Disco 2 Stereo question and Parrot Kit Interference

1. Just kitting out my Disco 2 with bits and bobs I need. One of those things is a decent bluetooth car kit.
I have always used Parrot kits and think they are the dog's danglies. I bought a brand new kit for this vehicle (Parrot Mki9100) and fitted it yesterday. It was tricky to find space for the "bluebox" but I managed to extend the wires and secrete that in the space behind the glovebox. Everything nice and tidy, all wired up and working properly. However, I wasn't so impressed with myself when I actually started the vehicle up to pop out in it last night. MAJOR whine from the engine coming through speakers. It whistles in tune with the turbo whenever the Parrot kit is producing the sound (i.e. streaming music from phone or on a call). If I use the original Alpine stereo, the sound is clean as before. Just wondered if anyone has any ideas?

(I vaguely remember researching this once before, some years ago now, and i think there is something you can do/get to clean up the interference?)

2. I have also noticed something else - the boot speakers (in rear door) are really muffled. They sound like they are playing under water. I assumed the speakers are knackered but then I wondered if they are meant to sound like that (i..e bass speakers), if anyone knows?

I was told this disco doesn't have harmon kardon system, and I didn't think so either as no HK badges anywhere but I saw a little metal box under front passenger seat (there's a cd multichanger under driver seat) - Maybe that's an amp? I do have speakers in the front windscreen pillars, so I thought that meant it does have HK system, but the guy I bought it from said no it's just got the upgraded stereo (mid range) but not top of range HK system. Was he talking doodoo, and it is HK, or is he right and I have some kind of half way house?

Thanks

Back door speakers are subs.

... and they may well be knacked, mine are! But you can get repair kits or replacement speakers! lol!

Thanks, that explains that then! but even considering that I do think they are knackered. horrible sound! Any idea where to get replacements?

Mine are pretty tatty!

john snoo said:

Thanks, that explains that then! but even considering that I do think they are knackered. horrible sound! Any idea where to get replacements?

Mine are pretty tatty!

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I haven't had mine out for years but they don't look the same I seem to remember the amp was behind them, there was no philips label and mine were FAR tatier than yours, for instance the cones had all come away from the mounts and were torn at the outer circumference. I am absolutely no expert, but I'd a thort yours would be fine if there are no tears, with a good clean up.
As to replacements, there was a thread on here a few days ago with the sizes, so have a search, but if you take them, off there may be a label on them and you can measure the depth and the wider diameter. But as I said, i am no expert.

Stanleysteamer said:

I haven't had mine out for years

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ME AND YOU BOTH PAL!

Thanks. I was just wondering if it would be possible to replace them with normal speakers rather than just bass speakers, or maybe the system only sends bass frequencies to them anyway. Will have a dig around some threads, i did have a search but didn't catch that one.

Have you ever had the feedback issue I am getting on Parrot kit?

john snoo said:

ME AND YOU BOTH PAL!

Thanks. I was just wondering if it would be possible to replace them with normal speakers rather than just bass speakers, or maybe the system only sends bass frequencies to them anyway. Will have a dig around some threads, i did have a search but didn't catch that one.

Have you ever had the feedback issue I am getting on Parrot kit?

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Parrot? Bluetooth? To me this is something I would only come across in a Zoo!!! I am a technophobe! My mobile is a flip open Motorola with a small aerial and no camera. I use it so rarely no one knows my number. In the car I play the radio, discs, the occasional cassette and if I want to use my Mp3 I stick a plug in the earphone socket and the other end of it goes in the cassette slot and plays just fine! And that gizmo only cost about a £5! So you iz axking de rong blok blood!

hahaha. we are actually not that different! The Parrot kit is just the best old fashioned way to get calls in the car without hacking stuff or adding new gizmos. Its hardwired, and has connectors which just slot between the loom and the back of stereo, so if a call comes in i can hear it through the speakers with a mic by visor and fantastic noise cancelling. I have to use phone a lot when on the move so alwahys had a decent hardwired system as I can't be doing ear plug things etc. but other than that I would say we are on the same page! My tape player is a bit funny, it doens't play properly. Try listening to roger whittaker through it (as i am doing currently!) and it sounds like a cat stuck in a door from 1964. Thankfully the multi changer works so i have Dark Side of the Moon in there along with some dolly parton (yeah, go on, call me names i dont care, she's ****en awesome! ). The bluetooth streaming thing is quite nice for audiobooks which is one of the 3 uses i have for my "smart" phone, the other 2 are phone calls, and messages. I am sick of being insulted for not being with the times, but at least I have found someone even more behind than me. You made my day.

