Mobile Electonics News April 2012

WWW.MOBILEELECTRONICSNEWS.EU

APRIL 2012

N IN O I T I S O Ep L Gy O p O L R O O N F h T SE TEC A I D E M I MuLT

INSIDE

EXCLUSIVE SHOW REVIEW, CONFERENCE ROUND-UP & VIP PARTY PICS! INSIDE >>

ROCKFORD MINI DEMO

INSTALLED BY CAS

DIGITAL RADIO PRODUCT GUIDE

W W W. M O B I L E E L E C T R O N I C S N E W S . E U

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CONTENTS MARCH 2012 04 ED SPEAK: Post-Expo reflections from the Ed

06-08 NEWS:

Check out new products and endorsements of Show success

10 ROCKFORD FOSGATE NEWS

A raft of important new products to see and read about

14 EXPO PARTY NIGHT

Who won the Rear of the Year Award? Who was crap at karaoke?

16 - 17 ROCKFORD/CAS DEMO CAR:

Rockford and Car Audio & Security combined operation install

18-30 EXPO SHOW REVIEW

Full report on the excitement at the MEN Expo 2012 Show

32 CONNECTS2 AUTODAB

Progress report on C2’s fantastic hideaway DAB tuner

34 EXPO CONFERENCE REPORT

What did you miss at the seminars? – Here’s the lowdown

35 IFITSTUFF CHALLENGE RESULTS

Parrot sponsored the Challenge and the Drone flying

38-40 DIGITAL RADIO UPDATE

Lots of new products have been introduced lately

42-44 TRACKING PRODUCT GUIDE Tracking – what’s available on the market

46 KENWOOD’S FAST DOUBLE DINNERS Kenwood’s new AV units feature fast CPUs

48 BHP FRANCHISING OFFER

OEM Internet Radio Integration Xcarlink iPod/iPhone Interface + Livio Car Internet Radio App Not only does the Xcarlink interfaces offer seamless Integration with an iPod/ iPhone, it now also gives you access to more than 45,000 internet only radio streams from around the world.

The Xcarlink iPod/ iPhone interface allows you to control the LIVIO internet radio app directly via your cars radio/navigation system.

Download the Livio app from the iTunes ®store and listen to your favourite radio stations without the need to access your iPhone/iPod touch whilst driving.

BHP UK are talking remapping for power/economy

50 OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

Arthur has opened up a box of worms this time

52 RAYNER’S RANTS

He’s on about some weird mystical voodoo shit

52-54 M.E.N DIRECTORY:

Compiled this month by the Ed’s assistant Goff Banoffee

Charlotte Body PUBLISHER Tel: 01268 754 897 or 07903 944666 Fax: 01268 754429 email: charlotte@creativemedialtd.co.uk Martyn Williams EDITOR Tel: 07768 083748 email: edunit@edunit.plus.com Loryn McIntyre PUBLICATION MANAGER Tel: 01268 754 897 Fax: 01268 754429 email: loryn.mcintyre@creativemedialtd.co.uk Loraine Winter SENIOR DESIGNER Tel: 01268 754 897 Fax: 01268 754429 email: loraine.winter@creativemedialtd.co.uk Peter Johnson ART DIRECTOR Tel: 01268 754 897 Fax: 01268 754429 email: peter.johnson@creativemedialtd.co.uk

For dealer prices and information on our full product range including iPod & USB interfaces, bluetooth, TV in motion and more please contact us below

Contributors: Adam Rayner: adam@talkaudio.net, Andy Mills (Millsy): millsy-max@hotmail.com, Arthur Deebie: arthur.deebie@gmail.com Ben Chandler: ben@scene-media.com, Jeff Marshall: mobilefed@aol.com If Creative Media publish any supplied text or photographs by way of contribution to the magazine, you automatically and hereby grant Creative Media a perpetual, royalty-free, irrevocable, non-exclusive right and licence to use, reproduce modify, publish, translate, create derivative works from and distribute such text or photography into any from, medium or technology now known or hereafter developed.

In addition, as between you and Creative Media, you assert and waive any and all moral rights in such text or photography. The views and opinions expressed by any contributors (including advertisers) to the magazine are not necessarily those of the magazine and should not be taken as such.

Tel: 020 3393 4308 Email: trade@xcarlink.co.uk www.mobileelectronicsnews.eu Web: www.xcarlink.co.uk

3

GO 4/12

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ED UNIT SPEAKS

EXPO – HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT TOO! Another enjoyable Expo - I’ve made all my post-party apologies, and soz about murdering the Shabba Ranks song at the Karaoke sesh (it was a frame-up, honest!).

If we had known before the party really got going, Jon Griggs would have got a ‘Top Dancer’ Award. Anyway, it was great to relive the famous Madness file dance with you mate (why did nobody else join in?).

On a more serious note, although exhibitors were happy with this year’s event and the quality of business with you, the dealers, we did on the magazine notice a difference between registrations and attendance. It’s

Product trends I’m still buzzing from the Show a couple of weeks after as I write this and I’m now reflecting on some of the major trends. Smartphone integration was one of the new product flavours and shallow subs were popping up everywhere. Cat theft solutions is another ‘must have’ product on the security side.

Some trucks have big catalytic converters plainly on show and I know one courier company who had new trucks delivered on a Friday and it was very noisy in the yard on the Monday as they discovered most of them had been nicked over the weekend!

Featured link of the month Check this out! iPad3 as most people won’t see it. http://youtu.be/2EwXgiwv_E

interesting to see that the dealers who many of us recognise as being of a dealer planning ahead was Paul Ellis who figured out that it was

NEXT ISSUE – SEND YOUR LATEST INFO – BE A PART OF IT!

worth shutting up shop all day Wednesday so that everyone at Source

Features: OEM integration update and Sound deadening review

the most marketing savvy were there in force. Probably the best example

could make to the Show. When you think about it, he and his staff will learn more in one day and talk to more people in the industry than could be done in a month of odd moments on the phone or visits to the shop.

MARTYN WILLIAMS

So, next year, it’s worth figuring out whether you can afford NOT to

Editor edunit@edunit.plus.com

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CONTACTS FOR YOUR AREA: Nothern Sales: Dave Thornber 07710 092871 Southern Sales: Rob Walker 07826 653689 East West & Midlands: Hayley 01773 746591 OE Sales: Robin Holman 07894 123118 Mick Barber 07500 110460

Call: 01773 746 591 Email: sales@parksafeautomotive.com Web: www.parksafeautomotive.com 4

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The Better Alternative has Arrived!

Now We’re Talking

NEW!

CC 9058 Bluetooth® hands-free car kit with sensor key control and charging function

A2DP Music Streaming1 – great sound from the built-in 30W digital class D amplifier Battery charging function – for optimum convenience of use, scope of delivery includes Micro-USB charging cable Multipoint function – connect two mobile phones with the system simultaneously Display – of the caller‘s name or telephone number and further information on the display Illuminated sensor keys – for call handling and volume control Voice Tags2 – access to voice tags stored on mobile phone 1 2

Works out of the box The scope of the functions may vary according to mobile phone, network provider and software version.

Pre-launch orders now being taken.

Order now to avoid disappointment.

www.bury.com/uk www.mobileelectronicsnews.eu

5

NEWS

THANK YOU FOR A EXPO BRILLIANT SHOW! UPDATE “A brilliant Show!” That was the main reaction of so many people who attended the MEN 2012 EXPO – the industry’s only trade show celebrating ten years of success. Dealers attending this year’s event were about 100 down on last year but a solid core of independents determined to get the most out of their trade event made it a widely-confirmed event for exhibitors.

Headline sponsors Kenwood had an excellent two days business as confirmed by Adam Handley, Kenwood’s General Manager for mobile products. He said: “At Kenwood we recognise that the MEN show is still an extremely important showcase for the in car electronics industry. That was why this year, we asked to be the main sponsors of the show, put a tremendous amount of effort into our stand and really encouraged our direct customers to come along. This meant we could get our new range message and features over in a clear way, all in one place. However I have to say non account customers were thin on the ground this year, this was disappointing as it is really the only opportunity we all get to show and explain our products to this part of the customer base.

I must also say that some major brands hiding behind claims of budget restrictions for why they did not have a stand at the show is more an illustration of their current lack of commitment, we need the major players to support this event or it may fade away!”

Midbass were also sponsors and Commercial Director Chris Etheridge said: “MEN Expo 2012 was a great chance for everyone in the industry to show that the difficult economic times are now behind us, and has hopefully started the momentum of a great year in the industry. It was our pleasure to sponsor the VIP after party at this year’s Expo and to be able to give something back to our industry colleagues, it was a very enjoyable evening and we are already looking forward to 2013!”

Sponsors Scorpion would like to say a big thank you from Gary, Richard, Georgi and Ben to all of those keen dealers that visited the stand. Gary Kirby, Head of Sales and Marketing said: “This year’s M.E.N expo saw us at Scorpion boasting not only a great year for our first year in vehicle tracking but more importantly, three new products coming to dealers over the next three months. With these on display and demonstration, we saw record numbers of visitors on the stand through Tuesday in particular with all four of the team kept very busy throughout the day. Many dealers have contacted us following there visit to the expo and all diaries are busy on follow up-meetings.”

John Kleis, a dealer who is known for his excellent marketing profile, commented on the Show. He said: “I’ve heard people at shows a few years back being gloomy but everybody I met was upbeat about the market. As usual it was a great chance to talk to people in the industry and catch up on new products.”

Let’s hear it from a mobile installer, Toby Green of Shocks Away based in Farnborough Hampshire. Commenting on the Show he said: “It was good to chat to the reps about new products, features and further developments. This is must and something you miss out on when not working in a shop and allows me to advise my customers on future products suitable to them and stay ahead of the game.”

EXPO 2013 is planned to be at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry on March 5 and 6. Contact us on 01268 754897 for further information about next year’s show.

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ROCKFORD FOSGATE TRAINING DAYS

RAJAR STATS SHOW INTEREST IN DAB

The Americans are coming to a training event not to be missed. Two

Digital radio listening grew by a massive 16.4% over the last 12 months

separate days of training for its current dealers and potential new

and when summed with the number of listeners who claim to listen at

accounts will be staged on April 25 and 26.

least once a week, show that 23 million people are already enjoying

Steve Tookey, Sales and Product Manager for Rockford products

crackle free reception of their favourite radio shows. Internet radio

said: “Top dealers and distributors have attended Rockford Fosgate

and digital TV listening have shown growth within the above figures

seminars in the past and have said that it is one of the most

but are still dwarfed by those reaching for a bespoke DAB radio.

informative and interesting days you can have.”

World DMB +44 (0)20 7010 0743 www.worlddab.org and

For full information contact Steve Tookey on 07778930224.

RAJAR www.rajar.co.uk

www.mobileelectronicsnews.eu

The latest round of RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Research) stats show the continuing growth of DAB radio listening in the UK across all genres.

OtterBox Defends iPad You can now keep your iPad protected and in pristine condition with the OtterBox Defender series of protective cases. Available in a selection of colours, the defender series is rugged and ideal for demanding conditions, heavy use and protection against damage in random accidents.

The cases also feature strap slots on the rear making them suitable for mounting the iPad from a headrest for rearseated passenger use.

OtterBox Ireland +353 21 4910200 www.otterbox.com

NEW PORTABLE TV The UK’s number one supplier of small-screen portable Freeview TV’s has announced the launch of the DTV700B.

video and music.

PHONE CRADLE SOLUTION

This latest hand held model

We missed BURY’s latest universal smartphone

is the first 7 inch TV to include

cradle from our recent feature so here’s the

image enhancing technology

lowdown on the System 8 Take&Talk universal

such as H.264/MPEG4 reception and a 800x480 resolution screen. The DTV700VB is a feature

cradle with built-in Bluetooth, designed to

packed solution for watching TV on the go it is slim, compact and lightweight and its 800x480

hold any tablet phone right up to the enor-

pixel LCD screen gives this TV a truly outstanding image quality.

mous Samsung Galaxy SII.

Keeping it powered on the go, a 2200mAh rechargeable Lithium-Ion cell supplies up to 3.5 hours

This cradle oozes quality and clever design and

of uninterrupted viewing. For day-to-day commuting, the advanced tuner is able to receive a

is also the perfect stocking solution – this cradle

signal at up to 70mph, which is perfect for watching TV or listening to digital radio stations on

covers them all, adjusting to fit over 600 different

your way to work.A separate bracket (BKT700) with tilting head is available; this clips easily into

devices and doesn’t have assorted screws and

the back of the TV and can be fixed where needed.

bits of plastic to contend with – just click and fix.

August International 01920 487700 info@augustint.com

Apart from the beautiful build quality, other at-

This 7 inch portable TV boasts a sleek design with a high resolution LCD screen for digital TV, a PVR style recording system and a multi-media player for photos,

tractive features include the ability to swivel the device in either portrait or landscape modes.

Altimas goes Global

It’s compatible with the UNI CarTalk base unit

Global Telemetrics has appointed Stuart Altimas to its Stolen Vehicle and Commissioning

external antenna connection and the cradle’s

Departments. Stuart will coordinate liaison with customers and dealers in the areas of

Bluetooth system allows the simultaneous use of

alerts and commissions.

two mobile phones. Interchangeable charging

Gavin Hennesy, Head of Marketing for Smartrack says; “We all wish Stuart well in this new and

cables for the cradles are available for a mas-

challenging role”

sive range of popular phones.

Smartrack 0845 833 6971 www.smartrack.eu

BURY Technologies 01489 881118 or

of the UNI System 8 hands-free car kit and it has class-leading technical features which include proximity antenna coupling with a socket for

www.bury.uk.com

www.mobileelectronicsnews.eu

7

RECRUITMENT

NEWS

MODIFIED NATIONALS TEN THIS YEAR

Hyde Park Corner the Uk’s leading mobile installation company are currently recruiting experienced In-car mobile engineers

Approaching ten this year, punters

Successful Engineers will require a minimum of 3 years previous experience working within vehicle installations and have good customer services skills. You will be working with all types of motor vehicles and installing various types of electrical accessories including: car kits, parking sensors, tracking devices, telematic products, etc.

can once again expect an actionpacked ride for the entire weekend.

From wild modified cars, live stage shows, the all new track action, hot babes, stunt shows and amazing

You will be required to carry out installations on a mobile basis at arranged time slots, install the products and complete all relevant electronic paperwork.

deals. There will be thousands of cars on display with every modifying tribe catered for, it’s always a week-

An excellent package awaits the successful candidate including company vehicle, uniform, company phone, basic salary & commission.

end to remember and this year will be the biggest to date.

Modified Nationals has always prided itself on bringing Audio to the masses.

