IPHONE into car deck (not using existing deck)

[Koobs123]

Okay I have a really ****ty deck right now (it actually scratches new CDs)
And Ive seen others with pioneer decks have the module to hook up their IPOD/IPHONE to their deck and other cars like BMWs have built in jacks for it.

what I want is to have my IPHONE as my deck. No other deck to run off or anything.

How can I accomplish this?

through an amp? Basically I need an Audio out to Iphone (with charging capabilities being a must)

I guess im asking for a USB port goind directly to an amp (which all my speakers are hooked up to)

 

[Dimwhit]

You might be able to find an amp that the phone can plug straight into. That would be your only option that I can think of. But I doubt very much it will charge. You'll have to use the headphone jack to feed the amp, then charge with your cigarette lighter.

 

[Koobs123]

You might be able to find an amp that the phone can plug straight into. That would be your only option that I can think of. But I doubt very much it will charge. You'll have to use the headphone jack to feed the amp, then charge with your cigarette lighter.

I wont be able to get a usb comming from the amp?

 

[Koobs123]

anyone? there must be a way to do this...

 

[viggen61]

Okay I have a really ****ty deck right now (it actually scratches new CDs)

Must be related to my PowerBook DVD drive...

And Ive seen others with pioneer decks have the module to hook up their IPOD/IPHONE to their deck and other cars like BMWs have built in jacks for it.

what I want is to have my IPHONE as my deck. No other deck to run off or anything.

Let me see if I have this correct: You want ONLY the iPhone, no car head unit, no radio, no CD player, no cassette player, etc.

Right?

How can I accomplish this?

through an amp? Basically I need an Audio out to Iphone (with charging capabilities being a must)

I think you mean audio out FROM the iPhone/iPod... There are several companies that make devices that charge the iPhone/iPod (make sure it's updated for the iPhone 3G if you have one), and provide a line output. Look for Griffin or Belkin or Kensington accessories on the online Apple Store.

It'll plug into your cigarette lighter/power port in the car, and either provide a male 1/8" stereo plug with line out, or a female 1/8" stereo jack with line out. You then plug that into your head unit or into an amp (I suppose).

I guess im asking for a USB port goind directly to an amp (which all my speakers are hooked up to)

Doubtful. USB is digital data, and almost any amplifier will need an anlog signal.

You could bodge something together that would work for you, of that I have no doubt. But without a head unit, you have no volume control, unless you use the headphone plug on the iPhone/iPod. But with that it is possible to either overdrive (clipping, distortion in the sound) or underdrive (it never gets loud enough for you) the amplifier.

The best method would be to get a new head unit that has an accessory line in, or USB connection.

In one of my cars I have an Alpine CDA-9856 with the Full Speed iPod interface. It plays and controls my iPhone 3G just fine, but it doesn't charge it.

 

[Dimwhit]

You might find a head unit that doesn't have a CD/Tape/etc. Then plug in to that. But I think viggen has the right of it in his post.

 

[viggen61]

You might find a head unit that doesn't have a CD/Tape/etc. Then plug in to that. But I think viggen has the right of it in his post.

Alpine makes a car deck with no radio or CD/Cassette. It's meant only to connect to an iPod... yet it costs almost double what some of their iPod decks cost!

 

[honeytoast]

Doubtful you will find a deck that supports usb charging (as the new iPhone 3G requires). I have an Eclipse deck with the iPod kit and it worked great with the original iPhone but now it doesn't charge the new one. I ended up buying a Kensington LiquidAUX car kit.

without Holster
http://www.amazon.com/Kensington-Li...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1217356893&sr=8-1

with Holster
http://www.amazon.com/Kensington-Li...2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1217357185&sr=8-2

Either of these will work with any deck that has an auxiliary input. I use the one with the holster and it works great. It charges the phone and comes with a remote that attaches to your steering wheel for easy pause/play, shuffle and skipping tracks. Also I can easily see my screen when somebody calls or I am using Google Maps. No more reaching for my phone while I'm trying to drive.

