The basis of installing my ipod to my stereo involves connecting the ipod to the RCA inputs of my Eclipse equalizer.

Some of the requirements for my installation were as follows:
I didn't want my Ipod on the dash in direct sunlight or in front of a heater in the winter months (as with AC mounted install). If left in the sun for too long the heat affects the contrast of the screen and would probably affect long term reliability of the internal hard drive. I also didn't want a mount which would block the air conditioning. It was also important that I could control the ipod easily which on dash mounts made difficult, so I decided to go with an Arkon gooseneck mount.

I needed superior sound, so I went with the Belkin autoconnect to avoid the headphone jack output which I've heard is of lesser quality. I also chose Monster 400 MkII interconnects(length:2.46 ft.) instead of the Monster icable ipod interconnect because it has superior shielding and has a shorter running length - a longer interconnect has the potential for loss of signal and more prone to electrical interference.


I didn't want any wires showing except for a small amount of the Belkin autoconnect. I hid everything with braided sleeving, under the Toyota trim, and by interfacing the Belkin cigarette DC male adapter plug behind the dash connected to a Radioshack female DC plug adapter.

Here are some pics using:

Arkon Universal PDA gooseneck mounting kit - allows me to position the Ipod away from the sun, allows me to put the ipod within arms reach, allows me to set the ipod at any angle I choose for optimum viewability.
http://store.yahoo.com/kb-electronics/cm-625-ark.html


Belkin Autokit for 3G Ipods -
The Belkin autoconnect provides both power and lineout all in one so I don't need 2 cables sticking out of my 3G 30GB Ipod like I've seen in other unsightly installs. The Belkin plugs into just one port on the bottom of the ipod. Thus providing me with a nice clean install.
http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProdu...duct_Id=149006


Monster Interlink? Portable 400 MkII Bandwidth Balanced Stereo RCA to 1/8" Mini - for best sound and superior shielding
http://www.monstercable.com/productPage.asp?pin=135


Speck Flipstand Clear 3G case - the case had to be modified to accomodate the Belkin plug. I simply sanded the opening so it would be bigger. This case is great because it offers complete protection and shows off all of the natural elegance of the ipod. The other nice thing is that I can "feel" for the right button without accidently pressing a button because the case is beveled up. This is useful so I can keep my eyes on the road.
http://www.speckproducts.com/newflipstand/index.html


Braided sleeving
http://www.cableorganizer.com/expandable-sleeving/

More Pics

If you don't already have RCA inputs or an aftermarket receiver to your car, you can try OEM RCA interface adapters by PIE and Blitzsafe.

http://www.pie.net/

http://www.blitzsafe.com/blitz_catalog/blitz_catalog.html

By the way, there are a lot of questions on how to get the best sound from your ipod out on the message board. The solution: you must use the dock line out connector and RCA inputs to your stereo. FM modulators and cassette adapters simply won't cut it. Their signal to noise ratios are too low and they are prone to too much interference. If you go to the apple store during clearance, you'll actually see tons of fm modulators (itrip, belkin fm modulator) returned that go for dirt cheap because so many people ended up returning them.

For more info on car sound, installations, interfaces (not necessarily ipod) go to the forums at www.sounddomain.com

Bah!!! I paid 55 for the CM625, its only 28 dollars from them!

that looks very cool!

Yeah it took me a while to find it at that price. They were backordered when I ordered mine, but it didn't take more than 3 weeks for them to get more in stock and ship it out to me.

Keep in mind that since an ipod is really marketed and priced for people who essentially have money, all of its specific accessories will be severely overpriced. Therefore, look for retailers that make PDA accessories or find non-ipod specific accessories that provide the same functionality.

Quote: Originally posted by dinged
[B]

I didn't want any wires showing except for a small amount of the Belkin autoconnect. I hid everything with braided sleeving, under the Toyota trim, and by interfacing the Belkin cigarette DC male adapter plug behind the dash connected to a Radioshack female DC plug adapter.

Hi Dinged,

Could you explain how this is done, as this is exactly what I want to do?

Thanks.

The key to a hidden install is to remember that there is always extra room behind your existing factory radio, dash, and behind your center console. It's just a matter of removing some fasteners to get to that space.

If you want to hide the belkin autoadapter it must be plugged into a generic cigarette adapter that you can install behind your radio or existing cigarette lighter - you simply need to find a ~13.8 volt source. You can buy a cigarette lighter(DC female plug) from Radioshack. Installing it simply means connecting the positive and ground wires. To keep things simple, connect the positive and negative wires to your existing cigarette lighter from behind.