FOUR, distributor of popular high-end car hi-fi brands, Audison, Hertz and

Currently recruting all over the UK including the following areas: London (north & south) • Birmingham • Leicester • Peterborough • Kent

Rainbow will be taking responsibility for the main indoor stage action at this year’s Modified Nationals. Following the huge impact they made at last

Please send a CV in the first instance to: jobs@hydeparkcorner.net

year’s show, they have taken even more space in which to show the finest car audio installs in the country. Exhibitions and trade stands in the main hall

Hyde Park Corner, 61-63 Dowson Road, Hyde, Cheshire SK14 1QS • Tel: 0161 368 6999

include Car Audio Security, Skull Kandy and the VIBE Bass tunnel rubbing shoulders with the Ultimate show cars. Outside visitors can ‘get involved’ or watch mates battle for the ‘bragging rights’ with Both EMMA and dB Drag competitions holding centre stage on the showground. EMMA and dB Drag have been a popular and well-attended part of Modified Nationals for many years attracting some of the UK’s finest ICE cars. NEW for 2012 is the Modified Nationals “Built not Bought Install Competition”. ‘Built not bought’ self-build an install or show off a build that they have already completed. This

NEW TOMTOM VOICES

competition has seen support for some of the biggest audio companies in

Springfield’s Mr Burns and Marge Simpson are the next to tell you where to

the UK, including Armour Automotive, Celsus, JBL, Car Audio Security,

go as TomTom releases these all-new character voices for their range of

FOUR and Rockford Fosgate. FOUR is planning a huge spectacle with

GPS navigation systems. Each of the character voices has been developed

promotions and competitions running throughout the weekend. The inside

in partnership with Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products, The Gracie

stage will be used for live demos as well as DJ action, dancing girls and live

Films Worldwide Brand Division and Locutio Voice Technologies. Mr Burns

competitions. Founding partner of FOUR Brian Parton said; “This is what we

and Marge Simpson join the voice of Homer Simpson, which has become

do! We spend most weekends between April and September bringing great

the most downloaded character voice of all time, for TomTom GPS apps

installs from our FOUR MASTER network to the public’s attention. We are all

and personal navigation devices. Springfield Nuclear Power Plant owner

very passionate about our brands and products and the FOUR MASTERS skills

Mr Burns is as bold and direct as one would expect: “Take the exit on the

and like to take every possible opportunity to show the public just what we

right. Trust me - I’m an evil billionaire.” While Marge instructs drivers, “Exit right

can do”. It’s time to get involved and help make Modified Nationals the big-

ahead. Hmm, it smells a little funky in here, was Homer in this car?” Marge

gest Audio Exhibition in the UK, at Peterborough Showground, June 1-3.

Simpson, Mr Burns and Homer Simpson are exclusively available for the

Modified Nationals 08444 15 14 13 www.modifiednationals.co.uk

TomTom App for iPhone, iPad and personal navigation devices.

is a competition created to help encourage beginners and enthusiasts to

TomTom www.tomtom.com

Sole CAR AUDIo DIStRIbUtoRS IN the UK StAR PRODUCt

WIDE E RANG E ONLIN

SHALLOW WOOfER SyStEm • REPLACEMENT FOR BMW L/F DRIVER • 60% LEss MOuNTINg DEPTh • DIsCREET WITh ExCuRsION OF 1.5” • ENDLEss INsTALL OPTIONs

SUPER SLIm

TEL: 01634 263786 bEcomE a dEaLEr EmaiL: info@EarThquakEsounduk.com wEb: www.EarThquakEsounduk.com

Why Parrot hands-free?

PARROT MKi9200

PARROT CK3100

Maps

• Compatibility: All Parrot products are compatible with every brand of mobile phone. Regular free software updates ensure the highest possible compatibility at all times.

• Discreet, Easy Installation: Parrot strive to ensure compatibility with all models of vehicles. Steering wheel controls are also available.(1) • Wireless music: The MKi & ASTEROID ranges have advanced music playback functionality and can play music from a variety of sources through the vehicle’s speakers.

• Advanced voice recognition and excellent audio quality from the World leader in Bluetooth hands-free systems.

• Reliability: Our two year warranty on all UK stock supports the fact that Parrot hands-free systems are designed to last.

To find out how Parrot can help your business generate more revenue visit us at:

MEN Expo 2012, Stand 113 Parrot Approved Partners: ®

keeping you connected

T:01206 500 848

www.pama.com

T:0161 494 4200

T:+353 1 448 1288

T:+353 45 407000

T:01162 449846

Available as an optional extra on the Parrot CK3000, Parrot CK3100 and MKi Series. “Made for iPod” and “Made for iPhone” mean that an electronic accessory has been designed to connect specifically to iPod, iPhone, respectively, and has been certified by the developer to meet Apple performance standards. Apple is not responsible for the operation of this device or its compliance with safety and regulatory standards. iPhone and iPod, are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. The Bluetooth word mark and logos are owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Parrot is under license. COYOTE, iCOYOTE and COYOTE logo are trademarks of COYOTE. LIVERADIO, ORANGE LIVERADIO and ORANGE LIVERADIO logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of France Telecom. Parrot trademarks figuring on this document are the property of Parrot SA. Other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners. Parrot SA - RCS PARIS 394 149 496.

(1)

www.parrot.com www.mobileelectronicsnews.eu

9

NEWS

ROCKFORD 2012 PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS Next year Rockford Fosgate celebrates 40 years in mobile audio and the company goes forward incorporating state-ofthe-art facilities. All amplifiers, signal processors and woofers are designed and engineered at its headquarters in Tempe, Arizona and are backed with Rockford’s renown one year warranty. Founder Jim Fosgate is still pursuing his dream and prestigious awards include an Emmy, the television equivalent to the Academy Awards, for his work in developing surround sound technology. Rockford is a company with an impressive technological background with an eye for the future and is still launching innovative products as revealed in this sampling of the highlights of the 2012 range.

P300-12 12 inch powered subwoofer P1000X4D 1,000 Watt Class-D Amplifier

The P300-12 powered subwoofer features a Punch

The new Punch P1000X4D is an ultra-efficient

integrated high efficiency 300 Watt amplifier with a

four channel digital MOSFET amplifier capable of

remote level control in a durable scratch-resistant 16mm

producing 250 Watts into two Ohms per channel

MDF enclosure. Rockford technology incorporates an

with a relatively small current drain. It can be run

intelligent auto turn-on function triggered by the input

in bridged/mono mode using its two/four channel

signal and the ‘closed-loop’ design ensures optimum

switch for driving subwoofers with outputs up to

performance between woofer, amplifier and enclosure.

500Wpc. It has top-mounted controls for maximum

It has a 0-180deg phase switch, separate line-in and

set up convenience and each pair of channels

speaker level inputs, adjustable bass boost EQ and

has identical controls which include a full range/

12db/octave low-pass crossover, detachable power

low/high-pass filter switch and a pass frequency

connection plus thermal and over-voltage protection.

adjustment with a 12dB/octave slope from 50 to

The SRP for this system is £329-£359.

12 inch subwoofer (10 inch also available) with an

500Hz plus Punch EQ 45Hz variable bass boost.

RCA pass-thru is an added feature on this amp. In keeping with its seriously high output, it has 4 AWG supply terminals and a cast aluminium heat sink and features top mounted LED indicators.

It’s available now with an SRP in the region of £579-£610.

PRIME R2S 12 inch shallow bass box 3SIXTY.3 Interactive Signal Processor

The PRIME R2S 12 inch has a maximum depth of only

Our roundup of some of the latest products from

3.25 inch at the top. The wedge design is optimised

Rockford kicks off with the 3SIXTY.3 eight channel

for bass in a minimal space and there’s even more

Interactive Signal Processor. It’s the ultimate gadget

flexibility available using Rockford’s high performance

for OEM integration and can perform a complete

10 inch version. Power handling is 250 Watts

T1675 T1 Series Power Speaker

RMS and the enclosure is constructed with 16mm

of an audio system. It has RCA and speaker-level

The T1675 is the latest in the T1 Series, 6.75

MDF covered in high density carpet. Quick release

inputs, 31 band parametric equalisation per

inch 170mm two-way speaker with a 66mm

compression terminals provide maximum convenience

channel, phase control, time delay, interactive

mounting depth is rated at 75 Watts RMS – an ideal

of removal. SRP £159-£189.

graphic user interface, auxiliary RCA inputs, digital

replacement for OEMs. It uses the Rockford VAST

SPDIF input, subwoofer volume control, master

technology to maximised cone area relative to the

volume control, and/or ‘Punch EQ’ and A2DP

chassis and has an aluminium dome tweeter with

Rockford Fosgate distributed

by Vestatec

wireless audio streaming from the many portable

polyurethane suspension, the cone is carbon fibre

There is no doubting the history, quality and performance

devices with this facility.

and polypropylene with a butyl rubber surround. Slots

of the Rockford products, there is no doubting the passion

It’s the perfect solution for adding aftermarket

around the frame make it easier to install in a range

desire and technical knowledge from the people at

equipment to a factory source unit with integration

of factory panels and the package includes plates

Rockford in the USA and there is no doubting the results

and control of mobile hardware. The 3sixty.3

for oval speaker holes, grilles, integrated concealed

that our dealers get by using and installing the Rockford

is due for release in April with an SRP

crossovers and mounting hardware. They are

products in there stores in the UK and Ireland. To have

ranging around £699-£749.

also available in six and 6.5 inch sizes SRP

a discussion on becoming a dealer contact

£99-£125

Vestatec Distribution on 02088672340

surround sound DSP function as a control centre

10

5.25 inches at the base of the enclosure tapering to

www.mobileelectronicsnews.eu

IN-CAR ANDROID

TM

Kenwood introduces the first Android phone compatible car hi-fi range that allows you to play & control your music whilst on the move TM

Super fast music search via rotary control

Direct USB Android handset connection via phone lead TM

••••••••••••••••

Charge your phone during music playback

SCAN ME ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Download the FREE Kenwood “Music Control” App for Android phone

TM

Introducing the all-new 2012 head unit range featuring full Android phone integration by Kenwood Electronics. Simply download the free Kenwood 'Music Control' App for Android TM to your phone. Once installed, you can play and control your entire music library via your smart phone* whilst on the move.

Just connect your handset using its USB cable and make a direct selection of the song, album or playlist that you want to listen to using the simple-to-use rotary controller.

The Kenwood ”Music Control” App for Android TM smart phones is FREE to download from Android Market: market.android.com

www.kenwood-electronics.co.uk

*Compatible phones only

Portions of this page are modifications based on work created and shared by Google and used according to terms described in the Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License.

www.mobileelectronicsnews.eu

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www.mobileelectronicsnews.eu

13

EXPO VIP PARTY

|2012

The CEL TRADE ‘boy band’ with fashionable checked shirts gave it a go

Steelmate team effort

KARAOKE KRACKERS

Expo sponsors Kenwood

Mike Smith was king of the Sumos!

The Mobile Industry knows how to party and knows how to sing (apart from the Ed!).

Everybody was in a party mood after a cracking first day’s business at Expo

MEN EXPO PARTY SPONSORED BY

It was our pleasure to sponsor the VIP after party at this year’s Expo and to be able to give something back to our industry colleagues, it was a very enjoyable evening and we are already looking forward to 2013!

Commercial Director Chris Etheridge

Some of the Sony team

Gary Kirby chats to dealers

THE AWARDS Kenwoods Ice Champion For proactive marketing of new In-car technologies - joint winners: John Kleis Car Hi fi Huets - The In-Car Specialists Scorpion’s ICE Champion Richard Andrews - Outstanding contribution to sales whilst incapacitated MEN ICE Champion Loraine Winter – Fastest designer MEN Expo 2012 Best Stand Kenwood Rear of the year Christian Spaul, BURY

Loraine and Martyn re-living the days of Bad Manners

Charlotte Body and Rafiq Ahmed of Car Communitcations

www.armourauto.com

  

AUTOMOTIVE

The BIGGEST range from the BIGGEST manufacturer & distributor in the UK Servicing the Industry for over 22 years Supplying 11 brands to over 1200 customers With over 3500 different product lines in stock , visual icle audio h e -v in f o provider ons. ’s leading tion soluti a K ll U ta e s th in and s is y& Autolead onnectivit -car music otive c in s , n e o v ti ti a a nic to autom ring innov & commu devices in rand offe l b a n it w ig o d ’s e otive mobil our Autom ming, connecting iO is Arm a e tr nect etooth s tions con lu o s audio Blu n io ns hanges stems e UK, De ing any c k th a in m t d sound sy u n o gration bra udio systems with nown inte k ar a t s e b e existing c As th to s e rc u o pidly ta s digital da to grow ra s e u r n o ti ri n o inte ion and c ainment. to the car nd entert edia divis a im g lt n u ri m o it tomotive’s sing, mon rmour Au isual sen v A io is d a u b a e le V rldwide of in-vehic itself a wo ld t e il fi u b e s th a in , Focal h uality. s 30 years peaker design & q it g n ri u D s . of Sound ry best in ovative The Spirit r producing the ve rough inn th , rs fo a n e y o 0 rmance reputati r nearly 4 on for audio perfo fo io d u a r expectati nts of ca erican gia tinued to raise the m A e th s A con icker has , the design, K utomotive A high r u o rm . at looks & d by A re re g and bass re h it tu w c manufa pgrades loped and rs for entry level u e v e d , d e Design nge cate d audio r audio ra stablishe e Mutant ca ll e w t s d units, mo on tooth hea ne of the e o specificati lu is B , d n rs a e 3 P3 play ed in 195 ts of CD/M was form is s e n il o b c o e m Radio he rang ng Europe. T one speakers. ices offeri v c brands in e l d a u o d re d te ial an ard. inment s and coax ar enterta ur dashbo c o y h it to w in re d al pleasu integrate riving a re uality features, all d g in k a M igbee hq M, GPS Z d and hig S n u /G o S s R h P c ri rer of G manufactu d n a n ig s de ucts orld-class able prod c d CTi is a w n years a s a ss for 15 ntenn e a i in s iF u W b d evice an n in , has bee ng mobile digital d d n ra b r e integrati ch design io, a Fren ont of innovation in d u A n e g Oxy forefr ins at the stems. and rema motive sy to u a to in y technolog

For more information regarding the comprehensive range of products on offer from Armour Automotive please call sales on 01420 487110 or email sales@armourauto.com

AUTOMOTIVE www.mobileelectronicsnews.eu

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demo car rockford mini

MINI CAR,

MINI SYSTEM

BIG SOUND!

The Mini with its limited interior and boot space was the perfect shop window for Rockford Fosgate’s incredibly small but powerful amplifiers and the ultra-shallow Punch bass box. Superbly installed by Car Audio & Security with their usual eye for detail, the new demo car made its debut at EXPO 2012

mineral-filled and polypropylene cone with butyl rubber surround, PEI dome tweeter and sealed crossover. The same chassis mounting design is used to assist fitting.

In the boot floor, the Rockford Fosgate P3L-S12 has been cleverly-fitted. It’s a pre-loaded enclosure featuring a single 12 inch Punch Stage-3 ultra-shallow sub with a Kevlar-reinforced paper cone which will handle up to 400 watts

The BMW Mini has retained its cool image and

slots instead of single screw-sized holes to allow

RMS. It has a high profile, high excursion surround

iconic reference point with the youth market

some adjustment of the speaker when mounting.

for maximum excursion combined with a 2.5

for more than a decade. It also has classless

Power handling of the P1S652s is consistent with

inch voice coil former which is reinforced with

appeal and is liked across the generations which

the PBR four channel amplifier fitted.

Nomex. A poly-cotton spider rests in a vented

makes it ideal demo car material, particularly for

The rear speakers fitted are Rockford’s unusual

cavity to resist heat build-up. It has dual voice

showing off Rockford’s range of mini-sized amps

four-way P1694 6x9s, again with a reasonably

coils rated at two Ohms each. It’s wired in series

and the P3L-S12 slim subwoofer which has been

shallow mounting depth of 78mm. These will

inside the box to giving it a four Ohm impedance

so cleverly-grafted by CAS into the boot floor.

easily handle a maximum input of 75 watts RMS

at the enclosure’s speaker terminals which are

The install actually retains some useful storage

having the usual conservative figure on the label.

quick-release sprung types. The box is more than

space in the boot made possible by the small

Like the P1S652 165mm units, the 6x9 also has a

adequate for handling continuous power being

dimensions of Rocky’s kit.

The installation started with the removal of the factory full range speakers (OE speakers in the Minis have never had a good reputation for sound quality and are often included in the first stage of an upgrade, along with the head unit and a bass box). The front speakers were replaced with shallow-depth Euro-mount P1S652 coaxials. These are 165mm units with an impressively short 45mm mounting depth. They feature a butyl rubber surround, mineral-filled and polypropylene injection-moulded cone and a large soft PEI dome tweeter. Installation time is reduced and simplified with Rockford’s use of its ICC - Integrated Concealed Crossover and the speaker’s ‘Flex Fit’ frame which has Neat panelling job also includes a central LCD display for extra interest 16

www.mobileelectronicsnews.eu

|2012 constructed with half inch MDF and covered

control working from zero to plus 18dB gain

with high density carpet.

at 45Hz. The full range speakers are powered

The mono amplifier powering the sub is the

by Rockford’s ultra-small four channel amp,

PBR300-X1 with a maximum of 300WRMS into

the PBR-300X4 which pumps out 75 watts RMS

one Ohm. It’s a little gem of a unit measuring

into each channel and yet only measures

only 390x108x172mm. There is also a 500W

176x40x108mm. These vital statistics are made

version model PBR500-X1 - slightly bigger at

possible by the company’s ‘Boosted Rail’

390x172x208mm. The 300 has a max output of

technology. It also features speaker-level inputs

75 WRMS into four Ohms whereas the 500 can

with signal-sensing turn-on. The specification

pump out 170W into the same impedance.

includes selectable high and low-pass filters

Clever features include a variable high level DC

(80 Hz, 12 dB/octave), differential-balanced

offset turn-on circuit for automatic activation by

inputs eliminate electrical system noise and

any OEM system.

provision for 10 AWG power and ground leads.

As expected from Rockford equipment, there

Up front, the signals come from Kenwood’s

are some serious control options including

DNX5260BT multimedia unit offering excellent

crossover control at 35Hz to 250Hz low pass @

value equipped with Parrot Bluetooth, Garmin

12dB/octave (Butterworth). It has a high/low

full European navigation, DVD/CD playback and

input switch and there is an optional remote

iPhone/iPod direct control.

“The rear speakers fitted are Rockford’s unusual four-way P1694 6x9s, again with a reasonably shallow mounting depth of 78mm. These will easily handle a maximum input of 75 watts RMS having the usual conservative figure on the label.”

ROCKFORD KIT LIST

PBR500-X1 500W Mono bass amplifier

P3L-S12 slim subwoofer and box

P1694 6x9 4-way coaxial full range speakers

PBR-300X4 300W 4 channel amplifier

P1S652 165mm 2-way coaxial full range speakers

Contacts: Rockford Fosgate - Vestatec Distribution 0208 867 2340 www.vestatec.co.uk Car Audio & Security, 020 85969 1543 www.caraudiosecurity.com www.mobileelectronicsnews.eu

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EXPO REVIEW

S K R A M W O H S O P EX S S E C C U S F O E D A A DEC C elebrating our tenth successful year, the 2012 EXPO event was a massive success with exhibitors experiencing brisk business, quality enquiries and serious business attitudes from dealers seeking profit opportunities from every possible angle.

Mike Edwards, Kenwood’s Product Manager, thought that the Show was an excellent publicity event for Kenwood products. He said: “The show brought in lots of our important customers and it helps to reset everybody and get them to focus on our new 2012 range and the real opportunities to help sales.”

Celsus’ Kiran Purbhoo neatly summed up an expression of the Show. He said: “The dealers who attend are obviously proactive and looking to drive their business. The dealers who don’t make it to the show are missing out – where else would they get the opportunity to see all of their suppliers and the special deals together and network with their peers all in one place? It’s invaluable for customers, suppliers and our industry.”

Paul Ellis, owner of SOURCE AUDIO expressed a view which typifies his attitude as a leading independent dealer. He said: “This year we made the decision to close SOURCE for the day as I think that this is a great opportunity for my staff to look at new products and go to some of the seminars. We work as a team and it is nice to have the day out at a show which helps us discuss new opportunities and products we like and think will sell well in our store. It was a great show and I heard nothing but positivity from dealers and manufacturers.”

Publisher Charlotte Body and all the staff at Creative Publishing would like to thank all exhibitors for making the 2012 Show such a great event.

EXPO 2013 is planned to be at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry on Tuesday and Wednesday March 5 and 6. Currently, bookings for next year have already been made by some exhibitors wishing to maintain their positions. Charlotte Body, Creative Media’s Publisher and her team are ready to accept bookings by contacting them on 01268 754897.

ALPINE Dealers genned up on Mirrorlink for smartphones where the Alpine display becomes a phone clone as demonstrated on the stand and at seminars. Keith Holness, Alpine’s Senior Business Manager commented on the dealer traffic through the stand.

He said: “It’s been a good show for us even though we have noticed a slight reduction in numbers. We have been as busy as last year which has been helped by having some great new products to talk about, particularly Mirrorlink but also DAB, and internet radio. All good reasons to tempt people into parting with their hard-earned cash!”

Contact: 02476 719620 www.alpine-electronics.co.uk

ANTENNEN TECHNIK There are many things that shall go towards making the Digital Radio Revolution a reality. One of them is easy to apply hardware and while lots of companies are making DAB radio sets and at least three sorts of add-on boxes to add DAB to an existing system, there are very few antenna manufacturers. Of these, Antennen Technik alone has the AM-RA4271, which is a device that can amplify the output of any (nonbandwidth-limited) antenna such that it can allow the use of a ‘normal’ FM aerial with a DAB digital radio.

As such, it could easily be one of the single most important devices to be heading your way in the whole DAB milieu. It was being shown at Expo and will be available in final form before very long. As it means no new holes, nor replacement of OEM aerials, it’ll open up reams of cars and customers to your business. Also, of course, the finest antennae, including combo AM/FM/GPS/DAB Contact: 07734 420864 www.antenne-ag.de

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|2012 BURY Christian Spaul of Bury won a prestigious EXPO Ice Heroes Night award during the show. He explained their newest products to M.E.N. As well as the new CP1000 car phone specifically developed to support the haulage/fleet operator, they were showing the Bury CC9058 Universal Bluetooth cradle hands free touch panel car kit, which can pair two phones at once and has a built in 4x5w amp, a micro USB power socket to charge a phone and comes with multiple interchangeable charging leads so as to fit as many phones as possible. Before adding, “Expo has been very successful for us. It was a real boom day yesterday from eleven ‘til two. We’ve been lucky that we had five new products to show off and it has been good to gauge the reaction. We have been running a business card draw with twenty five winners a day to get a free product stand.”

Contact: 01489 881118 www.bury.uk.com

AUTOSOUND Great interest was shown by dealers in the Blaupunkt 2012 product range, particularly in the Plug ‘n’ Play amplifiers arriving late May to June.

These four channel amps come with car-specific looms to boost OE head unit performance conveniently with a fast fitting time. Blaupunkt have launched a high performance underseat slim line powered subwoofer.

Autosound also does a natty line in eye-catching Blaupunkt domestic DAB radios and visor-mounted Bluetooth units plus new protective tinted film sold in dealer rolls and consumer packaging. The winner of Autosounds prize draw for a pair of Blaupunkt noise-cancelling headphones was Karl Miller of Cambridge-based D6 In Car Solutions.

Contact: 01274 688990 www.blaupunktdirect.co.uk

BHP UK One of a small crew of cunning companies looking to increase the breadth of the offering in your shop by way of adjuncts to car electronics. In this case, they are electronics-savvy customers, so probably know about ECU chip remapping. Why in hell let them go off to an oily place to do this when you could have their cash and they will be happier customers with a mobile electronics expert. Mr. Qal Shah explained that a franchise is £1,950.00 plus VAT which includes the necessary hardware, software and training. A leasing option is also offered. Then it’s £100 per map, leaving plenty of room for margin.

Izy Shah told your reporter, “We had a really good day yesterday and while we have done a lot of public shows, the leads here seem far more focussed.”

Contact: 01282 779000 www.bhp-uk.net

CAR COMMUNICATIONS It was Rafiq Ahmed’s first year at the Show but he couldn’t be more pleased with the dealer response on the stand. He said: “By 10.30 on the first day we reached a stage where we were struggling to cope with the enquiries. We are here to achieve brand awareness, growing as we have from a traditional installation company. We are really excited about how our niche market has developed and its encouraging to know that it’s not vulnerable from the high street which means a lot of independent installers are keen to build up this route. Coming from an engineering background we are also keen to provide good after-sales support. Dealers have shown a lot of interest in our VAG-based head units and the fact that it really is OEM equipment.

We also offer amongst other brands, a range of Fiscom units.”

Contact: 01254 694537 sales@carcommunications.co.uk

www.mobileelectronicsnews.eu

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EXPO REVIEW

|2012 CAR AUDIO & SECURITY Dealers showed great interest in Car Audio & Security’s display of new JBL and Infinity products and the first showing of Viper and Clifford security systems which are the Directed Electronics products that CAS will be concentrating on. Commenting on Clifford models, owner Raj Sangha said: “Our aim is to restore the Clifford image and restrict distribution to proper installers who are not claiming to customers how quickly they can install a system – it’s a high quality bespoke product that requires a quality installation.”

Carl Huntingdon, Directed Electronics International Technical Support Manager said: “Dealers are asking lots of questions about the phone application of SmartStart enabling you to interrogate, geo-fence and generally communicate with your car from anywhere in the world.” There was a fantastic display of demo cars with installations showing extreme attention to detail and also a pre-shot of a future JBL demo – Raj’s gleaming black R8.

Contact: 020 85969 1543 www.caraudiosecurity.com

CELSUS UK Dealers were able to see digital radio solutions such as MediaDAB, the Caliber aftermarket head unit and a wide range of antennas plus JL Audio and Phoenix Gold plus the latest interfaces from Paser and Dynamat. Celsus staff talking to dealers included Director of Corporate Sales Kiran Purbhoo, who told MEN: “We get some doom and gloom from dealers but there is still plenty of business out there for those who are willing to work to get the sales and learn about the product.

Our seminars have attracted a lot of interest with selling and product advice from Sergio DeOliveira, Senior Vice President of AAMP of America’s Phoenix Gold Division and Morgan West, PG’s Product Manager. “In the current climate, every dealer should be attending sales seminars – it’s not just about product, it’s upselling and cross-selling that’s important. The dealers who attend are obviously proactive and looking to drive their business. The dealers who don’t make it to the show are missing out – where else would they get the opportunity to see all of their suppliers and the special deals together and network with their peers all in one place? It’s invaluable for customers, suppliers and our industry.”

Contact: 01202 664390 www.celsusice.co.uk

CEL TRADE Pioneer sales and marketing staff were on the stand to talk to dealers about the new 2012 range of units including smartphone connectivity improvements which happens to be the flavour of 2012. Apart from the attention of Pioneer guys, it’s a stand that MEN editorial always struggles to grab staff to interview because they always seem to be deep in conversation with customers. CEL TRADE had a massive presence showing off new Fusion, Sony, Muc-Off and a host of other brands including portable sat nav products notably from Snooper showing off its programmable unit for the caravan and leisure vehicle market.

Commenting on new products at the Show, Andy Marsden said: “Dealers have been interested to see the three new Fusion head units with extralarge display characters for the first time and two stunning new Fusion bass boxes. There are two CD tuner head units and one mech-less and we’ve also got an extensive range of Fusion Marine equipment. Fusion has new ownership and new engineering behind it and is particularly strong in the marine area. The quality is far superior and we are going to see some new exciting technologies coming from this company.” CEL TRADE has long had a solid reputation for its trader tools on its website and currently this is going through a step-change which will result in an even faster, more powerful and more useful system. MEN will be bringing you more news soon on these developments.

Contact: 0116 2449846 www.celtrade.com

CHAMELEON We caught up with Kent Stabler on the stand with a product creating a lot of interest – the PROCATT exhaust system alarm which automatically activates in ignition-off mode and will sound a warning against mechanical interference to an exhaust which will then sound an alarm if it continues. Two sensors designed to pick up key frequencies are clipped to the system. Attempts to remove the sensors or a catalyst will sound the alarm, as will cutting the sensor wires. RoadRunner fixed phone sales are going well and new for the show, dealers were able to see the RoadStar phone with added features plus 3.5G operation.

Contact: 01206 500848 www.chameleondirect.co.uk

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CONTACT SCOrpiON: 01257 249 928 Or emAil iNfO@SCOrpiONAuTO.COm ViSiT Our NeW WeBSiTe WWW.SCOrpiONTrACk.COm

last year we brought you: the smallest, easiest to install and only truly automated paperless registration process in the Stolen Vehicle industry with one name for tracking cars, plant machinery, motorcycles and marine.

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• Tracking for Caravan, motorhome, Trailer • The smallest and best value CAT 5 unit on the market and right now…

SCOrpiON TrACk fleeT mANAgemeNT Available for demonstration now Offering you, the dealer, better profit margins, ongoing subscriptions, simple to use software, many unique features, corporate support and much more

To register for more information on becoming a dealer for the very latest in vehicle tracking or fleet management please visit www.stinginthetail.com www.mobileelectronicsnews.eu

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EXPO REVIEW CONNECTS2 The usual dealer interest was shown in Connects2’s vast range of interfaces which are constantly being updated. AutoDAB was heavily featured with dealers keeping the C2 team busy with questions about fitting the hideaway tuner which can also be supplied with a portable remote control now for vehicles without steering wheel controls. Connects2 has made a fantastic effort to produce a plug ‘n’ play AutoDAB tuner for a massive range of vehicles now and the list is growing daily. All can be seen by visiting www.autodab.com Contact: 0845 2575588 www.connects2.com

C-KO Dealers were wowed by C-KO’s new double Din head unit with detachable screen where the screen is actually a tablet with lots of conventional computer functions including Google and with a highly competitive trade price. The C-KO universal DAB hideaway tuner was also featured including the revised simple remote control and the very clear GUI shown on a large domestic LCD screen to illustrate its high resolution.

