Car stereo ipod adaptor - need a hand modifying

Hi all,

I have a Pioneer car stereo, and want to use my ipod with it. I can get a cable (CDi-200) as in the following picture, which will allow me to plug my ipod into the proprietary cd-stacker input on the back of my head unit...



(note, in this picture, the small, square plug fits in the stacker socket on the back of my head unit).

Problem is, I want to continue using my stacker. Pioneer sell a unit, the cd-ib100II, which basically allows you to use 2 items on the cd-stacker input. BUT... my head unit can't run the ib100II. So I was thinking of doing the following.



Would anyone have any suggestions? I've wired up plenty of switches before, but not many that switch audio. Plus - I don't know how many wires are inside the cable.

My head unit is a Pioneer DEH-P4550 by the way.

And just to confuse things a little more, I wouldn't mind hacking the cdi-200 cable so that I can charge my ipod while it's in the car. I can easily get the pinouts for the ipod docking plug.

 

using just pure logic, as long as you can get all the wires properly soldered to a nice little switch, you'll be fine.

Also setting it up to charge will be easy, just strip the dock connector from that pioneer cable, and attach the pins for power to an in car charger. Should be easy enough, as long as you got the right equipment.

 

A switch should work fine. All you need to do is figure out how many connections you actually have to switch though.

 

cheers guys. I can't see any major flaws in my idea. Maybe I'll strip the cable I already have for my stacker and see how many wires are inside.

How many wires max can a switch switch?

yep, exactly what I was thinking.

 

Limited only by the number of poles. DPDT switches will let you switch two wires if you want them to be isolated.

 

you can get a belkin ipod fm transmitter for ya car stereo might work out cheaper in the long run one can be had for about $50.00

 

You can also get 3PDT and 4PDT, etc.

There's probably only going to be 3 (left, right, gnd) or 4 (left, right, gnd, gnd) conductors in your iPod cable. In the stacker cable there will be extra control lines to skip tracks, etc. You should be able to leave the gnd and control lines permanently connected and just use a DPDT switch for the left and right channels.

This is all guess work though.

 

hmmm true... guess I might have to see if I can find the pinouts somewhere on the net. I was hoping there might be a 6 or 8 pole switch out there...

re: fm transmitter - I've considered it, but I'd like the system to be all "seamless" and wired up "behind the scenes"...

Edit: just found this pinout and hack of the cable! I'll have a better look when I get home...

 

its like people dont care about quality anymore. God FM transmitters suck compared to real cables. Don't try to argue this either.

the only good thing about an Aux in or FM is that any man and his dog with a headphone out jack can play their music. But if its your car, and your iPod. Go crazy!

 

Paronga, unless youve got some hugely overpriced sound system i doubt youd be able to hear any difference between hardwired and fm transmitted. i used an fm transmitter for over 6 months and the only time i could hear any kind of problem was during long drives when id start getting interference from public transmissions. a quick change of the frequency and all good again.
i mean sure a cheap one will probably sound like shit. but the same goes for hardwiring. you pay shit all you get shit all quality.

 

Digitally switch it

 

do you mind expanding on this?

thanks guys, I would try a transmitter, but I'd rather wire it up. I like little projects

ps would anyone know what any of the pinouts are (aside from L+/L-, R+/-)?

 

There are IC's you can get that will act as a switch, they are used in KMV switches, audio switches and everything else where you have to switch 5+ inputs where its not desirable to do it manually (eg, big bastard rotary switch)

bus switch, bit of googling found this

http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/13/how-to-make-a-solid-state-a-v-switcher/

 

Analog switch

Not really recommended at all, as you need to really know what you are doing to be able to use them well

 

Probably easier than finding a 10+ pole double throw switch

 

You might want to double check that the cd-i200 will work with your head unit. discountcarstereo.com (which is where I got my ipod adaptor from) says it wont work. There are other adaptors there that also use the iP-bus connection which also charge the unit, which is what I have. Keep in mind that all navigation will be through the ipod and I beleive only the CD-ib100 would allow some if any navigation through your headunit.

 

hmmm that's weird that it won't work with some head units. I've decided not to use one now, I'l just going to splice the stacker cable and wire in an ipod plug (as per pinout diagram above). cheers anyway

what's the model of the adapter you bought? I also want to be able to charge my ipod (I reckon I can wire this up myself anyway).

thanks mate. I'll look into it. So is it a bus switch or an analogue switch?

 

I was (still am) working on a switch box to switch between 2 5.1 signals from 2 pcs running into one set of speakers. I just modified an old manual parallel data switch. Far to many poles for my use but its a nice solid clicky switch and saved me finding a suitable component (considering the data switch was free).

 

bus switch

 

I bought the PXP02 from that site was a bit more expensive than what it's going for now though. All it did was provide the 3 power cables as well as the head unit connector. i just spliced these into my harness.