Becker CDR-220 radio question

My 2000 Porsche boxster has an original Becker CDR-220 radio. But it has no hands-free telephone capability -- an issue expecially here in California. It also has no aux port in. It seems all the devices I find on Amazon assume an aux port. But the manual does say it supports a phone. I would appreciate any advice on what kind of kit to buy and how to wire it -- I have an android phone.

Call Becker.

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Try calling Becker - they may have an option for you

I bought a bluetooth receiver that will disable the cd changer and allow full use of the phone for less than $100. Wasn't a MOST system though...

Unless it is critical for you to keep the original radio, the better way to go may be the double-din conversion. A number of us have done this in the last year or so - good radios are not too expensive and the kit makes it a pretty straightforward DIY job. I was very pleased with the support that I received from Crutchfield. If you get a radio with Android Auto you will have all of the modern conveniences. Daryll

I have a '01 996 Turbo with CD changer and can confirm that you can buy an aux-in that replaces the CD changer plug at the back of the head unit. then you have to enable the aux in from the head unit, I forget the key combo, but the CDR-220 absolutely has support for Aux in.

Thanks all. I am most appreciative. I have been looking into this more, and did find out that with two adapters, I can convert the cd changer in (I think it is) Socket C3 (on the back of the head when you pull it out) to make it an Aux in. And I can enable Aux in with the right programming. And there is what I think is ignition-controlled power in A7. But, the units I have found only work when you are tuned into Aux -- I think if I am using the radio (or tape or cd) the phone will not ring. And then if I notice there is a call, I have to switch to Aux. Apparently it will only ring through car speakers if I listen to music through my phone (as then I am already tuned to Aux). So I am rethinking this whole thing. In the meantime, I shot off an email to Becker as it was after their east-coast hours. I see from the schemata that there are ports labelled "AF telephone input" and "telephone mute" that are not used in this configuration, and assume if I found a better kit/phone that this wiring would let me do what I want. Anyone familiar with these? That is what I asked in my email to Becker. This whole thing is harder than I assumed it would be. Thanks for all the help. I am always open to more suggestions!

Keep digging and posting, what you find out can help a lot of us.

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You have an option to connect an aux input to the CD Charger input and keep your CD charger https://www.ebay.com/i/291631560138?...SABEgJG-_D_BwE You have both options. Only BT Streaming or also, BT Streaming with mic input for handsfree. Those devices are connected "between" the CD Charger and the head unit and you will keep the CD Charger Once connected, you will be able to choose the source between FM-CD-CDC-AUX Actually, for activating the AUX input there is a procedure described on the installation manual.

Easy. https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...ker-radio.html

Becker had not yet responded to email so I called. The guy said to his knowledge, and to everyone's knowledge at Becker, there is no option for a hands-free phone on the CDR-220. The pins listed in Sockets A and C for a phone cannot be utilized today for phones -- they apparently worked for the hardwired dedicated cell phones of the day, but do not work today -- he knew nothing more about how to possibly use them because it was "before his time". He said he did not think there were any after-market hands-free devices that would work or they would know about them, and referred me to radio shops. I have talked to two radio shops here in LA and they just want to sell me a whole new radio, although one did grudgingly say that for $125 he would install any after-market device I wanted. Thank you too to Parris for the ability to connect AUX and keep my CD player capability. My bigger issue is that any device I use that utilizes the AUX means that I can only listed to AUX and have the phone work; if I listen to my radio then the phone will not ring through the radio. I cannot use the units that connect to unused FM stations (I tried on my old Mercedes) as there are no unused stations here in LA and the quality of the call is therefore horrid. I really make mostly short drives and do not need to use my phone in the car. So I think I will look more into how not to connect my phone to the car but make it more hands-free as a stand-alone. If instead I want to switch all my music listening to my phone (and use the car speakers for that), I will revisit this! If anyone has any more suggestions, I am always open! Thanks everyone!

