Van Stereos

Ant1981 · #1 10-22-2006, 10:43 AM

I love my music, I really do. Used to it in my car.

So when I got the van from my company, I can only listen to radio, cos it's not a cd player.

So rather than change the stereo, which I wouldn't want to do on a company van, thinking of getting an ipod and running the headphone out to an amplifer for a subwoofer, the cable would come out of the ipod and just run tucked away, then come up behind the seat and through the meshing that seperates the cabin from the back, amp possibly powered from the lighter if it can deliver the power, not sure how much power the lighter supplies. An amp is at least 20A. The FM transmitter would send the mids/treble to the van stereo as usual. Cool or what?

ibanezcollector · #2 10-22-2006, 10:57 AM

ummm sounds kinda ghetto.. If you wont put a radio in the van why would you be willing to put a amp and sub? your going to have to run a power wire, ground and a remote turn on, as well as find somewhere to put a box with the sub.

This thread amuses me, im a huge car audio afficianado. I would love to see how your going to do this.

For starters you cant use the headphone out to a amplifier. Then your going to attempt to run a FM transmitter for highs and mids please explain to me one FM transmitter that has a crossover built into it?

Ant1981 · #3 10-22-2006, 11:08 AM

So it's ghetto to have a good stereo?

I must have high standards. Well I do have a £1000 a piece stereo at home, Marantz KI Signature CD Player and amp, B&W nautilus speakers.

The sub and amp will sit in the back, with my tools. The cable will run from the cabin, the ipod, easy in, easy out.

You seem up your own arse with your response. The FM transmitter will supply everything to the radio, but from that I'm only interested in the highs and mids. The headphone out of the ipod, I could have ajusted to a suitable line level to the amp. It's easy really.

ibanezcollector · #4 10-22-2006, 12:10 PM

the fm transmitter would have to be plugged into the Ipod so now you must run a splitter to shoot the signal to the amp as well which is bad news..

I have over 12 years on a competition level in car audio including meca, usac, dbdrag, and also iasca and a few invites to world finals as well. So believe me I got more in my cars front mids then most have in there entire home stereo.

What you are doing is a ghetto install plain and simple will it work? sure but please explain to me again how its easier to run power wires, and a amp and sub then to replace a radio? Now having a amp and subwoofer with crappy stock van speakers is a issue all on itself. And you still dont understand the concept of the FM transmitter is still going to send a full signal to the stock speakers so how do you presume to make them mids and highs only? Are you going to use a capacitor to block the bass from those speakers?

You would be better of buying a portable cd radio and calling it a day.

Ant1981 · #5 10-22-2006, 12:20 PM

I have 12 years ner ner gulp gulp. Well, congratulations! I think that's rather ghetto in itself to be honest.

I've spent thousands on DLS components and amps in the past, I know how it's done mate.

Mate, I just want metal nice and simple in my van, not asking for competition sound in a van.

I do understand the concept of the FM transmitter, I'm an electrician, done transmittion and reception in electronics class. I know about these things. I already said it will send the whole lot to the radio. But what I mean is, the little speakers in the van are mainly middy trebbly, not bassy, that's why I thought about a sub to take care of those things. You don't understand the concept of that I want some tunes in the van without pulling out an integrated radio and that I know it won't sound the best. Snob? I think so.

I don't think it's ghetto, I think all music should have the bass responce it was intended to have.

ibanezcollector · #6 10-22-2006, 12:27 PM

not a snob at all, but first rule in anything dealing with audio is once you split a signal you are going to lose quality plain and simple. Both the output to the amp and the fm transmitter have to connect at the same point. Hence you will need a splitter.

Now running off speakers you claim are no good with a sub is going to leave you with a very unbalanced sound lacking very much so in the low mid/mid bass area so your claim to music as it was intended isnt going to happen..

I still dont see how its easier to run power wires and a remote turnon to a amp is easier than replacing the headunit with a better one?..

If it was me, I would do just buy a nice Portable CD Boombox and call it a day.. The Ipod which you said you were going to buy, the sub box, the amp, the FM transmitter, wiring,and the Sub is going to cost a lot more money than a Very nice Boom box which will be more effective. And you can carry it from site to site with you, vacations, holidays etc.

My 2 cents

crevis · #7 10-22-2006, 12:28 PM

Quote:

I still dont see how its easier to run power wires and a remote turnon to a amp is easier than replacing the headunit with a better one?..

taht was my first thougt.

crevis · #8 10-22-2006, 12:29 PM

My mate put a sub in his work van and we quikly realized that they werent built for it and we had to put in a bigger alinator in to stop the battery going flat while driving

ibanez2005 · #9 10-22-2006, 12:30 PM

Id just change the stereo, ive done it in my works van, aint had no hassle.

crevis · #10 10-22-2006, 12:32 PM

Ibanezcollector isnt being snoby its just it isnt as simple a task as you have described it. Ipods have different plugs aswell.

Ant1981 · #11 10-22-2006, 12:33 PM

I just don't want to mess with the dash board of a company van. Cos one day, I could have it replace without warning, then I'll have to explain about changing thier parts over.

There are ways of splitting signal without weakening it to a degrading level. It's usually cable resistance that is the culprit.

I know the Ipod on it's own will do in the first instance, as the biggest problem is choice of music with the radio cassette. Then I can design something suitable, as the idea was, a few minutes to put in and the same to take out.

crevis · #12 10-22-2006, 12:37 PM

You have to rip something apart for a power cable to the battery anyway is the point.

ibanezcollector · #13 10-22-2006, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crevis

You have to rip something apart for a power cable to the battery anyway is the point.

exactly and say when you take it out you cant just let it sit there a hot power wire. And your also going to have to ground into the vehicle as well.. then you will have to rip apart the dash anyways to obtain a remote turn on lead, unless your doing it ghetto from the fuse box.

Ant1981 · #14 10-22-2006, 12:40 PM

Nope. If people use the eye to read, you'll see i mentioned the lighter socket to power it up, and a mesh that the cable can go through to the rear of the van.