hi guys. does anyone know if its possible to play mp3's of a player through your headunit? im getting an i-pod and i want to know if its possible to hook it up to a headunit so i dont have to drive around with a glove box full of cds.

If you headunit has auxilary inputs then it'll work, we did this using an MP3 Discman to a mates HU that had stacker control. We just connected a cable from a PC that has the headphone style jack on one end to the 'line out' from the MP3 plater and splits into left/right RCAs on the other end into the HU (at the back) and ran the cable to the glove box where he keeps the MP3 player. lol

I guess you'd have to look for a HU with an Auxillary input, or you'd probably have to get an FM Modulator. It'd be nice if HUs came with a Digital input, like S/PDIF or lightpipe, or do they already? Kinda handy for iPods and MDs and stuff.

some units have aux connection on the front which is handy if u plan on pluggin/unpluggin a lot.

Why not just buy a HU that has a HD built in, much easier(expensive i know).

If it has auxilliary RCAs in the rear.. then you can obtain a RCA -> Female Headphone Jack connector and WALLA! All you need then is a MALE to MALE Headphone Jack Lead that will lead from your iPOD to the RCA/Headphone Jack Connector.

SuFz :rant:

apparently alpine now has an attachment for their Ai-Net Bus that connects I-Pods to alpine headunits. it allows full control from the HU and can even charge the batteries :)

Tim

I'm going to be a bit silly here MAGWGN, but I just did MP3, so I feel I can. :D

If you want, I can swap your nice CD head unit for my old clarion tape one, and you can have my portable CD player to tape adapter. If you want, I may even include the MP3 portable CD player I just purchased from Target a couple of weeks ago for $41 including the cigarett lighter adapter and CD to tape adapter. I am obviously too cheap to upgrade my headunit to MP3.

I must admit though, it is a real pain in the ass to use aportable CD player, as when you turn the car off, it doesn't remember where I finished, so it always starts from the beginning and I need to scroll through the albums to get back to where I was. :nuts:

I must admit though, it is a real pain in the ass to use aportable CD player, as when you turn the car off, it doesn't remember where I finished, so it always starts from the beginning and I need to scroll through the albums to get back to where I was. :nuts:

thats why you put batteries in it to keep memory :D

Saw this in a Tandy catalogue last night:

Tandy - iPod Certified Reseller

iPod Accessories:
1. iPod Voice Recorder (a little microphone thing) - $79.88
2. iPod Auto Power Kit (a cigarette lighter power adaptor) - $89.97
3. Tunecast FM Transmitter (an FM Modulator that takes the signal from your iPod and transmits it on an FM radio frequency, usually 88.0MHz, I think) - $49.94

any car audio shop should have FM frequency modulators. a friend just bought 1 to connect his DSE dvd player to his pioneer HU (no audio in on HU), cost $89. it just needs ur standard ground, +, and acc power and ur rcas plug into it. it has a button to select the frequency u use then u just throw it under the dash and tune ur radio. don't ppl look when u drive past watching F&F. :bowrofl:

Tim

Ummm what is an iPod????????????

Ummm what is an iPod????????????

Its pretty much a mp3 player which stores and plays 20GB (min can get bigger ones) of mp3. It also stores otehr types of data and can be connected to your computer for data transfer and downloading of mp3s.

Do u know wat it is now?

http://www.apple.com/ipod/

imo, ud be better off not using an fm modulator, sound quality isnt that good, and batteries constantly run out. (at least the little iPod ones, stacker modulators are ok as they're more powerful and plug straght into your antenna)
For most decks that have a cd changer input you can buy adapters that allow line input (auxilary input) Pioneer decks you can open them up and modify urself but the adapters are around $70 otherwise. JVC also have the adapters and mines got the front auxilary input ( which is a bit messy i must admit but it does the job) Yeah I heard about the Alpine iPod decks, apparently Pioneer came up with something like that too for the p-bus connector, but I don't think its released here yet.

If you can buy a unit with rca inputs in the rear this is probably the best bet, then you can run wires around to anywhere in your car and it doesnt have to be so messy. Tape deck adapters are also pretty dodgy, but do the job if thats all your after.

If you end up finding an auxilary input. Think about buying the Belkin iPod car charger (http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?productLearnMore=T8881LL/A) (~$60-$70 in stores). It connects in through the control port at the bottom of the iPod, and therefore the quality is better (it is a line out signal instead of a headphone signal) And you just control volume via the headunit. (there is a minijack going from the adapter which plugs into your auxilary.)
There is also a volume control on the belkin adapter itself (which is extremely loud, so turn it down if you install it) It charges and you aren't chewing up ur battery.
Also it remembers the last track you were on, automatically powers off the iPod when you turn off the ignition and you can mount it under the dash somewhere and keep it all neat.

iPods r cool...

btw how are people mounting their iPods??? I've got mine on a cool suction cap that i mounted (not the rip-off official drinkholder ones) and the iPod just hovers infront of the ashtray so you can use both drinkholders still. It's on a sturdy flexible mount so you can turn it to face where you want. And no it has never fallen off. You can pull it as hard as you want and it won't budge. I'm paranoid about scratches on my shiny chrome so this way is perfect.

