Aux Input, On Its Way

16-Pin

rktktpaul said:
So Ken, to the best of your recollection, there is no 16-pin plug on the back of our OEM radios, is that correct?

There is a 16 pin on the back of my 2003 Protege5 HU. Here is the photo I took of the back of the HU when I had it out of the car. This 16 pin was unused on mine. It is not for the tape/md it is for something else maybe a CD changer.

Here is a link to the photo (large 650 K):
http://www.bendersolutions.com/protege5/P1010010.JPG
 
rktktpaul said:
Okay - got the parts from logjam; I don't think this is going to work.

The adaptor does not fit into the MD/Tape module port as I had thought. It has a 16 pin molded plug (8 pins over 8 pins) that they show in the instructions connects to a "16-pin CD changer data port" next to the "power/speaker socket" on the back of the HU.

Now I haven't pulled my HU out yet, but I'm willing to bet dollars to doughnuts that there is no "16-pin CD changer data port" on the back of my radio.

Me thinks this is a bust!!

*goes to Alpine website*


alright now you know theres a plug, so are you gonna test it out for us? (yes)
 
bendermp5 said:
There is a 16 pin on the back of my 2003 Protege5 HU. Here is the photo I took of the back of the HU when I had it out of the car. This 16 pin was unused on mine. It is not for the tape/md it is for something else maybe a CD changer.

Here is a link to the photo (large 650 K):
http://www.bendersolutions.com/protege5/P1010010.JPG
It looks like it might possibly be it. Hopefully I can check this out further this weekend, and let you guys know.
 
rant

Christ almighty - stop being so goddamned cheap. The factory head unit should be upgraded. Just bite the bullet and buy something decent. Hell, you can usually find an employee discount available if you just talk to the right people at Circuit City, Best Buy, etc. (either find a friend, or make a friend, or just offer to split the difference)
If the connection was something so simple, Blitz or one of a dozen other third parties would have manufactured one by now. Either cheap out with the cassette adapter/RF unit, or just buy a decent head unit and changer.

/rant
 
Mine is still sitting on my floor...

As for ppl being "cheap" The stock headunit is a pretty nice piece, plus there's the inherant theft deterrance that's hard to fault. That aside, I'm wanting to turn mine into a garage stereo...
 

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Micah said:
rant

Christ almighty - stop being so goddamned cheap. The factory head unit should be upgraded. Just bite the bullet and buy something decent. Hell, you can usually find an employee discount available if you just talk to the right people at Circuit City, Best Buy, etc. (either find a friend, or make a friend, or just offer to split the difference)
If the connection was something so simple, Blitz or one of a dozen other third parties would have manufactured one by now. Either cheap out with the cassette adapter/RF unit, or just buy a decent head unit and changer.

/rant
chill the **** out.

some people, myself included, really like how the stock stereo goes with the rest of the interior, especially at night. some people don't want to blow $299+ on a new head unit. i rather like the big ass tuning/volume knobs over the inky dinky fingernail buttons that most aftermarket units are riddled with. jesus, no need to sound off like that :(
 
Captain KRM P5 said:
chill the **** out.

some people, myself included, really like how the stock stereo goes with the rest of the interior, especially at night. some people don't want to blow $299+ on a new head unit. i rather like the big ass tuning/volume knobs over the inky dinky fingernail buttons that most aftermarket units are riddled with. jesus, no need to sound off like that :(
THANK YOU!!
 
I've been following this forum for a while on this topic and I'm anxious to find rktktpaul's outcome of PIE's interface. I was wondering if anyone's seen this:

http://www.autotoys.com/x/cust/product.php?productid=4497&cat=0&page=2#rev

Note the P5 compatibility.

