iPod integration

[Mark.Wilme]

I did do a search on iPod before this post, only found two occassional references.

The boat we purchased in the fall has a JVC tape/radio receiver unit and a 12 disk CD changer. The CD changer appears to have a fault and opinion is that it's not worth paying to repair 5 year old technology, I am OK with this.

What I am thinking of is replacing the tape/radio receiver unit with a CD/radio receiver that will also play mp3 and other digital music formats from CD-R (no problem here so far), but also integrating it with a Gen 5 60G iPod rather than a CD changer.

Ideally I think I want a receiver with RCA "aux in" connection on the rear (3.5mm in on the front would not look integrated) plus the means to take a signal out from the iPod and also charge the iPod. The iPod would reside in some form of cradle mounted to the front of the instrumentation panel at the Nav near to the audio head unit.

It seems simple but :

1. Getting specs online for head units and whether they have the RCA in feeds is not straightforward. There seem to be some well priced units on amazon and Overstock. There may be local bargains too.

2. Finding a "cable" that provides a 12v power feed and a wired out connection (not a headphone out) also seems tricker than I thought. There are plenty of FM transmitters, but that's not what I want.

Some of the higher end Pioneer and Alpine units (big $) offer a high level of integration where the receiver can actually control the iPod (with some reported delays as the receiver queries the iPod file system or manages the playlists). There are also reports of some receivers having compatibility issues and only displaying the first 8 characters of the track or artist.

The receiver unit will have an RF remote control so we can change the volume from the cockpit - If I can find an RF controller for the IPod then we might try that too.


The reason for my post is to ask what experience others have with similar or alternative set up's and what recommendations are out there, if any.

[Figment]

We've been iPod-addicted for a couple of years now. If we had a "real" radio on the boat, ipod integration would be at the absolute top of the priority list.

We were on the iTrip (FM transmitter) kick for a couple of years because it seemed the least hassle-prone way to make the transition from car to car and from car to boat. Then I bought a stupid $10 cassette tape adapter from radio shack and we haven't used the iTrip since. J got one for her car as well, and it makes the transition to the boat just fine. On board, as in the cars, the iPods are powered via 12v cigarette lighter adapters.
It's a couple of stringy cords to manage, but the sound quality is great, no more messing with frequency selection, and you really can't argue with the price.

Enter the Jeep, with its two complicating factors.
1) security. I'm horribly undisciplined when it comes to stowing or hiding the ipod when I park the car in public, and in a Jeep anything that isn't bolted down is fair game.
2) no tape player. the previous owner had installed a cd player with this REALLY hideous bright neon blue display.

Solution: New radio. with ipod-interface as well.
The ipod lives out of sight, always connected to, powered by, and controlled by the radio . It was a bit more cash than I wanted to lay out for the "cheap jeep", but I really couldn't be happier.
J is not such a fan, because she tends to hunt from song to song (whereas I just hit a playlist or an album and let it ride) and the control via the head unit is not quite as elegant as the ipod's own direct control.

So there you have just three of what I'm sure must be dozens of options.
In your situation, I'd say keep the radio you have and pick up a tape adapter. There MUST be some handy place to stow the ipod within cord length. It's the minimal-investment move that will allow you the flexibility to figure out what you REALLY want once you settle in to the way you'll REALLY use the ipod aboard.

If there is no handy place to stow the iPod, one of these cheapo folding drink holders with the adjustable arms is just the ticket. I've used one of these to hold my gps for a few years now.

responding directly to your numbered issues...
1) Amazon and Overstock are for girls. Men shop at Crutchfield.com.
2) If you want one cable to do both jobs, that cable will come with a big blocky thing on one end and will be called an "iPod Interface". Otherwise you'll have a power cable and a sound cable.

Gizmos are fun! =)

[Mark.Wilme]

Thanks

Tape interface wont work as receiver has flip down front face covering tape slot and I already tried the cable.

I did splurge $8.00 on a JPORT interface that takes a 3.5mm female port and splits it into RCA in (current deck has that) - I will try that this weekend. It may be a good temporary solution.

I say temporary because neither solution allows wife to play CD's which she still uses to some extent and my 4 year old daughter listens to - Me ? I have a 1G Zen Nano and I use "MP3 Reducer" to resize my tracks (all ripped 'full strength' onto the home master PC) and I get a few hundred on there. It plugs straight into the car (Saab 9-3) via a 3.5mm connection in the glove box and comes into the receiver as 'AUX'. Works like a charm.

Mike - Out of curiosity, what receiver unit did you buy - the Sony CDX-GT500 that you linked to ??? Crutchfield is out of stock but prices seem reasonable elsewhere.

[Figment]

Yeah, I noticed that crutchfield was out of stock when I robbed the link. that's strange for them. Must've been a holiday rush or something.

