Add an iPod input to many Volvo radios for $0

EddieV · Post by **EddieV** » 02 Oct 2008, 07:36

Digging further, looks like BlitzSafe does have an Aux input only version of their adapter: VOL/AUX DMX V.1, so you were indeed on the right track...

BUT its still $70+s/h, same price as the iPod i/f (grr...)

I guess that's okay for an aftermarket product, but there has to be a better (i.e. low cost) way for those who don't mind a bit of hacking...

sotka · Post by **sotka** » 13 Sep 2009, 11:30

Hey, I hope someone can answer to me even though the topic is quite old already. Tried the trick on a SC-805, but can't find any suitable places to connect the cables to. Here's some images, I'd be grateful if someone could point out where to solder the L, R and Ground cables.

http://www.sotka.1g.fi/kuvat/volvo/ - click on the pictures and then "View original picture" to see it in a large size.

Thanks in advance.

sotka · Post by **sotka** » 14 Sep 2009, 08:24

Found out that the green thingy in the picture DSC_0041 is the preamplifier. Also found some information about it - like the circuit diagram etc. You can view it here: http://pdf1.alldatasheet.com/datasheet- ... 430FS.html (EDIT: actually, that is the chip...

)

Now I just have to find the places to solder the headphone cables to... I'm pretty poor in electronics, so I'd be grateful if someone could help me out.

rwbrussels2 · Post by **rwbrussels2** » 15 Sep 2009, 09:24

Just a note of congratulations to everyone who has been able to make good use of this mod. Here's some catch-up comments that might be useful about the original post.

Most people would never need this mod because they just insert the cassette adapter thing, run the wires out of the tape deck and into their MP3 player, and that's it. But I hated losing a generation of sound quality going into the nice BOSE speakers, and hated the wires hanging out, and the little squeaking sound the adapter makes, and so forth. Also, I needed to connect it to a GPS/MP3 unit mounted in the glove box, meaning the cables would have to run even further, and would have to be unplugged any time I shut the glove box door. So it made sense for me anyway.

tjts1 post is great - and he correctly identifies that the process for any of these units is to find where the shielded audio signal leaves the magnetic tape head and first connects to a circuit board. If possible, this is the best place to tap into the signal. I tapped into the big connector board mostly because it could be removed for soldering, and because with no chips on it amateurs could have repeated goes at rigging and soldering without killing the unit. All of the more modern decks would need to be done following tjts1's method he documents. Well done.

The distortion some people get is either from poor wiring or soldering, poor shielding on the cabling, or else inverting the wiring (mixing the L, R, and ground signals). Remember to turn off all EQ on the MP3 unit and use the EQ on the car's head unit.

Fixing a dummy cassette inside permanently and cutting the power motor's wires is something I also considered doing and certainly works and makes sense, but I wanted to be able to continue using the tape deck itself (my Stooges and MC5 albums are all on cassette, *of course they are*). This would be a good alternative mod for people with broken decks/burned out cassette motors/impossible to replace broken drive/transport parts.

The later decks have CD and AUX inputs, but the head unit sends an "Alpine CD" software query down that line and listens for the correct response, so without the Alpine changer unit, the head unit will never listen on that line, which is why some posters here rightly present the option of a dummy pass-through connector that has a little bit of software to trigger the head unit to listen on the CD channel. I am not sure how the AUX works on the head unit, but I am guessing it was a standard connector somewhere on the back of the radio's main bus, which could be pretty easily tapped into. I do not have one of these units or I would have a go. I am guessing, though, since it is AUX, it does not require speaking a standard language like the CD input does, and probably only listens for line-level signal to engage the AUX.

Anyway, good going to everyone who has been able to make it work, and feel free to contact me at rwprivate (at) gmail.com if you get really stuck.

Cheers,

Richard

occupant · Post by **occupant** » 15 Sep 2009, 14:23

I've seen this mod done to a lot of Delco (GM/Chrysler) radios and it works on the same premise, have the AUX input override anything from the radio going through the amp and out to the speakers. I actually spent $60 to buy a radio with this mod already done for a Lumina I once owned. I kept the radio when I got rid of the car and sold it for $60 to a Suburban owner whose truck was the same year range as my car.

This will definitely be on my list of things to do if I get that 850.

sotka · Post by **sotka** » 17 Sep 2009, 06:33

Ok, so I asked for some help in a Finnish forum too, and one poster came up with this picture: http://imgur.com/7AVr2.jpg
Red=right channel, white=left channel, black=ground... Just to help people who are about to do this mod

hard · Post by **hard** » 01 Oct 2009, 11:14

sotka wrote:Ok, so I asked for some help in a Finnish forum too, and one poster came up with this picture: http://imgur.com/7AVr2.jpg
Red=right channel, white=left channel, black=ground... Just to help people who are about to do this mod

And it works with the SC-805?

Hex · Post by **Hex** » 04 Oct 2009, 16:11

sotka wrote:Ok, so I asked for some help in a Finnish forum too, and one poster came up with this picture: http://imgur.com/7AVr2.jpg
Red=right channel, white=left channel, black=ground... Just to help people who are about to do this mod

Just to check, the picture you link to looks like it's on the side of the unit relative to the pictures you have taken of your own from a SC-805? Have the same head unit and was thinking of doing the same sort of modification.

Was feeling pretty happy with myself earlier today. I was playing with the connection for the changer, trying to wire in my headphone jack into the relative holes in the back of the unit and connect up the rest of the wires from the changer to the unit as it was. Had it working for a couple of minutes but something must have blown in the process as it didn't work when i made something more permanent up and doesn't recognise the changer now either. Ah well - didn't use it anyway.

So now if those pins you highlight are the right ones i will have a go at doing it that way. Can you confirm if they work and does it sound ok? or does it suffer from the same sort of distortion other talk of?

Thanks

amarshe · Post by **amarshe** » 10 Oct 2009, 06:03

sotka wrote:Ok, so I asked for some help in a Finnish forum too, and one poster came up with this picture: http://imgur.com/7AVr2.jpg
Red=right channel, white=left channel, black=ground... Just to help people who are about to do this mod

I just used this successfully on my SC-805. However, although the circuit board in the photo is virtually identical to mine, the left and right channels appeared to be the other way round. Thanks to all in this thread - top work!

Hex · Post by **Hex** » 18 Oct 2009, 06:32

Just thought i'd reply to post my thanks for bringing this idea to my attention and to give a little bit of a headsup for anyone who has a SC-805 who might have the same issue as i found:

Got a chance to try it out this weekend and after taking apart my SC-805 the cassette unit did not look anything like the one sotka has above. Had a slight panic and looked back at some other threads i'd read and the unit in my headset is identical to the one in this thread

https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... 2&start=14

in the post by cn_bryan with pics showing SC-813/SC-816 so i took a leap and soldered into the locations shown in those pictures that didn't use the resistors - it works and sounds pretty good. Very happy.