Volume control on car radios

[micky]

I wanted to include at least one car group and somehow I posted when I
was trying to remind myself of its name.

Instead of sitting at a desk where I do things properly, this room in a
Guatamala City has no desk and I'm in bed with my laptop on my suitcase
on the bed because I'm afraid it will overheat if it's on the bed
itself. But the suitcase is softsided and stuffed and bulges in the
middle, so none of the laptop's legs are on it. And I havent' paid
attention to the bottom of the laptop.

In alt.home.repair, on Mon, 22 Jan 2024 08:02:43 -0500, micky

My rental car, and likely the next cars I own, have a digital or touch
or whatever control interface. That is, there are no mechanical buttons
for most things, like 5 buttons for preset radio stations.
That's fine except for one thing. When I see someone walking by and I
need to ask a question, I can't hear him or even myself until I turn the
radio down, and that takes 6 seconds, using the Volume Down button the
steering wheel. By that time he's gone or he's losing patience with
me
Is there some Mute button on any of these car radios, or should I plan
on installing my own in my next car?**
Also there are news stories I won't listen to, like the recent story
about the report on the shootings and murder of little school children
at Uvalde Texas. I listened once and that was too much and then they
went on for an hour it seems. To know when the topic had changed, I had
to turn the volume up, 6 seconds, and down again, 6 more seconds.
My current car, the 2005 Toyota, has a "digital" radio but they left the
volume control. One flick of the thumb and forefinger, less than a
second to put the volute to mute or undo that.
**I had to make iirc 7 modifications to my current car.
1) a button on the so I could open the trunk while the car was running
and without the fob (which is hard to use when in the ignition and would
not work when the car was running.)
2) crush the beeper that beeped whenever the car was runing and my
seat belt wasn't on and the door was open, or something like that. All
I know is it was very annoying and my life was better once I got rid of
it.
3) cut the wire the top motor that prevented raising or lowering the
top when going over 8? mph. I've been doing this for over 50 years and
only the last 2 cars had this rule. I only do it when leaving or
arriving home and going under 10, or when hurriedly putting the top up
in the rain, and going under 15. I know enough not to do it at 40mph or
I'll ruin my top, probably the mechanism too.
4) I know t here were 3 or 4 more and I always have trouble
remembering all at the same time

[Paul in Houston TX]

micky wrote:
(snip)

My rental car, and likely the next cars I own, have a digital or touch
or whatever control interface. That is, there are no mechanical buttons
for most things, like 5 buttons for preset radio stations.
That's fine except for one thing. When I see someone walking by and I
need to ask a question, I can't hear him or even myself until I turn the
radio down, and that takes 6 seconds, using the Volume Down button the
steering wheel. By that time he's gone or he's losing patience with
me
Is there some Mute button on any of these car radios, or should I plan
on installing my own in my next car?**

(snip)

I rent a different car at least once per month.
Most of the radios have a mute button but it may be hard to find.
All of them have some sort of OFF button.
That is what I use.

[micky]

In alt.home.repair, on Mon, 22 Jan 2024 10:03:02 -0500,

My rental car, and likely the next cars I own, have a digital or touch
or whatever control interface. That is, there are no mechanical buttons
for most things, like 5 buttons for preset radio stations.
That's fine except for one thing. When I see someone walking by and I
need to ask a question, I can't hear him or even myself until I turn the
radio down, and that takes 6 seconds, using the Volume Down button the
steering wheel. By that time he's gone or he's losing patience with
me
Is there some Mute button on any of these car radios, or should I plan
on installing my own in my next car?**

On my last three cars, there was a volume button on the steering wheel.
To adjust, you pushed it up or down, to mute, you just pushed it in.
There is also a knob on the dash to do the same.
I would think that is fairly common today, many things are controlled on
the wheel.

My big peeve is the digital heater/defroster/AC controls.
They require some considerable distraction - eyes off road -
especially when not accustomed to the car.
The simple old dial controls require just a quick glance to get
the right knob - and make the adjustment with eyes-on-road.

This car has a simple version of that, I'm glad to say.

For Micky's radio volume problem - the OFF button would
be my preference, regardless ..
John T.

