MP3 add on to the stock stereo

[1BADDAM]

Been wanting to do this for a while because as we all know the stock stereo sucks for reception and tapes - WTF is a tape?

So I did a little research because I am a frugal SOB to say the least and didn't want to ship the stock radio off (for $100) and have someone give me back a MP3 equiped, beat up junkyard replacement or possibly hack mine up in the process of installing the MP3 jack.

So after a little trial,error, and profanity

Playing on the USB charger

Used 5 - 24awg wires (none soldered at the radio), a 3.5 mm female audio jack,mini toggle switch, 1' male by male audio jack, soldering iron, shrink wrap.

Started with a 3.5mm NC switchable female jack as I wanted to incorporate a miniature SPDT SS relay to switch over to the MP3 automatically as it was plugged in. But had issues and installed a switch instead - which I actually like better as I can leave the MP3 player in the car, hooked up, and/or charging and flip the toggle to the radio. Steering wheel controls work nomally as does the tape deck.

I'm no audiophile, but I guess the sound is as good as the deck/system can put out. Sure is better than nothing, which was exactly what radio stations I could pick up.

 

[Razor]

Why not just get the cassette with the plug on it. Thats how I do my F150 and my I-phone.

 

[1BADDAM]

Why not just get the cassette with the plug on it. Thats how I do my F150 and my I-phone.

From my understanding the sound quality is degraded going through the tape deck vs directly to the amp.

 

[Razor]

From my understanding the sound quality is degraded going through the tape deck vs directly to the amp.

On my truck, the tape using the MP3 sounds 100x better than any tape or FM station.

Look the TTA is a POS for a sound system. Back speakers point at each other,have no enclosure, and mounted to plastic. Dash speakers are small and fire upwards. It really doesnt get any worse than this.

My background as an electronics tech.. having repaired 1000's of car stereo's, home audio, video and commercial sound.. having owned a business that dealt in high-end car audio for 5 years.. I understand very well the concept.

I wont even get into the quality of the amplifier section of an 1988 Delco car stereo

What you did as a project is cool.. just dont cut out a simpler approach becuase of what someone said and you'll be shocked at how simple things sometimes yield great results.

One thing I think is absolute junk are the FM transmitters.. those sound terrible.

 

[87NAT]

Julio isnt concerned about sound quality. Hes an old fart...whats he listening to Chuck Berry? Simon and Garfunkal?

 

[j13smiley]

looks cool - i'd do that and hook up an mp3 player... can you give us more details and pics of the actual installation???? what wires get soldered where?

 

[turbo nasty]

http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/car-audio/267794-digital-aux-input-your-delco.html

This may help

 

[1BADDAM]

On my truck, the tape using the MP3 sounds 100x better than any tape or FM station.

Look the TTA is a POS for a sound system. Back speakers point at each other,have no enclosure, and mounted to plastic. Dash speakers are small and fire upwards. It really doesnt get any worse than this.

My background as an electronics tech.. having repaired 1000's of car stereo's, home audio, video and commercial sound.. having owned a business that dealt in high-end car audio for 5 years.. I understand very well the concept.

I wont even get into the quality of the amplifier section of an 1988 Delco car stereo

What you did as a project is cool.. just dont cut out a simpler approach becuase of what someone said and you'll be shocked at how simple things sometimes yield great results.

One thing I think is absolute junk are the FM transmitters.. those sound terrible.

I hear ya........ but I've never been about doing things simple.

Not knowing a whole lot about the stereo world and the little bit of research I did fortunetly or not led me to this point. I have first hand experience with trasmitters (yes they suck) and figured going from a digital signal to magnetic and back to digital as the tape adapter does would be of no better quality than what our tape decks put out now - which mine sometimes sounds like a pissed off snake lives in it. On top of that I would have to go fish the damn tape out of the player ever time as mine sticks :biggrin:

Yeh, maybe a difficult approach - but that's what I get for owning a multi-meter and a soldering iron.

 

[1BADDAM]

looks cool - i'd do that and hook up an mp3 player... can you give us more details and pics of the actual installation???? what wires get soldered where?

Sure - I throw something together.

 

[j13smiley]

http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/car-audio/267794-digital-aux-input-your-delco.html

This may help

thanks!

