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#32036 - 04/06/2001 12:01 Blasphemy!
Dignan
carpal tunnel

Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12318
Loc: Sterling, VA
I'm sorry, but sometimes I just want to play the occasional CD.

I've started noticing this more when I have cash, and much more when the girlfriend is in the car. So yeah, she likes alot of my music, but it's nice to be abe to just pop in one of her own to make her happy every once and a while.

Then there's the times I've just picked up a new CD at Tower or somewhere (yes, I still buy CDs ).

My problem is that I don't know what to do for a solution. Due to the nav system in my car, I'm limited to a single DIN, which is, obviously, occupied by the empeg.

Obviously, it should be within reach while in the driver's seat, at least in a position that can be accessed while stopped at a traffic light. One option is under the seats. But under the driver is an amp, and under the passenger is the DVD player for the nav system.

I have plenty of room otherwise (a benefit of a minivan), but can't seem to figure out anything.

DiGNAN
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, etc.
_________________________
Matt

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#32037 - 04/06/2001 12:06 Re: Blasphemy! [Re: Dignan]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31563
Loc: Seattle, WA
More than one person has gotten good results from plugging a shock-protected portable CD player into the Aux in of the empeg....

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Tony Fabris
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Tony Fabris

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#32038 - 04/06/2001 12:11 Re: Blasphemy! [Re: tfabris]
Dignan
carpal tunnel

Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12318
Loc: Sterling, VA
Yeah, I had the installers run extended RCA cables to a compartment about a foot below the empeg. I hooked it up to a portable CD player and got horrible sound from it. I can't remember right now what people here said the cause was, but it meant I needed some kind of extra component somewhere, and the CD player was already getting to be a bit of a hassle.

I kinda want a real head unit mounted creatively somewhere, but I'm not sure where it can go. If anyone has any ideas from the pictures in my iinstallation post I'm open for suggestions.

Thanks. And thanks Tony.

DiGNAN
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, etc.
_________________________
Matt

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#32039 - 04/06/2001 12:56 Re: Blasphemy! [Re: Dignan]
pgrzelak
carpal tunnel

Registered: 15/08/2000
Posts: 4859
Loc: New Jersey, USA
Could you have been connecting the line level inputs to the headphone out? If there is amplification, that would probably give you the sound results you describe.

If you already have line in connections run, you might want to test the setup with a known component (non-portable), just to see if there are any sound or cable problems elsewhere. Also, this will give you an idea of what kind of level setting you need from that input line through the empeg into your amp.

Paul G.
SN# 090000587 (40GB Green)
_________________________
Paul Grzelak
200GB with 48MB RAM, Illuminated Buttons and Digital Outputs

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#32040 - 04/06/2001 13:41 Re: Blasphemy! [Re: Dignan]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31563
Loc: Seattle, WA
Sorry the portable CD thing wasn't working for you. Good luck finding an interesting mounting solution for a second head unit.

I did want to say that the subject line of your post reminded me of a line from MST3K, in "Mister B Natural":

"Blasphemy!"
"Spanking time!"

Of course, unless you've seen that particular episode, none of the above makes sense.

___________
Tony Fabris
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Tony Fabris

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#32041 - 04/06/2001 13:54 Re: Blasphemy! [Re: tfabris]
Dignan
carpal tunnel

Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12318
Loc: Sterling, VA
As is true of any line from that show

As to the previous post, no I had it hooked up to the line out so that wasn't really the problem. I think it was interference. Alot of stuff back there. Oh well, we'll see what happens.

DiGNAN
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, etc.
_________________________
Matt

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#32042 - 04/06/2001 17:26 Re: Blasphemy! [Re: Dignan]
Ezekiel
pooh-bah

Registered: 25/08/2000
Posts: 2413
Loc: NH USA
Try shifting cables around & try to keep power lines away from signal lines. A difference of an inch made a horrid alternator whine completely disappear for me.

-Zeke

just say you weren't paying much attention...
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WWFSMD?

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#32043 - 05/06/2001 17:24 Re: Blasphemy! [Re: Dignan]
altman
carpal tunnel

Registered: 19/05/1999
Posts: 3457
Loc: Palo Alto, CA
The problem with feeding the aux in from a non-grounded device (such as a portable player) is that you will get lots of noise as it tries to track the floating ground.

If the noise goes away when you put a piece of wire between the aux in shield and car ground, you just need to do this in your install - we still have some mk1 grounding cables sitting in the despatch room which aren't doing anything useful - I suspect we could send a set if this would work for you.

Hugo



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#32044 - 05/06/2001 17:27 Re: Blasphemy! [Re: Ezekiel]
altman
carpal tunnel

Registered: 19/05/1999
Posts: 3457
Loc: Palo Alto, CA
Actually, I noticed this too when putting my beetle back together (after fitting the tuner - my dash had been in pieces for months as I tested different things). Moving the RCA leads nearer the fan unit (and away from a large bundle of cables in the dash) got rid of the noise that I'd managed to introduce previously by stuffing the cables deep into the dash.

It's all nice & neat now, amazing how neat it is when your cupholders aren't full of torx screws from the dashboard :)

Hugo



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#32045 - 06/06/2001 02:59 Re: Blasphemy! [Re: altman]
johnmcd3
enthusiast

Registered: 19/04/2001
Posts: 369
Loc: Seattle, WA (formerly Houston,...
It's all nice & neat now, amazing how neat it is when your cupholders aren't full of torx screws from the dashboard :)

hehe. I used to mess around a lot with different head units / door speakers, etc. with my last car, the z28 camaro. I had the entire door panels and parts of the dash removed for maybe 2 months. The entire time the cup holder was filled 3 cm deep with bolts and screws! When I finally sold it last week, (got an M3, it drives like dream, btw) I hardly recognized it in its reassembled state!

- John

P.S. Oh, yeah, one time in a grocery store parking lot a policeman came up who thought I might have hotwired someone's car, ripping out the underside of the dash! (The under-dash must be removed to get at the stereo in a camaro, in case you were curious)
_________________________
1998 BMW ///M3 30 GB Mk2a, Tuner, and 10 GB backup

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#32046 - 12/06/2001 14:30 Re: Blasphemy! [Re: tfabris]
SuperQ
addict

Registered: 13/06/2000
Posts: 429
Loc: Berlin, DE
I sat down and forced myself to watch all of "Future War" last weekend..

"see the scratch"
"now you don't"
"oh.. there it is again"
"nevermind!"

I'm still trying to figure out why they had to have dinosaurs in the thing.

12gig red mk2 -- 080000125
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80gig red mk2 -- 080000125
(No, I don't actually hate Alan Cox)

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#32047 - 12/06/2001 14:35 Re: Blasphemy! [Re: SuperQ]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31563
Loc: Seattle, WA
Didn't that one have a fight scene in a parking lot stacked with nothing but empty cardboard boxes? Can you say NO BUDGET?

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Tony Fabris
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Tony Fabris

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#32048 - 09/07/2001 15:10 Re: Blasphemy! [Re: tfabris]
xlR
new poster

Registered: 24/03/2001
Posts: 15
Loc: Southern California, USA
...phatbox anyone?

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xlR
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