Also very popular was the two-screen DVD headrest system with everything ready to go in one box for £199.

Contact: 0208 8638333 www.c-ko.co.uk

CONRAD ANDERSON Nathan Onions of Conrad Anderson explained that the company was heavily involved in the leisure market as well as the 12V infotainment scene. Their products include cruise controls and speed limiters, reversing cameras, multimedia and satellite-based internet systems, roof mounted air-conditioning units, in-vehicle fridges, drinks cabinets and freezers, autolocating satellite television systems from Trackvision and broadband internet systems, with auxiliary generators, battery chargers and inverters completing the market areas covered. The products being shown at Expo were majoring on the cruise controls/speed limiters for fleet use and the domes for housing mobile satellite systems. Conrad Anderson are ‘Elite’ Trackvision dealers and do installs on exhibition trucks as well as all sorts of leisure vehicles. Their client roster of blue chip companies is impressive with IBM, Microsoft and Barclays on the list. They seek a dealer network for their fleet products of bricks-andmortar businesses rather than ‘net based or mobile.

Contact: 0800 279 6939 www.conrad-anderson.co.uk

COBRA Steve Dunn, Product and Services Manager for Cobra has been impressed by dealer interest in the company’s Vizualogic screens.

Steve said: “It’s our official UK launch of the Vizualogic equipment at the Show and dealers have been coming to the stand all day long to inspect the quality of the headrests and the screen using an impressive high resolution seven inch display which are 800 by 480 pixels in a PerfectMatch high quality leather headrest.”

Contact: 01932 772400 www.cobravehiclesecurity.co.uk

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DALTEC With sole UK distribution for Novero car kits and Dice iPod kits, and stockists for Steelmate, Novus, Dension, Nokia, Parrot, Towtrust and many, many more, Daltec offers the full in-car accessories solution to the trade. They were majoring on the FoMoCo approved interface that they have. As well as being able to order this OEM approved Bluetooth and iPod adapter fitted to your car as you get it built at the factory, you can also sell the unit aftermarket and it takes around 2o minutes to fit. Getting this fully OEM approved FoMoCo-labelled unit available for aftermarket sale and fit is a political coup

by Daltec. Made by German firm Novero who make some really sexy tech including a series of blingtech, like a Bluetooth headset with the body made of precious metals and whatever stones you want to specify – in Carat weight!

Contact: 0208 515 7820 www.dal-tec.com

|2012 DIGITAL RADIO UK The not for profit organisation to promote DAB, which we must all get used to calling simply Digital Radio, like we started calling Dolby AC-3 Dolby Digital. Just FYI, coverage is now at a whopping 93% by population, with only 4% left to equal FM’s 97%.

As soon as 50% of everybody is listening to Digital Radio, the government will set a day for FM switch off and the better we promote the sales of digital radios, the sooner that will happen. Very soon, the first adverts in a massive multimillion pound DAB campaign will start in the press and on TV. They will be car specific, actually aimed at Digital Radio incar, so be ready to get on board! “Digital is the future.

We have government and broadcaster approval and we are seeing the industry buying further into that.” Said Laurence Harrison of DRUK. Contact: 0203 206 7871 www.getdigitalradio.com

EARTHQUAKE Plenty of activity at the KSA Digital Solutions stand, UK distributor of the Earthquake range, with a 20% discount offered on purchases during the Show. Dealers were interested to see the SWS-8X shallow woofer which can be used to replace BMW standard equipment eight inch woofers.

KSA’s Tej Ajji told MEN about the product, he said: “The 12 inch shallow sub has a depth of two and a quarter inches which means you can fit it just about anywhere and the sound quality is not heavily-compromised by its shallow design – it sounds good too.” The Earthquake Power House and TNT Series amplifiers were also on show.

Contact: 01634 263786 www.earthquakesound.com

EXTREME FLIERS The last of the clutch of the small crew of cunning companies looking to increase the breadth of the offering in your shop by way of adjuncts to car electronics. In this case, they offer flying toys to stack in the corner! Your customers are there for entertainment as much as information technology and these are a great impulse buy. The chap who designed the two-prop Robocopter, Vernon Kerswell, was present and explained how Dragons’ Den, despite giving him the televisual brush-off had attracted a slew of more intelligent investors and he hasn’t looked back since. You can grab a slice of extra by selling high tech toys with Lithium Polymer batteries. Around ten minutes airborne for 45 on the charge.

Contact: 0161 918 6740 www.extremefliers.co.uk

ELECTRONICS WORLDWIDE Chris Williams had nothing but praise for the show and was keen to get the following quote written down. “A useful show, as per normal. We’ve seen plenty of people. Congratulations to Charlotte, after all, ten years on and if it weren’t for her, we’d be ten years the poorer. People have found the time to come and talk and share opportunities. It’s tough but without events like this, there’d be less communication and fewer opportunities.”

Products on show included a new range of Sniper Parking Sensors plus a comprehensive range of reversing cameras and accessories, in car multimedia, sat navs and the whole range of Sniper and Falcon alarms. He was trading busily all show and was sorting a big heap of business cards when we caught up with him.

Contact: 01928 759239 www.electronics-worldwide.com

FITAS The Federation of Communication Services (FCS) operates the FCS Training and Accreditation Scheme for Installers (FITAS) are, amongst its various activities, involved with the SMMT and DRUK concerning the representation of independent installers.

Commenting on the Federation’s presence at the show, General Manager Michael Eagle said: “We’ve been representing the interests of the independent installer community at the SMMT discussions, particularly accreditation issues and ‘digital tick’ conversations. We are trying to highlight some of the opportunities that can arise from having an accreditation. There are some specific areas where they can use the accreditation to differentiate themselves. The digital switchover is a good example of this. There will be various routes to get the Government tick and what we are here for is to make sure that the independent installer has got a route to get there and be on a level playing field with the Halfords and franchised operations of this world.

“We want to push this scheme to the next level so that we can push the next level so that we have got a good platform to promote the independent sector so that we can send out a good message to the market. We do for instance, have a list of accredited installers on our website and will be looking to improve its online accessibility. “What we need is more installers so we would have something to sell.

The bigger the network, the more effective it will be.”

Being a member as a sole trader costs £20 a month.

Contact: 020 8249 6363 www.fcs.org.uk

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25

EXPO REVIEW KENWOOD

EXPO SPONSOR

As this year’s main sponsor of MEN Expo 2012 we had to have a word with Adam Handley, General Manager of the Car Electronics Division. He said: “The main topics that we are talking about with visitors to the stand include Android compatibility – taking into consideration the 60% share of the Euro market that smartphones have – and DAB of course, which we will be pushing heavily this year with, for example, a double Din DAB unit being released in August. Another thing we are pleased about it our sat nav performance with a doubling of CPU speed performance with hard key operation to enhance usability. We also have App Mode giving you full control on the head unit of your tethered phone giving you full control for instance, of You Tube.”

Contact: 01923 816444 www.kenwood-electronics.co.uk

GEMINI The announcement of the show for this brand was from the Italians, “Gemini Technologies S.p.A. are proud to announce the appointment of Aftermarket Vehicle Solutions as the UK distributors of the full Gemini product range.” Which means that the Two Petes, Mr. Peter Daves and Mr. Peter Hughes were there at Expo to let the visiting dealers know of the new operation and also to promote the other products they deal with in the cruise control market. Those keen on these top end security products can contact AVS via the contact below.

Contact: 0870 240 2554 www.gemini-alarm.com

INCARTEC With a gloriously minimalist stand, InCarTec had large graphics displays of its full range of specialist interface products across a long shell scheme and in the middle, a small table with a couple of looms and the Guv’Nor, Steve Patient, holding court.

InCarTec were at Expo to reveal their new website, behind which sits an epic amount of work from an industry patriarch. Yes, the man, who actually invented the mute harness, the SOT lead and the amp wiring kit concept is in the final stages of assembling a mighty and current database of vehicles and what they need or can use, all of which is covered by solutions from InCarTec’s wide range. The simple goal is to be an online ‘bible’ for those who need to know what to fit and how to fit it to any car.It is public friendly, yet there will be a trade log-in live soon, allowing you to see the trade prices alongside the retail ones. There are 42 marques of car covered and you enter the make, model and what extra functions you want to add to see an assembled page of products suitable to fit your end needs. It’s damn clever.

Contact: 01392 829435 www.incartec.co.uk

IFITSTUFF These guys had a flurry of stuff going on, with two cameramen wandering about getting coverage of every exhibitor and the lovely Laura Drysdale acting as both promo and doing some onscreen work, having done some telly presenting herself. Ifitstuff TV were also running their the Parrot-sponsored Mobile Installer Challenge with £600 worth of prizes, including a Parrot Bluetooth flyer and in addition launched the SSSI (Safe, Secure and Sustainable Installations) standard, explaining how the Ifitstuff Network could help you to gain work. Offering low cost advertising and website development services for independent retailers, this outfit is well worth engaging with. “Knowledge is Power” runs the slogan and it’s true.

Contact: 07813181470 www.ifitstuff.com

JVC Lots going on at the busy JVC stand showing its entire range of product including digital media receivers, multimedia, navigation and speakers for 2012. The new products include unique ground-breaking features including Bluetooth adapter and exciting iPhone/iPod and Android applications as well as DAB/DAB+. JVC’s Product Planning Manager Kotaro Kajita was on the stand and he commented: “It’s really good to be back at Expo once more and an opportunity to have close conversations with dealers. Highlights of our stand includes double Din DAB which is proving to be a big focus of attention. Also, every unit we sell now has at least Bluetooth upgrade-ability. We have Apple App mode integration and Android gesture control featured, plus the range of JVC ‘Driven’ speakers.”

Contact: 0208 450 3282 www.jvc.co.uk

iO ARMOUR The next generation of iO product captured dealer interest on the stand. Commenting from the iO stand, Armour Automotive’s Marketing Manager Michael Smith said: “Armour’s catalogue is huge with over 5,500 products so we come to Expo to show off a particular product range. Last year Autoleads was our special focus and this year we are focussing totally on the iO products. The G2 systems are due for launch in April so we wanted dealers to get an inside view ahead of the game showing the two main products backed up with Autoleads accessories. We are showing the iO Talk2 aimed primarily at the business user and the fleet market and the iO Play2 which, in addition to being a high quality hands-free kit, allows the users to play their full music collection. The Generation 2 of both products – a result of our engineering development over two years – has resulted in an outstandingly high performance system.”

Contact: 01420 487110 www.armourauto.com

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|2012 LASERLINE We caught up with Tim Kent, Laserline’s Managing Director who reported dealer interest in all the products new and established, particularly the Heatshot heated washer fluid system and the heated seat kits plus the 16mm OE type parking systems. Tim said: “Heatshot is a great product and a unique profit/margin opportunity. It’s not just a winter product either, heated water is much more effective at removing dirt build-up and insects.

“Heatshot is a sponsor of a LeMans Series race car which gains as much as a second a lap by being able to see properly (200mph-plus equals massive insect squashes!).”

Contact: 0845 2712891 www.laserlinespa.com

LOCKS 4 VANS Andrew Dunley of L4V had this to tell M.E.N., “We’ve really come of age since eight years ago when we started. We have eleven staff and six thousand square feet of space now, double what we started with. And we are still growing every month.”

Asked about new product, Andrew stated, “We have an electric deadbolt, just developed, a crossover to the installer market. It can be tied into an OEM remote – which will appeal to the broader church of car electricians.” Locks 4 Vans were showing the revised Ultimate Lock which is now available in manual and slam lock versions. It is the only automotive lock with Sold Secure Gold status.

Contact: 01474 560077 www.locks4vans.co.uk

MEDIA IN MOTION Under the banner of ‘Intelligent Integration’ Media in Motion offer a selection of very highly developed OEM integration devices that have different approaches. USB Logic is all about the media AV player and supports HDDs up to 2TB as well as rear view camera and an AV input. BlueLogic has more emphasis upon the phone hands free technology and you can now get the DVB Logic unit to add television.

M.E.N. was told, “As a new company, it is important for us to be here for the second year.

We have some new product and needed to show it off.” Funnily enough, as we were interviewing them, a passing dealer chipped in, pointing out that he had found their support “second to none” so if you are a bit scared of the product, don’t be, they can explain.

The new 2012 range includes new AV interfaces for Japanese cars, including Honda, Mitsubishi and Toyota. We also saw the new V. Logic range which enables connection of up to three AV inputs into a factory navigation system.

Contact: 0121 311 9011 www.media-in-motion.co.uk

NEMESIS TECHNOLOGY The PMR or Personal Mobile Radio system is about walkie talkies with decent range yet no need for costly licences. At Expo, Nemesis had their in-vehicle PMR products on show, with workforce style in-vehicle holders allowing a good level of integration with a variety of vehicles and were majoring on the ‘ruggedisation’ of iPad for workforce use as well as crash-tested iPad headrest holders. They have government departments and utilities companies in their customer base, we gather. They also had mobile phone cases for hard wear users from Otterbox who are a leader in their field. If you want to sell products to help people use clever tech in useful places, Nemesis are the outfit. They are also huge in the wiring harness market and were showing off new installation products from their Elan wiring harness range.

Contact:01905 720170 www.nemesisgb.com

MATRIX AUDIO Owner of Matrix Audio Dave Wilkins was excited about coming into the Show as an exhibitor at the last minute – hence not being in the original show listings. Dave reported plenty of interest in his high end products which included the magnificent Scandinavian DLS brand and Hybrid Audio brands. Dave said: “We’ve had some good leads at the Show so far. This is the first time I have exhibited here and I’m very happy with the result.” As well as the very high end Hybrid products, Dave was also showing a new budget range of Hybrid speakers which are still rated for their high performance sonically.

Contact: 01908 309127 dave@matrix-audio.co.uk

MIDBASS

EXPO SPONSOR

With the largest area and most central in Expo, Midbass did not disappoint. They had the row of impressive demo cars, (all available for loan at store events and open days) including ones that could wobble the very fabric of the Jaguar Exhibition hall and had a stand full for each brand of 2012 VIBE, FLI, EDGE and FU product. Central was a demo of their new Optisound gaming subwoofer, which looks to be a killer product. The Vibe brand now covers Slick for entry level, with a comprehensive breadth of product from a 3inch coax upwards, including the odd oval sizes. Then BlackAir, which includes a bandpass and a vented box in one case, with an amplifier for each one. M.E.N. has it on utter authority that this is a world first and was madness-amounts of R&D by the designer to achieve the result. You need a Hybrid active on demo in your shop! The Lite Air line continues for the mass-conscious who will pay a small premium for lower mass and compact dimensions, while the Space remains the SQ-centric line and the Black Death moniker going to the weapons-grade stuff.

Interestingly, this now means the big oblong 6x9’s are now available as components, in white.

Contact: 0121 311 9090 www.midbass.co.uk

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27

EXPO REVIEW

|2012 PARKSAFE CS Group has been going thirty years. I used to play hopscotch with the Car Sound Supplies van man when I was a rep for Electrosystems, missing a call or two to try to get ahead of the van!