AutoToys.com looks like a reputable dealer/installer and they show a few applications of this AUX harness on an Audi A6:
http://www.autotoys.com/New_Tech/DI...P3_Adapter/Audi_Symphony_Aux_MP3_Adapter.html

a Honda Odyssey:
http://www.autotoys.com/New_Tech/DI...tor2/Honda_odyssey_10.4_flipdown_monitor2.htm

and a Honda Pilot:
http://www.autotoys.com/New_Tech/DIY_2000/Honda_Pilot_Flip_Down_Monitor/Honda_Pilot_Monitor_TV.htm

I don't know if they manufacture their own interfaces or if they just piece together a package for a particular application, but this looks like a viable solution.
 
petergibbons0 said:
I've been following this forum for a while on this topic and I'm anxious to find rktktpaul's outcome of PIE's interface. I was wondering if anyone's seen this:

http://www.autotoys.com/x/cust/product.php?productid=4497&cat=0&page=2#rev

Note the P5 compatibility.

AutoToys.com looks like a reputable dealer/installer and they show a few applications of this AUX harness on an Audi A6:
http://www.autotoys.com/New_Tech/DIY_2000/Audi_Symphony_Aux_MP3_Adapter/Audi_Symphony_Aux_MP3_Adapter.html

a Honda Odyssey:
http://www.autotoys.com/New_Tech/DIY_2000/Honda_odyssey_10.4_flipdown_monitor2/Honda_odyssey_10.4_flipdown_monitor2.htm

and a Honda Pilot:
http://www.autotoys.com/New_Tech/DIY_2000/Honda_Pilot_Flip_Down_Monitor/Honda_Pilot_Monitor_TV.htm

I don't know if they manufacture their own interfaces or if they just piece together a package for a particular application, but this looks like a viable solution.
Sounds like the same thing that PIE is offering, except in an all-in-one package. I'm going to try pulling my stock HU in a bit once I get my sons to bed; hopefully I'll be able to pull this together tonight yet.
 
OK - I can say that this adaptor from PIE works as stated. That extra plug on the back is truly a data port for an additional input, whether it be a disk changer or this adaptor.

Sound quality is good, very good in fact. All of my music is imported using AAC encoding; sometimes I've questioned the quality listening through my headphones. But I've got to say that the few tunes I tried out sounded fairly good. I may try importing a few songs using Apple Lossless encoding and see what the quality is like.

Now having said all this, I will also say that the quality of the sound is also based on line level to drive the ipod output, since you're using the headphone out to connect to the adaptor. Using the ipod at mid-volume is definitely quieter than normal HU volumes I'm accustomed to using, but the quality is good. Push the ipod volume to match the HU level and the sound begins to distort.

Now I have some hesitation; while I'm quite pleased that I can use my ipod through the stock HU, its still an analog output that I'm using. I can't help but wonder if I was able to get a digital signal using an Alpine system through the firewire connection, how much better could the sound be. Don't get me wrong, I think the PIE system is great and I have no regrets about getting it. I'm just wondering what the next level is like, and if its even worth going to it.

All-in-all, I think think this is a terrific accessory. Its really a great way to hook up your ipod to the stock system.
 
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So to be clear, you bought the Alpline CD Changer Adapter and the then connected the Aux Input Adapter to the CD Changer Adapter Box
 
ddrum2000 said:
So to be clear, you bought the Alpline CD Changer Adapter and the then connected the Aux Input Adapter to the CD Changer Adapter Box
That is correct - I purchased the PIE MAZ/PC-ALP CD Changer Interface/Auxiliary Input Converter and also the PIE ALP/M-RCA Alpine M-Bus Auxilliary Input Converter to get RCA line level inputs.
 
excellent work paul, excellent work indeed. you should post a detailed how to with links to the parts!
 
Captain KRM P5 said:
excellent work paul, excellent work indeed. you should post a detailed how to with links to the parts!
Thanks Ken. I probably will pull together a how-to when I go back and install everything the right way. I just kind of quickly threw everything together last night just to make sure this kit would work.

Now that I know it does, I guess I need to spend a little bit of time making it all look nice - *sigh* I guess some of my mods will need to wait just a bit longer on the shelf, lol!!!
 
Paul,

Great news! Thanks for the work! Once it's installed, how do you activate the AUX input and what's displayed on the HU? Do you lose any functionality?

What are the odds this thing works on an '02?
 
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