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Michael Crix Unregistered guest | Can anyone give any inputs about the Durabrand 10-Disc car cd-changer from Walmart? Its pretty cheap given the fact that it plays MP3 format also. |
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New member Username: GlasswolfPost Number: 396 Registered: 12-2003 | I'd stick with a known company that makes quality products. You can find MP3/WMA capable Alpine CD changers with FM modulator on eBay or places like etronics.com for pretty cheap if ya look around. |
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famewolf Unregistered guest | These changers are being clearanced in some areas for $60-75 each...for that price I can put up with some quirks along with the ability to play 175 cd's worth of music in mp3 format. |
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New member Username: GlasswolfPost Number: 706 Registered: 12-2003 | hey as long as it doesn't take a dump on ya, it's all good for that price. |
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kcabobert Unregistered guest | My panasonic crapped out. I thought, for the price, the durabrand was a good deal. Sometimes it will turn on; more often, however, it doesn't. It also refuses to play mp3 cds, so overall I would avoid trash-canning $70. |
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famewolf Unregistered guest | I'd say you got a bad durabrand then..cause mine has been playing mp3 cd's just fine... 50 hours of music on the 4 cd's I've created. |
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Unregistered guest | I'd like to put something like this in my truck and car. Is it all wireless or will there be a wire running up the whole length of the car? Does it transmit to the radio then? Thanks,Scott |
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Unregistered guest | I'd like to put something like this in my truck and car. Is it all wireless or will there be a wire running up the whole length of the car? Does it transmit to the radio then? Is there another brand that will do the same thing, but with a wireless remote? Thanks,Scott |
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FameWolf Unregistered guest | The changer has a wire that runs from it to the fm modulator which plugs into the radio using the antenna in port..then the antenna plugs into the fm modulator. |
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New member Username: MaruzoPost Number: 1 Registered: 01-2004 | hey famewolf: did you connect your changer thru the modulator unit? Mine plays thru fm 88.9 and the volume is at half the regular level compared with my oem cd changer. Also, there's crackling noises that comes in and out once in a while. I've heard this is typical of rf mod units, but it's really ticking me off. I've found the rca out contact points on the pcb board of the modulator unit and connected an rca wire to it. I'm now using a cassette adapter which plays quite nicely (volume wise). The downside is that the mod unit seems to have problem outputing the full dynamic range of the mp3 files on the disc. I get muffiness/ boominess from the bass and sometimes treble as well. Any ideas? |
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John M. Cramer Unregistered guest | hey, I don't know why mine isnt working, it won't play any mp3 cds, i'm using Cd-R's so maybe that is it, if anybody who has one that reads Mp3's could tell me what kinda cd's they're using etc. Thanks |
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Unregistered guest | My Durabrand doesn't seem to want to eject or play unless the key is turned to start up the car. I don't know if the morons at Best Buy hooked the wires up incorrectly or if this model only plays and ejects when the car is running or the ignition is on. Does anyone know? |
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New member Username: JettesonPost Number: 1 Registered: 02-2004 | I have a 2000 Jetta and it has a factory connector for a cd changer. I keep looking around and I have not found a changer that I can just hook up to the stereo and use it like a factory changer. I feel like the only option I have is to go the the dealer and give them the $400.00 they want for a factory changer. Do you guys have any suggestions? |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfPost Number: 1362 Registered: 12-2003 | Neal. that's how it's supposed to be wired. otherwise anyone could reach in the window and eject the CDs when you're in the 7-11 also, the changer would use power when you're not in the car, and could run down the battery. |