 

[viggen61]

Actually, a lot of newer head units only have a USB interface. That makes them compatible with almost anything...

 

[Koobs123]

Must be related to my PowerBook DVD drive...



Let me see if I have this correct: You want ONLY the iPhone, no car head unit, no radio, no CD player, no cassette player, etc.

Right?

YES YOU ARE CORRECT

I think you mean audio out FROM the iPhone/iPod... There are several companies that make devices that charge the iPhone/iPod (make sure it's updated for the iPhone 3G if you have one), and provide a line output. Look for Griffin or Belkin or Kensington accessories on the online Apple Store.

It'll plug into your cigarette lighter/power port in the car, and either provide a male 1/8" stereo plug with line out, or a female 1/8" stereo jack with line out. You then plug that into your head unit or into an amp (I suppose).

whats the difference between a 1/8" stereo plug and 1/8" stereo jack?

Doubtful. USB is digital data, and almost any amplifier will need an anlog signal.

gotcha

You could bodge something together that would work for you, of that I have no doubt. But without a head unit, you have no volume control, unless you use the headphone plug on the iPhone/iPod. But with that it is possible to either overdrive (clipping, distortion in the sound) or underdrive (it never gets loud enough for you) the amplifier.

I remember in my old car I had a sterio with a bass controler knob... can i get something like this with a volume controller knob?

The best method would be to get a new head unit that has an accessory line in, or USB connection.

I dont want to spend alot of money. (company got me the iphone, cousin has a free amp for me, gonna buy some $150 components for the front) and done

So basic overview...

I need a 3g compatible car dock (that charges... wire that up to power or use the 12v outlet)

Use a headphone jack from the iphone to a line out (not sure what that really is) for the amp.

also the issue with the volume... can i hook up a volume knob?


thanks for the help guys... really appreciatted.

pic of my car for views.

 

[Koobs123]

and what about something like this?

but instead of firewire have something else for charging purposes, and use that female jack for audio in....?

 

[viggen61]

whats the difference between a 1/8" stereo plug and 1/8" stereo jack?

Plug: male part
Jack: female part
(I didn't name them...)

It makes a difference, as to what connection cable you need to go between your components.

I remember in my old car I had a sterio with a bass controler knob... can i get something like this with a volume controller knob?

Not really. The iPod/iPhone can only supply so much signal out. Your amplifier needs a certain level of signal, which your iPhone may not be able to provide.

"Line out" refers to a more-or-less industry standard for the voltages and signal levels. The level is not adjustable. This is compared with "speaker out" which has a variable level (the signal you send to a speaker). A "speaker out" is not standard, as driving that huge subwoofer takes a lot more power than driving a pair of earbuds.

You **might** get away with just using the earbud jack on the phone, and the volume on the phone to drive the amp. But, if my experience with a Buick Rendezvous is any indication, you'll have to turn the phone volume waaaaaaaay up to get anything useful out of the amp. And run the risk of overdriving your ears the next time you hook in the earbuds.

I dont want to spend alot of money. (company got me the iphone, cousin has a free amp for me, gonna buy some $150 components for the front) and done

If you can spend $150, you should be able to score a head unit with Aux in (probably not iPod specific, but good enough), and a device that will charge it and provide the line-out signal for the aux-in. Just watch for sales at Best Buy or Crutchfield.

Or, just get a cigarette lighter/charge with an FM modulator. No, it's not the best, but it works, and since you have limited funds, might be the way to go.

 

[viggen61]

and what about something like this?

but instead of firewire have something else for charging purposes, and use that female jack for audio in....?

Yes, but, as you said, it needs to charge on the USB pins of the Dock connector. And they make them with a cigarette lighter plug already on them. Again, though, you have to know it will work with the 3G.

(The signal goes OUT from the phone, then IN to the amp.)

