The radio was a Pioneer DEH P400UB I hate this thing with the hate of a thousand suns. Attempting to do anything with it while driving results in nearly wrecking the truck.
Replacing the OEM unit appears to be more trouble than it would be worth.
After lots and lots of searching I finally found a good simple to use stereo.
I got a used stereo from a 1998 Subaru Legacy. It was one of the few stereos I could find that also had lots of information online. 20 watts per channel, 4 channels, cassette tape, lcd display and simple easy to use controls.
Also sound real good not quite as sensitive as the one in my 2015 forester. Made by Panasonic.
I have a cassette tape that can connect to an external device, a cassette that can do bluetooth, and a cassette that can play mp3's.
bluetooth
https://youtu.be/qBDZghOVnsM
mp3
https://youtu.be/HtoP7a615EA
I took the Pioneer radio and put it on my bench to mess with it. Even sitting on my bench where I can give it my full attention I cannot control it easily. It has a single knob that is also a joy stick and a button. It has a remote control but that still does not make it easier.
It works like this when in tuner mode:
the knob is rotated for volume
you move the knob left and right to tune a station
moving the knob up and down selects presets.
the problem is when you try to do this while driving you have to remember what does what and the slightest wrong movement will result in changing the station or moving it off frequency.
Then there is the problem of mistakenly enabling demo mode. if that happens the radio can't be turned off and you have to consult the manual to do that but the manual skips steps and is badly written.
then the other buttons on the radio have multiple functions which change depending on what you are doing. The Pioneer DEH P400UB is a $200 driving hazard distraction radio from hell. Though it does sound good it does not belong in a car.
Don't get me started on the trouble it is just to change balance, fader, and tone controls.
