Jump to content
LegacyGT.com

Aux-In Solution for 05/06 (Soldering Req) - No Silent CD


mvigneau

Recommended Posts

Good questions.

 

1.) Yes, they are still available. I don't have that many left and once they are gone, that's it.

2.) Yes, the resistors come with the kit.

3.) Correct, that is the button at the 6 o'clock position.

4.) The GLI does not come with kit and is recommended. The ones that I have installed and heard of needed the kit. You could try it without the GLI and if add it relatively easily since you have the RCA cable coming out of the back of the radio that you could attach it to.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 176
  • Created
  • Last Reply

That's a standard FM Modulator. It works pretty good. You set the FM Modulator to a certain FM frequency and then set your FM Radio to the same frequency and it cuts out the FM Station and plays the music connected to the modulator.

 

Some of them have PLL circuitry to help decrease any noise.

 

I have seen them work pretty good as an inexpensive aux-in solution. And they are probably good enough for 90% of people out there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I thought since its a "wired" FM modulator, it would be better than wireless. It seems alittle less drastic solution (an doesn't change OEM equipment) than the surgical method discussed in this thread. Can anyone confirm it sounds better than a wireless FM modulator. I have a really old iTrip for my i-pod, which sounds pretty awful.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had it when I put in Sat radio in my stock Head (now changed to aftermarket). It came integral with the audiovox XM tuner. While it sufficed and is certainly better than FM (Airwave modulation), it wasn't good enough for me. Then again I have very high standards for sound quality. It maybe good enough for you.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
I bought the kit a while ago and finally put everything together today. Seems to work for the most parts but there is 1kHz or so pitch apparent as soon as a source is connected, tried a ground loop isolator but it didn't help, interestingly the noise starts as soon as ground loop isolator is connected to AUX by itself, or even when I short the inputs. I can hear it while the music is playing so it is less than optimal. Another problem is there is a loud click when activating AUX, do others experience this? I can live with the click but the hum is really annoying :( Any ideas?
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I did, the green wire is soldered onto the metal box leg that's closer to the front of the radio on one side and onto the RCA-input ground pin on the aux-board. Do you think grounding at a spot that is closer to R121/R131 may help?

 

Some additional questions:

 

1. Am I reading the board labels correctly that Rin/Lin means connect these to the (pre)amp inputs on the stereo, and Rout/Lout means connect these to the tuner output, as opposed to indicating input/output for the board itself?

 

2. Does the audio signal from the RCA input flow through any active/passive components on the board before fed to the main board or it is just the relay?

 

3. Is it ok to eliminate the included 10k resistors by soldering to the other side of R121/R131 surface mounted ones?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Problem solved, hopefully, and it was indeed related to grounding, mvigneau thanks for the hint. It appears that the big metal box is a bad grounding spot for audio, my multimeter consistently reads an additional 0.1 Ohm resistance to the chassis as compared to other places, I know this may not be the true value but the grounding path is still different. Most likely this extra resistance is not necessarily going to introduce the problem to every radio, only to some, mine including. Anyhow, I ended up grounding at the tuner metal box, this should create the same reference point for both tuner and aux signals, the result is nearly dead silence, even at max volume. Still need to verify the interference with engine running and HVAC controls, keeping my fingers crossed.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
Install complete, one word - perfect, or at least as perfect it can be in this case. Everything tested fine so far after I resolved the original noise issue. After some consideration I went with a RadioShack GLI to suppress noises present while player is powered from the car, there is a minor audio quality loss with it but no biggie. mvigneau, your mod is definitely cleanest amongst others, no silent cds and no extra buttons to mount, takes more time to install but the result is well worth it. Wish I had the time to do it earlier, well, better later then never :) Thanks!!!

