Last night I tried hooking up my Treo650 handsfree to my Empeg. The handsfree kit has a 1/8" plug for the speaker. I have a 1/8" plug to RCA adaptor to get the signal in to the Empeg from my handsfree kit. However when I did this it did not work. When ever I made a call I would get a loud crack from the speakers and then a lot of hiss. Also whenever I switched back to the radio or an mp3 then there was no sound and I would have to pull the Empeg out and put it back in to get sound back.

I searched for something with an RCA out last night but was not able to find anything to test out my AUX IN on the Empeg. I have never used it, bought my Empeg at least 3rd hand, so not sure if the AUX IN actually works on my sled. I was just going to try here to see if anyone said "hey your problem is...."

The speaker just isn't loud enough behind or under my dash on the interstate which is why I would like to run it through my Empeg. Also it would make my truck look a little better since to be able really hear the speaker at highway speeds I had to zip tie it behind my cell phone mount.

From your description, it sounds like the 1/8" plug that goes to the handsfree speaker isn't the same kind of output as the empeg's aux-in is expecting.

Or, as you already posited, there is a possibility that the aux-in of the empeg is malfunctioning. But I think it's more likely the first problem.

Just because it's a 1/8" jack doesn't mean it's ordinary stereo headphone output. Maybe it's something else, that just happens to use a 1/8" jack.

By the way, *do* check to see that the aux-in is working by getting a portable CD player or an ipod and plugging it in.

Ipod - that's what I got the Empeg for Only time I ever listen to mp3's is while I am driving.

I'll see if I can find something with an RCA out and try it out.

I forgot to mention I did notice 2 bars on the right side of the Empeg going up and down while I had placed the call, looked kind of like L/R audio meter

It doesn't have to be RCA. It can be something with a headphone jack, such as a CD walkman. But just not a telephone or similar device where that jack might serve multiple purposes (such as a needing to accept a microphone).

Did you hook this thing up in such a way as to also connect the Cell Phone Mute Wire? If so, it's possible that the player is simply going into mute mode when you place a cell phone call (since that's it's purpose).

There are specific tricks you can do in the configuration of the player and with Hijack that will allow the mute wire to switch it to Aux for going through the car speakers, as you're intending. If you didn't do those tricks, maybe that's the problem.

How do you plan on making the empeg switch to AUX mode when a call comes in?

Serial command?

It's a Hijack feature, I think it uses IR translate commands if I recall correctly.

Yea what Tony said.....

There is a thread about setting it up, might have to search I can not locate it at the moment. But for me if I have to I will press a button to get to AUX mode. To me the benefit of having the phone through my speakers far out ways me having to press a button or two.

I had removed the "mute" feature in emplode but I did not disconnect the wire. I was not getting the little phone icon on the empeg. But I can try that as well.

Ok here is my update:

Removed the radio mute connection between hands free kit and Empeg. I have verified that the AUX in on my Empeg is ok with another RCA source. I have also verified the speaker with the hands free kit using my laptop (just hooked it up to my head phone and could play a song through it). I have also tried 2 differnt cables between the hands free kit and the AUX in on the Empeg and get the same results. As soon as I make a call I hear a pop and then nothing. I have to remove the Empeg from the sled just to get sound back for the radio/mp3.

Now what I "learned" is that if I remove my 1/8" to RCA cable that connects my hands free kit to my Empeg and place a call, then turn on the Empeg and switch to AUX mode I can hear the call no problem. However as soon as I hang up and then try another call I get the pop and no sound. I then have to remove the Empeg from the sled to get the radio/mp3 sound back but the phone will not play through the AUX input.

So any ideas?

Can you provide a link to a site showing the specifications for that hands free kit?

I'm wondering what all the connections look like, whether it's powered by 12 volts or passive, whether the speaker is amplified by its own power or driven by the kit, etc.

It's sounding like some kind of a voltage problem where the handsfree kit is spiking the player and it's somehow resetting itself or there's some kind of a protection circuit.

The fact that it works if you start the call then plug it in later is very strange though.

Here is a link to the kit I have.
THB Bury Car Kit on Ebay

I can not find any real good photos or a manual on line. I'll keep looking.

All the connections are made at a small box on the end of the cradle cable. It has a small plug for the mic, 1/8" plug for the speaker and then the pwr/gnd/mute line are all in a molded connector. The external antenna has a small wire coming out of the little box that it connects to. I can get some pictures of mine it's easy to get to. I just have to remove my cup holder which just slides out.

In a normal configuration (i.e., you're using the speaker box instead of the empeg), are there any power lines running from the connector to the speaker box? Or does the speaker connect *only* with the 1/8" plug?

Here's what I'm concerned about: Making a speaker cone move, even a relatively small one like the one pictured there, needs *power*.

So if that speaker doesn't have any amplification built-in (i.e., the handsfree kit includes the amplifier rather than the speaker box itself), what I think you might be doing with your configuration is sending a speaker-level powered signal down that 1/8" cable into the empeg's aux-in, which is expecting a line-level unpowered signal.

Do you find that, when you *do* get it all to work (by unplugging after connecting the call) that the empeg's volume has to be turned way down, or that the phone volume has to be turned way down, in order to keep from being distorted and loud?

Now that makes sense. Didn't even think about it in terms of this. Volume doesn't have to be turned down that low but the couple of test calls to my voicemail I did hear some distortion.

No there is only the 1/8" plug coming out of the speaker.

I guess next will be to try a line level converter.

And you're *sure* you disconnected the cell phone mute wire on the empeg?

Re-reading what you've written above, some of the behavior you've described above is consistent with the empeg simply muting (as would be expected) when you get a cell phone call.

Also read this.

Positive. I undid the connection and then cut the striped wire.