Thank you Paul, too for your info about Yatour. It is also a good option if I want to switch to my music-listening to my phone. I do not subscribe to a music service, I do not have unlimited data, I do not have lots of storage on my phone, so I am not prepared to do this route yet. I just thought with a 20-year old radio that is still so popular, there would be more choices. I will have to decide how I wish to use this in the future, and then which route is best for me. BTW, the best schemata I found for the radio connections on the back of the radio is from the book 101 Projects for your Porsche Boxster -- available on Amazon of course -- but the google books preview includes page 272 with the complete listing and descriptions -- https://books.google.com/books?id=OB...dr-220&f=false It is frustrating to me that this radio did have the capability to use a hardwired phone, and no one has figured out a way to make cell phone work other than using the AUX. I would think that you could find something that would be akin to hardwiring your cell phone in like they did 20 years ago..... <<heavy sigh>> Thanks all. I will post again if I find anything else. Question for anyone using an AUX solution (e.g., Yatour, Tranzit, Kinivo, etc) -- If you are listening to the radio and your phone rings, will the phone sound in the car, and you only have to switch to aux input? I know the phone will not ring through the car speakers, but my question is, does the phone ring through its own speakers? I am worried that I would just miss all incoming calls -- I can wait to make outgoing calls, it is the incoming calls that I might want to take that I worry about!

Kinivo says specifically that the phone "will not be heard" not tuned to AUX. I assume this means that it does not ring and not that you just don't hear the ring above the radio music. And furthermore I assume this would then be true for any device you use to connect the phone to the AUX. Question: If I'm listening to the radio (not through the phone) and I get an incoming call will my phone still make a ringing sound? If I'm listening to the radio (not through the phone) and I get an incoming call will my phone still make a ringing sound? Answer: Dear Jeff, Thank you for your question regarding the BTC450 Car Kit. Whenever you are listening to your car radio (AM/FM), the ringing will not be heard. The car music system has to be set to "AUX" for the ringing to be heard through the car. Please contact us at [email removed] if you have any additional questions. Thank you, Kinivo Product Support Email: [email removed] Toll Free: 1-855-4Kinivo ([phone removed]) Live Chat: http://support.kinivo.com see less see less By Kinivo on June 4, 2019

Becker just emailed me back. The reason the telephone pins do not work on modern phones is that they work on ANALOG!! LOL!! I should have thought of that! I am seriously thinking of just getting a stand-alone bluetooth unit that will work in the car and attaches to the visor. <<sigh>> one more thing to worry about keeping charged!! We have a general AUX cable that terminates at a male 3.5, I can make you a female if needed or a Bluetooth streaming interface which requires power and ground to be connected. Both connect to C3 on the rear of the radio. Unfortunately we do not have a hands free kit for phone calls. The original phone in was for older analog phones which had a mute circuit that could be attached to the rear connections. It would put the radio into a ‘PHONE” mode and activate the line in for phone audio. Phone would have to send an analog ground signal to the radio when a phone call is incoming. Im sorry but I don’t stay up on aftermarket options. We are mostly a repair center Tom Mitchell Becker Autosound 101 Rt 46 W Saddle Brook NJ 07663 www.Beckerautosound.com [phone removed]

I wouldn't overthink this....if you want to talk handsfree, just get something like I posted and install it. No, it's not 100% perfect.....but you'll get over that in about 2 days. Yes, if you are listening to the radio, you have to hit the source button to aux before you can talk hands free. If you are listening to music from your phone, then it rings over the speakers. You press the button you installed, it answers/hangs up so you don't have to do it on your phone, but you can.

Yes, Paul, definitely overthinking this. Just stunned that there are not better choices. Since I want to use my CDR-220 for music, I have concluded I cannot add my telephone to it -- since that requires me to be tuned always to AUX otherwise if I am listening to the radio/tape/cd on the radio the phone does not ring at all!! (smart way to keep me hands-free -- I just never get incoming calls!! -- LOL!!) So instead I will just get a bluetooth speaker for my phone that uses voice commands, so I can be one-touch on the incoming calls (can't answer and use speaker in one touch now) as well as the outgoing. And maybe I will find it to be a better speaker as well! However, not sure how well it will work with my top down which is 12-months a year here in LA!! If/when I decide to do more, I will definitely consider the setup Battery guy did -- that looks awesome!!