Now, Mick Barber was at Expo to celebrate their 30-year refocus in direction. Parksafe Automotive has been created and branded while keeping hold of its roots, with Rob Walker helping make the parking sensor business all happen. Then there is the familiar Ivanhoe brand of textiles – like grille cloth and box-covering carpet as another new stand alone brand and finally the consumables range is gathered together under the Elite Consumables banner for everything from tape to crimps. Mick said, “The show has been very good. We invest in people, product and here, brand awareness and to connect with the customer. I believe this is important. I’ve done some good business and got some good contacts.” All in all a successful re-branding exercise.

At Expo with his business associate from China. Mr. Lin Qin, who has been a large part in the development of their product, Mick also told me that all their products are 12v/24v but sold at the same price as if they were not dual voltage – just 12v.

Contact: 01773 746591 www.park-safe.co.uk

PPA

PARROT MEN chatted to Parrot Sales Director Asif Gillani on the stand. Asif said: “There’s a high level of interest in ASTEROID’s performance as a UK digital and worldwide radio player on the internet either through a tethered phone or dongle. The advantage here is that it offers 7000 and 11,000 podcasts from around the world. With DAB you are restricted to UK digital stations and that’s it. People have asked questions about use-ability and cost of internet reception and the answer here is that a 1GB dongle will cost you about five or six Pounds a month offering you over 16 hours of air time or even cheaper with a tethered phone. I tend to listen to internet audio using our MKi Application Audio. This enables me to go via my phone into an internet radio app – I in use this on a regular basis and the streaming is reliable.”

Contact: 0844 472 2360 www.parrot.com/uk

EXPOSOR SPON

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Following the retirement of wellknown industry people Isaac and Tova Ribak PPA has taken over distribution of Pro Plus Sounds.

Managing Director of PPA, Krupal Patel, commented on his first time at Expo. He said: “We had some problems setting up but we managed to overcome that using some ingenuity. It seemed a bit quiet at first but got much better later on our first day.”

MEN also talked to Jay Patel on the stand (no relation), owner of Sextons Wandsworth. He said: “Krupal’s taken over the company and made a big investment and feels passionate about the brands. I wasn’t aware of some of his brands having been used to fitting Audison and Hertz etcetera. We’ve now introduced some of his brands into our shop and they have performed well and give a good margin and are not bashed out on the internet. We’ve fitted a pair of PP subs to the demo car on his stand and the performance is phenominal.” Brands available from PPA include Soundstream, Precision Power, Hifonics, MB Quart, Diamond Audio, Cerwin Vega, Cache, Crunch, Autotek, Armageddon and Pro Plus.

Contact: 020 7993 8889 or 07908651684

SANTA POD RACEWAY Legendary venue for car shows, Santa Pod was at Expo with a great big needle nose top fuel dragster. The sort that can be pushing three hundred miles an hour in a quarter mile and burns nitro-methanol. They had an equally glamorous couple in the shape of promo lass Angela Leyland and lantern-jawed Rick Cuthbert from the London office.

“We’re here because we have some big modded car shows coming up, The Fast Show and Ultimate Street Car. To show mobile electronics folks where they can bring their products to show the public. We are expecting fifty thousand people to these shows, with the Jap show, BMW show and Bug Jam as well.”

Contact: 01234 782828 www.santapod.com

SCORPION At Expo to launch the ScorpionTrack fleet management system, as well as their new marine tracking product for such things as Jetskis and small trailer-thieveable marine assets. The system even has an early warning alert that does not just rely upon moving GPS position but goes off as soon as the asset is manhandled. The real drama of the whole Expo was that at 07:50 on the second day of the show, there had been an ugly aggravated burglary where a door was smashed in and children terrified, just for a BMW 630i. Within fifty minutes these violent criminals were caught red-handed and look likely to get a serious sentence. It was admitted that every track does get them emotionally involved, they cannot help it - and felt utter elation when their product had done its job. As if that wasn’t endorsement enough, M.E.N. was told that they had had a lot of dealers coming to see them to say that they had got it right, having been fitting these systems for a year now.

Contact: 01257 249 928 www.scorpionauto.com

www.mobileelectronicsnews.eu

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EXPO REVIEW

|2012 SMARTRACK/GLOBAL TELEMETRICS This company runs a nerve centre offering call centre and technical tracking support to tracking brands: Autowatch, SmarTrack and MotorTrack.

Gavin Hennessey, Andrew Newman, Alex Harrison and Mark Webb were on the stand and were there promoting their Global Telemetrics control centre management. With fleet systems as well as single –car systems the SmarTrack system itself can boast a 113% recovery rate as they always get back more cars than have trackers on them when they catch criminals.

M.E.N. Was told, “It was quiet for us on the first day, but today (Wednesday) has been a lot better. We tend to look for new people at shows and we signed around ten dealers.”

Contact: 0800 048 3552 or www.smartrack.eu

SMARTWAX

SONY

Another of the crew of cunning companies looking to increase the breadth of the offering in your shop by way of adjuncts to car electronics. In this case, detailing. Ian Wilkinson has designed a small stroke of genius in the no-grit bucket trivet called the ScratchShield Bucket Filter. It has clever supports that can clip in place in several ways to hold your sponge above the bottom of your car wash bucket, thus avoiding grit scratching. As it can be made to fit a builder’s bucket or a 20L industrial or any size between, it’s gently genius! Ian also distributes Smartwax car care products, of course. Stock these, your punters care about their cars and BCSS in Coulsdon has been successfully selling car waxes for ages – and it get them back into your shop on a regular basis to drool over the new electronics.

Wizzard Products’ ScratchShield bucket filter system is designed and proudly manufactured in the UK. Contact: 01992 466481 ian@pcs.gb.com

Lots of interest in the new head unit products for 2012 including good attendance at the Sony conferences presented by Nuno Vasconcelos, Sony’s Car Audio Product Manager talking about Mirrorlink integration and sound-light excitement.

Sony’s two in-car sales specialists, Rob Berg (Southern area) and David McCullough (Northern area) were on the stand. Commenting on the Show Rob said: “Our main push on the stand is Mirrorlink on our XAV-601 head unit with seamless integration from the user’s smartphone up on the screen of the unit. We are also getting plenty of interest about our DAB unit which is a big focus for us and will be available to dealers through CEL TRADE at the end of June. It’s also nice to come to a trade show and have a chance to network and talk to other manufacturers – we’ve had a lot of good feedback.”

Contact: www.sony.co.uk

STEELMATE On a bright and colourful stand, the Steelmate company had a literally brilliant idea. Daylight Running Lights are the new trend in powerful LEDs but are all add-on whole units to stick inside headlamps or under bumpers from everybody else. But the Steelmate system launched at Expo uses the same skill set as those who fit parking sensors and are not scared of drilling holes in paintwork and marrying colour-coded collars to the holes. So the sexy LEDS poke through the bodywork but perfectly flushed – like a parking sensor. This makes the skills used for a necessity purchase now serve a styling purchase. Kevin May said, “Everybody that has come on the stand has been interested. We brought a hundred kits just to show them off and have sold the lot.” As well as the new daytime running light range, there’s a high level brake light warning device, and a first for Steelmate, a DVR - video recording device. New tyre pressure monitoring systems are available for a six wheel commercial installation right up to 22 wheels. The award-winning parking sensor products that spawned the DRL system include wireless and camera kits and they were showing a two-way LCD motorcycle alarm.

Contact: 01582 475677 www.steel-mate.co.uk

VESTATEC MEN chatted with well-known industry personality Steve Tookey on the Vestatec stand.

Commenting on the super array of products, he said: “We are promoting the three brands that Vestatec sell, which are Rockford Fosgate, Rosen and MetaSystem. Although Rockford is big for us, the biggest focus for this show is the Rosen AV7900 which is the focus of a lot of dealer interest. We are showing the Rosen Piranha double Din head unit. This has already been launched in America and has been recognised as exceptional value and has totally sold-out over there. It’s very much an OE-style unit and has attracted very positive feedback from key dealers. It has built-in Parrot and sat nav with large easy-touse buttons and it will be around £460. Also the new Rockford slim line subs are getting serious attention.”

Contact: 0208 867 2340 www.vestatec.co.uk

XCARLINK MD Jan Ahmet said of the show, “So far, it’s been very useful for getting in touch with all our existing customers as well as getting new ones. We have been getting good feedback from the show.” Xcarlink were showing a new as yet unreleased product in the shape of a new interface for iPod/iPhone/iPad to OEM. It allows charge and control as well as offering USB, SD card reader (HC to 32GB) and portable HDD use compatibility. You can connect everything and then switch between sources. They were also showing the Livio Internet Radio Appto-OEM via an iPhone and can offer TV in motion, a Bluetooth Module and more.

Contact: 020 3393 4308 or www.xcarlink.co.uk

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EXPO 2012 EXTRA CONNECTS2 AUTODAB

EXPO SUCCESS! AutoDAB NOW

AVAILABLE FOR ALL POPULAR CARS

Non-stop business from dealers at Expo on the Connects2 stand and big attendances at the conferences reinforces the success of AutoDAB, the Connects2 hideaway digital radio tuner, now available as a plug ‘n’ play package for all of the important popular models. Martyn Williams reports Congratulations to the whole of the Connects2 team for the enormous strides which have been made to offer dedicated plug ‘n’ play solutions for all popular vehicles, it’s not difficult to imagine the hard work which has gone in to create the correct T harness and set the right software for each unit.

Commenting on the progress of AutoDAB, Dave Fereday, Connects2 Managing Director said: “Our range is mostly complete with just a bit of Mercedes and Volvo coming soon.

“There has been an enormous amount of interest shown in AutoDAB and our digital head units at the show – it has gained a lot of momentum compared to last year.

“Awareness of our products will ramp up even further during April with the vast amount of advertising which is scheduled by Digital Radio UK with its radio campaign. We expect this to drive awareness and to get people asking our dealers for digital solutions, especially AutoDAB. “We have not forgotten AutoDAB fitment to aftermarket multimedia head units and earlier vehicles without steering wheel controls. With this in mind, Expo has been the launch pad of our video version which allows AutoDAB to be displayed via a video input and controlled

by IR remote. This is ideal for colour display

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aftermarket head units and offers full colour graphics covering the station name, full digital radio text, genre, ensemble and signal strength. The plan is to release this product in the summer.”

The result of all this thorough testing and dedicated loom manufacture is a unit which only needs to be connected to a specific car quickly and easily to make the tuner fully operational with the OE head unit and controls – most can be fitted in just a few minutes. Everything is taken care of, even down to a special patch lead for diversity aerials and, for customers who are interested in retaining RDS TMC/TP/TA, a bypass unit can be supplied.

This easy-fit antenna is normally supplied with AutoDAB tuners for ease of installation and performance which is often better than through-the-glass twigs.

Overall, it is one of the bestperforming aerials on the market due to its antenna design, speciallydesigned ground plane tab and integrated amplifier.

Dedicated plug ‘n’ play units are created by an intensive procedure of checking each vehicle’s data plus a physical check for adaptor loom optimum lengths. Steering controls are fully tested for optimum prompt times plus other special Can-BUS tests. The data is then downloaded to a desktop and a tuner box with beta software is created. This is fully tested before writing the final code applicable for the make, model and year.

The latest additional product for the Connects2 AutoDAB is a remote control for a tuner with video output for AV head units. The controller (shown in prototype form here) is will also be used for older vehicles without steering wheel controls.

For more information contact Connects2 Tel: 0845 2575588 www.connects2.com

|2012

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33

EXPO CONFERENCE & CHALLENGE

CONFERENCE CONFIDENCE Look, listen and learn was the essence of the MEN Expo conferences with a strong message concerning digital radio developments from DRUK and Connects2 plus American guest speakers at the Celsus seminar – Martyn Williams reports

T

here was good attendance at many

coverage of DAB and developments which

of the sales conferences which

will extend coverage such as an online Radio

included Digital Radio UK, or DRUK,

Player app slated for introduction late May or

effects and conversation directed towards the

as many people know them, plus

early June. This will possibly have social network

content and quality of DAB. The wording, which

linkages, particularly facebook.

was only a draft, finished with ‘To find out more

Kenwood, Alpine, Sony, Connects2 and Celsus.

Probably the best-attended seminar was

Progress of the Digital Radio Certification Scheme for accreditation of installers as part of

the money-making opportunities of a massmigration in the aftermarket to DAB head units and add-on tuners.

The digital radio switchover has been talked about so positively now that everybody in the

about how to get digital radio in your car, ask at your local Halfords and other leading car accessory retailers, or visit getdigitalradio.com.’

DRUK’s prompted by dealers’ obvious focus on

Everybody in the industry feels confident about the switchover happening in 2015

A question was asked by Paul Ellis of Source Audio concerning the reference to Halfords: “Will they pay for that?”

Laurence replied saying: “We want to work with everybody.” To which Paul replied that he would be willing to pay to be mentioned at the

industry feels confident about it happening in 2015 and that anyone owning a car

the Digital Tick operation is expected to be up

manufactured before Q4 2013 who is a regular

and running by June 2013.

end of the promotion slot.

Other DAB interests included Graham Johnson’s Connects2 AutoDAB presentation

radio listener (more likely to at least be in their 30s) is likely be thinking at some point about

DAB in cars campaign

which comprehensively explained the product

adding a DAB tuner for an OE head unit or an

DRUK will be launching a digital radio in cars

and the enormous strides which have been

aftermarket digital head unit.

awareness campaign beginning April 2 and

made to offer plug ‘n’ play solutions for all

running till April 22 on selected BBC stations

popular vehicles.

Laurence Harrison, Digital Radio UK’s

34

Two product managers - Kenwood’s Mike Edwards was spotted sitting in on Nuno Vasconcelos presentation and Nuno attended Mike’s

Technology and Market Development Director

plus lots of commercial stations including

went on to explain the enormous ongoing

Smooth and Real radio which should reach a

New presentation

effort throughout the country installing

good slice of demographic. The short audio

Plenty of dealers turned up to see a new

transmitters to improve the already impressive

promotion involves music and supporting sound

presentation by a new product manager,

www.mobileelectronicsnews.eu

|2011

INSTALLER Audience concentrating listening to Graham Johnson’s Connects2 AutoDAB presentation

Jeff Scott Director of IfitStuff is the brains behind the successful Expo Challenge series – he reports on the 2012 event which has grown bigger and better and can laugh in the face of the weather now that it is staged within the show. Congratulations to Jeff and all the keen participants and thanks go to Parrot for sponsoring the event

T

he Mobile Electronics News 2012 was a whirlwind event for me, there was so much going on with

Sony’s Nuno Vasconcelos over here from

the launch of our new Ifit-Pro

Portugal. Nuno took us through Sony’s 2012

websites, Sponsored listings & the Ifitstuff

range including the double Din XAV-601BT

SSSI standard. In fact I barely had time to

AV with MirrorLink technology (as well as

breathe in preparation for the event, let

Bluetooth) which enables user’s compatible

alone eat or sleep! Not to mention that we

smartphones to be literally mirrored on

were running a bigger and better installer

the receiver’s detachable touch screen.

challenge than last year, filming the second

Bluetooth streaming is supported and

edition of Ifitstuff TV (Sponsored by Parrot),

includes HFP, A2DP, PBAP, and AVRCP 1.3.

filming an all new virtual expo concept and

Presentations from Alpine and Kenwood

having a prize giving of all prize giving’s

were popular for genning up on new

that saw Julian Willis struggling to carry all

product with all brands majoring on

the goodies in one go!

