Carputer — audio interface
The simple way to get the audio out of the carputer and into your ears is to plug an FM transmitter into the audio out. There’s lots of options for this, and you can get one that’s computer-powered from any local stereo store for about $20. The only problem: they suck. The signal is weak, the audio is modulated to FM and back, and it’s just not clean. I got one as a temporary hack and hated it.
The real answer is to patch into your head unit (that’s your radio in your car). Most of them have a CD Changer interface plug on the back. You just need to go find an adapter for this plug. I got my for $60 from AutoToys.com. For the Honda Odyssey, it’s the HONDA AUX adapter. It’s simple and to the point: left and right speaker in. You’ll need a cable to get from your sound card to the adapter, but those are cheap and ubiquitous.
The adapter is pretty small. I managed to plug in the 14-pin connector without removing the radio. I don’t recommend this route. It would have been easier to remove the radio. It turns out to be pretty simple to do.
- Set your parking break.
- Insert the key and turn it to on.
- Move the gear shift lever all the way down to D-1.
- Now grab the black trim plate around the radio and pull it. Seriously. There are no screws holding it on, just a few clips here and there. Find a place to get a good grip, and pull it. It pops right off and exposes the screws you need to get the radio out.
I sometimes (not always) hear some engine whine from my adapter. I got a noise filter to clean it up, but it didn’t help much. It’s still installed, though. The noise filter is a big barrel sort of thing that didn’t fit behind the radio well. I needed the room below the radio for my DVD-ROM someday, so I zip-tied the barrel of the adapter behind the glove box, where I already had run some other wires.
I actually routed my audio from the computer through the flip-down monitor interface pod. This is necessary so I can get audio from external devices, too, like when the kids hook up their game cube to the system. I thought I would have some troubles here, like getting no audio when the LCD monitor is turned off. But I don’t. I think it’s because I moved the carputer outputs to channel 1 on the pod. Channel 2’s audio is cut off when the monitor is off. (I don’t want to have to turn on the flip-down monitor to listen to MP3’s or use the GPS maps.)
One word about AutoToys. I really got a lot of help from these guys. But I had to ask for it. Their web site is a confusing jumble of products and mixed-up bulletin board entries. Their photo install guides are not nearly as helpful as they should be. But when you ask these guys a question, they answer quickly. This isn’t much help when you’re cutting the car apart at 2:00am, but if you can take your time and plan your days, these guys know everything. And they will help you.
June 3rd, 2008 at 6:58 pm
Hey!, I fell lucky that I located this post while browsing for simple plan mp3. I am with you on the topic of Carputer — audio interface. Ironically, I was just putting a lot of thought into this last Tuesday.