Have you seen my message? You have an AUX port on the CDR220 that you can use to stream audio via BT with the proper device (I included link) You have three flavours of adaptors: - Just audio streaming ( https://www.ebay.com/i/291631560138?...SABEgJG-_D_BwE ) - Audio streaming and handsfree with microphone input (you have to manage the calls via the phone, but you can speak and hear through the radio) ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/Porsche-Rad...UAAOSwR4dbiDLp ) - Audio streaming and hadsfree, with control on the radio ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bluetooth-C...8AAOSwl8NVZoZr ) According to the manufacturer: When car stereo is turned on and switched to BTA mode, and mobile phone is connected with BTA. 1. An incoming call will mute A2DP music play automatically, and rings will come out from car speaker. Some text capable radios will display info call coming in. 2. To reject the coming call, please hold radio fast forward button 【>>】 till the call is rejected. Then BTA will resume playing the last song. User also can turn to non BTA mode (FM/AM modes etc.) to reject a coming call. 3. To answer a call, user just needs to press the radio fast forward button 【>>】. 4. To end a call during conversation, press radio fast forward button【>>】. Then the call is ended and BTA will continue the former music playback. User can also turn to FM/AM modes etc. to end a call too. Other Working Status (Radio turned off, FM/AM modes etc.) When car stereo is turned off, or the car stereo is under FM/AM or original CD changer or other non-BTA modes. 1. When a phone call is coming in, the phone rings. Some car stereos can automatically mute and make the FM/AM, CDC and other sound sources automatically stop or mute. This function requires help of special wire harness. For detail car radio types that supports mute function, please refer to application list of BTA. Notice: Under phone call mode (mute mode), some car stereos' buttons will be locked till BTA cancels mute for car stereo after 5 seconds. Please operate car radio buttons after mute mode is cancelled. 2. Turn on car stereo (if it is off), press CDC source button to switch to BTA mode, the phone call will be automatically answered. If user already answered the call on mobile phone before, the former operation will automatically switch the car stereo to BTA Bluetooth hands free phone call. But some mobile phones may need manually switching to Bluetooth phone call status. 3. To end a call during conversation, press radio fast forward button 【>>】, then the call is over. User can also turn to FM/AM modes etc. to end a call automatically. 4. Under non-BTA mode, it is not able to reject a coming call via car radio button. If necessary, it is advised to set automatically rejecting a call if the call is not answered for some time on mobile phone. Or directly reject the call on mobile phone. If users already have a remote control unit, under this status, users can hold the hang up button on remote control unit to reject a call. Finally, you can even buy a refurbished unit with integrated BT https://www.ebay.com/itm/PORSCHE-BOX...IAAOSwj5FdZwnb

I have a Jabra Tour that BT to my phone, slips on my sun visor. Can make and receive calls on the unit, incl voice calling. $50. They make a better unit for streaming music. I just turn up my exhaust for better music.

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Donna, it seems like you want your cake and eat it too. You have 20-year old radio technology and you want all the modern conveniences within a convertible environment. Listen, I've owned several modern convertible cars with integrated phone systems and they're are horrible at attenuating ambient noise. Almost impossible with the top down and the wind blowing in all directions. Most people would tell me to pull over and put the top up because they couldn't hear what I was saying. Frustrating. I'm ol' school with the Porsches. Most calls can wait! But if you're in the car a lot and must take calls, hands free is definitely the safest route. Personally, you should either purchase and install a modern radio with a remote microphone or just put the phone on SILENT. If you must take the call, pull over at the next exit and talk. There, problem solved!