Android compatibility. There was plenty

‘The installer challenge’, I can’t write those

of cross-brand networking between

words without a big smile lighting up my face

manufacturers with product managers

as I think straight away of Sonny of R.S. Fleet

sitting in on other people’s presentations

pulling half of his tool box out of his pockets

First - Julian Willis, Second - Ian Levings, Third -

- Kenwood’s Mike Edwards was spotted

and the faces of the 4 finalists stuffing their

Sonny Takhar.

sitting in on Nuno’s seminar for instance.

faces with biscuits at speed! We had a great

I must say a very big thank you to our main

line up this year with 8 competitors and a mega

Sponsor Parrot for their support, also to all the,

with plenty of selling technique and product

prize fund (unfortunately we were without

the moderators and to Parrot, ParkSafe, Locks

advice given by Sergio DeOliveira, Senior

reigning champion of 2011 ‘Sir Ian Mewse’ who

4 Vans, Steelmate and Smartrack for donating

Vice President of AAMP of America’s Phoenix

was unable to defend his crown this year).

some great prizes for the challenge. Of course

Gold Division and Morgan West, PG’s Product

As the eight entrants moved so fast it soon

we should all thank Charlotte and her team at

Manager.

became clear that we would not be able to

Mobile Electronic News for making the event

score all eight at the same time and so we

happen and all the exhibitors and guests

people selling themselves and giving

moved to a “If you don’t have it then you’re

coming along as it really is too good of an

a customer reasons why they should

out” approach (giving three lives each). We

event to lose.

do business with you rather than going

then got down to four competitors and as hard

elsewhere, which was mainly centred

as we tried we couldn’t catch any of them

websites, Prizes, Installer Challenge, cameras,

around showing interest in the customer

without the required tools and so I made the

pretty girls, karaoke, sumo wrestling, beer,

instead of someone to merely sell-at. He

call to switch to points based on the order they

business, networking, good food, good

also suggested that customers who spend

got back to the line. They raced back and forth

company, friendly faces, new products and

a significant amount with you should get

until they looked like they wouldn’t last more

a wet T shirt competition? Well nearly! Hey

a ‘thank you’ card in the post which also

than another couple of runs, then we landed

Charlotte, maybe that’s an idea for next

mentioned some specific products and

the last challenge on them which was to scoff

year? For those of you who didn’t make it this

services in which they might be interested.

down four biscuits each before returning back

year you will be able to catch the events and

A response of this kind could encourage

to the line which was a challenge that Ian

exhibitors on video in the coming weeks on

repeat business.

Levings rose to spectacularly! Challenge results;

www.Ifitstuff.com.

Interest was created at Celsus conferences

Sergio covered some valid points about

Summing up, the Expo was a blur of

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37

PRODUCT UPDATE

WHAT TO STOCK? MEN assesses the digital receiver and tuner market and checks what’s currently available

As stations continue to migrate to DAB from FM and MW and the proliferation of DAB receivers in the home continues almost vertical growth, the radio listening driver is ever more interested in adopting the technology. As with all car radio products, there are many different types of driver requiring many different solutions.

There is no doubt however, that coverage and reception post DAB+ introduction has improved greatly. Now is the time to change your customer’s preconceived ideas/memories of huge reception holes and demonstrate the new era of DAB receiver and antenna solutions on the market.

Use our guide to update your knowledge.

n Alpine

n ASTEROID Parrot’s Android ASTEROID lacks a

n AutoDAB

digital radio tuner but is capable of data-streaming digital stations through the internet. The 4x45 Watt unit has no

Connects2 has developed a comprehensive

integrated CD mechanism but is equipped

range of integrated, hide-away DAB (DAB,

with USB and an SD card reader either of

DAB+, DMB-A enabled) interfaces, which

which support any digital device. Asteroid

claims to cover 90% of all vehicles on European

also boasts Bluetooth A2DP streaming.

roads. DAB stations can be selected from the

Information including phonebook, menus,

vehicle’s steering wheel controls, allowing

music playlists and internet applications

seamless DAB integration to a vehicle.

is delivered via a 3.2inch high-definition

As each unit is car specific, vehicle integration

screen and main functions are accessed

is in the words of Connects2 ‘Seamless’ and

using a discreet jog wheel. The front panel

does not affect the integrity of the standard

is fully removable for security purposes

vehicle equipment. The hide away box stores

and the unit is supplied with Parrott’s

favourite stations and displays station, song

latest noise reduction NR 3.0 with echo

and artist information on the OEM display

cancellation AEC.

with additional support via synthesised voice

Parrot 0844 472 2360 www.parrot.com

prompts. Auto DAB is supplied with a screenmount antenna.

Connects2 0845 2575588 www.connects2.com

Alpine are showing at EXPO a brand new DAB add-on solution developed with Pure.

The main difference is that the PURE has a yellow character display and the Alpine unit has five colour illumination. It also has a window sticker antenna whereas the 300Di has a high tech through-the-glass unit.

Alpine 02476 719620 www.alpine-electronics.co.uk

38

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Now is the time to change your customer’s preconceived ideas

|DIGITAL RADIO n C-KO n BEAT

C-KO-DAB-2011 Hide-away DAB tuner This hide-away unit from C-KO is designed to integrate with OEM or aftermarket head units with an AV input and screen. The unit has its own AV input so if the head unit’s port is in use, the unit can be installed without loss of any features or functions. If the A/V/ input is not in use, the additional one could be used for DVBT tuner.

A remote receiver eye requires mounting as all control is accessed by a credit card sized-remote. The C-KO-DAB-2011 stores up to 60 stations, displayed in alphabetical order alongside station information and text.

C-KO 0208 863 8333 www.c-ko.co.uk BEAT, distributed by Connects2 sports three head units in its range including a double DIN and two single DIN models (BEAT 390, BEAT 485, BEAT 490). The 390 Double DIN is provided with a roof mount

n Caliber

antenna for DAB/DAB+ reception as is the single DIN 490. The 485 is supplied with a magnetic patch mount antenna. All units have front mounted USB ports for iPod/iPhone, analogue auxiliary inputs and an SD/MMC card reader as well as a CD drive for MP3 / WMA / CD / CD-R/RW Playback. The 390 features a detachable front panel and is equipped with a seven-band equaliser and comes with brilliant white display for a neutral colour match.

Connects2 0845 2575588 www.connects2.com

The Caliber RCD277DBT DAB/DAB+ CD Receiver gives access to all UK DAB and DAB+ stations, subject to coverage and has 18 DAB presets. The unit is supplied with a mag-mount aerial.

As well as DAB the unit plays CD, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3/WMA and accepts external analogue sources through rear aux-in

n CLARION

connections or digital inputs through the front mounted USB port and there is also an SD card slot on the front. The unit is Bluetooth equipped for hands-free use and A2DP + AVRCP audio streaming and is delivered with an external microphone. RCA’s are included for connection to an external amplifier if required.

Celsus 01202 664 390 www.celsusice.co.uk

n ANTENNEN SYSTEMS Antennen Systems has a raft of product to choose from, Clarion has just launched a hide-away DAB tuner.

including the new DAB Amplifier 4721.01 that enables

The DAB3020E works when directly connected to

reception through an existing AM/ FM antenna. More

Clarion head units: NX702E, NX502E and CZ702E

traditionally, cars which have an existing external AM/FM

and is DAB, DMB and DAB+ compatible. The

antenna similar to those used on the VW Golf can have

DAB3020E has 18 preset channel memory and

an antenna fitted which is a direct replacement and will

can store six channels per band with preset scan

provide DAB as well as AM/FM. Part number 4021.01 this

capability. Auto search or manual ensemble tuning

antenna has the advantage of being located high on

is available as is the ability to browse service lists.

the vehicle, clear of obstructions and will give the best

The unit is supplied with an antenna and contains

performance. For ease of fitting, combined with good performance; a glass-mounted

memory back up a low consumption mode and

antenna 4573.01 with an element outside the car provides what is probably the best

adjustable independent volume level control.

compromise. Internal antenna fixed to the screen is popular as they are relatively cheap

Having just launched, information is scant at the

and easy to fix. Antennen Systems has an active screen antenna 4570.01 which has great

moment, more news on this product soon.

reception performance. Launched at EXPO, the 4721.01 DAB amplifier is the star product

Clarion 01793 859563 www.clarion.com

from Antennen Systems. Designed to work with existing antenna systems, this finally removes the consumer resistance to fitting an external antenna. There are two versions, one that uses the phantom power feed, the other requiring a 12volt feed.

Antennen Systems UK 01299 406078 www.antennensystem.com

PRODUCT UPDATE

|DIGITAL RADIO

n JVC n Kenwood Kenwood’s KDC-DAB4551U is a DAB-equipped CD receiver with front panel mounted USB port and Aux in. Offering two-way iPod/ iPhone control, the unit is supplied with a screen-mounted antenna.

JVC continues an impressive DAB range with two single DIN head

Kenwood’s ‘find-by-touch’ rotary controller helps drivers to locate

units carried over from last year and a brand new double DIN DAB+

a desired station easily and quickly and unlike many other units, a

unit. The KD-DB42 DAB/CD/USB Receiver represents JVC’s entry-

DAB scan will not result in lost or over written presets.

level DAB product and offers dual aux-in, USB port, 24-bit DAC and

As well as DAB, the unit will play WMA, MP3 and AAC data from

a three-band parametric equaliser. The unit can be updated to

disc, FM, MW and LW and can be upgraded to offer Bluetooth via

Bluetooth through the optional BTA-100 interface, which connects

the optional KCA-BT300 interface.

to either one of the aux inputs. The KD-DB52 also supports all

Kenwood 01923 816444 www.kenwood-electronics.co.uk

popular existing formats but adds 2-way iPod/iPhone control and also separated variable colour display allowing different customer selected colours to be used for display and controls. It is also upgradeable to Bluetooth via the optional interface.

New this year, the KD-DB60 is JVC’s first double DIN DAB+ receiver.

Carrying all of the features of the KD-DB52 but with four line outputs and JVC’s iPod/iPhone External App Mode, which allows sound from Apps stored on these devices to play through the car speakers, the KD-DB60, KD-DB52 and KD-DB42 are all supplied with an internal screen-mount antenna.

JVC 020 8450 3282 www.jvcmobile.co.uk

n PURE n MediaDAB MediaDAB has been on general release from Celsus since October 2011. It is a black box receiver supplied in different packages depending on antenna preference. It plays through a stereo FM modulator with eight selectable frequencies to avoid clashing with other FM signals and uses RDS data to provide on-screen information supplemented by synthesised voice instructions.

MediaDAB has seen great dealer/installer acceptance due to its proven track-record and ease of installation. MediaDAB is compatible with both CAN and Resistive based vehicles so dealers

The PURE 300Di features a removable controller with a high-contrast

do not need to hold a vast range of products.

OLED screen measuring roughly 7x5cm. It has a 3.5mm audio jack

Additional features include remote control compatibility and the

input but more interestingly it has full iPod/iPhone/iPad/USB control

ability to be upgraded via a USB. Celsus offers good dealer margins

and charging. It’s also has three modes of DAB sound transmission –

and they also offer full product training.

FM modulator, FM broadcast and line-out.

Celsus 01202 664390 www.celsusice.co.uk

Its integration mode is an aerial patch into the OE system to provide a named FM preset ‘Highway’ to transmit sound on a default 87.6 MHz frequency (adjustable). Here, FM interference is eliminated with an aerial input switch-off. Its FM broadcast mode is also has an adjustable transmission frequency.

The package includes an active through-the-glass stick-on antenna.

It has a moulded flexible ground plane link with a magnetic contact to the vehicle’s roof panel.

PURE 0845 1489001 www.pure.com

40

www.mobileelectronicsnews.eu

Better to be Safe than Sorry! “..With our range of innovative observation and safety equipment including cameras, monitors, reversing systems and accessories, Veba can create endless bespoke solutions to match any customer requirement...”

- Pete Oughton, Brand Manager

Veba's state of the art products are suitable for installation across a number of different industries including Automotive, Commercial and Industrial sectors.

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41

PRODUCT FOCUS

Tracking for Fleet and Security

|2012

The markets for tracking the movement of vehicles are quite diverse now and the product seemingly so similar that it would be tempting to select your solution on price alone. A closer look however, reveals fundamental and important differences between products and services from simple GPS/GPRS products with web based monitoring to those with fully manned control centres. It is most probable that the modern day specialist is expected to talk intelligently about the basic differences and applications of many diverse offerings - Use our guide to become a product expert.

CobraTrak Plus, CobraTrak 5 These two comprehensive products reflect the immense market knowledge and experience offered by Cobra. Both units can be

ScorpionTraCk

purchased with or without password protected web-based monitoring, which includes a geofence facility. CobraTrak Plus features tamper alert,

Scorpion is another company with vast experience of vehicle

tow away alert, battery back up and GSM jamming detection. The Cobra

security. ScorpionTrack was launched last year and apart from

network of Secure Monitoring Centres across 36 European countries, Russia

being extremely price competitive the instant online registration

and South Africa is unequalled and gives vehicle protection in conjunction

process has impressed many industry professionals. ScorpionTrack

with local police forces. The unit carries Thatcham Cat 6 accreditation

can monitor ignition status and detects movement using GPS

and is approved by many major vehicle insurers.

geo-fence technology. On unauthorised movement the vehicle

CobraTrak 5 carries all of the features of CobraTrak Plus but with the

is tracked by Scorpion’s international control centre until either

addition of remote vehicle immobilisation and GPS jamming detection.

the vehicle is recovered or a false alarm verified – in line with

Automatic driver recognition utilises a discreet card, which the driver

Police legislation. Scorpion remains involved however, and once

carries separately to his/her car keys and automatically arms the

a crime reference number is received will liaise with police to

system when leaving the vehicle. If the vehicle is driven without the

get the vehicle recovered to its owner. The Thatcham Category

driver card present an alert is immediately issued to Cobra’s monitoring

6 product is designed and built in the UK using high quality

centre making your car safe even if stolen using your keys. CobraTrak

components hence a 5-year warranty is included in the purchase

5 carries Thatcham Cat 5 accreditation and both systems feature an

price. Scorpion boasts 500-yard accuracy depending upon terrain

automatic system health check.

and is the tracking system of choice for several major motor

Cobra 01932 772 400 www.cobravehiclesecurity.co.uk

manufacturers.

