Need some info on JD Cab Radio ideas....

[nmu98]

I put in the order for my cab tractor over a week ago and I have 2 weeks to go til I can pick it up. I am looking at radios to put in the cab. Wanted a pioneer but I don't know what I will decide with. I want a USB connection... And suggestions welcome.

The Question: Do I need to buy an antenna kit or does one come with the JD radio mount kit? Best Buy had a nice T antenna that you could stick on a window or plastic for 16.99.

Also, should I buy upgraded speakers or ar the ones that come with the radio mount kit OK. Most other 4x6 speakers are about 30-40 dollars. I also saw a small set of tweaters that would be easy to mount.. Worth it?

Thanks for the help.

 

[Spudland_Dave]

When you get the Radio Mount Kit, it comes with the antenna and everything you need (speaker, etc)...Personaly I think my stereo sounds great...I wanted an Alpine at first but I ended up getting a Kenwood on Clearance for 99.00 (AM/FM/CD/MP3/WMA/iPod Ready)....really nice unit... went back a week later to get one for my dads 'bota and I got him a Kenwood with USB input for 69.00 on clearance...
For my use the Kenwood Headunit and Factory Mount Kit are more then enough...

 

[Nuru]

For some reason, I am looking to install my portable SAT RADIO in mine. I guess i want the challenge. I have trees but only the house willl block the signal completely

 

[tjkadar]

I put in the order for my cab tractor over a week ago and I have 2 weeks to go til I can pick it up. I am looking at radios to put in the cab. Wanted a pioneer but I don't know what I will decide with. I want a USB connection... And suggestions welcome.

The Question: Do I need to buy an antenna kit or does one come with the JD radio mount kit? Best Buy had a nice T antenna that you could stick on a window or plastic for 16.99.

Also, should I buy upgraded speakers or ar the ones that come with the radio mount kit OK. Most other 4x6 speakers are about 30-40 dollars. I also saw a small set of tweaters that would be easy to mount.. Worth it?

Thanks for the help.

I put a Kenwood KDC-MP438U in my 5425. It has a USB plug and an auxilary input on the front. The tractor came with the antenna, wiring harness, and speakers. In my opinion, the factory speakers have very, very poor sound quality. However, when running at full PTO rpm, it doesn't really matter.

The only issue I've had with my install is finding a constant 12 volt power source. Everytime I turn off the tractor, I lose any programming in my radio. Hasn't bothered me enough to break out the multitmeter though.

 

[nmu98]

Wow, 2 kenwoods... i was expecting more people to use Poineer... no clue why....

I am stuck between the kenwood and pioneer. both have the multi push volume know that also controls menues. Not what I think is best for a tractor... but...

Since speakers are resonable. i guess i should change them out right away... Saves tearing the roof off over 40 bucks......

 

[tjkadar]

I went with with Kenwood because it was the cheapest radio with a USB and aux input. Came with a remote too!

 

[Spudland_Dave]

The only issue I've had with my install is finding a constant 12 volt power source. Everytime I turn off the tractor, I lose any programming in my radio. Hasn't bothered me enough to break out the multitmeter though.

Did you get the factory harness? If so, that doesnt sound right...Mine plugged right in with no splicing of the factory harness at all (used the Adaptor Plug to adapt from Deere Harness to Kenwood) and everything works fine..its got power all the time, etc..

 

[nmu98]

Did you get the factory harness? If so, that doesnt sound right...Mine plugged right in with no splicing of the factory harness at all (used the Adaptor Plug to adapt from Deere Harness to Kenwood) and everything works fine..its got power all the time, etc..

It has power all the time (you have to shut it off all the time) or it has power to save the memory (radio shuts off with the tractor key)?

 

[tjkadar]

I used the VW wiring harness. Everything worked great, 'cept a constant 12 V source.

 

[Spudland_Dave]

It has power all the time (you have to shut it off all the time) or it has power to save the memory (radio shuts off with the tractor key)?

It has a constant feed with power all the time and a remote wire which turns the head unit on/off with the ignition key. Turn my ken ON and the unit fires up, shut the tractor down and she turns off...just like your car or truck...
See Page 16 of this PDF:
http://inform3.kenwoodusa.com/manuals/kdcmp238.pdf

In my case (Kenwood)... Red Wire is to the Ignition (Switched Power), Yellow goes to BATT (Constant Power) those 2 wires are what control what your describing...often times to save time or wiring hassle, people will & can put yellow & red together...which makes the head unit operate as you describe...

 

[nmu98]

It has a constant feed with power all the time and a remote wire which turns the head unit on/off with the ignition key. Turn my ken ON and the unit fires up, shut the tractor down and she turns off...just like your car or truck...
See Page 16 of this PDF:
http://inform3.kenwoodusa.com/manuals/kdcmp238.pdf

In my case (Kenwood)... Red Wire is to the Ignition (Switched Power), Yellow goes to BATT (Constant Power) those 2 wires are what control what your describing...often times to save time or wiring hassle, people will & can put yellow & red together...which makes the head unit operate as you describe...