Parris, yes I did see it, but I think I may not have understood it. My CDR-220 does not look like your diagram according to the manual I just got. The back of my head unit looks like this: To make it have an AUX input I have to use Socket C3 (and some choices use Socket C2 and C3) and my understanding is that anything that does this will only let my phone work if it is set to aux then. Basically, all of these are music streamers using another source (e.g., phone, ipod, etc). None of these let you use the radio's radio/cd/tape and the phone at the same time -- yes to the phone's music and phone but no to the car's music and phone. What's worse is I understand that if you are using the radio's radio/tape/cd the phone will not ring either in the phone's speaker or in the car's speakers (assuming it is set to bluetooth to communicate with aux -- but if not set to bluetooth then it's not handsfree when I answer the call!) Your Option 1 -- it says " Please note; This is not a Handsfree Your Device/Phone will control your music and not your radio." Your Option 2 -- it says " Enjoy Internet Radio and Navigation Audio from your phone. Your smart device will control your calls and streaming and not the radio! " Your Option 3 -- my head's back does not look like this, so I don't know how to do this. My understanding is that for sure these will work for me to use the phone on aux with my music on aux (i.e., from the phone only), but if my phone is on bluetooth it won't work at all if it's not on aux -- this is not a problem for making calls because I can just switch to aux, but it is a big problem for receiving calls as the phone will not ring telling me to change it to aux. Of course I am not an electrician, and I certainly may be misunderstanding this. While I would love to have my phone go through the car speakers, and have all the wiring hidden, the main thing was to be hands-free -- I am allowed one-swipe only -- I need something so I don't swipe twice (once to answer call and once to set to speaker) -- so I thought connecting to the car's speakers like I used to do with my analog phone was the answer (and apparently would still be if my phone were analog). I can't use the devices that use unused FM stations, as I have none in LA (I tried -- it was terrible). And I don't think I can use these aux connections if I want to use my car radio's radio/cd/tape. I really do not wish to only be able to use my phone's music (radio, downloaded music). If I have misunderstood how the aux works with some of these devices, please let me know. I REALLY REALLY do appreciate all your knowledge and experience. Please bear with me as I am not educated in these matters, so I ask stupid questions, and may misunderstand smart answers!

Thank you Nutty Professor! Actually I prefer caramels to cake!! LOL Actually, I think I am even older school -- I had a phone in my car in the 1990s. I just didn't realize how different the technology was then to now. Maybe I should buy an old analog phone for my old car!! I like my radio. I am old enough to have tapes and cds, and not an ipod or chips with playlists. So I think the best option for me is just to buy a speaker-mic set-up that lets me use my phone hands-free. I already have four speakers in the car -- I just thought I could replicate what I had in the 1990s with some of these!! LOL THANKS EVERYBODY!! All advice (and even complaints) are always welcome!

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They use the socket C for the connection. They keep the CD Charger control pins, and use the others for streaming the audio and some basic functions. I recommend you to read all the description in ebay of the third link Dont be literal on the diagram that I have uploaded, they have the connector for the socket C when you order for CDR220 (the link I pasted there).

Thanks Parris for bearing with me. I will read and try to make sure I understand. I don't even understand what the extra circles are on my diagram, but I assume none are an AUX input....

Thanks AZ968gpw too! I thought I already did this, but don't see it, so will try a scond time. yes, I think this is what I will probably do too!

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If you want to do something cheap and easy while you're deciding on a long term solution, you can buy one of these cables for under $10.00. It plugs into C3 like this; The other end plugs into a phone or Ipod. I tucked it in the carpet seam back to the console. Instructions on how to enable AUX.