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Anonymous | Neal, I don't completely agree with GlassWolf. Like your radio, the the ignition key should be in the "on" or "acc" for the changer to operate. However you should be able to eject the magazine regardless of ignition status. Thats what the second positive lead is for, memory and the ability to eject the magazine. You may want to try leaving the player on when you shut off the car. See if you can eject the magazine then. Moving on to something more important, MY problems with the unit. I'm having problems playing new MP3s in this unit. but my older MP3 CDs seem to play fine. Does this unit have a problem with 700MB discs or VBR MP3s? |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfPost Number: 1455 Registered: 12-2003 | I was about to say probably VBR. some players don't care, some do. as for the durabrand, it may not even have two power leads. it's a $65 changer. it's not exactly an Alpine. don't expect miraculous design innovations. |
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PVS1959 Unregistered guest | I just bought one of the Durabrand MP3 changers off Ebay for $65.00. It's great. (You can eject the disk with the ignition off.) The sound quality with the RF modulator is way better than I anticipated. Note: You NEED to record your MP3 disks with good quality CD-R's (Tayo Yuden under Fuji name is the best) AND... MOST IMPORTANTLY... record the disks a 2x speed. Mine has worked flawlessly since I re-recorded the 10 mp3 disks at 2x speed on good disks. |
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New member Username: RangerxPost Number: 1 Registered: Mar-04 | For those of you with this player, does it pick up where a song left off if the car was shut of, or does it start from the beginning? My portable starts back up at the beginning of the last song played, which is a pain if I'm listening o a long mix. Thanks in advance. |
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Unregistered guest | I just installed this piece of equipment. I LOVE my new toy. It has two power leads and the only problems I had was when I had a bad connection on the power. I actually found wires for the rear defrost (which I dont hove) sitting right next to my radio. Has all three leads. Woo Hoo!!!!! got 200 songs on a 700 mb cd it works GREAT I dont know if it ejects when no ignition, but I hope it does not, I wan tto have to use my key to get my valuable cd's out <img> |
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Unregistered guest | does the sound quality sound good, like since it is hooked to the fm antenna, does the cd player not have a good sound like of the fm sometime?? thankx, blake |
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Unregistered guest | I bought this cd changer yesterday at wal-mart. I installed it and it won't read any discs. When i try changing discs it simply stays on the first disc and doesn't play, but the commander shows it's on a different disc. I'm pretty sure i've installed it correctly. I had an old cd changer and hooked the red power wire of the fm modulator to the red power wire that went to my old cd changer. Then i hooked the pink memory wire to a yellow wire from my cd changer that had memory written on the wire, and hooked the ground up to another wire which was the previous ground which was hooked into my stereo by a bolt on the back. It says that during cold weather it might not function properly, which i thought might be the case since it is rather cold right now. I really don't want to have to take all the vinyl trim off my car and run the wiring through if i were to return this and purchase another. Has anyone else had this problem? |
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Randal Dean Unregistered guest | I bought one in Dec. have 1457 songs (327 hours) and the id3 tags work great! the disc down button doesn't work but everything else is like a champ. The volume is a bit subdued compaired to the FM, but with a Sony Explode and a 1000 watt amp it rocks just fine for the 70 bucks. You gotta rip the best copy you can to sound the best....slow'm down and use iso9660 level one or two format or Joliet or Romeo in the expansion format. Speed no more than 2X. CD-R and CD-RW may not play on this unit,they must be finalized. Be sure the filename extension is ".MP3" It Starts where it quit,2 power leads, the Fm modulator will stay fairly close to the radio, but the stacker has about a 20 ft cord. (in the back of the van) I recommended it to my dad. |
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Vince Unregistered guest | Does this Durabrand changer have a fast-forward and reverse that works with MP3? |
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Unregistered guest | Have this unit working now for several months in my ride...FM modulator is excellent...installer said that the unit is manufactured by Sony, and he thinks it is quality (note that installer independent of where I bought unit, and does not sell any Durabrand products). Display on controller is not as clear in daytime, but night use is very good. Picks up where it left off, and have not had any problem with CDs I have recorded. Would highly recommend this unit, since you cannot beat the price. |