That's the unit I got, though, chosen primarily for the ability to display a LOT of information (be as iPod-like as possible) for the price.

[Mark.Wilme]

I just got offline with Crutchfields help team (gotta love IM) The GT500 has been replaced with the GT510 (obsolescence I guess) and they are out of stock on that as well. Tis OK though because plenty of other places have it and Froogle gives some good prices (beware the shipping of course).

Interesting however Amazon have some odd user comments pertaining to the Xa-110-ip (see http://www.amazon.com/Sony-XA-110IP-hea ... 67-7895831 )

Are you experiencing similar issues or is this newbie stuff and these people can't be bothered either RTFM or figuring out how their technology works ?

[Tim]

God, I'm so out of it. I don't even have an iPod.

[Figment]

SO out of it! but christmas is only 11-1/2 months away.

True, when the sony starts up the ipod it always goes to the first song of the (alphabetically) first album. This was a HUGE annoyance to me, because on my ipod that happens to be "American Idiot" by Green Day, which is a WICKED harsh way to start your day. Simple fix: in iTunes, create a false album called "AAstartup" with some softer music. Every so often, change up the songs in this album to minimize the Bill Murray Groundhog Day "I've Got You Babe" effect.
There may be a better, more "official" solution to this, but I haven't bothered to research it.

Also true that control of the ipod via the head unit is somewhat clumsy compared to direct handheld control, particularly if you want to hunt for a specific individual song, or if you have dozens upon dozens of albums to sort through. I'm more of a "playlist" guy, and selecting from my 8 playlists is easily within the capability of the head control. and when I'm too lazy for that, I push 3 buttons and the head unit shuffles the whole ipod.
Really, I'm not much of an audiophile, so I'm not as picky about this stuff as some others might be.

Edit: it's entirely likely that other manufacturers' iPod integration units give better control than the Sony. I like sony products, I liked that particular sony unit (for the price), so I got the integration kit that went with it. It allowed basic control and allowed the ipod to be stowed securely, so I didn't do any homework beyond that.

I dunno what these other sources are that Froogle is turning up for you, but given that spring is still a few months away, I'd be inclined to wait for Crutchfield to get whatever you want in stock simply because their service-after-the-purchase is second to none. They're like the LL Bean of consumer electronics. They also usually have a deal where speakers are half price when you buy a stereo, and Polk makes some good marine-environment speakers..... (is it any wonder I'm broke?)

[Figment]

Afterthought.

Hey, this is a boat we're talking about now, not a car. Does your installation impose any particular limitation on face size? If you can fit a double-size face unit (more $$ I know), the ipod control becomes much better because you can actually SCROLL through options like on the ipod screen itself.

Alternatively, harmon-karden (sp?) has a nifty ipod integration device that has a full screen and uses a round controller that works just like an actual ipod control. I think it's even wireless. Depending on its weather tolerance, you could have it at the helm. It's a couple hundred bucks, though.

[Mark.Wilme]

Yes I am constrained on face size due to the current installation - I don't have the space above the chartplotter for anything other than a normal height unit - I could blank this space out and install elsewhere but that would just look plain ugly.

Note :We finally found a tool that Tim doesn't have !

It appears that there are a couple of other ipod RF remote devices such as the iJet 2-way for about $100 and a similar unit from Keyspan, that allow 2 way communication and display remotely - but heck I'll already have the receiver remote and the WHAM mic at the helm, another remote is just something else to lose overboard.


BTW I did find out today that Amazon has an unpublished 30 day price guarantee for their own site. If you buy something from them and their price comes down within 30 days they will refund you the difference if you ask, see http://www.slate.com/id/2156900 for more details.

[Maine Sail]

I love my iPod, actually my five iPods, and find it to be one of the best additions to our boat.

Step 1- My first advice is to buy a car stereo from Wal*Mart or Best Buy or even a car stereo from Crutchfield. Don't waste money on a marine grade unit! I have only had one marine grade stereo in my 15+ years of having stereos on boats and the marine one was the only one to fail it also sounded sub par. Since that time I have been using inexpensive car CD players with high output like 18w X 4ch or more. I think my Pioneer is 22w X 4ch and I paid $169.00 for it. My current stereo is a Pioneer with an AUX input and also the option to add a Pioneer integrated iPod interface. I use the AUX input, as opposed to the iPod interface, for only one reason and that is because we have a radio frequency (RF) remote control for the iPod. When searching for car stereos I think it is important to decide wether you want to control the volume from the car stereo or the iPod. Most car stereos come with a remote control option but keep in mind these remotes are IR and line of sight meaning they are virtually useless from the helm.

