Universal Remote

[BigDan3131]

So here is my problem, from reviews I have read that unless your pointing the wireless remote at the stereo it wont work, is that true or just someones issues? I remember back when you could still get a wired remote for your head unit but they seem to have gone away unless your using a marine radio. I had planned on putting the head unit behind the seat to keep the radio delete plate in place and leaving no one the wiser about having a stereo.

Any help?

[slowcpe]

Car Audio remotes are all IR which means you do have to point at the head unit. In the residential world they make IR receivers that can be a remote mounted sensor but all the ones I know of required 110 to power. Also there are radio frequency or zigbee remotes for homes but haven't ever seen one for car audio.

You can always go marine. I've been tossing around one of the Clarion Marine units so I can mount the main unit either under the seat or behind the dash and hide the remote either in the console of my buddy buckets or under the dash. Their remotes give feedback for volume, source and radio.

Another option could be some type of bluetooth device. Now I'm not very well-versed in this option as I don't like the sound quality of streaming my music from my phone via BT. Not sure if there are any out there that can control volume or the radio.

I'd like to find an option where I can control a head unit via an app on my phone much like that of the home systems I do for a living. However I haven't really found one at this time.

[Cooper197]

These such wired remotes do actually exist, in some form.
You'd need a receiver that can do steering wheel controls and then a universal aftermarket steering wheel controller, such as this one, Amazon.com : Metra Axxess Universal RF Steering...,
I'd imagine you get the rest, hide the head unit and run the remote to wherever you want it.