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SFC McGan Unregistered guest | I installed a Durabrand CD changer in a Honda Accord, and it worked like a charm for about a month. Then out of the blue...it won't eject the cartridge, won't get past the 2nd CD, or past the 3rd track of the first CD!!!!! What is going on with these units!! On a positive note...The sound is (was) great thru 88.5, when I tried it thru 88.9 I was getting that occasional POP, and HISS, with some muffling. Had it not been for the problems I mentioned I would have recommeded it, Now I give it .5 out of 10 stars for craftsmenship, and 8 for sound quality. |
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SFC McGan Unregistered guest | Also I checked with Sony and they DO NOT manufacture the Durabrand name...Does anyone know who does!!! |
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Unregistered guest | Where woud you recomend instally the powere suply for this changer I was going to use the radio's powere supply |
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chessman024 Unregistered guest | got the Durabrand cd changer wont read solts 1 and 2 are thoes for mp3 only or something |
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Beau Unregistered guest | SFC - Lenoxx Electronics makes the durabrand. They are at www.lenoxx.com. I too have the mp3 changer, and have also had problems with it from week one. Store bought cds play fine. SOME of my mp3 cds play fine. But others will skip and get cd errors erratically. Sometimes they will play, sometimes they won't. The fact that the unit is installed in the trunk is the only reason that it still exists at this point, because I most certainly would have put my foot through the thing if it was within kicking distance while I'm driving. Well, it's been six months since I bought the thing and after fussing about it for the last five, I had decided to go to walmart, buy another one, change it out, and return the old one with the new receipt (the vigilante's warranty extension program). But after reading a post here about using a quality disc and recording at slow speed to fix the problem, I will certainly try that first. Where are they selling these things for 70 bucks? |
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Unregistered guest | hey guys, Ive got a 2003 Eclipse and im trying to install the duraband 10 cd/mp3 changer. So i get the head unit off and find the antenna socket but i have no clue how to connect red and black cables. the red i beleive is to the ignition, but how do i connect it and to which cable. the black cable goes to a continuous power source, which once i dont know which one it is or how to connect them. I know, im really a rookie, but this is my first car and i have no history installing anything in cars. If u guys can help me that would be great |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfNorthWest, Michigan USA Post Number: 1857 Registered: Dec-03 | fusebox, but be sure you have that right. black is usually the GROUND, which goes to a chassis ground point (bare metal) and red would be ignition or constant +12V depending on the product. best advice would be RTFM. the fusebox is a good place to tap in for various power sources for anything but high current devices like amplifiers. Those go directly to the battery. |
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Unregistered guest | I purchased this unit from Walmart yesterday and hurried home to do the installation. Everything installed fairly straigh-forward and the first CD I tried worked fine. HOWEVER, I burned some MP3 disks to put in the car (after carefully choosing the order, etc.), and the darn thing wouldn't read them all. Of the 15 I prepared, it will only read 4 of them ... and one of those skips erratically during playback. On all of the disks it recognizes, it starts on track 10, 11, or 12. Other than the one that skips, the others work great. I recorded using a Sony 700 MB disk. Have tried the following fixes without any success: * Burned fewer songs on the disk * Burned at a slow rate: 4X, 2X, 1X * Burned on a smaller 600MB disk * Thinking it might be a Mac OS issue, I took my MP3 files to a PC and burned a disk from there I have tried my disks in a Sony MP3 changer and didn't have a problem with ANY of them. I purchased this unit based on the assurance of the manager of the automotive department at Walmart who indicated that he has never had one returned ... something he could not say about the other brands that they have carried. At this point, I don't know if it is my unit or the model that is to blame. Am planning on seeing if I can exchange it at Walmart for a new changer (so I don't have to undo everthing to get in and pull out all the wiring, etc.). If I can do that and it still doesn't work, then I will probably return it and wait to buy something that actually works. |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfNorthWest, Michigan USA Post Number: 1988 Registered: Dec-03 | the MP3s are probably VBR, which the cheap changer can't recognize. they need to be a fixed bitrate unfortunately, between 128-192Kbps, 44.1KHz, and the CDR needs to have both session and disc closed. |
