Connect iPod to my old Grundig car radio?

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richardm47

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We've got a Grundig FM/AM car radio on board, old but perfectly good. I'd like to plug my iPod in to playback my music.

There are unused connections on the radio for a separate CD changer. I thought any car radio shop would be able to make me a connection for my ipod ... but my local shop is only interested in selling me a new system.

Is it such a mad idea? I can do basic diy. Can anyone offer any advice on how to proceed please?
 
You can buy a small FM transmitters which plug into the phones plug of the ipod. Tune the Grundig to a selectable predefined freq on tx'er. Requires batteries, but you can also use it in your car or at home. Aprox starting price £10 web/highstreet.

Hope this helps and keep rocking dude !!
 
might take a bit of work, but if you find the right ebay shops, they will have wiring looms for most car stereos, unless you think the current loom has free cables anyway?
You can take the output from the ipod either from the Apple socket, or from the earphone socket, and again you should find a suitable cable connector for a few quid on ebay.
Or, you can get a new player for £60+ that has an AUX-in socket, usually at the front, which of course will be a bit more expensive, but might be alot simpler !
As someone else mentions, you can use an FM transmitter; the disadvanatge there is that your ipod can only be located next to the 12v cigarette type socket... which might not be located where you want it.
Lastly, if you get a bluetooth (streaming) stereo, you can plug a bluetooth music streamer (tiny device) onto the ipod, which gives you a roaming ipod/player.
 
Just bought one of these from a Hong Kong outlet on Ebay for less than a fiver, including a remote control and delivery. Great piece of kit, as it just plugs into a 12V socket - hopefully you'll have one. Can also take SD cards and USB 'sticks'. Worked perfectly from the start, my only complaint is that it doesn't have a shuffle facility when playing tracks from the SD card or USB stick, but if you're using an Ipod you won't have that problem.
Here's the chappie: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CAR-MP3-playe...er_MP3_Player_Accessories?hash=item27b0d62a6f
 
Another vote for the fm transmitter route. Added bonus is that you can use the same system in your car, at home with your hi-fi tuner etc. Just make sure you get one that charges the ipod batteries as you listen. Got ours from Play.com from memory. Cost around £9 and is a great bit of kit. Prices vary but a quick google of 'FM transmitter ipod' should get you loads of choices.

Good luck and good listening.

Chas
 
This is a wiring diagram for the alpine Cd changer plug I found on line for Alpine. I imagine the Grundig is similar.
The FM transmitters are very convenient, but the sound quality is not that good.
 
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richardm47 said:
We've got a Grundig FM/AM car radio on board, old but perfectly good. I'd like to plug my iPod in to playback my music.?
Click to expand...

Unless you really like the existing radio, you might be better asking a breaker/mate in the trade/checking ebay for a random car radio with a 3.5mm input jack.

I did, and it cost me 20 quid - a 6 foot cable from Maplin and a wooden iPod bracket at the top of the companionway (Cockpit speakers ;-) work for me.
 
You don't say if the radio has a cassette slot, but this is the route I went...


http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/4-/8134901/Gear4-iPod-Cassette-Adapter-V2/Product.html?&_$ja=tsid:11518|cc:|prd:8134901|cat:iPod+Accessories
 
Have to say that the FM transmitter is the best route ... I have 2 of them, both with remotes ... both with 2.5mm jacks to plug Ipod and other stuff direct, USB flash stick, SD / MMC card .....

Less than a tenner each. No fiddling about with wires and connectors ... just plug in, tune up and bingo.

Specs say range is about 10ft ... but both mine far exceed that ... I've had other boats tune into mine from about 30ft or more ... I can even have it set with my 12v supply in house - I use an emergency car starter pack playing to house stereo - and listen to it in the car while doing odd jobs on it ... that's through 4 walls, car body and about 60ft distance.

If ciggy socket is not conveniently placed, then extend with a lead ... I have a 5m lead with 2 ciggy sockets on end ... single plug other ...
 
If there's a cassette slot, use a cassette adapter which has a lead coming out of it. Works really well and the quality's quite good.

If not, use an FM adapter. There's loads of cheap ones around, but I'd recommend forking out for a decent one that has:
- iPod/iPhone charging
- single iPod/iPhone cable
- automatic clear channel scanning

The one I bought for the car was a Belkin Tunecast at £35 from Dixons.
http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/belkin-tunecast-auto-universal-fm-transmitter-03661621-pdt.html
(http://tinyurl.com/ydn6kox)

Very good until you get to London when there's no free channels! Not the problem on a boat though (OK, in St Catherines').
 
Drill front of radio (carefully), fit 2.5mm jack socket, trace source of CD input, connect up. I've done this to my Merc radio. Only drawback is that the mp3 player still needs battery.
 
Connecting ipod to car radio

Thanks all for good suggestions. I borrowed an iTrip FM transmitter to try out but didn't get good results. Never thought of the cassette thingy - I had one years ago, just cannot find it now. I think I'll try GhostlyM's route and do some surgery on the radio.

Several of your comments reminded me that it would be ideal to charge the ipod at the same time as playing its music. Maybe I could wire a USB socket into the radio. Wish me luck!
 
richardm47 said:
Thanks all for good suggestions. I borrowed an iTrip FM transmitter to try out but didn't get good results. Never thought of the cassette thingy - I had one years ago, just cannot find it now. I think I'll try GhostlyM's route and do some surgery on the radio.

Several of your comments reminded me that it would be ideal to charge the ipod at the same time as playing its music. Maybe I could wire a USB socket into the radio. Wish me luck!
Click to expand...

Strange ... I have Fm Tx's and 2Gb flash sticks in them ... being MP3 - gives me near 13hrs music ... basically in the car it stays on all time. One thing I like is that when power comes back on after starting car - the last record starts at it's begginning again ...
Quality may not be full blown CD - but given average listening arena - it's certainly good enough.
 
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