boatinbill

I have an Ipod MP3 player that I want to use on the boat. I have an Belkin Tunecast FM transmitter (which works fine in my Suburban) but the range is really short (the stereo receiver is installed in the cuddy, lot's of static and poor sound quality if the Ipod/transmitter is in the cockpit). I have a Kenwood audio system in the boat, including a 10 CD changer ('99 vintage, upgraded system from Formula).

My question is can I get into the circuit between the CD changer and reciever to "hard wire" the Ipod into the system (as you would a home stereo) rather than going through the FM conversion (I have also tried a cassette adapter but do not like the sound quality). I have seen adapters for Alpine and other manufacturers that allows connection via phone plugs of the MP3 player into the circuit between the receiver and CD changer, but nothing for a Kenwood system.

I have looked at the cable and conductor going to the CD changer and it is a multi conductor connector, not making it obvious which ones are the sound conductors and which ones are the power and controls to the CD changer.

Any suggestions and guidance from the audio junkies out there would be appreciated.

Audiofn

I think you are SOL on that one. If you were to get the IPOD to work the CD Changer would not, or it would override the other. You may need to see if you can move the antenna in the boat sot that it is closer to your IPOD. I think that it is mounted on the passanger side way up inder the gunnel if I remember correctly from the last one I did.

Jon

Audiofn

Or HELL build a reciever/booster so that you are your own radio station and then all your friends can toon in as well

boatinbill

Now come on, I thought you would be the one to help me. Almost named the thread, "Looking for Audiofn".

Actually I have thought about the FM transmitter, some good kits available. I would kick ass at the beach.

boatinbill

Actually what I was thinking was that if I knew the color code of the wires in the cable (or pin layout of the connnector) to the CD changer, I would cut in and put a switch in there that would allow me to switch the input to the reciever from either the Ipod or the CD changer.

p4-33

Is there any way to get preamp signals out of your iPod? I have a Rio Karma that has a cradle with both RCA and 10-BaseT ethernet ports. I use the network port for loading music into the Rio, and plug the RCA outputs to an aux input for my home stereo.

If you have RCA-out capability, then you could easily plug it into an aux input on the head unit for the boat system. I haven't attempted this, because I question how any hard-disk based device would survive the pounding that an offshore boat gives out. Hard disks and shock don't get along well.

Good luck,
Brian

kmiller

All I would do is add a fm modulator, not the wireless ones, but the one that breaks the ant connection (works good) . And get a 3.5 mil to rca adapter that plugs into the head phone port on the I-pod. That will give you your low level out that you will need for the input on the fm modulator..

Kyle Miller

boatinbill

Thanks p4-33, I can get the low level outs of the Ipod no problem but I do not think the Kenwood has an Aux in. The book for the receiver is at the summer home, I will check next time I am there. That is essentially what I was going to do by breaking into the feed from the CD changer.

And kmiller. do you know of a source for the in line FM transmitter. I had one of those on an older CD changer that I put in a former vehicle that did work pretty well.

mcollinstn

I did exactly this on a Clarion unit in my cruiser. I wanted to plumb the DSS satellite audio into the cockpit stereo for watching TV out there.

I cut into the cable from the CD changer to the head unit. It wasn't hard to locate the R and L shielded connections that carry the sound. What I did was to pull those out of the harness and solder male RCA ends on them all. Then I found a decent (all shielded internally) A/B switch at good old Radio Shack. Viola (be sure to say that in Tennessee talk - vee oh la).

The only thing I had to go back and take care of was the automute when the changer swaps discs. Every time the changer swaps a disc, the receiver would momentarily mute (was supposed to do this), so I had to go back into it and find the mute wire (on the Clarion it was a "trigger" lead). It is an extra switch to flip but works fine. Oh, since the head unit has to be in CD mode to "listen" to that set of inputs, you MUST have at least one disc in the changer.

kmiller

You can buy a inline fm mod used to add options such as moble video systems that have rca inputs alredy. Will find at any car audio store that does video systems. Like Circuit City. No need to get crazy.. I work in the audio business. We use them every day. Or you can look at the new alpine radios they link to the I-pods and will show the dispaly on the radio.....