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alaina Unregistered guest | how do you close a session or a disc?? |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfNorthWest, Michigan USA Post Number: 2500 Registered: Dec-03 | you check the "close session" box in the write menu when you're ready to burn the CDR |
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New member Username: A_crashoverridePost Number: 1 Registered: Apr-04 | My Unit did not come with an instruction manual dose anyone know how to change the RF Mod to diffrent chanel mine is preset at 88.5 but that chanel has a buzz on it with the unit off i need a diffrent chanel |
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MsSarah Unregistered guest | Okay I've got a 2002 Honda Civic DX, boiught the durabrand and yeah I'm a girl and have no clue how to install...help! |
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New member Username: A_crashoverridePost Number: 2 Registered: Apr-04 | My Unit did not come with an instruction manual dose anyone know how to change the RF Mod to diffrent chanel mine is preset at 88.5 but that chanel has a buzz on it with the unit off i need a diffrent chanel |
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Jack E. Jett Unregistered guest | I have a 97 Saturn and I installed the Durabrand CD changer using the antenna adapters w/ the modulator and my dash lights and back lights don't work now. Does anyone know how to fix this problem? Thanks! |
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joejoejoe Unregistered guest | http://xtremeproduct.com/WMS7100MP3.htm You can get a PDF of the manual there. |
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Mike25 Unregistered guest | Are these things total pieces of crap or what? I first bought a Questar brand unit, it worked for about 1 month and then all of a sudden it stopped recognizing any discs, MP3 or regular. It was past the in-store warranty, so i had to mail it to the customer service center. 4 months later - I receive this Durabrand unit in place of the Questar - looks like it is the exact same piece of equipment with a different name. I install it - and same stupid problem, it will not even recognize a disc. It just keeps running through them all, it will load disc 1, say reading, then change to disc 2 and do the same thing.... I rechecked all of the wiring, even tried putting the discs in upside down just in case, reset everything - nothing... This is so frustrating! |
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WaitingPatiently Unregistered guest | Well I just bought one for my wife for her B-Day, and will be installing it tomorrow. Aaron and others - mine has a switch on the RF-Mod box (that all the cables go to) embedded in one side that changes the frequency - looks like you'll need an ink-pen or other NON CONDUCTIVE small thingy to change it. Get a flashlight and read the writing engraved in the side - you'll see it. My question is, can I organize the MP3's into subfolders, or must they all be in the root directory? The manual covers installation quite well, but obviously the instructions for the remote didn't translate to English very nicely. |
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New member Username: Mjstoy43Ridgecrest, California Usa Post Number: 1 Registered: May-04 | I have a 1995 dodge Ram 1500 with a stock stereo with cassasate player. I bought a Walmart Durabrand 10 disc cd player. Can I wire it to my existing wire on my stock stereo. Or any suggestion how to wire it without frying the wiring harness in my truck. Need some help would like to put it in, a mothers day present from my children. Please email me how to do it. Thanks |
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Unregistered guest | My durabrand 10 disk changer wont eject the cartrigde at any time and it wont read the disks. how do i fix this |
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Sabz Unregistered guest | My g/f and I each purchased one of these units and we're happy with their performance. She hasn't had any trouble playing audio CDs and the only issue I have with mp3's on mine is that it freaks out at extremely long mp3's (Essential Mixes and live tracks that weigh in at around 2 to 6 hours long) I'm using mine as a jukebox of sorts. Right now there are two discs in there slam full to the 700MB limit with mp3's. They're arranged by subfolders and the ID3 tags have a specific naming convention so I can take advantage of the search function. Normally I leave it on random and forget about the controlller but when friends are riding around, they like to surf around and find their favorite tracks. |
