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MP3 Car Stereo


Guest davejphartley

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Guest davejphartley

Im thinking of buying a H&B CA-5555 MP3 Car Stereo.

http://www.advancedmp3players.co.uk/shop/p...beb7b25e7643900

-£100

Basically its got a usb socket and a SD card socket on the front. Im presuming I could connect my Vario to this and it would search Mps from my memory card in the phone. OR DOES IT???

The only other option I can come up with is a Bluetooth stereo like this one from maplins - £129.99 - it can Aux input around the back.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?Module...U=46068&T=37199

Anyone had any experience with either types of Car stereo? OR can offer anyother advise to get varios music into my car. When I dont want to use an FM transmitter or a cassette adapter.

Cheer guys.

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Guest st3ph3n

As standard your phone wouldn't work as it's not Mass Storage Device compatible.

BUT, look on the front page here at modaco and there's some software available for PPC that turns the device into a mass storage compatible unit, and I'd think you'd be off and running with your first idea.

Which is a good one.

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Guest davejphartley

This software is great! Thanks for pointing it out.

BUT I had another think about it though.... If my Vario is in my phone its plugged into its Brodit powered mount. Therefore taking up my USB connection. (unless.. do you think this stereo would charge the phone at the same time??!??!?!?)

So I think whatever option I go for its going to have to be via the 2.5mm audio output socket. Looks like the maplins one might be the better bet. although it would have been nice to be able to search mp3s via the car stereo like a normal mass storage device.

Still we cant have it all can we?

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Guest st3ph3n

My MP3 playage in the car is something I've thought long and hard about, and I'm still not in a good solution.

I have a Pioneer Stereo with line in currently rigged up with an AUX to Headphone adaptor to plug my Creative Zen/Phone/PDA into. This is all well and good except I'm providing headphone outputs to a line input, and I have to use the device itself to control playback.

Ideally I'd swap my 60gb Zen with a 60gb iPod, get the Pioneer - iPod adaptor and be able to control the playback completely from the stereo.

But I'm not paying for an iPod when I have something perfectly functional in the Zen that I've now owned for 2 years, yet was still cheaper than the 60gb iPod would be now.

Woe is me.

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Guest fluffcat1
Im thinking of buying a H&B CA-5555 MP3 Car Stereo.

http://www.advancedmp3players.co.uk/shop/p...beb7b25e7643900

-£100

Basically its got a usb socket and a SD card socket on the front. Im presuming I could connect my Vario to this and it would search Mps from my memory card in the phone. OR DOES IT???

Cheer guys.

There is an Aldi sold Tevion device floating about for around £50 on ebay that has USB and SD slots. I put a link to one in this thread:

http://www.modaco.com/Using_a_smartphone_t...eo-t234445.html

Richard

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Guest fluffcat1
Thanks

Do you think this would charge the phone at the same time?

Can't see why not? To be USB it has to be USB spec so should output 5v, but you may need to mod your cable a-la USB car charger threads from ages ago ( basically you short 2 of the USB - USB mini cable's pins to get the phone into charge mode) although if you do I also think the cable no longer works for data transfer?

I think you'll need to try it and see TBH.

Richard

Edited by fluffcat1
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I've got a radio like that (but paid a lot less - about 60 euros)

I have a wizard so i'll try the software for mass storage... I'm curious myself :)

I'l let you know what happend.

Pigo

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Well whatta ya know!! :shock:

it worked. I installed the cardexport program and took my MDA Vario & a USB cable to my car. turned it on, plugged it in... and it started playing!!

worked just like a real USB memory stick.

AWESOME!!

Pigo

P.S.: and yes it does charge your phone

Edited by Pigo
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any idea how these work with ipods?

Theres a version ca-5555i which apparently has ipod compatability but its only on ther international version of the website :S

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I don't own an I pod but I think if you hook up your Ipod to your computer and it sees it as a removable drive it should be able to work on this car stereo.

Pigo

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Guest davejphartley

SOLUTION:

Ok heres what ive done:

I have "modified" my Brodit mount http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/product/8670.htm

To take the 5 mini plug to a USB rather than the standard cigarette lighter adapter. This will allow me to use a usb Car radio AND Charge my phone.

Heres what I did:

I bought another USB 2.0 A to 5 Pin Mini - 2m from http://www.directusbstore.co.uk

£2.50

I shaved the Mini 5 pin mini plastic away from its metal casing. Stipping it so only the metal is left and there is no black plastic on the end.

I unscrewed the little plug at the bottom of my brodit mount and removed the 5 pin mini to ciggarette lighter plug. I then shaved off a tiny peice of plastic from the top of the black mould to allow my new 5 pini mini to USB lead to fit into place. Screwed it all back together and hey presto!

All I need to do now is buy a USB Car radio and install the software that allows my vario to be recognised as a mass storage device and bobs your uncle.

If anyone has any questions please let me know.

This works great!

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There is an Aldi sold Tevion device floating about for around £50 on ebay that has USB and SD slots. I put a link to one in this thread:

http://www.modaco.com/Using_a_smartphone_t...eo-t234445.html

Richard

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I bought one of the Aldi stereos for my Mum's Xmas present. Its fine as a radio, CD player or for playing MP3s from a CD, but the SD and USB ports are a bit flakey. The USB socket is really small - smaller than the one on the bottom of a Wizard. There isn't any support for the cable, so there would be quite a lot of stress on the connector. When either an SD card or the USB lead are connected, they take over the stereo, so I don't think you don't get any RDS traffic news until you remove them.

I took it back for a refund in the end as my Mum's car is a Citroen and getting an adaptor for an aftermarket stereo to work reliably was going to mean a trip to a dealers to reprogram the ECU.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest adudley

well i just use the audio out on the vario.

then using MS voice command seemes to work fine too

its nice just to be able to say PLAY

and calls are picked up on my bluetooth headset fine too:)

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