ipod hardwire

[VT4RUNNER]

has anyone tried hardwiring ipod cables? not liking the fm transmitter...
thanks

 

[lee]

if you have an alpine head unit like me, you can get an ai-net cable that goes into any headphone jack.....

 

[neliconcept]

lots of headunits are ipod ready and you buy a cable to go into the back of the unit to use the ipod through the unit itself.

using aux in will give you the ability to control from the ipod.

most all headunits have that.

 

[polvadis]

I've tried 5 different FM Transmitters, all with the same crappy result. I was finally told that because there are so many stations in the L.A. area it's hard to find a clear channel to run it on, it supposedly works fine out in the 'country'.

I ended up buying an Alpine head unit but didn't get the Ai Ipod cable, just the Auxilary cable instead. If you're any good with an iPod, you won't like the Alpine way of controlling it. Alpine makes it so that you don't have to use the iPod but use their way to controll it and keep your eyes on the road. But I found it to be more trouble than it's worth and kept looking at the head unit more than I should. By using just an Auxilary cable I can hold the iPod in my hand for just a few seconds and quickly choose what I want to play. I also split the Auxilary cable into two inputs and connected XM radio through it as well.

 

[RonMAIDEN]

I have the cable coming from my Alpine HU and it goes into the Belkin charger/pre amp (it has it's own volume control to boost the iPod signal) and it plugs into the base of the iPod. Works great and the amp boost really helps to equalize the iPod signal to match your HU volume to the radio or your CDs.

 

[KyleT]

that belkin combo charger rocks. does boost the signal nicely so it sounds a ton better and im stuck with a tape adapter untill i can get around to instaling the aux fm modulator box.

 

[The Dude]

A company called USA Spec makes an interface box that allows you to wire your ipod to your factory radio, and operate it using your cd changer controls. Crutchfield.com sells it for $139, and it's a few bucks cheaper on ebay. Gonna order me one next week.

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-FuHwJK...w.asp?g=770&I=581PA11TOY&search=usa+spec+ipod

 

[seanyc]

I've used the cassette adapters in serveral cars and do now in my t4r and think they work pretty sweet. Mainly the reason I stick with the head unit.

If I do get another I get one with a aux jack.

 

[SH0ck-D]

on the newer alpines, the ipod decoder is built into the head-unit. therefore all you need is just a 20 dollar cable to connect it to the ipod.

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-463VNWLe6IV/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?search=alpine+ipod&i=500CDE9852

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-463VNWLe6IV/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?search=alpine+ipod&i=500CDA9856

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-463VNWLe6IV/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?search=alpine+ipod&i=500KCE422I

 

[SH0ck-D]

I've used the cassette adapters in serveral cars and do now in my t4r and think they work pretty sweet. Mainly the reason I stick with the head unit.

If I do get another I get one with a aux jack.

yeah babY! I was doing the same thing up until two months ago when I bought a new MP3/CD player. (my old stereo, I used the CD changer for music, and found it to be such a hassle to get behind the seat to change CDs.)

 

[trd_style]

sorry to taking over this thread but is there an ipod/mp3 player jack for a Panasonic headunit? i've searched for it but couldn't find any 8th inch plug for that specific headunit.

secondly, is it possible to add a tape player along with my panasonic headunit together? i know how to take out the stereo but don't know how to wire all those stuff together. thanks.

 

[makakio]

A company called USA Spec makes an interface box that allows you to wire your ipod to your factory radio, and operate it using your cd changer controls. Crutchfield.com sells it for $139, and it's a few bucks cheaper on ebay. Gonna order me one next week.

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-FuHwJK...w.asp?g=770&I=581PA11TOY&search=usa+spec+ipod

Did you try this? How well did it work?

I have the factory oem AM/FM/single-CD/casette head unit and I don't care at all about controlling my iPods from the head unit. I just want a hardwire application that charges the pod. Does this thing work as advertised ("simply plug into the external CD changer socket"), or does it kill the CD function? I don't want a compromise solution that kills one head unit function (aside from the currently unused CD changer) just to add iPod functionality...

Thanks!

 

[The Dude]

I actually did not end up buying the unit. I decided i wanted to beef up my sound system a bit with a couple of amps, components, a custom 10" sub enclosure that I had installed in the storage compartment in the rear, and a "JL audio clean sweep" which comes equipped with a line input for the ipod. The clean sweep is a little pricey, but it was worth the money for me since i wanted to keep my factory head unit. Only two bad things about it are that now I have 2 knobs instead of one to adjust the volume, and also when I'm running off the ipod, I can't adjust the bass, mid and treble. Other than that, it's a great product.