Forgot to mention....you can get a storage tray like the bottom one from Porsche. As you can see, its a slightly different shape from the bottom one. It would look a little nicer than the one you have.

 

I was thinking about the ipod, but some of the reports I have read mentioned a potential problem with the non-replaceable battery - specifically, that some units won't hold a charge after a year or so. I like the styling and capacity of the ipod but was wondering if there were other units with the same quality and capacity (perhaps the nomad zen 60G)? Also, how long does it typically take to get the cable from Becker? I would order it tomorrow (monday) but have a long trip to take on thursday - any chance I would have it in time?

 

Another option would be to use a small FM transmitter for your alternative audio source - in fact, there's one that's made specifically for the ipod. http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/itrip/ Simply plug it into your ipod, set the FM receiver of your existing car stereo to a pre-determined frequency, and you're done. It's a cheap, reliable alternative with no messing around with wires. For non-ipod devices, you can pick up a generic device (just search google for "fm transmitter".

 

Jake,

No, the CD Changer becomes inoperative, but I can still use the in-dash CD player. My pics show "Track 02" and "Track 03" on the display unit because it is still sending/receiving control information to the changer. But the audio path is carrying iPod output regardless of what the display says. Thanks for the tip on the storage tray; I've had it in mind for a while but never got one of those round tuits.

 

Dr G.,
The Becker NA headquarters is in Jersey, so give em a call they may be able to overnite it to you. Also, as far as battery life on an Ipod, I would assume that Apple would prob standby their product if the battery crapped out after a year.