There are some pics of some other member's install here. You can see the DC female plug that I'm talking about. It looks like he actually uses tapping plugs to tap into the wires that connect to his existing mfg. cigarette adapter
http://homepage.mac.com/jb2/


NOTE: You should connect the adapter to a source that will be OFF when the ignition is off - that way when you leave the car and come back you won't have a dead car battery.

The only thing left to hide is the Belkin wire that goes to the Ipod. The Belkin Autoconnect provides both power and lineout, so there's no need to have an additional unsightly line out plug off the top of your ipod.

All trim on automobiles can be removed. There are usually a couple of fastening screws you can remove so that the wire can be tucked beneath the trim. It's different with all models. If you have a 89-95 4Runner, I'll post more detailed pics if you'd like.

Once the Belkin cabling has been hidden to the point where the gooseneck mount starts, simply slip the braided sleeving around both the gooseneck and Belkin cabling. The braided sleeving hides the cabling nicely and it doesn't have a long open slit along the side like flex tubing does. If you were wondering - how does the braided sleeving fit over the 1.5 inch wide Belkin plug if there are no slits?- The nice thing about the braided sleeving is that it expands when shortened. After the braided sleeving is on, terminate the ends with cable ties on each end. Voila - you should have only about 3-4 inches of the Belkin cabling sticking out the top of the braided sleeving/gooseneck (as in the pictures above).

Excellent! This will get me a good start. Thank you!

nice... i'm inspired.

Quote: Originally posted by dinged
NOTE: You should connect the adapter to a source that will be OFF when the ignition is off - that way when you leave the car and come back you won't have a dead car battery.

Nice clean install, though I disagree with you on this point.

The line-out on the Belkin adapter doesn't function when it is not being fed power. If you were to splice this into a circuit that's only on when the ignition is on, you won't be able to listen to music when you're parked, for example.

I have a VW GTI whose head unit functions even while the car is off, without a key in the ignition. It doesn't even have an auxillary key position. The setup mentioned above wouldn't be realistic for me because all electrical systems would be running for something as simple as listening to music in a parked car.

Though I have yet to hardwire my setup -- I'm still waiting on a Blitzsafe CD/AUX adapter -- I was pretty sure that the Belkin adapter drew very little current; leaving it always plugged in and "on" wouldn't be too much of a stress on the battery. This is how i'm planning on hooking mine up.

An e-mail to Belkin confirmed this. Here's Ken Burt from Belkin Technical Support:

Quote: Thank you for contacting Belkin Technical Support.

First of all, if you do make any configuration changes to the F8V7058-APL, it will not be supported and Belkin can not be held responsible.
The current draw of the Auto kit without an iPod will be under 30mA (~75% of this is for the LED).

To put that in perspective here is the current draw of a few other devices (Hinckley, Zack. What You Need To Know About Your Battery <http://www.spidercanyon.com/backiss/cmt4.html> . Spider Ca?on Comment. 16 July 1999):
headlights 10-15 A
parking lights 3-5 A
interior light 1-2 A
radio 1.5 A
air conditioner 15-30 A

I believe most car batteries are rated in the 60 to 100 Amp hour range. So with the Auto kit plugged in you car would last at least 100-166 days (assuming you don't drive it).

Since your plan is to conceal the Cigarette Lighter portion you can reduce the current draw of the Auto Kit to under 5mA by removing the LED (clip both LED legs near the circuit board making sure they don't contact each other). This will get the car to last in the 2 year range.

If you have any other questions or problems please write back including this email or call us toll free at (800)223-5546.

Ken Burt
Technical Support Representative

There you have it. Disconnect the LED and this thing draws no more power than the blinking LED for your alarm system.

Just don't leave the iPod connected.

Now to get that Blitzsafe...

That's a very valid point for VW's. I'm sure the german car owners will appreciate your solution. Thanks for the info.

My car's ignition has off, ignition on, and aux power on setting so it's pretty easy to splice into the ignition on/aux power circuit only without causing problems.

One question I have about these gooseneck adapters, how much of the passanger's space do they take up? I don't want something that will get bumped by their leg every time they get in/out or move. Or are they adjustable enough to keep well out of the way?

Also, do they get in the way of 2 door car seats that slid forward and back?

Quote: Originally posted by CTYankee
One question I have about these gooseneck adapters, how much of the passanger's space do they take up? I don't want something that will get bumped by their leg every time they get in/out or move. Or are they adjustable enough to keep well out of the way?

Also, do they get in the way of 2 door car seats that slid forward and back?

It'll stay well out of the way. The 15" can be adjusted to sit almost over the driver's leg from the passenger side in a car. As the attachment point is the bolt holding down the passenger seat, it should slide with the seat as you adjust it. However, you might run the ipod into the dash....
-Dek