Looking to buy a temporary headunit

Posted by: furtive

Looking to buy a temporary headunit - 11/11/2005 10:58

Until I can get my empeg fixed I'm looking to buy a cheap headunit to get me by.

Am I right in thinking that if I have an empeg, and a 4 channel amp, I should be looking for a headunit with 4ch RCA outputs, or will 2ch suffice?

And I assume I should be able to just remove my sled and plug the headunit straight in - is this correct? Assuming the headunit has an ISO connector. What about the preouts? Anything else I need to worry about?

Anyone recommend a cheap as possible headunit, and a url to buy it from in the UK?
Posted by: blitz

Re: Looking to buy a temporary headunit - 11/11/2005 11:31

I would have loaned you my spare empeg except you live in London.
Posted by: thinfourth2

Re: Looking to buy a temporary headunit - 11/11/2005 12:25

walkman/ipod+proper cable+in car charger=job done
Posted by: furtive

Re: Looking to buy a temporary headunit - 11/11/2005 12:27

Eh? What do I plug my iPod (or Karma) in to? Is there a line-in to ISO and preamp cable avaibable? And how would I listen to Ed Stewart on a Sunday night?

I'm tempted to get one of these
Posted by: Schido

Re: Looking to buy a temporary headunit - 11/11/2005 13:16

I used my palm with a 512mb sd card with one of these straight into my amp temporarly

Posted by: furtive

Re: Looking to buy a temporary headunit - 11/11/2005 13:24

Oooh, top idea. I might have a 3.5mm jack to RCA cable at home....
Posted by: JBjorgen

Re: Looking to buy a temporary headunit - 11/11/2005 15:00

Quote:
And how would I listen to Ed Stewart on a Sunday night?


And you could use the same setup with a walkman or any cheap portable radio to listen to radio temporarily.

Also, you can do what Russmeister did and make yourself an AUX-IN passthrough pocket. Pic here.
Posted by: furtive

Re: Looking to buy a temporary headunit - 11/11/2005 20:12

Cool.

But you seem to be way overestimating my skills at doing anything remotely creative. I break most things I touch.
Posted by: furtive

Re: Looking to buy a temporary headunit - 15/11/2005 13:19

Right, I seem to have stumbled on a bit of a problem.

I tried plugging my Karma into my amp using one of the above adaptors but I didn't get any sound

When my empeg expired could it have blown a fuse in my car or amp (or both) or done something worse?
Posted by: robricc

Re: Looking to buy a temporary headunit - 15/11/2005 13:25

You need to supply 12v to the amp remote turn-on lead also. If you didn't do that, the amp is simply not turned on.
Posted by: furtive

Re: Looking to buy a temporary headunit - 15/11/2005 13:49

It's going to be easier to buy a £30 headunit for the time being, isn't it?
Posted by: lectric

Re: Looking to buy a temporary headunit - 15/11/2005 13:57

You still have to install it. Just put a switch on your sense wire and wire it direct to the battery. Turn it on when you need it, or better yet, plug it into a cig lighter that is also switched with the car.
Posted by: furtive

Re: Looking to buy a temporary headunit - 15/11/2005 14:08

Installing a headunit should be a piece of cake though as I just plug the ISO plug in don't I??
Posted by: boxer

Re: Looking to buy a temporary headunit - 15/11/2005 14:38

I just got a JVC KD - G611 HU: MP3, DAB with a £90 odd quid add on, but best of all a 3.5mm jack front and back for a Karma/Empeg, plus 4 line outs, £149.99 fitted and working from Halfords, good price and somebody does the work for you.
Posted by: furtive

Re: Looking to buy a temporary headunit - 15/11/2005 14:53

Plan A reverted to.

I've ordered the cheap MP3 player from ebuyer
Posted by: tahir

Re: Looking to buy a temporary headunit - 16/11/2005 16:36

Quote:
I just got a JVC KD - G611 HU: MP3, DAB with a £90 odd quid add on, but best of all a 3.5mm jack front and back for a Karma/Empeg, plus 4 line outs, £149.99 fitted and working from Halfords, good price and somebody does the work for you.


Excellent, a friend of mine has been bugging me for just such a headunit for yonks, thanks!
Posted by: boxer

Re: Looking to buy a temporary headunit - 17/11/2005 06:33

Quote:
a friend of mine has been bugging me for just such a headunit for yonks

It's down around £110 0n the net, if you want to DIY, which is an almost, too good to be true price. But, although I've always fitted my own in the past, I'm getting lazy. Besides the look on the salesman's face when he found that he had booked in a 23ft German motorhome, was worth having!
Posted by: tahir

Re: Looking to buy a temporary headunit - 17/11/2005 08:45