After shopping for quite some time for a nice replcement headunit (clean, functional design, void of rediculous "disco" lights and clashing colors) I have opted to go with with a new Becker Monza 7882. OE-like design, modern features, 2 year warranty, etc.

After having dealt with La Jolla audio for Becker maintenance in regards to keeping my OE Becker 1692 operating properly in my W202, I felt I would be quite happy with the new Monza... La Jolla Audio offers exemplary service & support for Becker radios, which hopefully will keep my new Monza in service for a good time after the Becker factory warranty has expried. (certainly longer than the disposable aftermarket headunits on the mainstream market these days!)

I purchased my new Becker Monza 7882 through Ray, at Perfectmarketaudio.com whom offers great customer service and knows quite a bit of helpful information in regards to Becker products. If you want a Becker I highly reccomend Perfect Market Audio!

The 7882 features GAL (speed dependent volume adjustment) and I am wondering if anybody here has had experience in wiring older MB's to accomodate this feature. I really like the feature in my W202, and I figure I may as well try to make this feature work in my W123 if I can, given that the Monza 7882 is capable of of this.

I emailed Ray in regards to this and he suggests that it may be possible since the w123 has electronic cruise control which may be linkable to the headunit via a speed signal, though it would be preferable to make the connection from the speedometer to the headunit.

Is the W123 speedometer electronic?

Any helpful advice would be greatly appreciated.

I believe the '85s were electric. I could be wrong. The speed pick-up for the cruise is mounted on the back of the speedo. Its a small black box. You should be able to draw off of that regardless of a mechanical or electric speedo.

I'm almost certain that the 123 had a mechanical speedometer pickup. My 124 and our 201 both have mechanical speedometer cables.

On the 201 there is a hall-effect sensor - which I assume must provide the cruise control unit with an electronic indication of the vehicle speed. I do not know if this signal would work for the VSC on the radio.