Practically Classics Forum

Has anyone fitted a Beat 485 radio to their car please, and if so does your example provide 5V at the USB as it should? Or should it? I've tried it with both a charging only cable and a charging/data cable but it doesn't seem to provide the required supply to the phone, which is a bit of a bugger when I need (the phone) connected by USB so cannot use the separate 5V supply from the Corolla's lighter socket adaptor at the same time. OK, on longer trips I could do without the hands free connectivity so there'd be no reason not to pull up in a service area and swap to the charger then, but the annoying thing is that the manufacturer (Becker ) can't answer this one either, nor can the retailer and so I don't know whether it's faulty or meant to be like that. Nor can I open the radio up to find out as once I tear the security seal, that will invalidate the warranty.

It's a remarkably good, cheap DAB tool for the £50 that they're selling these for now that the model has been superceded by something less subtle but no more functional and makes a lovely job of playing CDs, reading MTPfs sources and SD cards as well as doing the AM broadcast bands in addition to FM and DAB. But the schematic is only available at a frankly stupid extra cost so I'm hoping that someone else has one and knows for sure whether there's meant to be the expected 5V available at the socket.

I have a Sony car stereo which has a USB socket on the front. It is happy to play music from my phone but doesn't output sufficient current to charge it.
50ma for data
500/100/2000ma for charging depending on the device.
The data and voltage lines are separate. If you wanted to you could wire in a 5v regulated supply (eg remove the guts from a 12v - usb charging adapter) a couple of diodes and you could make up a custom cable to charge your phone and let the stereo play music from it.

does it play radio 4 longwave?

Thanks Terry. I've since had a reply from a Becker Audio tech bod and the set should, apparently, be able to provide 700mA at the required 5V, which in fact it does since I reversed the permanent and ignition switched feeds. It now charges my HOX at roughly the same rate as its domestic charger does so all is well with the world!
Conclusion: Never assume that Toyotas of a certain age, just because their loom includes ISO connectors, have them wired the same way as the rest of the industry. The memory and accessory connections were the "wrong" way round, just as they are on VAG cars and some Vauxhalls. Possibly there are other joey ones too, but if there are, then none of the folk whose radios I've fitted have ever noticed that their presets don't stay saved.

Swapping these has also - just as the Becker helpline bloke had suggested - enabled the USB to function correctly and I hadn't got round to storing any presets yet, so hadn't noticed the error.


Rich, yes it does, the switchover between American and European tuning steps (10KHz to 9KHz) was initially set for American consumers, which also (perhaps strangely since the USA used LW for its Civil Defence** bulletins) meant that LW wasn't available to select. Having pushed the right buttons in the right order, it now has LW and a MW band that receives European stations. It also does some SW (the trawler band), which may be useful when I'm next up North and want to brush up on my Doric language skills.

Job done, now to find some nice 7"x4" speakers for the car's original rear positions as one of its originals is sounding very sick after I tested the set's bass output with a spot of dubstep from those awfully nice Knife Party chaps. The long-travel JVCs that I fitted in the front - a straight and invisible swap for the originals - are sounding very pleasant.



**- it'll be a sad day when I start spelling defence with an S!

Sorted I resolved my issue by using a 64gb USB stick and a normal car charger for my mobile :S
My daily came with USB charging sockets built in so I don't need to worry about that but in my real cars, a phone charger is one "modern" luxury I can't really go without.

is it one like this?
http://www.leboncoin.fr/image_son/835632022.htm?ca=18_s

Sadly no, but I'd swap the car radio for that gorgeous old thing any time!