claudiopolis

Hi,My bluetooth module was already paired with all the devices I needed it to be, before installing. Even so, by pushing the tape door I can still access the pairing button as it's close enough to reach with my fingers. So no, no additional button.Your setup is weird. But then again, I haven't opened many car head units. Does it have AutoReverse? Because it might add additional headaches because of that. Mine doesn't. Anyway, despite your head's output ribbon, you have to find the pre-amplifier chip. It's there, somewhere. Might be a double preamplifier, I don't know, as it has to serve two tape heads (autoreverse) That's where you add your input, the the chip's output. Google, magnifier lens, a keen eye, patience helps.But if I'd have a F-150, I'd surely want a Android Auto compatible he…

Hi,My bluetooth module was already paired with all the devices I needed it to be, before installing. Even so, by pushing the tape door I can still access the pairing button as it's close enough to reach with my fingers. So no, no additional button.Your setup is weird. But then again, I haven't opened many car head units. Does it have AutoReverse? Because it might add additional headaches because of that. Mine doesn't. Anyway, despite your head's output ribbon, you have to find the pre-amplifier chip. It's there, somewhere. Might be a double preamplifier, I don't know, as it has to serve two tape heads (autoreverse) That's where you add your input, the the chip's output. Google, magnifier lens, a keen eye, patience helps.But if I'd have a F-150, I'd surely want a Android Auto compatible headunit.

Well done! That's unexpected, never thought about those decks. Watch out for input current, your supply really should be delivering in excess of 1A@9V. Or you'll get reduced volume. Thanks for the shoutout!

Hi Florin. Yes ... it's different. Probably an aftermarket unit. With CD-changer control. Perhaps dual-headed, too. I wouldn;t try to convert it. Too complicated. Even if you trick the microswitches, the logic is still there as there are too many sound options on those buttons. Better stick with the car's default player (the cheaper ones work best for this instructable).

Video does not work. I think your problem is preamp-related. You still have it there, active. (And the tape player, too?) Your unit seems to have some background noise cutout feature. When you skip or pause, it thinks there's a gap like in between songs on a tape. So it mutes the output despite the new song starting. The reconnection causes a "pop" noise that makes it think a new song starts and resumes playback. Try removing the preamp chip. And browse your unit settings for any noise-cutout feature, it has to go. The ground is the same in the entire car.

I saw the video. Turn the car unit on (with no phone connected. Test your aux input by touching that female jack with your fingers. If things are OK you should hear a noise (static/pops/whatever) That means the car player is live and awaiting signal. If that's happening, then it;'s your phone. Or cable. Modern phones have a 4 poles jack (for microphone input). It's been known to work unreliably with some simple 3 poles jacks. There are many a bit too short, or unable to be fully inserted because of some phone cover and so on.

Two scenarios can happen in your case. 1. Weird cable. Change it, all the way to the car player. Use another. Take the player out of the dash and confirm with a multimeter that every pole on that jack goes to the right signal insertion point, without any interruptions. Ground can be tested by checking continuity between the stereo jack's ground and the car ground (metal door lock, for instance) or the car player's outer metal shell.If that's no happening, you're not using the right ground.2. Take the preamp IC out. At least cut it's Vcc IN with a nail clipper so that it's not operating. If the problem persists, it's hidden in some noise reduction feature of your player. Put a switch on the line and live with it. Or, find the main amp inputs and solder there. It's up to you. Judging by the…

Two scenarios can happen in your case. 1. Weird cable. Change it, all the way to the car player. Use another. Take the player out of the dash and confirm with a multimeter that every pole on that jack goes to the right signal insertion point, without any interruptions. Ground can be tested by checking continuity between the stereo jack's ground and the car ground (metal door lock, for instance) or the car player's outer metal shell.If that's no happening, you're not using the right ground.2. Take the preamp IC out. At least cut it's Vcc IN with a nail clipper so that it's not operating. If the problem persists, it's hidden in some noise reduction feature of your player. Put a switch on the line and live with it. Or, find the main amp inputs and solder there. It's up to you. Judging by the sound quality, I think it's worth the trouble, isn't it?

Have you tried other music source? A table, another phone? Same thing happens?

Does your player defaults to radio when that happens? What does the display show?

"Put one tiny drop of (any brand here) Super Glue on each led margin and continue arranging the other ones. WARNING! Take care not to accidentally apply super glue on the LED legs. When you'll have to solder the legs, these will be heated and the glue will give off a little colourless smoke with major effects on your eyes!"

I'm afraid I'm out of ideas. Unmarked preamp, tape assembly removed before figuring out how the player detects tape input ... it's a lost cause. Unless some electronics guru spends a day probing it and figuring all out, I don't see it a good candidate for this conversion. If you're keen on doing it, I'd start fresh with another used one. Or, a new aftermarket unit, depending on your budget..

