Make Ipod control box for CD player wiring?

Has anyone ever seen or thought about making a control box that can plug into the existing CD player wiring (located in the saddle bag), then have an Ipod plugged into it, that converts the command signals from the built-in audio system to the Ipod, and also converts the audio from the Ipod back into the built-in audio system? (Whew, that was a long question.)

I have seen other threads that just plug the Ipod into the existing Aux jack and use various wireless remotes to control it. It seems the holy grail though would be to use the existing CD interface that the bike already has. No extra wiring or remote.

I am sure if the control box I describe existed, people would pay for it. I know I would.

I was wondering the same thing. I bought an adapter for my wife's car that uses the CD changer input from her factory head unit to control and charge the iPod. The CD track buttons (1 through 6) each choose one of the first 6 playlists in the iPod.

Obviously not as nice as my Alpine head unit with full iPod interface, but a LOT cheaper and quicker to install, and it's what she wanted, since she liked her factory system.

I know some car stereos use the same, or similar, CD changers as the Venture (isn't it a generic Clarion?), so I'm guessing something must be out there. I just haven't made time to look yet, since I haven't used the radio on the bike yet.

Can you send me details on that adapter you bought for your wife's car?

Thanks

I found some of the adapters you mention, but the boxes are specific to certain car model OEM stereos. They obviously don't allow you to specify the RSV. It seems all we need to do is find a car stereo compatible with the limited Clarion CD changers that the RSV supports, then buy the adapter for that car stereo. I will research further this weekend. Look for more details to be posted.

I believe it was one like this, from GROM (it's been a while):

http://cgi.ebay.com/GROM-iPod-V2-car-Adapter-Honda-Acura-91-05-MBUSI2_W0QQitemZ400086417466QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item5d2702403a

• Integrate your iPod into car audio system easily
  
• Get CD quality sound from the iPod through existing car stereo
  
• Control and operate your iPod with car stereo buttons or steering wheel controls
  
  • Convert iPod into virtual CD changer
    
  • Disk 1 allow to control iPod from its clicking wheel. Select your music from iPod and have it played. Stereo will control iPod
    
  • Disk 2-6 mapped to playlists you create on iPod. Full control from car stereo. The following information is displayed: Disk #, Track #, time etc
    
  • MIX, REPEAT work as usual
    
  • SCAN allow to skip +-10 tracks for faster navigation
    
  • Playlist positions are preserved for fast operation
    

  [*]Shuffle songs, switch between tracks, playlists and adjust volume - all by using head unit controls

  [*]Have your iPod charged

We'd just have to figure out which "Vehicle specific cable" would work, or could be modified to work.

From what I have read so far, there are types of adapters that can plug right into the existing CD changer wiring harnesses that is usually routed to the trunk in cars. The same wiring harness type already routed to our saddlebag. This type of adapter plugs in place of the CD changer itself and performs similiar functions of the GROM that you linked to.

From what I have read so far, there are types of adapters that can plug right into the existing CD changer wiring harnesses that is usually routed to the trunk in cars. The same wiring harness type already routed to our saddlebag. This type of adapter plugs in place of the CD changer itself and performs similiar functions of the GROM that you linked to.

Most of us do not have the wiring already routed to the saddlebag. Yamaha only started "giving away" that space-eating and expensive CD unit with the bike for the 2009 models when they realized they were about to discontinue the current bike with a s-pot-load of those changers in the warehouse 'cause nobody was buying them!

I have no idea what the plug on the changer end of that harness looks like, but any commercial adaptor you find will probably match the plug in the fairing (if it matches anything).

Goose

I see. They didn't give me the CD changer, but the wiring harness is there for the Clarion. I have inquiries into 3 different companies that make IPod CD changer adapters. It looks like I might have to change the connection on the wiring harness already in the saddlebag, but otherwise it looks promising.

I see. They didn't give me the CD changer, but the wiring harness is there for the Clarion. I have inquiries into 3 different companies that make IPod CD changer adapters. It looks like I might have to change the connection on the wiring harness already in the saddlebag, but otherwise it looks promising.

Goose

I looked around for awhile but didn't find anything that was adaptable. I ended up putting an IPod power connector and aux plug where the cassette player used to live. That works as well as anything for now, the Ipod is powered and volume is on the audio controller. I had a USASpec Ipod adaptor that I used in my Ford 250 but they said they don't make anything compatible with the Clarion unit. If you come up with something I'd be interested. Good luck.

The Venture audio system uses the C-BUS communication format. C-BUS was replaced by CeBus years ago. I found an Ipod to CeBus adapter, but nothing to go from CeBus to C-BUS.

What I've learned from the car guys: In order to use the CD input for any other device, you have to supply the CD's "Magazine Loaded" signal to the audio control system. So far the only way anyone has found to do this is to simply keep the CD player and route the audio from the Ipod. One guy uses a switch to select CD or Ipod. Either way a CD has to be in the player and spinning for the system to accept the audio input.

