Aux input on stock radio. Any interest?

[Minuit]

I just finished adding an aux input to my stock radio. Can be done on all of the models of the Chrysler AM/FM/cassette radios. The process for doing this is on this forum, but would anyone in the club be interested in me making a plug 'n' play cable for this? I figure cost will probably run in the $20 range. I intend to publish detailed instructions for making your own regardless :thumbsup:

 

[Automan2164]

What radio are you working with? I have an AMC cassette in the diesel MJ and this would be a great addition.

 

Rob

[Minuit]

I've done this with 2 different models of this Chrysler deck:

 

 

Not sure if it's possible on the older AMC decks since I've never taken one apart and I don't have one to experiment with. I've seen pics of one taken apart and it looks pretty different from the Chrysler decks, but I wouldn't be able to say for sure unless I could get my hands on one to play with.

[Automan2164]

I have a non-working deck that would be good for experimentation.

 

Rob

[DirtyComanche]

I'm curious how you did it, not that I have any interest in doing it myself.

[gogmorgo]

I didn't want to risk unsoldering anything when I did mine, so I just twisted and taped the aux cable's wires around the pins. Works well enough, but after nearly a year I think I'm noticing an increase in fuzz, so something more permanent is probably in order. Any solution to the radio bleed-through yet?

[Minuit]

I'm curious how you did it, not that I have any interest in doing it myself.

I'm gonna make a DIY writeup of exactly what I did, don't you worry :thumbsup:

 

I didn't want to risk unsoldering anything when I did mine, so I just twisted and taped the aux cable's wires around the pins. Works well enough, but after nearly a year I think I'm noticing an increase in fuzz, so something more permanent is probably in order. Any solution to the radio bleed-through yet?

I use crimped on female d-sub terminals. They grab the pins perfectly and can be removed easily. Obviously not everyone has a crimper that can do tiny (28 AWG in my case) open barrel terminals, but it's the best solution IMO. I think the radio bleed through is a signal strength problem. The stronger the signal through the 2 pins, the more the radio attenuates. My phone is an LG G2 which is notorious for having really weak sound output. Maybe a volume booster (I've never found one that actually works without rooting) or preamp of some kind might get rid of it? If I tune to an empty frequency there's just a tiny bit of static in the background so that's what I normally do.

[gogmorgo]

Yeah, lots of empty channels up here so that's what I do, but still occasionally get the odd squawk from something random if I crest a hill or something. I don't remember there even being enough room in there to get crimpers on the pins, even if I had crimpers that went that small, but I'm not going to pull it apart to do anything unless I end up in there for something else. But I will keep it in mind, if I ever stumble across some d-sub terminals by chance... I'm not aware of anywhere I could even get some within 200 miles.

[Minuit]

Oh, I should've been more clear. I didn't crimp the terminals onto the radio, I crimped them to the cable. The d-sub pins are just the right size to slide over the pins on the radio. Here's some pics.

 

 

 

 

I get all of my electrical stuff from Digikey. Not sure if they ship to Canuckistan but here's a list I prepared earlier of all the materials I used. The connector and its pins aren't completely necessary. All you really need is the cable and the 3 d-sub sockets. The connector is just there to make it so I can take the radio out without taking out the entire cable (which runs through the dash and under the console in my installation). Like I said in the OP if anyone wants me to make another one of these cables I'd be glad to do so.

[87Chief]

I will definately save that list for later use.

[Wiggilez]

If one was so incline to use a female end instead of a male, would it be the same process?

[Minuit]

I don't see why not, but I can't find any cables like that, and you'd need 2 cables when 1 will suffice.

[Wiggilez]

I was thinking of setting it up like in new cars where they have a female end in the head unit then use a double male for ipod to head unit.

[Minuit]

I think you'd have issues finding somewhere to mount the jack. The faces of our radios are pretty packed unfortunately. Looking at my parts radio, the only spot where I think there would be enough space to mount the headphone jack would be above the bass and treble knobs. One problem with that spot is the top cover of the radio is just above the VOL/BAL/FAD label. Anywhere else and you'd be running into a circuit board. Here's what the radio looks like with the faceplate off:

 

[Wiggilez]

I think you'd have issues finding somewhere to mount the jack. The faces of our radios are pretty packed unfortunately. Looking at my parts radio, the only spot where I think there would be enough space to mount the headphone jack would be above the bass and treble knobs. One problem with that spot is the top cover of the radio is just above the VOL/BAL/FAD label. Anywhere else and you'd be running into a circuit board. Here's what the radio looks like with the faceplate off:

 

 

 

hmm i'll have to take a closer look at mine and see if I really want to butcher it just for convenience sake.

[A-man930]

This is exciting. Glad somebody is doing this