See www.allinbox.comand brush up your French.

And no, you need to also use the new HID power supply. On a proper conversion, the original lamp's power supply can be removed, leaving room for the new one.

Yes, seems like a stereo out. Try feeding the three wire connector with your signal, bypassing this entire small board. Make sure the player believes it's playing a cassette.Are there no markings at all on that supposedly preamp IC?

Noise on cars' AUX comes usually comes from:1. Unshielded/RF noise-generating alternator. That noise varies as you rev the engine. Only a car service can get rid of it. They need to change the alternator's filter capacitor2. Dried capacitors inside your radio. Look for bulged or leaked ones, those need replacing. That noise is constant.3. Ground loop noise. You need a ground loop filter between that AUX and your signal source (phone). Your car and your signal source handle grounds differently. In your case, it may also be because your signal still goes thru the tape head preamp (every tape player has one, the tape head's signal is way too weak to feed a proper amplifier chip). Follow the traces from your tape head. It goes directly to that preamp chip. Always does. A multimeter set to con…

Noise on cars' AUX comes usually comes from:1. Unshielded/RF noise-generating alternator. That noise varies as you rev the engine. Only a car service can get rid of it. They need to change the alternator's filter capacitor2. Dried capacitors inside your radio. Look for bulged or leaked ones, those need replacing. That noise is constant.3. Ground loop noise. You need a ground loop filter between that AUX and your signal source (phone). Your car and your signal source handle grounds differently. In your case, it may also be because your signal still goes thru the tape head preamp (every tape player has one, the tape head's signal is way too weak to feed a proper amplifier chip). Follow the traces from your tape head. It goes directly to that preamp chip. Always does. A multimeter set to continuity helps. That chip must be disabled as in my instructable and the AUX signal applied to its OUTPUTS.Let me know how it goes.

Hi there. Sorry for answering so late. I believe you may find this very useful :-)https://comancheclub.com/topic/25222-add-aux-auxil...

Bravo! :-)

Hi there,I know. There are a lot of types & brands of headunits in yesterday's car's. And a lot of people would like them upgraded. But this is a case by case scenario. My instructable would apply to owners of Skoda Fabia/ Seat Leon, it would also apply to any other brands, but, there are differences. The principle is always the same: trick the cassette player to believe it has a tape (by switches) and bypass (not feed) the head preamplifier with a direct stereo input.The car manufacturers produced a lot of car models, and a lot of headunit options for each one. So a guide for ANY model would be a huge task, and database, and resources. I started this instructable because I wanted to do it for myself, and, hearing the result in mine and my brother's car I figured it can help a lot of …

Hi there,I know. There are a lot of types & brands of headunits in yesterday's car's. And a lot of people would like them upgraded. But this is a case by case scenario. My instructable would apply to owners of Skoda Fabia/ Seat Leon, it would also apply to any other brands, but, there are differences. The principle is always the same: trick the cassette player to believe it has a tape (by switches) and bypass (not feed) the head preamplifier with a direct stereo input.The car manufacturers produced a lot of car models, and a lot of headunit options for each one. So a guide for ANY model would be a huge task, and database, and resources. I started this instructable because I wanted to do it for myself, and, hearing the result in mine and my brother's car I figured it can help a lot of folks. And it did, and still does. Yours and SankarA2's headunits are complicated ones. Having autoreverse & other features, is making the task of tricking the logic board much more difficult. But not impossible. Thank you for your offer but my time does not allow me to try other models just for a proof of concept. It is possible, that's for sure. Try to keep the cassette mechanism in place and put a dummy cassette, it should work. As long as you cut the head's output signal and feed your own (AFTER the preamplifier), the only thing you have to do is to put the dummy cassette (one with no tape) each time you play your music from the telephone or tablet. As a last resort find someone that's still repairing them, it would help you if you hit a dead end. I hope it helps. A bit.

No problem. You're welcome. Maybe not the best stereo car player to be converted. I would have scratched my head on that one, too. That auto-reverse thingy and double reading heads is way too complicated.

I forgot one thing. The wires powering the motors can be totally disregarded. Insulate them and use only the switches wires to fool the player by replicating their NO/NC states.