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New member Username: Mrsoftball4u2nvPost Number: 1 Registered: May-04 | I purchased my disc changer in Dec 03. It has worked fine until recently. The remote says "NO CONNECTION". I have checked every fuse, ground and connection there is. Could the modulator be bad??? Got any suggestions??? PLEASE HELP NEED TO HEAR MUSIC!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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Balduran Unregistered guest | donkey, check your fuses i had the same problem and it was because the fuse was blown. Also for those of you who can't get MP3's to play. Try reencoding them at 44khz sample rate and 128 bit rate the device doesn't seem to recognize anything more compressed than that. |
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Unregistered guest | Hi I'm new to all this, my problem is this: My remote will not turn on. I can eject the cartrige just fine, and I've taken it to an audio place and they say that everything is getting power like it should and it's an internal problem. Is there a place where I can get a replacement remote? I've been to the Lenoxx site, they don't have squat. Thanks in advance. |
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New member Username: Zunie1Post Number: 1 Registered: Jul-04 | I am having the same problem as mrsoftball the display in the changer reads "no connection" what can i do the reamedy this problem..HELP ME!!! |
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Unregistered guest | Yeah, even I'm having the same problem as Shawn & mrsoftball!!! I bought the Questar 10 CD MP3 changer & untill recently it worked fine. Now, all of a sudden the remote says 'NO CONNECTION'. I got it checked by the guy who installed it for me & he says that the CD Changer might have gone bad. Anyone have the phone number for Questar customer service dept? Thanks! |
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Sarge Unregistered guest | I was lucky Walmart took it back without a reciept. It won't read any MP3s recorded at 4x+ speed. Sound is "busy": overall volume is low, bass is none and treble is horribly distorted. It sounds like a PA on a train. Regular CDs play a little bit better though you may find that the quality is somewhat worse than that of an FM station (it defeats the purpose of having a CD player). Design and features would not be bad if not for the sound quality. It is very probable that the FM modulator is the thing that ruins it. I wonder if all other RF/ FM CD changers are like that. |
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johnnycocina Unregistered guest | shawn, mrsoftball and garyhedge: mine had the "NO CONNECTION" problem on the remote, I pushed the reset button on the remote and the one on the changer beside the magazine eject button, and it worked fine again... just a suggestion.... make sure the power is on when you push the reset buttons. |
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Jentzsch Unregistered guest | im having the same problem as Monica, can anyone help? |
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Hardin Unregistered guest | Any ideas on how to get one of these bad boys into a 2000 Beetle? Would like to put one in for my wife, but the beetle is prewired for a factory changer. Can't find the right adapter cable anywhere... anyone have any ideas or suggestions; Would be much appreciated!! |
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Gail Unregistered guest | My husband put the durabrand CD changer in my minivan for me for Christmas. It plays fine most of the time, but balks during real cold weather. My main complaint is that the magazine (with all 10 CD's in it) was stolen and we are having a hard time getting a replacement. Anyone have any suggestions? |
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Ronnie Unregistered guest | I have a number of these units, for myself, the wife and kids, and have yet to have any serious problems with them. First, have it installed by someone who knows how... second, get familiar with the reset button on the unit next to the eject button. It's the little button on the right that you have to press with a pen tip. This has always corrected the "No Connection" problem since the unit can sometimes hang during a load cycle. The only consistent problem I have with every one of the units is that it messes up AM reception on the radio, even when it is turned off. That and the fact that you can't read CD's recorded at high speed, 2x seems about the limit. It is absolutely reliable with commercial CD's and any good CD-R recorded at lower speed. BTW the changer unit itself is a Sony WMS 7100 MP3 - an older unit probably purchased on an inventory closeout from Sony by Durabrand. |
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low83cadi Unregistered guest | Just hooked this unit up in about 2 hours. Used my cigarrete lighter for continuos + and - (I don't smoke) and spliced my factory radio + ign wire for changer acc. +. Everything works great so far, I took out my ooollldd backed up mp3 disks (memorex 700 mb cd-r's) from over a year ago and briefly went through them, every song played without a hitch (some took a second or two longer than others) but did not go through them all, over 400 tracks! I will follow up with any problems I start having or discover over the next couple of months. |
