Auxilary Plug

[mjh]

I was just wondering if anyone had an auxilary plug in there car for an mp3 player or tape player?

I was just wondering what does it do, does it just plug into the headphone socket of your mp3 or tape player and then the cord goes into the auxilary setting on the stereo?

Any help would be great as the ford dealer had no idea what it was and I am looking for something that does exactly as I described above.

[newxr]

Hi

I have one - would not have it again

You can plug the headphones socket from MP3 into it but don't expect much - volume low and lot of interference from ?engine.

Better option - FM transmitter. $35 from Jaycar hooked up to my MP3 or DVD (Velcroed to the centre console). Works a treat

[fraggle]

Yes that is correct

[mjh]

Thanks guys,

I have a FM transmitter but am getting tired of changing the batteries every couple of weeks.

I currently have a DVD player in my car and it goes into the Auxillary plugin however it has the same problem as you described. THere is like a winding up and down noise.

They obviously haven't fixed it.

[exar]

  newxr said:

Hi

I have one - would not have it again

You can plug the headphones socket from MP3 into it but don't expect much - volume low and lot of interference from ?engine.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Those 2 things are part of the same 'problem' or at least related. The aux input provided by Ford needs a higher level signal than some players provide - especially from a line-out. It is better to use the headphone out on your player and wind the volume up. In most cases this allows the level to match that from the other sources in your car (like FM radio, internal CD etc).

Then, at this higher level, the engine noise/interfence is much less noticeable (provided you use a good quality cable for the connection.

[mjh]

  exar said:

  newxr said:

Hi

I have one - would not have it again

You can plug the headphones socket from MP3 into it but don't expect much - volume low and lot of interference from ?engine.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Those 2 things are part of the same 'problem' or at least related. The aux input provided by Ford needs a higher level signal than some players provide - especially from a line-out. It is better to use the headphone out on your player and wind the volume up. In most cases this allows the level to match that from the other sources in your car (like FM radio, internal CD etc).

Then, at this higher level, the engine noise/interfence is much less noticeable (provided you use a good quality cable for the connection.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So would you say that the cable supplied by ford is a good quality one or a cheapo?

[Honest Gaza]

Would suggest that there is some relationship with how the "external unit" is powered.

For example, I can plug my hand-held UHF radio (battery powered) into the AUX input so that the speaker comes through the car system....and perfectly clear.

However, if I plug my portable DVD player (powered from car lighter socket) into the AUX input....interference results.

Therefore, the Ford supplied AUX cable must be ok....but the interference between engine whine and power source needs to be somehow eliminated.

[exar]

  mjh said:

So would you say that the cable supplied by ford is a good quality one or a cheapo?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ford never supplied a cable for me. So I can't comment.

They just installed a socket, and I had to find a cable to connect my MP3 player to it.

[exar]

  Honest Gaza said:

Would suggest that there is some relationship with how the "external unit" is powered.

For example, I can plug my hand-held UHF radio (battery powered) into the AUX input so that the speaker comes through the car system....and perfectly clear.

However, if I plug my portable DVD player (powered from car lighter socket) into the AUX input....interference results.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Two possibilities. Firstly, the power regulator that suppiles power to your DVD from the socket, might not have sufficient filtering to remove the engine noise. You could add a filter or buy a better power supply. or, secondly, you may be creating what is know as a 'hum loop' where the player is earthed (to the car grounding), in two ways, via the power supply, and via the signal cable to the aux in.

For this last situation, disconnecting the shielding of the signal cable at one end may fix it. (there are three conductors in this cable, a wire for each of left and right channel, and a common return - usually via the braided shielding in the cable) If the player is earthed via the power supply, then the shield only needs to be connected at one end - connecting it at both creates the 'loop' which will pick up any stray electromagnetic interference)

[aiboart]

I have one and it works perfectly, driven off the headphone jack of an MP3 player, well actually a PDA.

Set the gain high using the volume control of your input device.

Regards,

aa