Updated April 8, 2005
I just bought a new iRiver Model XXX player and want to connect it to my car stereo. How do I go about doing this?
Answer
There are a number of ways to attack this issue, some simple, some difficult and some maybe illegal if you live in certain parts of the planet.
Let’s look at the easy and best sounding way first and move on to the other possible methods.
PLAN A
For the best possible playback quality a direct connection to your car stereo is the best and first choice. Unfortunately most OEM (came with the car) stereo units were not intended to take remote inputs….that is too bad. If you have had an upgraded stereo installed in your car and it has a front panel LINE IN you are in luck. Some units have a LINE IN but it is located on the back of the stereo. This means you must lay on your back with your head under the dashboard with a flashlight and look to see if you have this input. You could of course just remove the stereo and look at the back of the unit or look at the owner’s manual….but that would be too easy.
If you have a LINE IN be it analog or optical simply plug your player into that connection and you are off and running….real easy.
You should also read this thread and look for posts made by Spike as he has the answer that solves your problem if you want to add LINE IN function to a car that does not have one. Thanks Spike U'Da man!
If however you do not have a LINE IN on the front or back and do not follow Spikes suggestions we have to look at PLAN B.
PLAN B
Hope you have a cassette player. If you have a tape player then simply get a cassette adaptor that will plug into your LINE OUT of the player. This will give you good results but is not as good as PLAN A. Google to find manufactures of this device or visit iRiver’s website and check out what they sell. If you do not have a cassette player and you do not live in a country that prohibits the next course of action consider the next option.
PLAN C
Use a FM Transmitter. This is a small device that takes the audio output from the iRiver player and converts it to a small broadcast signal and sends it without wires (via the antenna in your car) to a blank channel on your FM car stereo. Works ok but may not give audio quality similar to PLAN A or B and may not be legal in your country. I would go on as to why I personally think banning such devices is stupid but I respect “bunker dwellers” too much to stir up this kettle of cat fur. If legal in your country visit your local electronic gizmo store or Google to find. If not look at the next option.
PLAN D
Caution: This is the last resort and should only be undertaken if you are both too cheap to buy a new aftermarket car stereo with a front mounted LINE IN and have some experience in electronics.
Tools required:
Oscilloscope, VOM, Wire cutters, screw driver (Hex Head and Flat Blade) Soldering Iron, Electrical Tape, Sense of Humor, Band Aids, Aspirin, Two six-packs of Budweiser or similar low quality beer, a mini male headphone with the wire coming out of it stripped and tinned, one roll of Duct Tape, two tickets to the local movie theater
Sequence:
Give movie tickets to the wife\girlfriend and get rid of her for at least several hours. She will be of no help in this project and will think you are a jerk for being too cheap to buy a new stereo with a LINE IN anyway.
Drink at least three cans of beer and ask yourself if this is really worth doing AND why am I so cheap not to buy a new car stereo.
If after the first three beers you still want to move forward, you first must disconnect the car stereo from its electrical supply. I would remove the fuse that controls the radio. If you can’t find the fuse, forget this project completely or simply disconnect the car battery. Next using some degree of care extract the car stereo from the dashboard without cutting your hands to shreds and buggering up the dash. Don’t forget to remove the electrical wires as well as the antenna and speaker connection. These are usually quick disconnects but may have some locking feature. Use some degree of care in doing this.
Drink two more beers.
Once free from the electrical and mechanical embrace with your car you can now settle down for some real electronic surgery. Remove the knobs and other nonsense from your stereo. Then take your hex head screwdriver and remove all screws that you can see. Never mind where they go and what they are for and do not pay too much attention that some are bigger than others. You can worry about that when you reassemble the stereo.
Once you have managed to remove all the screws you should try to open the metal case to get at the electronic insides of your stereo. This is normally close to impossible but after cutting your fingers a few times and saying !$#%^& and also *&*^%$FF several times you should manage to open the case.
Drink one more beer if you got this far.
After exposing the electronic bits the fun really starts. You have a choice now, one is to refer to the electrical schematic to see where to connect the male mini plug to the circuit or simply reconnect the stereo to a 12VDC supply and speakers and use the O Scope to figure it out. I would prefer to use the circuit drawing but we are iRiver Tech’s and who needs a wimp drawing.
Drink several beers while trying to figure this out.
If you have managed to locate the proper point in the circuit to make the solder connection now is the time to remove whatever un-required diode, transistor or capacitor to make room for the splice. Be careful what you remove unless it is related to the AM side of the circuit since no one listens to AM anymore and those bits are worthless. Do pay attention to LH AND RH so you do not screw things up and black and red wires are not interchangeable.
After making the electrical connections and proofing that the stereo still works you may drink two more beers. If however after connecting it to 12 VDC the stereo generates arid smelling black smoke and does not work anymore quick drink the remaining beers, pick up all the loose bits and pieces of your stereo and throw them in the trash. Call your friend and have him come over and pick you up in his car since at this point your fingers will be all chewed up from metal cuts and you will be plastered from drinking all these beers to drive your car..
Have him take you to a electronics store where you can buy a new stereo for your car to replace the one you just trashed and hope he can install it in your car before you wife\girlfriend comes home.
enjoy the music,
sdz