Hi. That is one very complex tape player. Besides the two switches, you also seem to have a relay near switch A (yellow and orange wires). That relay does something. It's either establishing a contact or pulling a leaver. You need to know the voltage of that (try measuring the feeding wires) If it's zero, play with the switches until it changes to something. Or with the TAPE SIDE button on front.That relay could be a third switch or a mechanical switch that pushes a leaver to change the rotation of the tape, I don't know. You need to see it in action. You need to replicate that action just by connecting or disconnecting wires, or by manually doing what it used to do, electrically.You have two motors but the small one is not involved in the tape movement, rather in some tape ejecting movem…

Hi. That is one very complex tape player. Besides the two switches, you also seem to have a relay near switch A (yellow and orange wires). That relay does something. It's either establishing a contact or pulling a leaver. You need to know the voltage of that (try measuring the feeding wires) If it's zero, play with the switches until it changes to something. Or with the TAPE SIDE button on front.That relay could be a third switch or a mechanical switch that pushes a leaver to change the rotation of the tape, I don't know. You need to see it in action. You need to replicate that action just by connecting or disconnecting wires, or by manually doing what it used to do, electrically.You have two motors but the small one is not involved in the tape movement, rather in some tape ejecting movement. It's probably triggered by the TAPE/EJECT button on the front. You should be able to ignore it and its wires.Rules to follow: Always measure voltage on the wires you plan to connect. If it's present, don't do it, a short circuit is never intended.Electronics aside, go mechanical first. Insert a tape, see how it turned, how the entire mechanism worked, How it switched tape direction. How it ejects. I know yours is broken but it's all in leavers/springs/wheels to turn. Once you see what's happening, you'll be able to understand the switches.The switches are NO or NC position depending on the tape. You need a tape in there to see that clearly. There's no playing in figuring their state, you need to know that right from the start, a tape and a multimeter is all you need.About the wires color. I never split any wire. The voltage feeding wires (ex motor) are powered by the switches being NO/NC (tape inserted). I used them for my bluetooth receiver. They have no role in audio out.That's it, I'm out of remote troubleshooting ideas. If all else fails, find a simpler tape player for your car. Used ones are very cheap these days. I'm not saying yours can't be used. But it's up to you and your skills.

Hi. If those pins do not seem connected, they still might be. Their traces could run under the IC and escape to some via's on the other side of the board. Your preamp seem very complex given the task. If I were you I would start from the final amplifier. There are two input pins (Stereo L and R) on that amplifier that must go to this preamp. Use a multimeter or continuity tester from each pin on this preamp to each pin of that final amplifier IC. There are two channels (pins) you need to identify (The amplifier IC datasheet will tell you if it's right or left), the ground is common and can be taken from anywhere.The switches are on the cassette mechanism and have wires to the mainboard. When a tape is inserted, some are opened, some are closed. You need to replicate the same thing with ju…

Hi. If those pins do not seem connected, they still might be. Their traces could run under the IC and escape to some via's on the other side of the board. Your preamp seem very complex given the task. If I were you I would start from the final amplifier. There are two input pins (Stereo L and R) on that amplifier that must go to this preamp. Use a multimeter or continuity tester from each pin on this preamp to each pin of that final amplifier IC. There are two channels (pins) you need to identify (The amplifier IC datasheet will tell you if it's right or left), the ground is common and can be taken from anywhere.The switches are on the cassette mechanism and have wires to the mainboard. When a tape is inserted, some are opened, some are closed. You need to replicate the same thing with just one switch by connecting them to this switch (should have 6 pins with NO/NC states) so that when you switch it on, the board thinks it's having a tape inserted and switched the source. After that, the entire tape mechanism is not needed anymore, just this switch. If you just leave a tape in it, you would have no radio until you eject it. Or, the preamp could jump on radio when it doesn't detect signal from the tape. Replacing the entire tape mechanism with one switch IS the best way to do it.Any AUX signal connected to the output of the preamp IC would go to the power amp and get amplified. You don't need power to that preamp. You could unsolder it completely and just use those output traces.Look, I did say you need to be skilled with electronics to do this conversion. The title "for every car casette player!" doesn't mean "by everyone".

Hi Tim,Sounds like you're having ground loop noise. Different devices use the ground differently, that would explain the difference. You need a ground loop insulator. That would make any noise go away.It's a passive filter you need to put between your phone and your stereo input.Here's one:https://www.hills.com.au/hall-research-hall-research-gli-35mm-3-5mm-stereo-audio-ground-loop-isolator-and-filterCheers,Claudiu

In that case, it's a matter of finding the amplifier IC inside your head unit. Once found and identified, the IC's datasheet will show you the inputs. There are only three pins you need to tap into for your RCA's in the back. Then you'll have AUX IN & radio tuner signal. Proper grounding is a must. Volume control can either be implemented inside the Internal amplifier IC or, if you're lucky, prior to that. The second option will also give volume control of the external amp.

I see. Well, what's wrong with feeding the external jacks from the same line you're feeding the internal amp? Assuming you need a signal from your phone, that is. This instructable should also apply for external amps as long as you extend the input lines made here to some DIY external RCA's in the back.

Thanks. I'm not sure I get the question. You mean adding pre-amp INPUTS ?