20100814_002s.jpg.e53d40d0da42e4087cfc29af0d9ab242.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...
No major problems since the install however the pop really drives me crazy, it happens every time I turn the car off when in the AUX position, and it is pretty loud - I'm afraid one day it will damage the speakers after I forget to turn the volume down before taking the key out. Is there something that can be done to keep it down at least? Also the board will always disconnect the tuner and connect AUX when powered off, is this normal?
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Using shielded cable instead of straight wires seemed to help the quality of this excellent hack a little

 

I ran the input line to a Bluetooth transmitter that is powered by a 12 volt to 4.5 volt regulator attached to the cigerette lighter power line all hidden in the console. Using my Ipod Touch it is a completely wireless integration into my sound system, even allowing me to listen and control my music outside of the car. Range is 30 feet and it cuts off clean with no static. The higher up inside the dash the Bluetooth transmitter is located the better the range is.

 

BTW, the closer (shorter wires) the Bluetooth transmitter is to the PC board the wires are attached to seems to help quality also

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can you please comment if your unit always gets connected to AUX when the car is started even when FM radio was playing before the key was removed from the ignition?

 

I have no issues with signal quality, it is as good as it gets. Shielded cables are better no doubt but in my case I don't hear any audible noise that can be attributed to the use of unshielded cables. They are pretty short anyway and are inside the metal HU box, so effectively they are shielded from any external interference pretty much to the same degree as any signal-carrying conductor on the PCB.

 

The pop I'm referring to is a common issue in audio amplifiers that arises when switching inputs using simple methods, e.g. using a mechanical relay. You get a pretty loud click in the speakers, this also happens when I turn the car off in my case. It seems that at that time the board momentarily connects the tuner as sometimes I hear a very short audio as it was coming from the radio, so it is a technically an input switch hence the pop. Despite that AUX always gets connected when the radio is powered on, regardless of how things were connected before. So I'm thinking may be I can at least prevent that instant switch to tuner (like add a capacitor somewhere to smooth things out or so) so there is no pop on switching the car off, I think I can live with pop that happens on manual switching between tuner/AUX. I want to collect some data how the board works in other installations to see if mine is anomaly with regards to car on/off behavior. Hopefully this makes sense.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes my radio comes up in aux but I prefer it that way, I don't hear a pop, at least not loud enough to be anoying if it does, not to the point I think it will damage my speakers

 

I would imagine if anyone else had a pop that sounds like it may damage speakers as you describe they would have said something

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 weeks later...
I installed my board about a year ago and it has worked flawlessly until last week. The fourth button began to only work sometimes. After a week or so of this now my button does not work at all and now this morning the only thing on the radio that does work is the cd player. All fm and am is gone. Any ideas would be appreciated as I am going to pull it tonight and would love to know what to look for.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I installed my board about a year ago and it has worked flawlessly until last week. The fourth button began to only work sometimes. After a week or so of this now my button does not work at all and now this morning the only thing on the radio that does work is the cd player. All fm and am is gone. Any ideas would be appreciated as I am going to pull it tonight and would love to know what to look for.

 

Does the AUX input still work?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...

I purchased and installed one of these. YAY! it works like a charm CD quality non-stop music from my pandora or sat. radio. I hot glued all of the connections that were soldered on the radio boards to ensure their mechanical connection. Luckily I happen to have previous experience soldering pcbs and the like otherwise would have screwed up an expensive piece of equipment. Recommend having someone who has done this exact job previously to do this for you as there were some unexpected difficulties and you must have test equipment to troubleshoot if need be.

 

Thanks to Gas711 and Mvigneau for the solution.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

Well worth the investment. Greatest mod ever for the '05-'06 Legacy :) Thanks once more for saving us from a fate of FM transmitters!

 

If anybody doesn't have one of these already, get one now!

 

Ok...

 

I have 5 of these left. And then I am done selling and making them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To those of you that find the Aux is always on when starting the car, and in order to get FM or AM you need to press the switch, you have the normally closed contacts connected to your Aux In instead of your Radio In. Switch the inputs and it will work as designed........gas711
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.




×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use