Thanks. It looks like I can get the kenwood with usb at a great deal.... So I will most likely go with that.

 

[tjkadar]

It has a constant feed with power all the time and a remote wire which turns the head unit on/off with the ignition key. Turn my ken ON and the unit fires up, shut the tractor down and she turns off...just like your car or truck...
See Page 16 of this PDF:
http://inform3.kenwoodusa.com/manuals/kdcmp238.pdf

In my case (Kenwood)... Red Wire is to the Ignition (Switched Power), Yellow goes to BATT (Constant Power) those 2 wires are what control what your describing...often times to save time or wiring hassle, people will & can put yellow & red together...which makes the head unit operate as you describe...

Originally I had red to red and yellow to yellow and had no power at all. I need to dig a little deeper and find out what gives. I'll wait until its a bit cooler though. Calling for 100+ temps today.

 

[Spudland_Dave]

Originally I had red to red and yellow to yellow and had no power at all. I need to dig a little deeper and find out what gives. I'll wait until its a bit cooler though. Calling for 100+ temps today.

on the 3x20...

Radio Circuit Operation
Function:
Provides power for the radio and clock circuits.
Operating Conditions:
Key switch in the run position for the radio to function.
The clock will maintain time but no display will be visible
with the key switch in the off position.
Theory of Operation:
Unswitched power is provided to the A3 radio by the 052D
Red wire to supply constant power to maintain the correct
time on the clock.
Three switched power circuits feed the radio as itç—´ power
requirements vary with the function selected and volume.
The 157D Pur wire splices into the 157 series wires. The
272C and 272D Red wires splice from the 272 Red series
of wires. These will supply power to the A3 radio whenever
the key switch is in the run position.
The system has one left speaker and one right speaker.
Each speaker has itç—´ own ground circuit to the A3 radio.
Ground for the radio and clock is provided by the 230 Blk
wire to the W3 upper cab ground circuit.

To make a long story short, IMO the easiest way to make it work as designed would be to get the VW Adaptor which connects to the factory connection and splice it to the head unit connection plug using the diagrams that come with each piece...you'll end up with a plug that look something like the harnesses in this pic:

Snap it in, install radio...Done...

 

[tjkadar]

That is what I did. I bought the VW adaptar harness, wired it to the radio, plugged it into the factory JD harness and ended up with no constant power source. I pulled the radio, did some testing with the power wires, but didn't have much luck finding a constant source of power on the factory side wiring harness.

I'll admit to the ability to pull some bone-headed mistakes, but wiring like color to like color (for the most part), is pretty straight forward. I haven't tried to trace the issue down with a multimeter yet, but that is the next step. In the end, I'm sure I'll find I did something wrong.

 

[Spudland_Dave]

I'll admit to the ability to pull some bone-headed mistakes, but wiring like color to like color (for the most part), is pretty straight forward. I haven't tried to trace the issue down with a multimeter yet, but that is the next step. In the end, I'm sure I'll find I did something wrong.

I think that might be part of the problem...Like color to Like Color doesnt mean similar function....I want to say that the colors didnt line up on my harness...I went by what was in the Kenwood Instructions and the chart on the connector packaging...
Part of the problem is I dont think there is a "Standard Radio Wiring Color Spec"....
Red on a GM could be Blue on a Ford...or in this case Blue for VW might be Purple for Deere

 

[tjkadar]

Most of the wires were like for like as far as the power wiring went. However, the speaker wires, etc., I had to use the diagrams to match the wiring harness up to the radio. Still... all of it is pretty straight forward. The problem I had, is with the key off, I could not find a constant source of power on the tractor's side of the wiring harness. Granted, I was only using a screw driver type device with a light bulb in the handle, but it should have worked.

 

[nmu98]

Most of the wires were like for like as far as the power wiring went. However, the speaker wires, etc., I had to use the diagrams to match the wiring harness up to the radio. Still... all of it is pretty straight forward. The problem I had, is with the key off, I could not find a constant source of power on the tractor's side of the wiring harness. Granted, I was only using a screw driver type device with a light bulb in the handle, but it should have worked.

Here are the wire colors incase you dive into it and don't have the bag you Vdub cable came in...

 

[tjkadar]

Mucho Gracias! *right click, save as*

First take would be that I messed something up on the wiring, but with some of the unusual issues with this tractor, that isn't necessarily the case.

 

[nmu98]

Mucho Gracias! *right click, save as*

First take would be that I messed something up on the wiring, but with some of the unusual issues with this tractor, that isn't necessarily the case.

No Problem. I took it from another thread, and I am unable to resize it. Sorry...

Hope you can get some of the issues solved.

 

[tjkadar]

Size isn't a problem at all. Plus, I can read without my glasses!