Listening to MP3 through the radio

Nissan11

Nissan11

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2005
Location
Marston, NC
My friend has an ipod and has an adapter that lets him listen to it when he is in his truck. He just plugs it in to a cigarette lighter and the ipod tells him what FM station to turn it to. I have a fitness MP3 player and I want to know if I can get that setup in my truck? I dont know how MP3 players are different than ipods, but if I cant figure out how to make it work Im going to have to buy a new stereo because my CD player doesnt work.
 
YEs you can Radio Shack has them, as do many places. Buy dot com, Ebay and so on. Best to get one that charges your MP3 player at the same time.
 
Easiest to just find a FM modulator to plug your mp3 in. I have owned ones that just plug in the cigarette lighter-decent, battery powered wireless one-shitty, and hardwired one into the antenna wire behind the dash(flip a switch to turn it on)-Best.

But if you are at all electrically inclined, and not afraid to open up your radio, since you said your CD player does not work, you can actually tap into the wires that send the audio signal from the cdplayer inside the radio to the actual sound processor in the radio. Its a simple 3 wires-R,L and common ground to a headphone jack for your MP3 player. I did this in my 03 GMC with a switching jack through the signal wires on my cassette player, that way when the mp3 is not plugged in my cassette works, when I plug in my mp3 it cuts the signal from the cassette and adds sound from my mp3. If you are brave enough to try it I can give you more details, when I get around to it I plan to do a full writeup on the process. This will net you the best possible sound quality, next to having a Ipod, and Cd player with direct usb/Ipod connection, and is exactly the same way those kits at bestbuy/circuit city for adding aux input to a factory CD player works, except for $2.50 vs $100.
 
GCncsuHD said:
Obviously didn't read my post above, I have one of those except actually a name brand (griffin or belkin, can't remember which) that I would give away, biggest piece of crap ever.
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I read and appreciate the offer, but a riding buddy in VA has one that he is going to give me to try. I should have it monday. If the quality is as bad as you say, then Im going to pull the stereo and try to wire the CD player feed to the mp3 like you suggested.
 
Nissan11 said:
I read and appreciate the offer, but a riding buddy in VA has one that he is going to give me to try. I should have it monday. If the quality is as bad as you say, then Im going to pull the stereo and try to wire the CD player feed to the mp3 like you suggested.
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Its not so much that the sound quality is bad, as much as you have to keep the transmitter close to your headunit or antenna, and it would easily be overridden in my truck by the hardwired fm modulator in my roomates car while sitting in the same parking lot as him. Also I had to adjust the station setting on it 4 times between Statesville and Raleigh when driving to school, and from about Winston through Burlington it would not work at all due to other more powerful radio stations overiding it because they were close to the same stations it had options for setting. Not to mention as the batteries wore down (which they did fast) it would get worse and worse.

ps. buddy giving it to you should be indication that he probably doesn't want it either. Look into one that actually plugs in the cig port, just as convenient, but puts off a much stronger signal in most cases.
 
Thats the kind I really wanted. I wish I could also charge my mp3 player in my truck. The only way I can charge it is to plug it in to my computer which has the mp3 software downloaded on it. I can only charge it on my computer, which sucks.
 
Nissan11 said:
Thats the kind I really wanted. I wish I could also charge my mp3 player in my truck. The only way I can charge it is to plug it in to my computer which has the mp3 software downloaded on it. I can only charge it on my computer, which sucks.
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What kind of MP3 player is it? I have an ipod touch that I use for the most part in my truck, but I used to have an I-river mp3 (gym duty now since its so small), it charged using a mini usb cable, that I could charge at my computer, or using a usb adapter that they sell to plug into the cig lighter, many of the cig lighter plug in FM modulators can be had with a USB output just for charging your MP3 player.

like this first one I found in the search http://cgi.ebay.com/SONY-FM-MODULAT...5|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318|301:1|293:1|294:50

I know it says walkman or ipod, but it should power most anything that charges through usb cable, including I used to have a motorola cell phone that charged using a usb cable like that, I know wal-mart even sells one that does the same thing.
 
Or, for about $80, you can get a Dual brand CD player with an aux input. Best of both worlds. Your CDs will work in the car again, and you can listen to your MP3 player when you want to. The Duals are cheap, but I've been impressed with the sound and durability so far, for the price. I own two.
 
catfishblues said:
Or, for about $80, you can get a Dual brand CD player with an aux input. Best of both worlds. Your CDs will work in the car again, and you can listen to your MP3 player when you want to. The Duals are cheap, but I've been impressed with the sound and durability so far, for the price. I own two.
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Dual=Crap......Brand new JVC with remote and aux in for 79.00KDR200.

Pioneer DEHP3000ib for 129.00 comes with ipod cable for charging, and has aux in, also comes with remote.

Sorry, i work at a stereo shop, and i hate those dual pos decks. Always a stinking asss hooptee with big ass rims bringing in those radios wanting them installed. Very poor quality.
 
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