Vintage car audio gets MP3 input
Friday, January 7, 2011
, Posted by the InCrediBLe at 5:54 AM
[Nali] is fixing up a 1966 Rambler Ambassador and decided to give the audio a bit of an upgrade. Instead of replacing the head unit he added a connector for audio input. The method he used is simple, inexpensive, and allows the original unit to continue functioning as a radio. He cut the feed wires going to the volume knob and patched in a headphone jack. The jack he used has an internal switch that is meant to switch off a pair of speakers when headphones are plugged in. The jack will allow the original signal from the radio tuner to pass through whenever there isn’t a connector plugged in. It seems like this is easier on older hardware than it is on modern equipment.
This isn’t where his entertainment enhancements stop. [Nali's] working on a 7″ in-dash Linux machine so keep your eye on his thread to see what he comes up with.
Here s the goal ..
Using a modern mp3 player on a vintage radio without paying 100 $ .
We can for 5 $ , in fact 2 $ if you get a free box for this , a soldering iron and a few wires . Notice the commercial
adaptor also need soldering , if they are not FM transmitters . What if you just have mono AM ? :P
If you have to fix something , you d better know how it works ...
So a few basics : It s really basic knowledge , easy to understand for people not familar with electronics , so be indulgents if I explain it quite easily ...
Any car radio , home amplifier or whatever basicelly works the same way . You need a source , to provide a low signal from CD player , radio, 8 track tape or whatever .
Then , you need a power stage , to move the loudspeakers . It s the amplifier .
Mostly all radios have an ampli inside . Not always really powerfull , but there s an amplifier . Usually between 4 or 11 watt in an old stock radio .
Between the source and the amplifier , there s a way to choose how much output ( sound ) you want from the radio . It s the volume button .
This is were we can play ....
A volume button works quite like a rheostat , the same we have to have more or less light in the dash .
The source comes from the top , and bellow is the ground . The middle cursor move between both and is connected to the amplifier .
The shape is just round :P
So if you turn left , you move the cursor to the ground , less sound , if you turn right , you go to full source and have more sound .
Just as easy ....
So ... What now ? Instead of sending to the amplifier the sound comng from the radio, we can send the sound from
anything .
The ugly way would be to cut the wires coming from the source , and solder wires connected to a mp3 player .
For just 2 $ more , we ll give the beast 2 lifes .
Remember the FM receiver you had . Usually the sound comes from the loudspeakers , but when we plug ears , the speakers
stop and there s sound only in the ears .
It s just a mecanical connector . That s what we have to use .
Go to any electronics store parts , and ask for a stereo jack connector ( 1/8 I think ), with a mecanical switch , to choose from head / speakers .
Cut wire on the volume button , inside the radio ,
Test it with your favorite Beckman , Fluke , ohmetre , solder it so that without anything plugged inside the sound comes from the radio , and when you plug a mp3 player , the sound comes from it . It s stupid and easy but it s enough .
In french , but quite easy to understand :
Oh .... Your mp3 player is stereo and your radio is mono .... Connect the right and left throught 120 ohms resistors ,
that s all ( 80 to 220 ohm in fact , to be safe ) .
PRO :
easy.
cheap.
it works .
CONS :
You have to solder inside the radio, this may kill it .
The ground from your volume button may not be the same ground as the radio ground . I STRONGLY recommend not to plug a
USB mp3 player to a USB charger in the lighter , unless you are SURE the ground is the same .
In my Ambassador , it s not the same ground . This could results to dead for the radio, electric fire , or ugly noise
in the loudspeakers .
More : you can plug 2 RCA output after the cursor and add an external amplifier , so you can enjoy classic music on
mono AM with 500 Watt :P
I know it s quite simple , it works for me , but take care to what you do . I m not responsible for anything if you
kill your cat , neighboor , wife , etc ..
I m french , so my english may not be perfect . If anyone wants to correct me , I ll be glad of it .
Phil
For more info on this, follow the thread click here
Using a modern mp3 player on a vintage radio without paying 100 $ .
We can for 5 $ , in fact 2 $ if you get a free box for this , a soldering iron and a few wires . Notice the commercial
adaptor also need soldering , if they are not FM transmitters . What if you just have mono AM ? :P
If you have to fix something , you d better know how it works ...
So a few basics : It s really basic knowledge , easy to understand for people not familar with electronics , so be indulgents if I explain it quite easily ...
Any car radio , home amplifier or whatever basicelly works the same way . You need a source , to provide a low signal from CD player , radio, 8 track tape or whatever .
Then , you need a power stage , to move the loudspeakers . It s the amplifier .
Mostly all radios have an ampli inside . Not always really powerfull , but there s an amplifier . Usually between 4 or 11 watt in an old stock radio .
Between the source and the amplifier , there s a way to choose how much output ( sound ) you want from the radio . It s the volume button .
This is were we can play ....
A volume button works quite like a rheostat , the same we have to have more or less light in the dash .
The source comes from the top , and bellow is the ground . The middle cursor move between both and is connected to the amplifier .
The shape is just round :P
So if you turn left , you move the cursor to the ground , less sound , if you turn right , you go to full source and have more sound .
Just as easy ....
So ... What now ? Instead of sending to the amplifier the sound comng from the radio, we can send the sound from
anything .
The ugly way would be to cut the wires coming from the source , and solder wires connected to a mp3 player .
For just 2 $ more , we ll give the beast 2 lifes .
Remember the FM receiver you had . Usually the sound comes from the loudspeakers , but when we plug ears , the speakers
stop and there s sound only in the ears .
It s just a mecanical connector . That s what we have to use .
Go to any electronics store parts , and ask for a stereo jack connector ( 1/8 I think ), with a mecanical switch , to choose from head / speakers .
Cut wire on the volume button , inside the radio ,
Test it with your favorite Beckman , Fluke , ohmetre , solder it so that without anything plugged inside the sound comes from the radio , and when you plug a mp3 player , the sound comes from it . It s stupid and easy but it s enough .
In french , but quite easy to understand :
Oh .... Your mp3 player is stereo and your radio is mono .... Connect the right and left throught 120 ohms resistors ,
that s all ( 80 to 220 ohm in fact , to be safe ) .
PRO :
easy.
cheap.
it works .
CONS :
You have to solder inside the radio, this may kill it .
The ground from your volume button may not be the same ground as the radio ground . I STRONGLY recommend not to plug a
USB mp3 player to a USB charger in the lighter , unless you are SURE the ground is the same .
In my Ambassador , it s not the same ground . This could results to dead for the radio, electric fire , or ugly noise
in the loudspeakers .
More : you can plug 2 RCA output after the cursor and add an external amplifier , so you can enjoy classic music on
mono AM with 500 Watt :P
I know it s quite simple , it works for me , but take care to what you do . I m not responsible for anything if you
kill your cat , neighboor , wife , etc ..
I m french , so my english may not be perfect . If anyone wants to correct me , I ll be glad of it .
Phil
For more info on this, follow the thread click here
Currently have 0 comments: