rather than just being wired up? Could be a bent pin in the connector block, a pin crimped over an unstripped wire or a break in the wire itself. Of course, the unit might be faulty or just badly designed because “Chiyna” (got to channel an orange voice there😉). It’s not impossible that the Yaris doesn’t have a permanent live to the stereo - Toyota May have used stereos with EPROM chips to retain memory setting rather than a permanent live (that would be better quality as it would retain the settings with a flat or disconnected battery. It wouldn’t help a clock on the stereo, though.

[@grahameroberts8109]

Buy an iPad with a holder?

[@jamescaron6465]

a 286 with 512K of memory and 60M hard drive? Hey man that was high living! They are filled with apps you will never need or never use. Like playing movies. Not going to happen, Or a backup camera in the wife's Disco 2. didn't want to bother. They really throw the kitchen sink to make it as marketable as possible.,

[@BritannicaRestorations]

Yes, that is the problem - should have a basic operating system, and options what 'plug in's' you want - rather like Woocommerce I have running my online shop

[@jamescaron6465]

@@BritannicaRestorations Yea, I've installed 4 of those types of units and the biggest pain is getting them set up. Even in the Disco 2, as crazy as that made me (you know what it is like behind the radio), setting it up was the most time consuming. I don't need to see movies or have the AV-in port active. SHut them off and not bother.

[@BritannicaRestorations]

This is why I bought the head unit for the Yaris - unplug the old radio unit and the wires supplied clipped into the original harness = plug and play - no soldering Watching video is not one of those things I need

[@jamescaron6465]

@@BritannicaRestorations that’s pretty convenient. I know soldering can take up a lot of time. I personally don’t mind it because I’ve done so much of it in my life working with electronics. I just picked up one of those cordless butane soldering irons and those things are pretty nice.

[@markmulvaney5497]

your lucky left hand drive car and your right handed, uk right hand drive im right handed pain in the ass my pioneer double din radio in my volvo v 70 🤣

[@BritannicaRestorations]

I had not thought of that!

[@markmulvaney5497]

its like learning all over again,😀😀@@BritannicaRestorations