Peace

Tim

hey s_tim_ulate
i got a pansonic headunit tat does not have an AUX input but it does have a cd changer input
wat can i do.... is it possible to wire the ipod up or not or should i just buy a new headunit???

What model head unit? I havent had much experience with panasonic, worst case, the adapter for the cd changer will probably have two wires there that are for sound only. It could be done, but depends how much hassle you want to go to.

If it's an old head unit that you were thinking of upgrading anyway I'd just save up some bucks and get a good cd player with line in.

Tim

Edit Link (http://www.millionbuy.com/caudio-install-cdcable.html) with some common rca - cd changer adapters

What model head unit? I havent had much experience with panasonic, worst case, the adapter for the cd changer will probably have two wires there that are for sound only. It could be done, but depends how much hassle you want to go to.

If it's an old head unit that you were thinking of upgrading anyway I'd just save up some bucks and get a good cd player with line in.

Tim

Edit Link (http://www.millionbuy.com/caudio-install-cdcable.html) with some common rca - cd changer adapters

its a CQ-DF403W
tats all i know
but thanks for ur help in advance

K i had a quick look and was unable to find any adapters, or schematics for compatible cd changers or the unit itself. I don't think it's an Australian model which makes it hard to find anything in English.
If you were really desperate you could order a wiring schematic which might be able to help you out. But it's doubtful. You may be better off buying an iTrip. Or better yet upgrading your head unit.(But by the looks of it your current h/u isn't too bad)

Alpine, JVC, Kenwood and Pioneer all have adapters for cd changers. Not too sure about any other brands though.

hey mate
sorri finally got my scanner to work
here is a diagram from the owners manual
if u can have a look at it for me tat would be great
theres another page which bascially shows the same thing
but yeah i just got the h/u like 6 months ago and therefore dont really wanna replace just yet and if i can hook up an ipod to it then i dont think i'll be changin it for a while

Edit: notice tat in the diagram there is an AUX input but tat is for the higher model not mine
thanks

Ah just try plugging it into ur cd changer rca inputs if your model doesnt have the aux input. Then change the source to cd changer from the h/u. Use 2 rca males -> minijack. Try that.

That should work. Otherwise Have a look through ur instruction manual. If they have provision for it (which it seems to have, they should have instructions)

Good luck

sweet
thanks alot champ! :D

hey s_tim_ulate
i tried wat u said but instead of the ipod which i dont have yet i used my mini disc
but when i have connected the cables to the cd changer input i cannot change the sourse to the cd changer only cd and fm radio which was wat it could only do b4
wat have i done wrong

and oh wats "2 rca males -> minijack"
i just used a cable tat connected to my minidisc headphone part tat split into a red and white end like the inputs tat u plug into tv
is this correct

yep its an rca if it fits in there, the cable is fine... Hmmm is there anything in ur manual about this? Or about changing to the cd changer?

Its possible that it will only detect the changer when the changer is actually plugged in to the unit, in which case you might run into some strife.

well if u look at the diagram i scanned theres a plug for the "cd changer control connector" in which u are supposed to connect a DIN cord to it
so wats a DIN cord and can i get any old DIN and pplug it in???

btw thanks alot for all ur help
:D

oh and it saids in the manual just to press the sourse button 1ce the cd changer has been connected but it doesnt show up when i tried

damn, it wont work until it senses a cd changer then. usually the cd changer will send back a signal saying its on, so I don't think it's gonna work unless you know what that signal is. It might be as simple as a 12 volt current through one of the wires (like a remote wire) or as simple as bridging two of the wires coming out of the adapter.... But I couldnt say without all the details. So I wouldn't recommend playing with it too much as you could wreck ur unit.

Have you got a DIN plug that would fit in there?

Peace

Tim

arrrggghh CRAPPPP!!
sorry man but i dunno wat u mean and i dunno wat to do
i guess i'll just give up and buy another headunit when i got the cash or maybe just thin with cds
but anyway thanks for ur patience and help
cheers

Buy a minidisc head unit, with a disc stacker if you still use cds.

I think to use the rca inputs at the back you have to trick your Head unit to thinking that there is a cd changer present. which could be hard :(. I was trying to work this out because i was tossing up with the idea of car pc i got as far as using fm transmitter or getting rid of head you and going straight into an amp.

Yep, consider buying a compatible stacker for ur head unit. Then u can buy a cheap rca switchbox from tandy etc and wen u turn on the stacker the headunit will sense it, but u can just swap the rca input from the stacker to watever else you want to play....

This should work.

if ya use an alpine h/u and the adp you get full control of the i pod without using doggy setups

if ya use an alpine h/u and the adp you get full control of the i pod without using doggy setups

I've got an alpine CDA-9827 can i connect an ipod up to it????

A mate of mine has a sony MD player and used a FM transmitter thingo and it sounded pretty good. Definately not as good as actual CD but u could definately listen to it and enjoy it.

My old stock tape/radio had an input but my new panasonic doesn't. I have the next model up from poko_pano (the one WITH the aux input)