Stereo Help Needed

[Locke]

I have a Clarion M5470 stereo on my boat that I would like to run my ipod and satelite radio thru but it doesn't have an auxilary input in the back. At present I use a cassette adapter but the sound quality is not what it could be. Any audio wizards out there know of a way to hard wire these in?

Locke
2000 Sea Ray 270Sundancer

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: Stereo Help Needed

I'm sure it could be done by disassembling the radio, but you'll be better off just buying a new radio with aux inputs. I'd recommend getting a radio that has the ipod plug (usb port) on the front of the radio instead of regular aux inputs though. This will give you more functionality of the ipod and it will keep it charged too.

 

[Locke]

Re: Stereo Help Needed

I'm hoping to figure something out to keep the existing unit because this stereo is part of a system that includes a CD changer and a remote control at the helm.

 

[ocb_dave_ocb]

Re: Stereo Help Needed

The only other thing you could do besides the Cassette deck, would be to use an FM Transmitter. It will pick up on a radio station you select.. Works good.. BUT you have to have an Antenna on your boat somewhere..

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Stereo Help Needed

Lock, You can connect the satellite rado deck and ipod to the the amplifier of the stereo, if you find the correct impedence input to the amp. You can take a look inside the case and see if you can find the output of the FM tuner and/or the output of the tape deck. These will feed into the common amplifier. If you can find this amplifier in, you can sifure a war to splice in the Ipod od sat radio. If you have a skematic for the radio, it will be easier to find.

 

[ddennis]

Re: Stereo Help Needed

Best option is to get an FM transmitter unit that will plug into your ipod and transmit low power FM to your stereo.. You can also get these units to work with your XM unit. Not the best solution in the world, but cheaper than getting a new stereo...

 

[tigerhack]

Re: Stereo Help Needed

if you want you can take a audio pickup near the tape head but it requires some soldering skills and you need to know what you doing ,bring it to a electronic shop if need to but it can be done.

 

[donnymac]

Re: Stereo Help Needed

I use a FM transmitter. It's a year old, so there is even better and less expensive ones out there now. What else is new? Any way I went to the auto wreckers and they let me cut an antenae out of a car slated for squishing. I only kept the part that goes into the stereo(Clarion also) and about 3 inches of cable. The stereo does not pick up any other radio stations but my Ipod. When I use the transmitter in my truck and drive around town nothing but interference and static from other stations. On the boat, nothing but Ipod, Priceless

 

[ocb_dave_ocb]

Re: Stereo Help Needed

I use a FM transmitter. It's a year old, so there is even better and less expensive ones out there now. What else is new? Any way I went to the auto wreckers and they let me cut an antenae out of a car slated for squishing. I only kept the part that goes into the stereo(Clarion also) and about 3 inches of cable. The stereo does not pick up any other radio stations but my Ipod. When I use the transmitter in my truck and drive around town nothing but interference and static from other stations. On the boat, nothing but Ipod, Priceless

THey sell antenna's WITH wiring at advance auto or similar for $10 - $15 that is where I got the antenna for my 4 wheeler stereo

 

[NSBCraig]

Re: Stereo Help Needed

What about those cd changers that connect to your non cd changer stereo through the antenna wire anybody know how to adapt them maybe?

With the transmitter you need get one with enough freq. settings to find one that does not have a local radio station broadcasting on it. I use one constantly while driving and working couldn't live without my ipod.

The problem is when you travel towards a station broadcasting on the freq. your using then you have to change it and your stereo to compensate. Not a problem if you boat in the same area but while traveling to St Augustine from New Smyrna it changes so that involves changing radio stations on your radio and changing broadcast freq. on the transmitter which can be a pain if you radio is below decks.

One cool thing about the transmitter is you can leave it running in the boat and listen to your radio station on a portable radio on an island or on a bunch of different boats while rafting up etc.

I do this alot while working in fact I have friends that listen to my ipod while driving to the same place as me it works for a couple city blocks at least and only cost $8 on ebay.

Another thought have you cleaned your tape head (don't use a dry cleaner) it could help alot.

 

[bamafutbal]

Re: Stereo Help Needed

all of the above equals bad sound quality which is usually bad to begin with, just burn a bunch of cd's from your itunes collection and play them in the cd changer

 

[donnymac]

Re: Stereo Help Needed

THey sell antenna's WITH wiring at advance auto or similar for $10 - $15 that is where I got the antenna for my 4 wheeler stereo

The thing about only 3 inches of wire out the back of the stereo is that there is no interference from other stations. The only station the stereo picks up is the Ipod. Plus you don't have to mount an antenna. But that's ok, I may not have explained myself well.

 

[ocb_dave_ocb]

Re: Stereo Help Needed

The thing about only 3 inches of wire out the back of the stereo is that there is no interference from other stations. The only station the stereo picks up is the Ipod. Plus you don't have to mount an antenna. But that's ok, I may not have explained myself well.

Oh yeah, I see what you are saying now, Cut about 3 - 4 inches of wiring from a junker, plug it into the stereo, and leave the wire dangling, The ipod or XM etc will still play without the intereference of other stations..

I just didnt get what you were saying.. That is a good idea I never thought of that..

 

[naphobia]

Re: Stereo Help Needed

may not be exactly what you want but they do have the tranmitters monster makes a really nice one that sounds great, you hook your ipod to it an put the radio on a certtain station an its come through radio

 

[donnymac]

Re: Stereo Help Needed

Matter of fact Dave, I barely have 2" of wire sticking out from the stereo. There isn't even any static

 

[Locke]

Re: Stereo Help Needed

Sirius has an adapter they call the "FM Direct" that plugs into the stereo antenna socket and then a spot to plug the sirius pickup into. I'm going to try that with the little stub antenna idea donnymac offered to pickup the ipod. Of course this keeps me from using my stereo to pickup regular FM stations. I might try an antenna A-B switch to add that back in.

If only I had AUX IN this would be so easy.

Locke

 

[PondTunes]

Re: Stereo Help Needed

Locke the adapter they are going to send you will plug into your radio and allow you to plug your regular FM antenna into it. It works like a A/B switch without all the fuss. It will allow you to play your sat radio and still use your FM radio without any disassembly of the radio or any other extreme measures...

The wired fm modulators work great, the wireless ones suck a few years ago they scaled the power way back on the wireless ones and the reception is horrible. The wired modulator will also have a on/off switch so that your radio antenna will work as normal when the modulator is off.

Audiovox also sells them you can usually score them through circuit city and it comes with everything you'll need to add an aux input to your clarion.

 

[BamaAlum97]

Re: Stereo Help Needed

I have the Sirius FM Direct antennea adapter and it works great...crystal clear audio...