Re: car stereo without a head unit, am i mistaken?
Hi Louise.
I think using an iPod/MP3 player in a 2CV is a cracking idea - you take it with you every time you leave the car so there's nothing obvious left behind to be pinched. The downside is that they are small and fiddly and are therefore not as easy to control on the move... (There may be ways around this, tho', which I'll come to later.)
Ok, you have your iPod or MP3 thingy. What you now need is a way of amplifying the small output they have (enough only to power your earphones...) and a way to make that sound come alive (ie: speakers!)
I cannot think of a more straight-forward and simply way to do this than by using a set of 2.1 speakers - the type of thing commonly used for computers to provide decent music and movie sound. ('2.1' means it has '2' speakers to give you the usual stereo effect, and an extra '.1' which refers to a sub-woofer to give you dirty low-down bass and rumble...)
The advantages of this setup is many - it has a built-in amplifier (so no need for a separate amp or 'head unit'), the speakers are already enclosed (so no need to cut door panels or any other speaker mountings), they give superb bass response (which tends to be lacking with a set of normal car speakers), they can often be hidden away quite successfully (so once you remove the MP3 player, there's little for peeps to steal), they are cheap to buy 2nd hand (£15 will get you
everything), they often come with a wired remote control (which can be placed within arm's reach so you have control over volume, etc), etc. etc.
Ok, so now you're convinced
What you need to look for is:
(a) a set that is powered by a mains transformer which provides 12V (or possibly slightly more - say up to 16V) to the system. You then discard this mains PSU and, instead, run the set straight from your car's 12V .
(b) ideally, the set should have a (wired) remote control - many do.
(c) ideally, the sub-woofer should be a flattish design that will fit under your front seats where they'll be out of sight and also make your bottom tingle... I
think around 160mm-ish was about the available space - easy enough to check. This dimension does, unfortunately, narrow the available models down quite a bit, so you may instead decide to fit the woofer in the boot, or possible mount it tight under the front shelf in the middle - away from your feet...
Ok, all you then need is:
(a) a cable running from a fuse in your car (or from the radio you already have there?) to provide the 12V for it to work. You might also need an in-line switch to turn the power on and off, although many of these systems already have them fitted, often on the remote control. If the on/off switch is mounted on the sub-woofer (as they often are) then they need to be accessible, or else fit an in-line switch as before.
(b) a cable to go from this system to the earpiece of your MP3 player. This is usually a stereo cable with a 3.5mm stereo male plug at each end - simple.
That's it.
I bought a set recently which I'm going to fit into my Charlie when it gets its refurb. I researched many models to find which ones used 12V PSUs (by 'research' I mean I usually asked the seller...) I settled on a JBL Spyro set which usually costs absolutely stupid money, but which I got on eBay for 99p. (Ok, plus £6 postage!) The reason it was cheap was because the mains PSU was missing - suits me, sir. I also discovered it requires 18V which I feared would be a bit of a stretch, but tests show it works fine on 12V. Another reason I chose this set is because it LOOKS completely funky! It has the most bizarre 'butterfly'-shaped speakers (which I plan to mount in the doors) and a dome-shaped sub-woofer (gOD knows where that's going to go...) I have to confess, it doesn't sound as good as it 'looks' - very much style over substance. My computer's 'Creative' set sounds far superior.
Ok, if you want to give this a bash, what I'd suggest is you do a search on eBay for '2.1 speakers', '5.1 speakers' (you just chuck 3 of the speakers afterwards...!), and 'PC speakers' (tho' this will turn up a pile of unsuitable carp.) You then sort the results in 'nearest first' order. This is because postage on these heavy items costs more than you'll pay for the things themselves...
If you've read this far (
), then if you tell me roughly where you live (eg a postcode), then I'll have a looksee too and let you know of any I find that's suitable.
Ok, I've written too much... So, the 'more of that later' bit I mentioned above will go on another post...
