Date:         Fri, 28 Jan 2005 22:06:06 -0500
Reply-To:     Edward Maglott <emaglott@BUNCOMBE.MAIN.NC.US>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Edward Maglott <emaglott@BUNCOMBE.MAIN.NC.US>
Subject:      Re: '87 gl stereo cheap fix
In-Reply-To:  <698D2FE331FC794BB994CD03DFB28589C924A0@gmgexdc02.iogmg.ior
              oot.tld>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

What you've got is probably OK for now as you say.  If you are willing to
experiment a little, I wonder if this would work:  Get a cheap amp.  I've
seen these at flea markets a lot.  That should accept line level inputs.  I
think your mp3 player headphone output should be in that range.  (Anybody
know this for sure?)  Hook the amp to the speakers, and then you would just
have to adapt the input to accept the stereo jack from your MP3 player.

I have a cheap jensen CD unit in my van, which has the aux jack on the
front for MP3 and remote control.  I think it was about $100-120 a year or
two ago.  The remote is nice for listening while in bed, surfing the
airwaves, then turning it off and going to sleep.  plug my little iRiver in
and I can listen to the music or recorded radio shows I have on there.

Edward

At 06:20 PM 1/28/2005, you wrote:
>i hadn't thought of that.  i guess i'll just keep toting around the dc
>computer speakers until i feel like buying a proper amp or a radio with
>the external jack.  i'm not much of an audio feak...
>
>aaron
>'87 syncro gl
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Max Wellhouse [mailto:maxjoyce@IPA.NET]
>Sent: Friday, January 28, 2005 4:09 PM
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: Re: '87 gl stereo cheap fix
>
>
>I'm no electronics expert, but unless you have Klipschorns for speakers,
>I doubt you'll hear that mp3 player without a substantial power
>amplifier.  As I understand most portable players, they produce
>milliwatts  of power to the headphone jack and I would guess to hear
>your factory speakers in a Vanagon(or even decent aftermarket speakers),
>you'd need 10-20 watts of power.  Not even sure plugging the mp3 player
>to an external poewer amp would work with potential impedance
>mismatches.  The Audi World group has a separate forum for audio freaks
>and they've been toying with your concept and they have suceeded.
>
>Yeah, it's Friday, so burn some holes in my thinking here!!
>
>Max
>
>At 10:05 AM 1/28/2005, Aaron Pearson wrote:
> >my stock radio/tape player doesn't work very well (the tape player
> >doesn't work, even after numerous cleanings, and the antenna is gone so
>
> >the radio reception is poor).  i don't listen to tapes or radio anyway,
>
> >so my new plan is to remove it entirely, and plug my mp3 player
> >directly into the speakers.  the idea is to wire in a potentiometer
> >between the speaker plugs and an 1/8" audio jack.  that way i can plug
> >in whaterver potable device i want.  this seems like a good idea to me.
>
> >can anyone think of why it's not, or have any suggestions to make it
> >better or more reliable (or why it's a bad idea in the first place)?
> >this is the cheapest way i can think of to get what i want.
> >
> >fyi, i'd bring along a portable weather radio on trips for emergency.
> >
> >aaron
> >'87 syncro gl