That said - I tried to google the problem a little. It looks like it's not specific to the Parrot kit, it can happen when installing any equipment inline behind the stereo, apparently. I read something about "ground loop isolator" or something like that, as i think the wiring picks up the voltage from the engine when running or something like that. I am a bit stumped cos the hours i spent fitting the car phone kit are wasted if i can't take calls with hearing a dentists drill whirring in my ear! Hopefully someone will pop along who knows something about this isolator jiggerypokery.

Going back donkey's years when I used to fit car radios for friends we used to stick a thing called a "choke" in the postive power feed, to eliminate "gremlins". The old Haynes manuals used to be full of hints and tips about fitting radios, a lot were to do with ensuring proper earths all over the car, even from the bonnet to the bodywork. The noises you picked up could be characterised by their sound and so you could pick up windscreen wipers, dynamos (God' I'm that old), etc etc.
I'm sure there must be whole forums dedicated to this!
Such a shame your job means people have to talk to you on the move. Back when I was a rep 1975/6 mobiles had not even been thought of. Rich folks had car phones and they were Fu ck off expensive and we didn't have em!

haha. yep. I am trying to cut down the phone usage now though. I fecken hate mobiles and have done since day one. I remember my uncle getting one way back when. It was a huge handset attached to a BRIEF CASE that weighed about 10 kilos IIRC. It was hilarious, he was boasting about it and everyone looked at him thinking "see ya next tuesday"
Take me to 1950, I will be QUITE happy thank you!

Stanleysteamer said:

Going back donkey's years when I used to fit car radios for friends we used to stick a thing called a "choke" in the postive power feed, to eliminate "gremlins". The old Haynes manuals used to be full of hints and tips about fitting radios, a lot were to do with ensuring proper earths all over the car, even from the bonnet to the bodywork. The noises you picked up could be characterised by their sound and so you could pick up windscreen wipers, dynamos (God' I'm that old), etc etc.
I'm sure there must be whole forums dedicated to this!
Such a shame your job means people have to talk to you on the move. Back when I was a rep 1975/6 mobiles had not even been thought of. Rich folks had car phones and they were Fu ck off expensive and we didn't have em!

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...and we used to stick condensers all over the place. Only just remembered all this. God doesn't time fly!

Loads a stuff here and yes, earthing the antenna is important too!
https://www.google.com/search?q=int.....69i57j33.11656j1j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

john snoo said:

ME AND YOU BOTH PAL!

Thanks. I was just wondering if it would be possible to replace them with normal speakers rather than just bass speakers, or maybe the system only sends bass frequencies to them anyway. Will have a dig around some threads, i did have a search but didn't catch that one.

Have you ever had the feedback issue I am getting on Parrot kit?

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What a normal loudspeakers?
The loudspeakers in the D1 & 2 backdoor are standard 50watt mid range therefore around 60Hz/80Hz up to a the higher 250Hz frequency, so just match the replacement speaker size with the existing and go for the lowest frequency available in that size of mid range speakers can handle.

If u wish to go into the low Sub frequency’s then you need to go below 60Hz and get larger speakers so increased depth which will require some modifications to the housing.
Or get a stand-alone 200watt amp and loudspeaker with a low 25Hz as I did, there’s nothing wrong with the existing kit in the backdoor but I like BASS.

The speakers in this thread are described as "subs" and look just like mine, so i think there were some with subs. his is a 1999 and mine is an Anniversary so maybe later models only had subs.https://landroverforums.com/forum/discovery-i-39/rear-door-speakers-not-working-54870/page2/

Stanleysteamer said:

The speakers in this thread are described as "subs" and look just like mine, so i think there were some with subs. his is a 1999 and mine is an Anniversary so maybe later models only had subs.https://landroverforums.com/forum/discovery-i-39/rear-door-speakers-not-working-54870/page2/

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Identical description and identical item as used for the D1 since they were fitted in certainly models of the 300 series.
There’s no maybe it’s same kit D1 or 2, Sub just a generic term that’s used because it’s a bass frequency.

"Bass", lovely, just like you I love a bit of bass. So bring it on! Even if you need to fit a box like yours!

This is due to the amp which is probably a lear unit under pass seat. It doesnt like aftermarket hu or amps (as your parrot is effectively). A ground loop isolator will fix the whine, available on amazon.