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New member Username: KmillerPost Number: 1 Registered: Dec-04 | my remote says it reading but does not play, it changes disks but always says reading disk? anyone else with this problem? |
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Unregistered guest | I need a new remote for my Durabrand. Is there anyone out there that has a Durabrand that does not work and would be willing to give up the remote? Thanks a bunch! |
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N Colletti Unregistered guest | i just got my first car and the stereo is very weak. so i want to install a durabrand cd changer. im a rookie at this stuff, so i have no idea what im doin. im not sure were the antenna input is and how to wire the red and pink wires to the fuse box. if u think u could help me that would be great. |
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Unregistered guest | have a new durabrand remote willing to sell. It is brand new (out of the box). Bought a durabrand changer but couldnt hook it up properly cuz the antenna wire is in the trunk. (97 mercury sable). had to get a changer (sony) that has a remote cable long enough to go from the trunk to the dash. When I took the unit back I forgot to put the remote back... ooops :o) anyone interested can write, thx If ya want I can sell it to ya through ebay paypal or something, later... |
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Super Nerd Unregistered guest | My DuraBrand worked fine before installing it into my system, i had it run under the carpet of my 4-runner and so forth. So far my remote wont work, it wont even turn on! so I let it sit, and my son took the liberty twice to try and take the c.d's we put in at first, out. We f.u.b.a.r.ed the whole thing to try and figure it out and would like anyone who is willing to refund us or even send us a spare remote(this is about 5 months after buying, WOOPS!) to please msg us back at ANY time, dont expect immediant response. |
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Paintballerkid Unregistered guest | i have a deck that is changer ready and was wondering if i can hook one of these straight to the deck with out using the fm modulator. Thanks! |
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lee003 Unregistered guest | I bought this product about 3 months a go. I get a lot of noise when playing fixed bit cds and cant get it to play a cd with folders on it |
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Anonymous | BIG WASTE OF MONEY stick with a name brand. I bought one and all it does when turned on is say, "Loading MP3s" then it changes from disc to disc and does nothing. Don't waste your money like I did! |
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Anonymous | Installed one yesterday in a 2004 Pacifica, not bad, found everything we needed right behind the glove box (took 2 1/2-3 hrs). Sounds good, works good, for $64 at Walmart closeout can't beat it. Plays mp3's great! |
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Jazdalene Unregistered guest | I found the service site for the WMS7100MP3 changer---it is xtreme product from wal-mart. You can find warranty information at http://xtremeproduct.com/WMS7100MP3.htm. I just called today to get a replacement remote and they are charging me $20 for it. We will see just how good their service is, but I do not know yet. I have been looking for this information all day, so to save you the trouble, this is their customer service line--they answered right away. 1-800-726-3801...You are welcome. |
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jazdalene Unregistered guest | btw, that is the durabrand mpe changer that everyone is talking about here |
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jazdalene Unregistered guest | btw, that is the durabrand mp3 changer that everyone is talking about here |
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Anonymous | First one i bought in september 2004, it worked till february 2005 then the remote gave up. it's been replaced under waranty (they sent the whole new set). It worked very well till dec 2005 then again the remote blew up - it simply does not turn on. I think there is something wrong in the remote circuits design. I woukd like to read if anybody had the same issue. |
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Unregistered guest | I just bought a 2005 Ford E350 van,how do I install this unit on my ride?I had it on my Astro hooked up directly to my radio,but on this new van I want to bypass the radio,just use the antena.Also where can I buy mounting brackets since I forgot to take the bottom brackets off my Astro before I trade it. |