 

[viggen61]

Doubtful you will find a deck that supports usb charging (as the new iPhone 3G requires). I have an Eclipse deck with the iPod kit and it worked great with the original iPhone but now it doesn't charge the new one. I ended up buying a Kensington LiquidAUX car kit.

without Holster
http://www.amazon.com/Kensington-Li...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1217356893&sr=8-1

with Holster
http://www.amazon.com/Kensington-Li...2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1217357185&sr=8-2

Either of these will work with any deck that has an auxiliary input. I use the one with the holster and it works great. It charges the phone and comes with a remote that attaches to your steering wheel for easy pause/play, shuffle and skipping tracks. Also I can easily see my screen when somebody calls or I am using Google Maps. No more reaching for my phone while I'm trying to drive.

Do these work with the iPhone 3G? I know the Amazon site says so, but the Kensington site doesn't say anything about it. Good to know about, if it does support it.

 

[Koobs123]

here i go

This is what i need. Id chop off the lighter plug and wire it directly to a 12v source.

run line out (males) to a male mic connector (which will connect to the SIK cable female mic port)

done?? what you guys think?

 

[viggen61]

This is what i need. Id chop off the lighter plug and wire it directly to a 12v source.

run line out (males) to a male mic connector (which will connect to the SIK cable female mic port)

done?? what you guys think?]

It will not work if the cable has a FireWire connector on it.

FireWire not only charges at a different voltage (12v), it uses different pins on the Dock connector than the USB connection does.

 

[Koobs123]

It will not work if the cable has a FireWire connector on it.

FireWire not only charges at a different voltage (12v), it uses different pins on the Dock connector than the USB connection does.

it says its for every ipod/iphone (including 3g) so i dono what u mean by it uses different pins

 

[christf10]

Okay I have a really ****ty deck right now (it actually scratches new CDs)
And Ive seen others with pioneer decks have the module to hook up their IPOD/IPHONE to their deck and other cars like BMWs have built in jacks for it.

what I want is to have my IPHONE as my deck. No other deck to run off or anything.

How can I accomplish this?

through an amp? Basically I need an Audio out to Iphone (with charging capabilities being a must)

I guess im asking for a USB port goind directly to an amp (which all my speakers are hooked up to)

It will prob cost less and be less of a headache for you to just get a new headunit with an AUX out or a direct iPod connection.

 

[Koobs123]

It will prob cost less and be less of a headache for you to just get a new headunit with an AUX out or a direct iPod connection.

how?

the cable is 30 bucks... a new headunit isnt.

 

[viggen61]

it says its for every ipod/iphone (including 3g) so i dono what u mean by it uses different pins

**sigh**

There are 30 pins on the dock connector at the bottom of your iPod or iPhone. Wikipedia has an entry for it: Dock Connector. The FireWire connection - which is what the device you show in the photo has - uses pins 19 & 20 for the +12volts, and 29 & 30 for the ground side. Plus others for the actual signal.

The USB connection uses pin 23 for the 5 volt power, and pin 16 for the power ground.

If you are connecting to the FireWire pins, they are not the same pins on the dock connector as the USB connection uses.

The iPhone will only charge if power is applied to pins 23 & 16 at 5 volts, which is done when it is docked using USB.

Where did you get the photo of that device? I would like to look them up and
see their website.

Someone else posted in this thread about a Kensington device which looks promising. The eBay ad stated that it works with the iPhone 3G, but the manufacturer's website made no such mention. Who are you going to believe?

Also, be careful that advertisers are not talking about the iPOD 3rd Generation, sometimes referred to as the iPod 3G (the first one with the Dock connector).

 

[viggen61]

Found the company's website:

SiK

All of their products claim FireWire charging, which is NOT compatible with the iPhone.

Hopefully they'll update/upgrade, as this seems to be a good product.

MacSales doesn't even show that device on the iPhone page (unless you get a different iPhone page than I do...).