Scorpion 01257 249 928 www.scorpiontrack.com

SmarTrack Winners of 18 MEN awards in the last five years, SmarTrack provides special asset tracking solutions dependent upon vehicle type and usage. With packages specifically designed for plant, agricultural, marine, leisure, cars, HGV’s, vans and even motorcycles, the comprehensive offering is price competitive with nationwide fitting service available. The entire range of systems is designed and built in the UK to the highest standards with the electronics and aerials housed inside a polypropylene case, which is accredited to SGS-VCA type1 making it suitable for use in extreme conditions. All systems are manufactured to Thatcham TQA standards. Communication with the system is maintained over the secure Wireless Logic network which sits within the Vodafone and Orange GPRS and 3G networks with positional information provided via GPRS. 24 hours Live registration desk is quick and uncomplicated due to the fact all systems are shipped live. SmarTrack’s Cat 5 product is supplied with two discreet driver recognition system (DRS) key cards offering protection even if the vehicle is stolen using its’ own keys. Also featured is an Ecall button and remote immobilisation for requesting emergency assistance. This allows the monitoring centre to locate your position and call you in case of emergency. Battery disconnection and lowvoltage alerts complete the list of monitored features.

SmarTrack 0845 833 6971 www.smartrack.eu

42

www.mobileelectronicsnews.eu

CobraTrak FREE customer upgrade to web location on demand and geofence until 31st May

CobraTrak offers Stolen Vehicle Tracking with Pan European coverage as standard and a new Web Upgrade Package featuring: Pinpoint vehicle location on demand Self-set geofencing with immediate breach alerts via SMS or email

Offer available to all independent aftermarket customers purchasing CobraTrak Plus. Customers must quote CTWEB101 when calling Cobra to pay for their subscription and will receive a free 1 year web tracking upgrade.

Call Cobra Sales Support now on 01932 772400 www.cobravehiclesecurity.co.uk Offer available to new aftermarket customers calling Cobra to pay for their subscription and quoting offer code CTWEB101 www.mobileelectronicsnews.eu between 26.3.12 and 31.5.12. Cobra UK Limited reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time without notice.43

PRODUCT FOCUS

|2012

TRACKER Tracker is a company which has always displayed its’ heart on its sleeve in terms of reporting statistics regarding it success in recovering stolen vehicles. The counter on its’ website currently states that they have been responsible for the recovery of £455.45 Million worth of vehicles leading to 2,178 arrests.

Tracker boasts a range of application specific solutions designed to suit the needs of customers who require tracking for business, private and agricultural use. Utilising a unique VHF system for tracking, vehicles may be found even if they are hidden

Trackitnow

underground or in steel containers and Tracker claim the signals cannot be masked or jammed offering advantages over some

Trackitnow provides many solutions for tracking with the two

GPS and GSM systems. An integrated motion sensor is contained

specific vehicle products know as Motion and Advance. Both

within the product, which is installed covertly with no external

utilize a combination of GPS GSM and GPRS to report location

antennas to give away the unit’s location. Products comply

and vehicle status information via an in-house designed versatile

with Thatcham 7 accreditation. Tracker have 18 years of UK

and easy to use software package called ERA. ERA will run

experience in the tracking market and claim to be the only

on a PC or via an encrypted web-based portal and offers

company with working agreements with all UK police forces and

sophisticated features such as vehicle grouping, track and trace

also approval with many vehicle insurance companies.

and full live and historical information.

www.tracker.co.uk. 0845 602 2356

Both products are compact and lightweight allowing for covert installation to help prevent detection and tampering.

Advance carries CANbus allowing access to additional data, CO2 emissions for instance. Geo fence alerts can be sent via email and SMS to a PC or a mobile phone and stationary

The markets for tracking the movement of vehicles are quite diverse

sense technology coupled with battery back up ensures vehicles are safe even when parked up for periods of time. A remote immobilization facility adds further effective protection.

Advance can be upgraded to include a Panic Button, driver ID via a Dallas key and a single temperature sense wire for use with refrigerated vehicles.

Motion is in many senses the baby brother of Advance but it still includes many high-end features such as over-air programming and SMS capability. Motion 2 has just been launched. Full details will be included in a future issue.

Trackitnow 0845 4670 846 www.trackitnow.co.uk

TrackStar TrackStar is based on a GPS with integrated motion sensor and benefits from its position within the global trafficmaster organisation. Also claiming approval from all UK police forces, the system reports vehicle location every 20 seconds once unauthorised movement has been detected. Accredited compliance with Thatcham Categories 5 and 6, the product and service also boasts The British Insurance Industry’s Quality Accreditation. PanEuropean cover is implicit in the offering and movement is monitored 24 hours a day by the trafficmaster control centre; with access to control centers all across Europe, your car will be monitored and recovered in accordance with local law and legislation. The Trackstar system can be upgraded to include a single press breakdown call or alternatively, emergency call function offering added piece of mind particularly to those driving abroad. It can also be upgraded to include the Smartnav navigation and traffic reporting systems. You may apply to become a dealer via the trafficmaster website.

Trackstar 0845 604 5433 www.trackstar.co.uk

44

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PRODUCT FOCUS

|Trafficmaster Trackstar

TRACKING WITH MASSIVE BACKING The Trackstar unit has a suggested list price

Trackstar products with Thatcham CAT 5 and 6 rating have wide-ranging approval from the police and vehicle manufacturers plus the security of monitoring from the Trafficmaster Control Centre

of around £300 including installation and a subscription charge of £147.50 a year. A three year duration subscription is £399.

With an installation time of less than 1.5 hours, Trackstar represents a great profit opportunity of over £200. If you like further information and would like to become a Dealer, training and Dealer set up can be arranged by contacting

Trackstar CAT5 and the Trackstar Protector2

earliest opportunity in a key theft situation.

either Steve Dandy, Regional Business Manager

is CAT6 are both fully-approved Thatcham

Trackstar uses the latest GPS tracking technology

in the Northern Region on 07740718654, or Martin

products for vehicle theft detection and

for fast location and tracking of vehicles including

Wallis, Regional Business Manager in the Southern

recovery. Additionally to beat key theft, the

police liaison and recovery. Trackstar’s shortest

Region on 07920 285624.

Trackstar CAT5 system has a unique wireless

recovery time is a record eight minutes.

Trackstar 0845 604 5433 www.trackstar.co.uk

tag paired to the tracking unit. The system

Trackstar is a pan-European tracking product

automatically triggers monitoring if the

approved by 20 car manufacturers with

vehicle moves without the tag. This type of

exclusive approval by Jaguar, Land Rover, Range

activation initiates a contact procedure to the

Rover and BMW and is endorsed by all Police

driver or owner by the Trafficmaster Control

Authorities. It also meets the British Insurance

Centre – a non-stop 24 hours a day operation.

Industry’s Quality Accreditation as well as the

This ensures that the police are notified at the

Thatcham approval mentioned.

Approved by leading prestige motor vehicle manufacturers

www.mobileelectronicsnews.eu

45

KENWOOD

|2012

Kenwood’s 2-DIN goes high speed Super-fast CPU sees Kenwood Electronics’ Double-DIN line hit the fast lane in 2012. We take a look at three of their new units that are sure to be a favourite with your customers…

W

e were lucky enough to catch up with the full car audio team at Kenwood HQ just before the recent Mobile Electronic News show. At their headquarters the guys were proudly demonstrating Kenwood’s latest range of DoubleDIN products. “These products now have so many features that some serious processing power is required to run the applications quickly.”

Mike Edwards, Product Manager of all things car audio at Kenwood, explains. “We’ve come to expect electronic products to provide an almost ‘instant’ experience.” Mike adds. And he is totally on the money.

Nowadays, as soon as we touch a screen we expect things to happen immediately. Mike has worked with the R&D team in Japan to develop a product line that is second to none.

“The Japanese technical guys have worked very hard to ensure that the Central Processing Unit (CPU) used in these products is the fastest on the market.” Mike tells us. This leap forward in processing power sees Kenwood royally marching away from the competition.

“Feedback has been fantastic.” Mike smiles. “And with this Superfast CPU combined with a superb range of features across the line, we’re sure this year’s 2-DIN offering is going to be great for us, our dealer network, and of course the customers.”

Here’s a trio of units and what’s hot about them…

DNX5210BT

DNX7210BT A key product for Kenwood centres, with many of the features the

Feature-packed, but still friendly on the wallet, this unit offers a

DNX5210BT has and more, this unit will be a celebration for audiophiles.

removable faceplate, superb Garmin Navi with Lane Assist and Photo

Packing three 4.0v pre-outs allowing for some serious system building,

Real Junction View. The result is a very user-friendly driving experience.

coupled with Kenwood’s ‘Sound Excellence’ – a cool DSP that offers

Add music and movie file playback via the SD card slot straight to the

Digital Time alignment – the set-up and control for system sound is next

6.1” Wide VGA touch screen and this is a great piece of kit.

level. The usual iPod/DVD/USB/CD playback is on offer and the 7.0” Wide Screen looks the nuts. An absolutely awesome product.

DDX6021BT

www.kenwood-electronics.co.uk

For the customer who doesn’t require Navi, this stunning unit features a

*Traffic laws must be adhered to.

7.0” Wide VGA monitor that offers a seriously cool iPhone App mode.

What is this you ask? Well this feature enables you to operate “Apps” from an iPhone via the unit’s touch-screen. So YouTube in your car* is now a reality! The motorised screen and rear iPod USB are also great features. We like this a lot!

46

www.mobileelectronicsnews.eu

Kenwood is an Official Supplier of radio communications systems to Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

www.mobileelectronicsnews.eu

47

FRANCHISE UPDATE

|BHP UK

TUNING FOR PROFIT Simple plug-in hardware does all the work for dealers to re-map vehicles for improved power, economy and emissions too. BHP UK has come up with a smooth and sophisticated answer to successful remapping with the minimum of fuss

B

HP UK, a specialist ECU remapping

give yourself the benefit of starting with a

company based near Burnley, has

professional company that has the ability and

a network of over 40 dealers across

knowledge to support you.”

Hardware is simple to use and requires the minimum of transference it doesn’t have to be plugged into a computer while the ECU is read and programmed. It

the UK but is still looking to expand

which is your chance to explore a new profit

BHP UK claim that the ECU programmer it

comes complete with its own dedicated

opportunity. The company’s secret of success

supplies is the most sophisticated and up-to-

computer software that will allow you to send

is clever hardware designed to reduce

date system available. It is the result of working

us the ECU data with the press of a single

tedious downloading to the minimum and the

closely with the manufacturer to design the

button, there isn’t even the need to open an

highly-experienced BHP team who can tailor

ultimate ECU programming system that reads

email program to send the map to BHP.

electronic management mapping to customer’s requirements. This can be done for economy, performance or to eliminate EGR valves or for the removal of Diesel Particulate Filters (DPFs). BHP UK uses cutting-edge technology for re-mapping with sophisticated software for ECU editing plus a fully equipped rolling road facility. BHP UK will be

The company’s secret of success is clever hardware designed to reduce tedious downloading to the minimum

offering dealerships at a reduced cost of £1950

Full training opportunity BHP UK trains all its new dealers to use the ECU programmer and its computer software, this training is provided on a one-on-one basis which means that all personnel can learn at their own pace and have any questions answered during this process. After the initial training, the

which includes the necessary hardware, software

and programs the ECU via the cars diagnostic

company continues to provide continuous

and training. A leasing options is also offered.

port. In nearly all applications there is no need

technical support and hold regular refresher

to dismantle the ECU or even remove it from

seminars to keep dealers informed as vehicle

the car and unlike some competitor’s devices,

manufacturer’s technology marches on.

Commenting on the company’s package, Managing Director Qal Shah said: “Up until now getting a piece of the ‘ECU tuning pie’ required

48

BHP UK’s Managing Director Qal Shah told MEN

a lot of specialised equipment and in-depth

How it works

about the cooperative nature of the business.

specialist knowledge. However, with a BHP UK

The programmer hardware and user-friendly

He said: “Your success as a dealer depends on

dealership it is now possible to capitalise on this

software interface makes the procedure

the investment you are prepared and able to

opportunity with a very modest investment.

for mapping a vehicle very simple and

make. Although your monetary investment will

“It is without doubt a dealership opportunity like

straightforward:

be small you will need to invest your personal

no other. We have over 15 years’ experience

1 Plug the programmer into the OBD2

time and effort to achieve maximum profits.”

in mapping and ECU tuning and have written

socket of the car and select the make and

maps for some of the most respected tuning

model

BHP UK is be offering dealerships at a reduced

firms in the industry.

2 Follow the instructions on the programmer

cost of £1950 which includes the necessary

3 The programmer only has to be

hardware, software and training. A leasing

“Our dealership is a unique business

connected to a PC for the internet

option is also offered.

opportunity, we do not charge a dealership

connection which will automatically send

Contact BHP UK 01282 779000

fee, management fee or on-going royalties,

the map to BHP UK

www.bhp-uk.net

consequently our success is dependent on the

4 The map is modified, sent back, and

success of our dealer network, as such we take

simply loaded back into the programmer

our responsibilities to you seriously. If you are

5 Plug programmer into the vehicle’s OBD2

serious about starting a business in ECU tuning

port and upload map to car.

or adding ECU tuning to your existing business,

6 It’s as simple as that!

www.mobileelectronicsnews.eu

TRADE SALES DEPT

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KENWOOD KDC-3051R 4x45W, CD/MP3 Front Aux input

Pioneer AVH-2400BT 5.8” Touch screen CD/USB/DVD Bluetooth ready

JVC KW-NT30 7.” Touch screen CD/USB/DVD European Navigation

JVC KD-R331 4x45W, CD/MP3 Front aux-input

ALPINE CDE-133BT 4x50W, CD/MP3/USB Direct iPod connection Bluetooth ready

JVC KW-AVX640 6.1” Double DIN CD/MP3/DVD/USB 3 x RCA, Face-off

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FLI FU12 12” 1000W Active Sub/box with wires

Kenwood DDX-4028BT 6.1” Touch screen, CD/DVD/USB

Pioneer AVIC-F930BT 6.1” Touch screen CD/USB/DVD/Bluetooth European Navigation

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www.mobileelectronicsnews.eu 49 All prices exclude VAT at current rate and are subject to availability/change without notification. Trade prices are available to CAS Account holders only. E&OE

Opportunity KNOCKS

|2012

Little Boxes,

Big Headaches?

This month Arthur has been looking at feedback from his item on the telematics insurance business featured a couple of months ago and uncovered a bit of a worm’s nest!

I

have to admit having got a little excited back in the February issue of MEN (Little Boxes, p46) about the black box market and its’ implications for road safety. Having read much about the products and how they could enable the insurance industry to make our roads and particularly our young drivers safer, I am now aware of a much darker side to this rapidly growing industry.

and distributors already being required to

found ways around their systems and I am told,

cut all profit potential from the hardware

frequently attend cruises while their hapless

and insurance companies similarly restricting

insurance company receives a report to say

the installer’s ability of doing a good job by

their car has not left it’s garage. Finally, it is still

demanding shorter fitting times at lower rates.

possible to add a named driver to a policy which makes a nonsense of any attempt

I have been informed of companies who

to reduce late night accidents caused by

demand that their installers carry out up to nine

irresponsible drivers which cost us all so much

installs per day often on multiple sites. This of

through our insurance premiums.

course has the effect of forcing much cornercutting to take place – we may have seen

As mentioned in my previous article, the building

this before! In one example a poorly secured

blocks for insurance telematics systems have

unit with a built-in GPS antenna had fallen

been around for many years and installation

from it’s mounting and landed behind the

has been simplified to an extent that many

Jeff Scott of Ifitstuff did warn me that there is

heater meaning that it couldn’t see satellites.

devices are plug and play and it is seemingly

currently no policing or recognised standard

This system reported the last known location

very easy to knobble them, rendering the entire

required for the fitting of black box technology but

for more than two weeks before anyone

scheme worthless. Ultimately, of course, this

it was only after discussions with a couple of installers

questioned it. In another, the driver of a fleet

means the discounts that were once available

that the implications of this dawned on me.

vehicle was present when a device was fitted

will disappear as the reduction in late night road

to his vehicle and it was a simple matter for him

accident statistics, which the insurance industry

I now have a completely different picture and

to make a metal ‘shield’ to cover up activities

wanted to address will not be seen.

I could easily fill the whole magazine with a

when he was suppose to be working. Another

litany of examples of bad practice to which

installer told me he has managed to source a

Is it time for Thatcham to get involved

my attention has been bought. I suppose

jammer for £7.50 on the Internet that again,

and present the insurance industry with a

I shouldn’t be surprised at my findings as

effectively reports a false position for his vehicle

specification for anti-tamper devices? Is it

essentially, all erstwhile initiatives and practice

when activated.

time we had an obligatory code of practice for installation? Will greed once again take

are driven into the ground in the end by

50

greed. The insurance telematics market seems

The young and feckless for whom these

precedence over safety?

to be a case in point with manufacturers

schemes were invented to protect have also

Answers on email to arthur.deebie@gmail.com

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51

ADAM RAYNER

|2012

RAYNER RANTS Adam Rayner muses upon strange demons and gods and the biggest speaker in history…

You know, for an irreligious fat fart, I do seem to believe in some weird mystical shit. Like telepathy and maybe even telekinesis, with a bit of precognition and psychic sensitivity thrown in for good measure.

52

And, I have a Guardian Demon.

with a little fear in his eyes…

However, Mick’s had the months-in-fitting show

Not a Guardian Angel, who looks after you and

And there is a Cat God.

install before and now wants a Stealthy But

makes sure stuff works out for you, but a low

I’d tried to avoid letting a fat stray cat come

Decent Improvement this time. He doesn’t want

level, mean spirited little shit of a demon who’s

stay in our apartment on holiday in Lanzarote. It

‘crushing’. He wants quality with some power

entertainment is mostly to turn every waiter

had followed me and even when I crossed the

behind it.

or waitress I ever speak to, into a goldfish. The

road it followed me. Six times, well seven, as I

So, I made some calls and as they say on

better forms of entertainment for my demon

DID need to cross. I stood, with that first grocery

Pimp My Ride, all casual-like, I hooked Mick up

involves hotels and their bookings. Or rather

shop in bags, and waited until puss grew bored.

with Ultimate Audio in Bromsgrove. His nearest

the cocking up thereof. Usually discovered at

It only took a minute and when she started to

dealer of both the Celsus Ice-supplied JL Audio

reception when after a long day haranguing

wash her face, I turned and sprinted around the

products and the Audison BIT series of processors

the public at a show, I would find, no matter

back of the apartments. The Cat God looked

that create screens on laptops that look a lot

who the promoter was, that my room booking

down, flicked a finger and I ran heavily, chest-

like those on his £250,000 Midas mixing desk.

was cocked up. I had to travel ten miles out of

first into a brick piling. I heard the ribs crack…

JL Audio are very ‘him’ and make some super

Doncaster to a fleapit pub where I could hear

holiday ruined.

compact bass boxes and new super weeny-but-

the couple next door trying for their fourth baby

And there is a Rock God.

potent HD amps, as well as the right speakers to

while I’m attempting to sleep…

The Rock God planned it that a director at

marry to his stock locations. And Ian and Karl at

But it happens so often it’s not funny or

an Audi franchise would budget for a real

Ultimate Audio both enjoy Metallica.

even scary any more. It gets discussed and

executive chariot, then hardly use it. A year

So, I have already got a really tasty and

sometimes, we even talk about it happening

later and an eighty grand car is half that, with

hugely useful story. It has a quality, recent car,

in front of our eyes as the promised drink, order,

the towering cost of depreciation, especially

rather than an old, disposable shitter filled with

whatever is completely forgotten. Once, in

of OEM extras. It was meant for Mick. Big

expanding foam, rust and MDF. It has the lion

Bath, we were seated in a nice eatery, given

Mick, the Metal Overlord. He who mixes Front

lying down with the lamb in the form of two very

drinks and left for forty five minutes before we

Of House for Metallica (and Led Zep when/

opposing market outfits happily collaborating

admitted defeat and left, the demon cackling

if again) and once turned the O2 dome into

to supply the equipment. This proves it’s not a

at me.

the biggest transducer ever made by mankind.

‘one-brand-oh-he’s-been-paid’ promotion, but

I was explaining about The Demon to the chap

He pressurised that tent, until the suspension

brands chosen to fit his urges, adding veracity.

on reception at last year’s Expo. The Ricoh

creaked and the whole pulsed sound into

It has the OEM upgrade concept writ large and

Arena has a very posh hotel chain called De

space. It is well known that heavy metal music

it has a Rock God, well, Metal Overlord at it’s

Vere Hotels, as part of the whole complex, with

sound will in fact defy a vacuum and can be

core. What’s not to like?

reception in the main entry-atrium. I was being

heard in space. So as I write ‘Master of Puppets’

I’m certainly going to get as much media out

kind, as he’d had problems finding my booking.

is just being heard by inhabitants of the Jovian

of it as possible, with video and editorial. What’s

In posh concierge-style, this chap on reception

moons Ganymede and Callisto.

lovely to know is that even in these tough times,

insisted on helping me to my room to check my

But Mick, while loving all 366 bhp his Audi A8 SE

it is still possible to broker a promotional deal.

room key worked. (There was also an occasion

EXEC FSi Quattro came with from the massive

The companies (Ultimate Audio, JL Audio and

when I sat on a subwoofer enclosure in the show

4.2 litre engine, he was unimpressed by the

Audison) get an endorsement they could never

and it wiped my room key, necessitating a walk

stock OEM sound system and he called me for

have afforded had they sought it through

twice the length of the entire pitch to room

advice. I gathered that even the BOSE and

management, I get some wonderful content

and back to reception to get a new one.) He

the top dollar Bang & Olufsen options were not

and Mick gets his car sorted.

took me up in the lift and to the room door. He

all that impressive when he copped an earful.

Rock ‘n’ roll…

opened it with a flourish, only to find the room still

So the standard sound system hanging onto

occupied by the last resident and looked at me

the latest Audi MMI III front end, was woeful.

Take care, now and try to avoid the old BOOMPH tinkle …

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Aftermarket Vehicle Solutions Ltd Contact: Peter Hughes T: +44 (0)1255 434353 E: sales@avs-ltd.co.uk W: www.avs-ltd.co.uk Brands: Distributor of Speed Limiters, Cruise Control, Parking Sensors, Security Products, CAN interfaces and Carbon Fibre Heated Seat Kits to the Aftermarket and the OEM Industries.

Clarion (GB) Limited Contact: Sales at Clarion T: +44 (0) 1793 859563 F: +44 (0) 1793 859598 E: info@clarion.co.uk W: www.clarion.co.uk Brands: Clarion Cobra UK Contact: Cobra Sales T: 01932 772 400 E: salesuk@cobra-at.com W: www.cobravehiclesecurity.co.uk Brands: Cobra has been providing tried and tested vehicle security, safety and electronic systems since the 1970s. Our products include: Cobra Alarms and Immobilisers, Cobra ParkMaster Parking Sensors, CobraTrak Stolen Vehicle Tracking, NSV Bluetooth® Handsfree Systems (compatible with all Bluetooth® enabled handsets), VizualogicTM In-car DVD Systems, Rear View Reversing Cameras and Monitors, Cruise Control and Speed Limiters.

Alpine Electronics of UK Ltd Contact: Keith Holness T: +44 (0) 2476 719623 E: keith.holness@alpine-electronics.co.uk W: www.alpine-electronics.co.uk Brands: Alpine Armour Automotive Limited Contact: Sales T: 01420 487110 E: sales@armourauto.com W: www.armourauto.com Brands: Autoleads, CTi, iO, Mutant, Radiomobile, Veba, VI, Avital, Clifford, Focal, Hornet, Kicker, Orion, Viper, Oxygen, Dension, Kinetik, Hushmat, Sony

Connects2 Contact: Andrew Simner T: 0845 257 5588 F: 0121 522 5589 E: sales@connects2.com W: www.connects2.com Brands: Connects2 – Interface solutions for O.E.M and aftermarket systems, Including interfaces for iPod, USB, MP3, Aux, Steering wheel controls inc CAN-Bus, Stalk & Display, Telemute, Parrot, and MOST fibre optic iPod & Bluetooth hands free interfaces.

BEAT, Ground Zero, Tsunami, Shuriken, Balistic, Raptor, Zenec, Metra, LG, MAC Audio

Antennentechnik Antennentechnik Bad Blankenburg AG, Hermann – Petersilge – Srasse 10, 07422 Bad Blankenburg, Germany T: +49(36741)3690 F: + 49(36741)36963 Email: Liane.Marter@antenne-ag.de Audiovox Incaar Systems GmbH Contact: Damian Trybuszewski T: 01483 722 531 E: info@audiovoxincaarsystems.com W: www.audiovoxincaarsystems.com Brands: Audiovox, Audiovox Incaar Systems, AIS

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Automonitor Mobile Multimedia Ltd Contact: Hugh J McTernan T: +44 (0) 116 275 2020 E: hugh@automonitor.co.uk W: www.automonitor.co.uk Brands: Automonitor, SAVV, Necvox, Baton, Rosen, Visteon, Britax and Westfalia

Canm8 Ltd Contact: Colin Palmer T: 08452266283 E: SALES@CANM8.COM Brands: Canm8 range of can bus interfaces can bus custom design Celsus UK Limited Contact: Sales T: +44 (0) 1202 664 390 E: sales@celsusice.co.uk W: www.celsusice.co.uk Brands: Celsus Accessories, Calearo, Antennas, Caliber, Dynamat Europe, iSimple, Jehnert, JL Audio, MediaDAB, MTX, PAC Audio, Paser, Phoenix Gold and Stinger.

CKO International Limited Contact: Tony Rook T: 020 8863 8333 M: 07751 726 598 E: enquiries@c-ko.co.uk W: www.c-ko.co.uk Brands: C-KO, Eurologics, Nesa/VST, Necvox, Rosen Area of business: In Car Multimedia, Interfaces, Rear View Camera Systems, Parking Sensors, Heated Seats, HID/Day Running Lights, Digital Video Recorders, Digital TV, Digital Radio

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FLYAUDIO UK Contact: John Pedlow T: 0333 4560236 F: 0333 7007120 E: sales@flyaudio.co W: www.flyaudio.co Brands: FlyAudio – In car advanced replacement media head units.

Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Kia, Hyundai, Jeep, Subaru, Toyota, Vauxhall, VW iGRIP® / Herbert Richter GmbH Contact: Scott Bouquet Email: s.b@igrip.eu T: +44 (0) 2081447413 E: www.igrip.eu Brands: iGRIP, Herbet Richter.

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Kenwood Electronics UK Limited T: +44 (0) 1923 816444 E: enquiries@kenwood-electronics.co.uk W: www.kenwood-electronics.co.uk Brands: Kenwood Navigon AG Contact - Anthony Mills T: 07971 526616 F: +49 40 370 88 480 E: Anthony.mills@navigon.com W: www.navigon.com Navman Contact: Andrew Marsden T: 01162 449846 E: sales@celtrade.com W: www.celtrade.com Brands: Navman Panorama Antennas Ltd Contact: John Thomson T: +44 (0) 20 8877 4444 E: sales@panorama-antennas.com W: www.panorama-antennas.com Brands: Manufacturer of antennas for DAB, Mobile Radio, Tetra, 3G Broadband and other wireless technologies.

Parksafe UK Contact: Mick Barber T: 01773 746 591 F: 01773 743 251 E: Sales@Park-safe.co.uk w: www.Park-safe.co.uk Brands: Parking and Rear View camera systems

Dashmount Contact: Steve Taylor T: 01883741460 E: sales@dashmount.co.uk W: www.dashmount Brands: Dashmount, Bury, Nokia, Parrot, Adapt, Brodit, Autoleads, Elan, Kram, Park Control, Steelmate.

DMC Business Machines PLC Contact – Steve McLean T: 0844 736 1144 E: steve.mclean@dmcplc.co.uk W: www.dmcplc.co.uk/auto Brands: Handsfree Car Kits – Nokia, THB Bury, Parrot, Motorola Parking Sensors – Steelmate, Veba Reverse Camera Kits – Veba GPS Camera Detection – Novus, Event Recording Systems – Novus Vehicle Lighting – Haztec, Ring Installation Accessories – Autoleads, Hirschmann, Bloomice, Wallen & More!

Autosound Limited Contact: Lee Fergus T: 01274 688990 E: lee.fergus@autosound.co.uk W: www.autosound.co.uk, www.blaupunktdirect.co.uk Brands: Blaupunkt, Bosch Car Multimedia, Funkwerk, Funtoro Mod Systems

In Car Technologies Contact: Steve Patient T: 01392 829435 E: sales@incartec.co.uk W: www.incartec.co.uk

Parrot UK Limited T: 0844 472 2360 E: sales.uk@parrot.com W: www.parrot.com Brands: Parrot

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Radio World Contact: Dale Johnson T: 01924 401756 E: sales@radioworld-online.co.uk W: www.rw-online.co.uk Brands: Accessories importers Sailes Marketing Ltd Contact: Matthew Sailes T: +44 (0) 1386 554210 E: info@sailesmarketing.com W: www.sailesmarketing.com Brands: Manufacturer and Distributor of CAN Bus interfaces, Electronic Interfaces, Parking Sensors, Speed Pulse Generators & Installation tools.

Scorpion Automotive Ltd Contact: Dianne or Philly T: 01257 249928 E: info@scorpionauto.com W: www.scorpionauto.com Brands: Scorpion Security, Toad Security, Sigma Security, Stirling Security, Scorpion Parking sensors, Scorpion Track Stolen vehicle and fleet management tracking Select Products Contact: Matt Hurst T: 01233 62 32 36 E: matt@selectproducts.co.uk W: www.selectproducts.co.uk Brands: Select Products, Inigma Steelmate Automotive (UK) Ltd Contact: Kevin Kay T: 01582 475677 E: sales@steel-mate.co.uk W: www.steel-mate.co.uk Brands: TPMS, DVR. Promata - DRL, High level brake light warning device, Reverse Alarm.

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