No off button afaik. There is an owners manaual in the glove box, but I
figure it's a) in Spanish, and b) 300 pages long. I can read spanish
pretty well, although an owners manual will probably use many words I've
never seen before, but, I'm daunted by 300 pages.

Still should look ftr

[micky]

In alt.home.repair, on Mon, 22 Jan 2024 15:56:00 GMT, Cindy Hamilton

My rental car, and likely the next cars I own, have a digital or touch
or whatever control interface. That is, there are no mechanical buttons
for most things, like 5 buttons for preset radio stations.
That's fine except for one thing. When I see someone walking by and I
need to ask a question, I can't hear him or even myself

You're playing the radio too loudly. You might want to have your
hearing tested.

I'm only at 42 out of 60.

until I turn the
radio down, and that takes 6 seconds, using the Volume Down button the
steering wheel. By that time he's gone or he's losing patience with
me
Is there some Mute button on any of these car radios, or should I plan
on installing my own in my next car?**
Also there are news stories I won't listen to, like the recent story
about the report on the shootings and murder of little school children
at Uvalde Texas. I listened once and that was too much and then they
went on for an hour it seems. To know when the topic had changed, I had
to turn the volume up, 6 seconds, and down again, 6 more seconds.

Perhaps you should explore virtue of silence and being alone with
your thoughts.

Haha.

My current car, the 2005 Toyota, has a "digital" radio but they left the
volume control. One flick of the thumb and forefinger, less than a
second to put the volute to mute or undo that.
**I had to make iirc 7 modifications to my current car.
1) a button on the so I could open the trunk while the car was running
and without the fob (which is hard to use when in the ignition and would
not work when the car was running.)
2) crush the beeper that beeped whenever the car was runing and my
seat belt wasn't on and the door was open, or something like that. All
I know is it was very annoying and my life was better once I got rid of
it.

Don't you use your seat belt?

Yes I do.

How often do you leave the door
open and your car running?

Often and for long periods. As I said. it's "something like that" I
forget the exact scenario, but I would want to do something with the
door open or whatever and the buzzer kept buzzing way too loud.

3) cut the wire the top motor that prevented raising or lowering the
top when going over 8? mph. I've been doing this for over 50 years and
only the last 2 cars had this rule. I only do it when leaving or
arriving home and going under 10, or when hurriedly putting the top up
in the rain, and going under 15. I know enough not to do it at 40mph or
I'll ruin my top, probably the mechanism too.
4) I know t here were 3 or 4 more and I always have trouble
remembering all at the same time

Looks like it's time to stop buying new cars. And at your age,
one more white shirt'll do you.

Thanks a lot. I will probably need one more car, for my 80's, and if
I'm healthy and alive enough not to stop driving at 88, one more car
after that. My mother drove until she was 84 and never had an
accident. She died at 88 but would have lived longer if something bad
unrelated to her health had not happened.

My SIL has a 2020 Mustang she talks about selling, but she got made at
me for taking a test drive for several hours (after doing an errand for
her.) She didn't tell me their other car is broken, but she says I knew.
So I never got around to asking what the price is, or why it was
salvage. It looks beautiful and everythign seems to work perfectly but
it's a smaller car with a sportier harder ride than my 2005 toyota
Solara. I'd rather keep what I have but otoh, it might blow the engine
or the transmission the day after I get home.

Not salvage, iirc such cars are about $30,000. My sil is a ditz and she
might want 28,000, salvage or not. I"ve never paid more than 9000, but
this might be my last car, so I should be willing to spend more.

[micky]

In alt.home.repair, on Mon, 22 Jan 2024 09:14:37 -0800 (PST), Dean

My rental car, and likely the next cars I own, have a digital or touch
or whatever control interface. That is, there are no mechanical buttons
for most things, like 5 buttons for preset radio stations.
That's fine except for one thing. When I see someone walking by and I
need to ask a question, I can't hear him or even myself

You're playing the radio too loudly. You might want to have your
hearing tested.

until I turn the
radio down, and that takes 6 seconds, using the Volume Down button the
steering wheel. By that time he's gone or he's losing patience with
me
Is there some Mute button on any of these car radios, or should I plan
on installing my own in my next car?**
Also there are news stories I won't listen to, like the recent story
about the report on the shootings and murder of little school children
at Uvalde Texas. I listened once and that was too much and then they
went on for an hour it seems. To know when the topic had changed, I had
to turn the volume up, 6 seconds, and down again, 6 more seconds.

Perhaps you should explore virtue of silence and being alone with
your thoughts.

My current car, the 2005 Toyota, has a "digital" radio but they left the
volume control. One flick of the thumb and forefinger, less than a
second to put the volute to mute or undo that.
**I had to make iirc 7 modifications to my current car.
1) a button on the so I could open the trunk while the car was running
and without the fob (which is hard to use when in the ignition and would
not work when the car was running.)
2) crush the beeper that beeped whenever the car was runing and my
seat belt wasn't on and the door was open, or something like that. All
I know is it was very annoying and my life was better once I got rid of
it.

Don't you use your seat belt? How often do you leave the door
open and your car running?

3) cut the wire the top motor that prevented raising or lowering the
top when going over 8? mph. I've been doing this for over 50 years and
only the last 2 cars had this rule. I only do it when leaving or
arriving home and going under 10, or when hurriedly putting the top up
in the rain, and going under 15. I know enough not to do it at 40mph or
I'll ruin my top, probably the mechanism too.
4) I know t here were 3 or 4 more and I always have trouble
remembering all at the same time

Looks like it's time to stop buying new cars. And at your age,
one more white shirt'll do you.
--
Cindy Hamilton

Maybe Mickey needs an International Harvester pickup.
<https://classiccarsbay.com/for-sale-1951-international-harvester-pickup-in-ofallon-illinois-1503798>
It's only a 1/2 ton pickup though. He couldn't take the Sports Illustrated models for rides.

Very nice, but does it have power windows (so I can open the passenger
side0,) android auto, and does the top go down?

[micky]

In alt.home.repair, on Mon, 22 Jan 2024 13:31:09 -0500, Clare Snyder

My rental car, and likely the next cars I own, have a digital or touch
or whatever control interface. That is, there are no mechanical buttons
for most things, like 5 buttons for preset radio stations.
That's fine except for one thing. When I see someone walking by and I
need to ask a question, I can't hear him or even myself until I turn the
radio down, and that takes 6 seconds, using the Volume Down button the
steering wheel. By that time he's gone or he's losing patience with
me
Is there some Mute button on any of these car radios, or should I plan
on installing my own in my next car?**
Also there are news stories I won't listen to, like the recent story
about the report on the shootings and murder of little school children
at Uvalde Texas. I listened once and that was too much and then they
went on for an hour it seems. To know when the topic had changed, I had
to turn the volume up, 6 seconds, and down again, 6 more seconds.
My current car, the 2005 Toyota, has a "digital" radio but they left the
volume control. One flick of the thumb and forefinger, less than a
second to put the volute to mute or undo that.
**I had to make iirc 7 modifications to my current car.
1) a button on the so I could open the trunk while the car was running
and without the fob (which is hard to use when in the ignition and would
not work when the car was running.)
2) crush the beeper that beeped whenever the car was runing and my
seat belt wasn't on and the door was open, or something like that. All
I know is it was very annoying and my life was better once I got rid of
it.
3) cut the wire the top motor that prevented raising or lowering the
top when going over 8? mph. I've been doing this for over 50 years and
only the last 2 cars had this rule. I only do it when leaving or
arriving home and going under 10, or when hurriedly putting the top up
in the rain, and going under 15. I know enough not to do it at 40mph or
I'll ruin my top, probably the mechanism too.
4) I know t here were 3 or 4 more and I always have trouble
remembering all at the same time

What's wrong with just turning the radio off? Takes about 1 second
That said, their is a mute button on the digital radio I installed in
the truck
The 2014 Sorento has a muter buttonon the steering wheel

I've looked at buttons from both sides now,
From up and down and still somehow
It's button illusions I recall
I really don't know buttons at all

If there's an on/off button, I haven't found it.