I researched for almost a day, as well as received feedback from some of the companies that make these Ipod car adapters, and it all pretty much equates to what Bummer is saying. There is nothing for C-Bus compatibility. You have to keep the CD changer and have a blank track playing, in order to send the correct signals on control pins, then you can splice into the line input pins. Not worth it to have that CD changer in the saddlebag.

I guess I am stuck as all of you, splicing into the aux in, running power into the saddle bag and using a wireless Ipod remote. Oh well.

Thanks for the feedback and brainstorming everyone.

FWIW I wired my music player adapter, using aux and power, into the trunk through the hole originally used by the CD player wiring. I just start the player and drop it into the pouch in the trunk.

That is exactly what I am planning now. Thanks.

Hi Troy

I came across this on another forum, Its being made for the GW so maybe there will be something for the Venture ?

Keith

www.jmcorp.com/ProductDetail.asp?ProductID=JMDM-GL18&PF=32

It seems unlikely that the Goldwing uses the CBUS interface format that the Venture uses. Much like the cassette, CBUS faded away years ago. The last date I've found mentioned for new CBUS equipment was 1998.

I contacted Clarion and they stated that they would not disclose the operating parameters of the Cbus with me.

Would someone else like to try????

Yes. No. Maybe. Sort of.

I Googled for clarion cbus. Here's some of the stuff I found.

http://forums.ilounge.com/archive/index.php/t-18868.html

http://forums.ilounge.com/archive/index.php/t-44404.html

http://www.instructables.com/id/Add_an_Aux_In_jack_for_Clarion_Stereo_Head_Unit_I/

http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/general-hardware-discussion/18292-clarion-c-bus-aux.html

http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/general-hardware-discussion/2498-how-can-i-make-aux-addzest-clarion-drx9375-c-bus-type.html

[ame=http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=521811]iPod solution! - NASIOC[/ame]

Short version: It's possible to connect an audio player, but you still have to have the CD player spinning a disk to get the head unit to accept the audio. Ultimately the big question is the nature of the disk activity signal sent from the CD player. Even those who kept the CD player and added a switched mp3 player were only able to move forward and backwards through the list of songs.

I'm also not certain that C-Bus and CBUS are the same thing. There are multimedia switches for C-Bus. Even if they are the same, the impression I get is that the switch is not inexpensive and probably needs a place to plug it in. I'm thinking that by the time all this is done there won't be any room left in the bags/trunk.

Don't get me wrong, if you're into this sort of thing and are looking for a challenge I certainly don't want to hold you back. I also have a CD player that I don't use and could go to such a project. What I don't have is a way to read and study the signal. It might be as simple as "0" vs "1", which could be pretty easy to emulate. Then again it might not.

If you decide to dig into this and want to talk about it, don't hesitate. I may not be anything but a sounding board, but I'll be glad to try.

I know the idea of using the CD controls to operate an MP3 player seems like a nice idea, but it also has drawbacks. The biggest one is that you can only listen to one source at a time (i.e, if you are listening to a "CD", you cannot listen to something plugged into the Aux input simultaneously).

Personally, I found that a touch-screen GPS with integrated MP3 player is the ideal solution - that way I can listen to both if I desire. But if I am not using the GPS, the touch screen still functions perfectly as the music control. And of course, the bike's master volume knob and integration with the CB works just the same on Aux as it does with the radio or CD source. And the icing on the cake is that my GPS accepts memory cards, so I can load as many of them as I want (unlimited storage), change them at a whim, and never have to sync my device with my computer just to change the music! Finally, the integration of the music player with the GPS means that when Silicone Sue wants to tell me where to go, the music is automatically paused so I haven't missed a thing when it comes back on.

Even an old dog like the RSV can be taught new tricks with technology!

Goose

The car guys have set their systems up to have the CD spinning a blank disk but receiving its audio signal from an ipod. They can use the audio system's controls to move forward and backward in the song list. The audio head thinks it's getting its signal from the CD and controlling the CD.

I have a Cowon X5 30 gig hard drive based music player hooked into the Aux port and powered off the bike. Because I simply drop the player into the pouch in the trunk it doesn't vibrate enough to damage the drive. Any serious jolts are in the plane of rotation the drive pickup arm moves in anyway, so it doesn't destroy the drive, it just skips. It's worked great since I installed it in the spring of '06. The only problem is I've killed the battery by not discharging it.

I prefer Cowon players because they handle the most codecs. I prefer ogg vorbis format over the others. I wouldn't have a ipod, or most of the other type players. They seem crippled to me. One or two codecs. Proprietary garbage, by and large.

That being said, if someone figures out how to hook up an ipod without the CD player I think I can figure out how to adapt that to the Cowon. As is, the only drawback to my system is I can't change songs. I've set up really long playlists of songs Irene and I like, so it's not really much of a problem. Still, if someone comes up with an adapter that is cheap enough I'll consider it, just for sport.

I simply made an IP-BUS plug to hook up my MP3 player to my Pioneer on my VR. An after-thought is that since my MP3 player has a FM receiver on it, I could eliminate the stereo all together. I could simply hook the MP3 player to a small amplifier to power the speakers. Then I can use the space where the stereo was for a glovebox or other storage.