I recently decided to replace the stock stereo in my 2007 Nissan Versa S to bring the added luxury of using my iPod, USB thumbnail drive, MP3 CD, or pretty much anything else that can hold music in most formats. After a bit of research, I decided on a Sony CDX-GT610Ui receiver purchased from Crutchfield.
I wasn’t able to find much specific information online about the Versa and this particular radio, so I’m going to list out some of the things we came across during the installation.
Keep track of those wires
The wiring color guides I found online were actually wrong. I’m not sure if it was due to a change in wiring from Nissan… most of the colors were right, but a few were off, and to make matters worse, some of the wires used by the factory are pretty much identical. We were able to figure it out, but I would caution the DIY installer to keep close track of which wires were which. We spliced them into the Sony wiring harness that came with the stereo, and I’ll include a wiring chart a little later to help if you’re going to be splicing them yourself.
Don’t forget the ground
The stock stereo receives ground from a thin black ground wire, but also from the metal frame holding the stereo in place. If you’re installing a single-DIN stereo using the plastic double-DIN adapter, you’re going to need to secure the black ground wire from the wiring harness to something metal. It has an eyelet at the end of it, so we secured it under the top left screw holding the double-DIN adapter in place. Without proper ground, the stereo face would just blink… no clock, no controls, no nothing, so if you find yourself in this predicament, check to make sure you’ve got the ground secured.
Get an antenna adapter
As of this writing, I’m currently rolling around without the ability to listen to the radio. The Sony stereo uses the old-fashioned Motorola type antenna connector, but the new, high-tech Versa uses a fancy clip-type connector. The easiest way to remedy this is to track down an adapter online, which will save you tons of time in trying to splice together something. The adapter you’re looking for can be found here on Ebay, but you can find them elsewhere if you Google it.
All in all the installation was pretty seamless. It’s extremely easy to take off the center unit, take out the stereo, and splice the wires, but you just need to be careful to keep track of what’s what. So far, the new receiver is giving much better sound than the stock unit, and it’s played pretty much everything I’ve thrown at it. I’ll do a more in-depth review once I use the stereo a bit more, but until then, I hope this post helps those going down the DIY installation path.
Please Stop Using Rosewood
Everyone who knows me, even if they don’t know Arial from Times New Roman, knows at least one font: Rosewood. What was once a great font to invoke the era of the Industrial Revolution, or even the Old West, is now one of the most overused fonts in the design arena, seen on everything from book covers to food packaging to billboards.
Based on the ornamental, attention-getting typefaces of the early 19th century, Rosewood was introduced into the digital age around 2000. While some may argue that it’s a relatively nice font (and I’ll admit Rosewood Fill isn’t too bad…), that’s still no excuse for using it in such inappropriate ways (eg. on everything). it seems that designers fall back on it for anything “old-fashioned”, using it any chance they get to invoke a bygone era. What do The Dodgers, Trader Joe’s turkey chili, knockoff BBC Dollars & Diamonds hoodies, and Old Navy’s search for a new dog mascot have in common? If you answered “nothing”, you’re absolutely right!
So instead of kvetching about it on and on ad infinitum, I’m going to offer up some classy alternatives to Rosewood. Note that proper font usage really depends on the designer picking the right face for the right job. I’m going to note the ideal usage for these alternatives as I see fit, but please use discretion in your own designs.
Western - Home Style or Railhead, from FontMesa
If you truly need to “go west”, then do it in style! FontMesa specializes in western fonts ranging from the ornamental to novel, and if you’re looking for a bold alternative to Rosewood, Home Style and Railhead are just what the traveling apothecary ordered. Home Style has a bit heavier top than Railhead, which is a little bit airier, and both come in a mixed open ornamental style as well as a fill.
Old Fashioned - Thick and Thin from Thomas Kennedy
Again, if you’re going for something “old fashioned”, I’d say go “whole hog, plus postage”. Type designer Thomas Kennedy’s specialty is just that. Thick and Thin is a wonderful display font in all caps, but many of his other designs would be just as good in the right situation. Thick and Thin in particular mixes beautifully with a variety of other fonts, be they serif or sans, or even script.
I know this is a small sample of what’s out there, but take just a few moments of your day to think about what you’re doing, and wether or not Rosewood is really the best font for the job. Take a look at Myfonts, if just for a moment, and hopefully you’ll be steered in the right direction, saved from using what has to be the typographic “page curl” of the new millennium.