WOO HOO!!! Thank you SoCal911t. Yes, I was aware of this cable, but doing like this is a lot easier than what I had thought of since I forgot I can connect this directly to my phone through my headphone jack (yes, my phone still has that) instead of through bluetooth. A direct connection will improve the audio quality, but more importantly, will let me have the phone ring on the phone which was my main problem. When you connect through bluetooth but are not listening through aux (like <<gasp>> listening to the radio or a <<what's that?>> tape) the phone doesn't ring at all -- in other words, with bluetooth you must be on aux for the phone to ring and then it rings through the car speakers. But this is not the case with this direct connection -- there is a phone app that says to make the phone ring through the phone and NOT the headphone jack. Woo Hoo!!! This gives me everything I want -- I keep my radio the same (except the cd player), I can listen to the radio/tape (but not cd) through the car speakers, and hear the phone ring through the phone speakers, and be hands-free with one-touch in CA (the "new" law). And, even better for forgetful me, no extra device to charge!! LOL And I can even learn <<maybe>>, old dog that I am, to get more modern music options!! When I am forced to give up a phone headphone jack I can revisit this issue, look at new options (and new hands-free laws) and probably go the new-radio/double-din route. btw, I also looked briefly into converting modern digital phones into an analog signal to use what the radio was built for, but I couldn't find anything easy....

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I didn't realize there was a cassette version of the CDR-220. So yes, I think you would lose CD changer functionality using this cable. Also, here is a link to the cable I'm talking about : Ebay cable BTW, I guess I'm old school too because I'm still rocking a cassette deck in one of the cars.

Darn it!! I paid $8 on Amazon -- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RBJK47K/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RBJK47K/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 . instead of $6.41 on ebay. They look the same, they both seem to go into socket C# so I think I do lose the cd player. But I had a cd player in my 2003 Mercedes C230 and never used it, so this is not a huge deal to me. I did actually use the tape player though!! I really am older-school too!! Off topic what tires are recommended? Mine are 10 years old, and my mechanic said although they have good tread still (only 35.000 miles on the car), 10-year-old tires cannot be trusted. I do not drive much (I am retired and just drive to Silver Sneakers!!). So I was thinking high performance would be good for the car and for me -- they would not wear old in the next 10 years until I need to replace them and would be safe in that rare rainstorm in SoCal -- like HANKOOK�VENTUS V12 EVO2 K120, Front: 205/50R17 and Rear: 255/40R17? Thoughts?

socket C3

I will post again after I have installed the cable and tried things out. In the meantime, is it hard for me to pull out the radio? Need/recommend special tools? Any hints (like how to make sure I don't set off the alarm)? Any advice, as always, much appreciated. Cable due to arrive next week. Thanks again to everyone who took the time and effort to help me, a Porsche newbie!! Haven't had a convertible since my 1964 Mercedes, and enjoying it!!

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I've heard of people removing them with an improvised tool but the tool is so cheap I don't see any reason to risk damaging anything. Amazon Prime tool Amazon Prime tool Ebay tool The two silver things in front slide into the little slot on each side of the bottom of the deck. Like this. Their purpose is to hold these blue clips recessed in the unit so you can slide it out.

Becker themselves has a CDR220 with bluetooth. https://www.ebay.com/itm/254215166305 Funny enough, I sold Becker a CDR220 on ebay not too long ago. ALso instead of making a new thread Ill ask here, why are the two round ***** on every CDR220/CR220 all old and sticky and just nasty to touch?

Thanks again SoCal911t -- everything will arrive next week and I will install, try it out, and post again.

One last thing is, you might want to double check to make sure you have the 4 digit security code which you'll need when you reinstall the stereo. If you can't find the card look for something handwritten in with your owner's manual stuff. I've also seen them written on the stereo itself and on a sticker on the inside of the hood.

Thanks for the heads up. Been there; Done that. Got NO manuals whatsoever. Mechanic yanked battery to check it, and had to find out code then!! So yes, I do have it, along with model number and serial number (Google was my friend there) which I used to get the security code (thanks to RennList)!! So obviously that was a project too, as seem to be all my ideas!! LOL. I bought a little manual (like 2" x 4") that at least tells me what all the dials are. Got a free pdf radio manual. So slowly getting up to speed on things. Any other manuals you recommend? And do I need to worry about the alarm going off when I take the radio out? In the 101 projects for your boxster book it says: