Save yourself all of the trouble, work and ugliness that you're trying
to create and get a cheap car stereo with a mini stereo jack for your
MP3 player. I have one that was a gift, but see similar at FLAPS and
such for around $60. And you won't end up with a gaping hole in your
dash with misc. wires hanging out.

Jason

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
Behalf Of
> Aaron Pearson
> Sent: Monday, January 31, 2005 10:12 AM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: '87 gl stereo cheap fix
>
> i froogled and googled suitable (mW -> 20W) amps yesterday, and found
> nothing.  i found an old pair of computer speakers in my basement,
removed
> the amp, put it in a stereo-sized sandwich box, and wired it in.  now
i
> have an ear drum shattering 2W to the front speakers and nothing to
the
> back.  it's better than silence, and it didn't cost anything.  maybe
it
> will be easier to find an amp that will turn my 2x2W into 4x20W.
>
> Aaron
> '87 syncro gl
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From:   Aaron [mailto:lists@MYCOMMUNITYNET.NET]
> Sent:   Fri 1/28/2005 11:36 PM
> To:     vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Cc:
> Subject:             Re: '87 gl stereo cheap fix
> You can find fairly cheap and small amplifiers that work well. I have
a
> couple sitting under the driver's seat. After the last time my stereo
> and CD changer got stolen, I just left the stereo opening empty and
use
> a walkman or MP3 player connected via a cable adapter that plugs into
> the mp3 adapter and into the RCA inputs on my amplifier.
>
> The amps are just 20 watts RMS, but that's plenty of power for the
> small speakers in front/back.
> Aaron
>
> On Jan 28, 2005, at 3:08 PM, Max Wellhouse wrote:
>
> > I'm no electronics expert, but unless you have Klipschorns for
> > speakers, I
> > doubt you'll hear that mp3 player without a substantial power
> > amplifier.  As I understand most portable players, they produce
> > milliwatts  of power to the headphone jack and I would guess to hear
> > your
> > factory speakers in a Vanagon(or even decent aftermarket speakers),
> > you'd
> > need 10-20 watts of power.  Not even sure plugging the mp3 player to
an
> > external poewer amp would work with potential impedance mismatches.
> > The
> > Audi World group has a separate forum for audio freaks and they've
been
> > toying with your concept and they have suceeded.
> >
> > Yeah, it's Friday, so burn some holes in my thinking here!!
> >
> > Max
> >
> > At 10:05 AM 1/28/2005, Aaron Pearson wrote:
> >> my stock radio/tape player doesn't work very well (the tape player
> >> doesn't work, even after numerous cleanings, and the antenna is
gone
> >> so
> >> the radio reception is poor).  i don't listen to tapes or radio
> >> anyway,
> >> so my new plan is to remove it entirely, and plug my mp3 player
> >> directly
> >> into the speakers.  the idea is to wire in a potentiometer between
the
> >> speaker plugs and an 1/8" audio jack.  that way i can plug in
> >> whaterver
> >> potable device i want.  this seems like a good idea to me.  can
anyone
> >> think of why it's not, or have any suggestions to make it better or
> >> more
> >> reliable (or why it's a bad idea in the first place)?  this is the
> >> cheapest way i can think of to get what i want.
> >>
> >> fyi, i'd bring along a portable weather radio on trips for
emergency.
> >>
> >> aaron
> >> '87 syncro gl
> >