Mersi! Astept poze. Atentie la codul casetofonului! Iti trebuie neaparat. Altfel trebuie sa-l duci la decodat.

Great! Good job on finding the pins without the datasheet. Now that's how an AUX-in is supposed to sound.

You're welcome! And thanks. I know how that drive feels now. About the preamp, you could just cut its pins with a nail clipper. If you can squeeze one in there, that is. If you find its datasheet, there's only V-in to cut.

I'm glad you made it. Well done! That's one mistake almost everyone makes: to use the audio input. And I have one word of advice for you. De-solder that preamp IC completely. Or at least cut it powertrace on the PCB (you need that datasheet for that). The reason is, the IC is still powered, and it's noisy and sensitive. You'll be noise-free after that, at any volume.

The tape head preamplifier must be de-soldered or rendered un-operational by cutting the power line. If you leave it like this you'll still get a lot of noise as the output pins of that preamplifier have a permanent voltage differential.

Indeed, it's one incomplete solution. For a much better one, see my instructable. You can get pure digital sound on it.

Check this one: https://www.instructables.com/AUX-IN-and-Bluetooth-for-Every-Car-Casette-Player/

Hi. I just finished something similar, my cord was very slow at charging. I thought it was the various non-Samsung chargers I tried, none of them charged with more than 500 mA. Turns out it was the cord. And a bit of extra soldering.I took the original 30-pin connector out of the original cable, in a manner similar to yours. Then I took the thickest USB cable I found, 24 AWG I think and soldered the connector at one end, where the original MiniUSB end was before (I cut it out). A bit of hot glue made things sturdy prior to closing the connector's cap.Now this new wire would work perfectly with the original charger and allow high-current charging. Anyone having the original charger can stop here. But I have no such charger.To get rid of the need for the original Samsung charger, I googled …

Hi. I just finished something similar, my cord was very slow at charging. I thought it was the various non-Samsung chargers I tried, none of them charged with more than 500 mA. Turns out it was the cord. And a bit of extra soldering.I took the original 30-pin connector out of the original cable, in a manner similar to yours. Then I took the thickest USB cable I found, 24 AWG I think and soldered the connector at one end, where the original MiniUSB end was before (I cut it out). A bit of hot glue made things sturdy prior to closing the connector's cap.Now this new wire would work perfectly with the original charger and allow high-current charging. Anyone having the original charger can stop here. But I have no such charger.To get rid of the need for the original Samsung charger, I googled and found the following scheme depicting the Samsung's way of signaling a 2Amps charger. I then replicated it with two resistors and a short and thick USB extension. The end result is shown in the second photo, inside the rectangular casing are the resistors and the cable ends. The result is much better than the original. In excess of 1000mA charging rate. And any USB charger will do.

Had I known that my instructable would get me CERN-level comments, I would have just posted pictures :-). Thank you for your insights. But we're all beating a dead horse. I gave up on this. I find Xenon bulbs a much better alternative. Not as good as the original, but it does make a projector usable.

I thought about doing myself one like that. I even sort of did, if you take a look in my instructables. But what I didn't liked about the all-in-one case solution is the fact that you have to keep it all in the sun. A lot. Have you tested it? I mean, sure, as a proof of concept it's great, but leave that case out for a full day in a hot sun. You won't be able to touch the solar panels. The case beneath them has no vents and it holds li-ion batteries. Take a look at the chart below. Beyond 40 degrees Celsius, accelerated battery aging sets in. Above 80 degrees you'll get a fire. Even with vents, it will still be too hot. BMS WILL cut down the charging rate, trying to compensate for the high temperature detected. So you'll get undercharged, hot batteries.Also, the black plastic case under t…

I thought about doing myself one like that. I even sort of did, if you take a look in my instructables. But what I didn't liked about the all-in-one case solution is the fact that you have to keep it all in the sun. A lot. Have you tested it? I mean, sure, as a proof of concept it's great, but leave that case out for a full day in a hot sun. You won't be able to touch the solar panels. The case beneath them has no vents and it holds li-ion batteries. Take a look at the chart below. Beyond 40 degrees Celsius, accelerated battery aging sets in. Above 80 degrees you'll get a fire. Even with vents, it will still be too hot. BMS WILL cut down the charging rate, trying to compensate for the high temperature detected. So you'll get undercharged, hot batteries.Also, the black plastic case under the intense UV treatment will get brittle and crack. That's from experience. Things aren't better with aluminium boxes, either. As I said, until batteries evolve to cope with high temperatures, their place is nowhere near the solar panels. I can see something like that working in slightly negative temperature environments where the cold would keep things in normal ranges - but the UV argument remains even stronger.

Nice job. But that's one unfortunate base shape. :-)