Audio experts out there (of which I am not one)...I have an '85 GSL-SE with the stock Clarion radio/cassette/equalizer. Is there any way to wire an input so I can plug my iPod directly into the system? I'm willing to disable the cassette...there has to be a wire that takes the sound from the cassette to the amps, doesn't there? or I have heard that there is an amplifier behind the seats under the storage bins? Any way to hook into that?

Any ideas appreciated!

P.S.: I know they sell the things that can send the iPod to a radio frequency and the cassette adapter things....would rather wire directly in if possible.

 

you could probably solder something to the circuit board where the cassette input is, but you would have to trick the radio into thinking it was playing a tape, usually that is done by a switch or something that is activated with a tape in, i guess you could take a tape, remove the tape and let it just spin free.. sure its possible, do you have the schematics for the radio? I could probably pinpoint where you need to solder your wires at.

 

I'm not to sure if that would work mike.

I was about to say ya you could get one of those ipod to cassette adaptors and hardwire it in. I think that is what Mike was trying to get at. But I'm a bit confused on how those things work. I always thought that it essentially writes onto the magnetic strip on the tape then the player reads that. But if it does just read that their is something in the cassette slot then it would work.

You would basically need to disassemble the player. Put power to it. Locate the cassette reader. Then hardwire the adapter wire. Run it out the player. I'm not exactly sure what the schematics would be etc because I don't have that radio nor have a taken apart one of those adapters.

I think the easiest solution though would be to get one of those FM radio to ipod adapters and cut the cig lighter power thing and hardwire that to the cig lighter plug.

Or just not hardwire any of it.

 

I think you were thinking into it to much, basically you said exactly what I said in better words maybe, I was pretty tired last night when I wrote that.. lemme explain better

no cassette adaptor needed, just use a stereo plug into the headphone jack and seperate the 4 wires at the other end

take apart radio for sure, find in the schematic where the Audio input to the radio from tape is and wire in your left and right channels there

i am pretty sure that a head on a cassette reader converts the signal from the magnetic tape straight to useable audio so this shouldn't be to hard to do..

in order to switch back and forth between radio and ipod you will need to make the radio think that its in tape mode, so an empty tape cartridge should do the trick, you can even disable the motor for the tape player if you don't want to hear the motor spinning the whole time you are listening to the ipod


now another much easier solution that I just thought of.. there are adaptors that I have seen that you plug into the radios ant iput, plug ant cable into adaptor and then there is a wire that you plug into the FM modulator, what this does is makes sure that the signal is 100% to the radio, I have seen one used and they sound just like you are listening with no modulation...
just a thought

 

nice post. very productive.

 

http://www.fusioncaraudio.com/new-ze...8-product.aspx

 

You are talking about an old school FM modulator. Back in the days, when CDs came out, most people wanted a CD or CD changer on their cars, without having to replace the radio. Sony, Kenwood, etc used to sell cd changers with these type of FM modulators, and they were VERY popular!

The sound was not as good as a dedicated head uit + CD changer controller, but most people couldn't tell the difference anyways. On any case, this is what I am talking about:

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_142FMMO...earch=fm+tuner

 

There are two amps in a GSL SE. But If you're trying to keep the radio and looking for the simplest thing i would just invest in one of these



But If you're looking for quality I would just get a new head unit.

 

Thanks everyone!