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#1
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Playing cassettes on car radio CD systems
I have a new car with a CD autochanger instead of a cassette radio whic
cannot be fitted because of there is an integrated SatNav system whic needs a CD player. I record cassette tapes off home radio and want t play them in the car. I have tried an Arkon Sound Feeder which uses walkman cassette feeding into the Sound Feeder which then sends a F signal to the radio. The radio needs to be tuned into an unuse frequency. Could I record onto CD's instead? Tapes give me 2 hours each; CDs onl give just over an hour. Problems a (1) Sound Feeder solution is messy with the walkman and the soun feeder wired together and powered from the 12V socket and usually end up on the passenger seat. (2) Most of the the FM channels are used so it is difficult to tun in. (3) The frequency control onthe Sound Feeder to tune in to the radi seems to drift and needs occasional adjutment. Ideally I would like to install a separate car radio cassette (o cassette only if available) feeding into the pre-amp via an auxiliar input of the factory installed system. Otherwise an input from walkman cassette, again into an auxiliary input on the installe system? Anyone got any solutions - gordon-og ----------------------------------------------------------------------- CarAudioForum.com - Usenet Gateway w/over one million posts online View this thread: http://www.caraudioforum.com/showthr...threadid=16474 |
#2
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Playing cassettes on car radio CD systems
Let's see if I can help you with some of your questions:
Could I record onto CD's instead? Tapes give me 2 hours each; CDs only give just over an hour. CDs will never give you more than 80 minutes of recording time because their data-stream playback rate is fixed. You could cram twice the length of recording into a CD, but it would play exactly twice as fast, making everything sound like a chipmunk because the player will only playback at one data rate. MP3 players can vary their player playback rate which is why they are so handy, cramming TONS of crap into the same space using fewer bits...CD players can't, sorry. :/ Problems a (1) Sound Feeder solution is messy with the walkman and the sound feeder wired together and powered from the 12V socket and usually ends up on the passenger seat. You could try cramming the sound feeder inside your console (if you have one) by prying out the snap-fits on the console panels and laying the unit somewhere where it won't interfere with the transmission shifter, etc. Then just have the power wires protruding out somewhere less visible with the power connector on the end (near the cigarette lighter probably). (2) Most of the the FM channels are used so it is difficult to tune in. I got nothin'. (3) The frequency control on the Sound Feeder to tune in to the radio seems to drift and needs occasional adjutment. You could try reading with a multimeter the exact resistance of the potentiometer (frequency control) inside the sound feeder with the cover removed (first you'll want to get the best possible frequency by listening while tuning the dial) , then solder in a resistor pair that matches that resistance as closely as possible in lieu of the potentiometer (remove the dial and put in these resistors instead). Or, you know, just put a dab of hot-melt glue onto the dial when it's adjusted right. =) Ideally I would like to install a separate car radio cassette (or cassette only if available) feeding into the pre-amp via an auxiliary input of the factory installed system. Otherwise an input from a walkman cassette, again into an auxiliary input on the installed system? Find which wires in that changer cable are the audio L and R, then cut them. Then: 1. solder the end of the audio L nearest the changer to a double-pole, double-throw (DPDT) switch contact, the one NOT in the middle, and on the left side of the switch. 2. solder the L audio signal from the walkman (get to this signal wire by cutting a headphone wire pair + jack from a pair of cheap headphones and stripping the loose ends) to the OTHER contact on the switch on the same side , NOT in the middle. 3. solder the L audio wire from the changer cable nearest the head unit to the CENTER contact on the switch on the same side you've been soldering to. (this way you'll be able to switch between the cd changer and walkman at will) 4. repeat this for the right side of the switch contacts, keeping the orientation of the switch contacts consistent for each audio signal you tap into. Lemme know if this helped! Anders |
#3
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Playing cassettes on car radio CD systems
There are some new technologies that are quite a bit better sound quality
wise than what you can get with tapes and FM transmissions. You may wish to buy a head unit that plays MP3 formatted songs and burn CD's with those MP3 songs (you can even use on some head units read/write CDs (CDRW) so that you can burn a cd and later change what's on there). With high quality selections in creating MP3 songs you can usually get around 100 songs on a CD - maybe around 3 hours. I burn my mp3 cd's organized by artist and on an Alpine CDA-7995 for example one touch of a button moves you along from one artist to the next, or another button moves you sequentially from song to song. Also, random play within an artist group or across the whole 100 songs is possible. Last, with ID tags that are part of MP3 format, some head units will scroll that ID tag across the screen so you see a text message of the artist's name/album/song title. Great fun, and sonically miles better than tape. Derek "gordon-oga" wrote in message s.com... I have a new car with a CD autochanger instead of a cassette radio which cannot be fitted because of there is an integrated SatNav system which needs a CD player. I record cassette tapes off home radio and want to play them in the car. I have tried an Arkon Sound Feeder which uses a walkman cassette feeding into the Sound Feeder which then sends a FM signal to the radio. The radio needs to be tuned into an unused frequency. Could I record onto CD's instead? Tapes give me 2 hours each; CDs only give just over an hour. Problems a (1) Sound Feeder solution is messy with the walkman and the sound feeder wired together and powered from the 12V socket and usually ends up on the passenger seat. (2) Most of the the FM channels are used so it is difficult to tune in. (3) The frequency control onthe Sound Feeder to tune in to the radio seems to drift and needs occasional adjutment. Ideally I would like to install a separate car radio cassette (or cassette only if available) feeding into the pre-amp via an auxiliary input of the factory installed system. Otherwise an input from a walkman cassette, again into an auxiliary input on the installed system? Anyone got any solutions? -- gordon-oga ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CarAudioForum.com - Usenet Gateway w/over one million posts online! View this thread: http://www.caraudioforum.com/showthr...hreadid=164740 |
#4
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Playing cassettes on car radio CD systems
Try this. 'JVC FM modulator' (http://tinyurl.com/vuf8)
You will be able to use a portable cassette player or walkman with it. Has 8 frequencies to choose from, hardwired and should not drift like the transmitter units. Since you want to keep your existing factory HU due to the satellite navigation system, this may be your best choice. Since you primarily use cassette to record off the radio, have you considered getting a minidisc recorder? Much better SQ than cassette, and if you use LP2 or LP4 recording you can squeeze an huge amount of audio onto a single MD. A single 80 min MD will get 320 min at LP4 recording. -- Sneezer ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CarAudioForum.com - Usenet Gateway w/over one million posts online! View this thread: http://www.caraudioforum.com/showthr...hreadid=164740 |
#5
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Playing cassettes on car radio CD systems
Thanks for replies - my use of cassettes is for temporary radio play
and other programmes so use of cassettes is ideal because they can b easily re-recorded when listened to (sorry Derek). Thanks anders, I could play around with linking in to the speake wiring but it is a lease car and wish to minimise any mess as it i very definitely frowned upon! But I may resort to this. Reworking th SoundFeeder with a fixed resistance is a good solution so I may yet d this. Thank sneezer, looked at the JVC FM Modulator but similar problem i that in needs physical connection to antenna. I am unwilling to loo behind dash until I am sure of a solution that will not mess up th factory installation. I am hoping that there may be a proper auxiliary into the main unit. do not even know what make this radio/audio is. The car is a U Citroen C5 and with the SatNav it will most likely be Bosch? Thanks for the replies. I have not given up yet. gordon-og - gordon-og ----------------------------------------------------------------------- CarAudioForum.com - Usenet Gateway w/over one million posts online View this thread: http://www.caraudioforum.com/showthr...threadid=16474 |
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