There are two output paths on an iPod one is from the bottom or "dock" connector and is a fixed pre-out volume level. The nice thing is that if you buy the additional iPod adapter from the stereo manufacturer like Alpine, Pioneer, Kenwood etc. you'll have only one cable feeding your iPod and that cable will feed the signal to the stereo and charge your iPod. The other output is on the top of the iPod in the form of a headphone jack. This output is variable and will allow the volume to be adjusted with a wireless iPod remote control like the one in the link below but will require two cables to the iPod one for the music signal and one for charging.

When deciding on the type of stereo with AUX input to buy keep in mind that a front mounted 3.5mm female headphone jack AUX input with have a plug sticking out the front side of your stereo to connect to the iPod. This is dangerous on a boat and can be easily broken off by someone adjusting the stereos volume in a sea. I recommend stereos with the AUX input on the rear side of the stereo and wiring the iPod directly to that. You can usually read the specs to determine if the AUX is front mounted or rear mounted.


Step 2 - Consider an iPod Remote! The remote we use is made by ABT and is called the iJet. It's a RF (radio freequency) not a line of site remote like a TV remote so it will work form anywhere on the boat without having to point it at the stereo. The iJet consists of two parts, a receiver, which plugs into either the bottom, on 5G (G=generation) iPods or the top of 3G & 4G ipods and a remote fob. The actual remote is the size of a key fob for a car and will allow you to adjust volume, track up & down, turn the iPod on & off and pause/play.

http://www.abtech2.com/

This device is by far the best $40.00 I have ever spent on my boat. It allows me to velcro the water resistant remote to my pedestal and keep my iPod mounted next to my stereo dry and safe.


Step 4- iPod mounting - You will need to decide where you are going to keep your iPod. The easiest solution, I found, is next to the stereo on a strong aluminum powdercoated pedestal bracket made by a company called Panavise. The model is a Slimline - Model 727-06 at the link below

http://www.panavise.com/f/comm/cell_slimline.html

The second product connects to the pedestal and holds the iPod. It's called a Gripmatic CM30 and it bolts directly to the Panavise (the holes are already drilled on the Panavise to fit the Gripmatic) and holds the iPod perfectly. Don't just use the links I posted for buying these items search around for the best price as they vary widely. I think I paid $15.00 for the Panavise and $9.95 for the Gripmatic.

http://www.expansys.no/p.aspx?i=106158

You can see the Panavise and the Gripmatic in the picture below. Good luck you'll love your iPod I have my entire music collection on mine and it's about 28gb of data!!!!

-Acoustic

[Maine Sail]

The picture below shows the Griffin Air Click remote on our 4G ipod. Do NOT buy the Griffin it is not as hearty and robust as the much higher quality ABT iJet that I now use. The picture below that shows the actual fob next to my chartplotter on the right side.

You don't need the ABT iJet Two Way the One Way works fine and allows you to quickly skip a song you don't like. One trick my wife and I use is to play music by Genre for the mood we're in. In the morning while cooking breakfast or reading sometimes it's New Age or Jazz or even Vocal Jazz but while sailing it can be Bluegrass, Folk, Singer Songwriter, Rock or Rock Pop.... So many choices!

[Duncan]

God, I'm so out of it. I don't even have an iPod.

haha, I don't have an iPod, or a cell phone, either.
I can't be bothered fixing the GPS, and I rationalize that it makes my navigation better.

I actually enjoy the absence of electronics aboard.

[Mark.Wilme]

Thanks everyone.

Acoustic, what kind of boat is that - very clean helm layout.

[Maine Sail]

It's a Catalina 310. I've done my restoring over the years, Cape Dory's, Tartans and Pearson's and still enjoy working and puttering on boats but really, really love the our "clorox bottle" because she really does not sail like a clorox bottle at all....

[tikvah59]

Sorry I'm a bit late to this thread - haven't had much time for forums lately.

I recently picked up an item on Ebay to connect my iPod to the car stereo, and I believe it can work with many after-market units as well. It's called ipod2Car and made by Peripheral Electronics http://www.ipod2car.com/ There are only 2 or 3 ipod2Car models, and you only need to buy an interface cable ($5-10) to get it to work with your car (boat) stereo. I haven't installed it yet, but it's supposed to let you control the iPod using the CD Player controls. In my case I'll lose the use of the CD changer, but hardly use that at all now that I have the iPod.

Living near Boston makes it very difficult to find a clear frequency for an FM transmitter. I've had several, and I ended up fooling around with them so much I've switched back to the cassette adapter until I can install the ipod2Car.

Mark

[Mark.Wilme]

Thanks.

I actually bought the GT510, the XA-110-IP a 30G iPod and a Belkin cradle (mount).

Will be installing next month, I'll give you a progress report at that time.

[Peter]

SkyMall has this interesting iPod docking station , although I don't think it would work in a car !