Sure - I throw something together.

the link above only shows how to wire up the audio cable to the stock stereo. he also says to engage your external audio source (ipod, etc) you must "trick" the stereo into thinking there is a cassette by using something to push down the cassette arms inside the stereo. do you need to do that with your setup?

i'm assuming your switch is for power to your usb port that your installed?

thanks!

 

[1BADDAM]

the link above only shows how to wire up the audio cable to the stock stereo. he also says to engage your external audio source (ipod, etc) you must "trick" the stereo into thinking there is a cassette by using something to push down the cassette arms inside the stereo. do you need to do that with your setup?

i'm assuming your switch is for power to your usb port that your installed?

thanks!

To answer your first? Nope, thats what the switch is for, which will answer your second question.

From the link above, it appears the TTA radio and the GN are way different animals. I'll post a mini how to like the link above up this weekend

 

[j13smiley]

To answer your first? Nope, thats what the switch is for, which will answer your second question.

From the link above, it appears the TTA radio and the GN are way different animals. I'll post a mini how to like the link above up this weekend

sweet! thanks!!!!

 

[1BADDAM]

Not a technical writer....but here goes.

I'm sure there are other ways to do this as well as other hardware, but this is what I did.

What you’ll need: 3.5 mm female panel mount stereo jack, I used one with a switch, but any type will do, mini-toggle switch (to switch from radio to MP3), 24 awg wire (I used 3 wire Belden cable for the stereo jack), soldering iron, electrical tape / shrink wrap, small nut drivers, 3.5mm male to male cable (I used a 1' piece) to attatch MP3 or iPod.

Remove two 1/4" and one 3/16” nuts from top of the stereo and slide back the upper portion of deck toward the rear of the unit to expose the tape deck.

Gently remove the larger of the two connectors by un-fastening the side clips

At the back of the pin connector you'll see where the audio wires connect in their individual slots. I piggy-backed the input wires at this point by removing the existing wires and putting the input wires (un-sheathed) in the appropriate slot and re-connecting the existing wires by pushing them back with a small flat blade screwdriver.

(Pin 15 - 14v) and (Pin 12 - "T"-On) wires go to the mini-toggle switch
(Pin 8 - L-Aud),(Pin 9 - R-Aud), and (Pin 14 - H-Ground) wires go to the 3.5mm stereo jack.

I ran the wires out the hole in the back of the deck by the plastic mounting pin and pulled them over to mount in the ash tray.


Where the wires get soldered to the switched 3.5mm stereo jack I used. If you use another style/type follow schematic or ring it out with a meter.

Toggle and Input jack wired up.

3.5mm jack and toggle installed in ashtray, MP3 attached to cigarette lighter USB charger.

Note: You can pull toggle and 3.5mm socket up into the ashtray via the slot in the front and leave them unmounted - I drilled the back to mount them. If you do this you'll have to grind (dremel) some plastic from the backside of the ashtray to mount the 3.5mm socket as the neck is not long enough to go through the ashtray and I think this will hold true for most types.

 

[Jan Larsson]

Very cool, nice write up Frank! If I go back to stock this is defenitly what I would do.

For the switch and plug you could extend them all the way into the center console storage box if you like to hide them or you could also use the existing ashtray and put a "lid" on it to mount it all in there.

Thanks for sharing, one for the "TTA files" in my collection !

 

[1BADDAM]

Very cool, nice write up Frank! If I go back to stock this is defenitly what I would do.

For the switch and plug you could extend them all the way into the center console storage box if you like to hide them or you could also use the existing ashtray and put a "lid" on it to mount it all in there.

Thanks for sharing, one for the "TTA files" in my collection !

Thanks Jan -

Probably hard to see from the photo, but it is all mounted in the ashtray- MP3player will fit as well with the cover closed. I chose to mount it there to be in close proximity to the cigarette lighter so it can charge while it is playing via the USB.

 

[j13smiley]

thank you very much for the writeup and pics! can't wait to go work on this! i may have some questions for you some day when i get around to doing it

i love mods like this - cool and useful! my other cars i have things like antenna switches, hidden garage door opener switches, starter button with cutoff switch, etc that i've done.

starter button, cutoff and antenna switches in ashtray, garage door (vert top button)

antenna and garage door buttons