I just finished this little project. I wanted a stock appearance for my '82 so I bought a stock radio, gutted it, and resoldered the pots for my own purposes. I basically have an amp control for any device using a 3.5mm plug. This is then adapted into two rca outputs which will be split into 4 for the amp. I wired up everything on the left side pots in such a way that I could retain the volume, balance, and power switch. I haven't had the chance to install it yet, but after a thorough bench test, it's good to go.
If anyone is interested in something like this, I can write up some quick and dirty instructions/diagrams
Nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You should do the write up anyway, with pics of course.
x2
that is really nice....................I also want to keep a stock appearance radio.
Nice, im glad to see that radio went to good use.
What I'd like to do is re-install the stock premium sound radio but be able to play and charge the iPod through it. I'd like to put a dock in the space for the ash try on the full length console and run a usb or other cable to the rear of a head unit to charge and play the Ipod, something that is easily done with a modern head unit but not a 22 year old one ;)
Sweet!!!
Yeah, thanks for that btw.
I know you can get cigarette lighter adapters to power usb devices, so the charging would be entirely possible. As for controlling and playing through the cable, not sure it's possible without some sort of firmware interface.
That is really cool, nice work.
Right now I have a cigarette lighter adapter to charge the Ipod and I run it through the front aux input on an aftermarket radio. I want to run it through a usb connection on the back of the head unit, ie I just want one plug not two. It would also look neater. I can do that easily with an aftermarket head unit with a rear usb port. Trying to make a 22 year old cassette deck do that might be impossible....
I got the radio installed today and it works great. The backlight on the stereo is wired up to the remote wire so whenever the stereo is on, so is the backlight. Thought that was pretty neat... I really wanted to hide the amp behind the radio, but didn't have the space for it :( The amp in the trunk is the only blatant indication that there is something other than a bone-stock cassette player installed. That, and the wire coming out of the front, but that will be removed whenever I leave the car. Hopefully this will foil any would-be thieves.
Also notice the digital clock from an 85. Another little stock piece that I did some minor modification to. The buttstuffog clock wasn't working anyway.
Pleeease :D how does a guy determine which contact controlls which speaker? any way to run it through the stereos built in amp rather than an aux amp if a guy isn't so worried about sound quality/volume?
:bowdown::bowdown:
Scott
Um, have it plugged in and probing each wire with a voltmeter as you do things to the stereo (volume, balance, etc) will tell a lot. Keep in mind of course that audio signals that you'd get out of the thing would be AC power, not DC. Probing things with a multimeter can tell you a lot about many things that don't require an oscilloscope to read. O-scopes are needed to read signal quality and high frequencies but aren't needed for things like that.
I had an ipod attached to the stock premium sound before at the EQ's inputs (switched between it and the stock stereo), and had the stock wiring feeding an aftermarket amp later. In the end it was better and easier to just run it all from scratch though instead of continuing to deal with the way the factory designed things.
This is what I used before I updated my head unit. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/iSimple+-+Apple%26%23174%3B+iPod%26%23174%3B+Adapter+for+Most+Vehicle+Radios+(Basic+Install+Included)/9252122.p?id=1218068779609&skuId=9252122
FM modulators are terrible - perhaps I used a poor quality one (not by the reviews I had seen online though), but there was this tinge to the sound that made it sound worse than a transmitter in a clear signal area. On another note, I have a 100mW transmitter that I use in other vehicles and it also is but better than all other transmitters I've used, no matter the power level I have selected, 1mW or 100mW, or antenna I have attached to it (and it also has raving reviews). Nothing compares to a line level input to an amp, like he has going on here.
I'm looking to install this in to vintage AM radios in a couple of my cars, aparently you can't buy an am transmitter for anything. I guess I'll just crack it open and check it out.
Scott
I am not sure this is something you would want to attempt if you want to use the built in amp on the radio. The only help i can offer is is a picture of what i did with the primary control . It is a set of 5 potentiometers. One for an on/off switch and two for each channel. There is a ton of info online about how to wire pots in order to achieve desired results. I eventually plan to rig up the right to run a front/rear fade. This probably won't help you much but here is a picture.