Who Makes Honda's Radios?

zzyyzx · 01-25-05, 09:15

Does any know who made the 1997 Honda Accord SE Radio? It's the one that has the CD player built into it.

I've searched around and can't seem to find it anywhere. Thanks in Advance!!!

SpoiledMan · 01-25-05, 09:19

Scott, I think it's Pioneer or Panasonic. Check here.

zzyyzx · 01-25-05, 11:44

Chris, I searched that site and it looks like my model is mfgd by Matsushita, the parent company of Panasonic.

Basically, here's my plan... I'm going to try to get input to the radio to hook in my iPod. I'm going to try to get the whole wiring set-up inside the dash. I'm going to have to splice into the cigarette lighter for the charger and then hopefully use some sort of input on the back of the head unit. Then I'd just have the connector for the bottom of the iPod in my ashtray or somewhere like that and it's relatively hidden.

I realize I could figure this out by taking it all apart, but 1) I'm at work and they frown upon me working on my car during company time and 2) I don't want to spend 2 hours pulling it apart just to put it back together and order parts and do it all over again in a couple weeks.

Check out www.ipodlounge.com Lots of neat stuff there.

SpoiledMan · 01-25-05, 01:06

Nice idea! A good place to start with this is a stereo shop that sells the adaptors that connect the Alpine CD changers to Honda radios. This will give you something to "butcher" while you work on making the connections from the iPod's output to the radio. You will probably have to figure out what triggers the radio to think that there is a CD changer connected so that you can select the input that is at the back of the radio. I'm sure you'll figure it out and when you do, just make another one and send it to me!

zzyyzx · 01-25-05, 01:17

Belkin (and a few others) make this device already (has a charger and a 3.5mm/RCA output), but they are meant to be portable and not really wired in. I think once I determine what type of inputs the head unit has, I'll get the appropriate set-up (or make one) and then install it inside the dash. For the charger, I'll either have to hard wire it into the cigarette lighter line or splice an aux socket to the cigarette lighter power line and the plug in from there. Figurie that I should be able to do the whole project for between $30 and $50 if all goes well. I might lose my tape deck, but the only thing I use it for is the cassette adapter so I can use the iPod anyway, so no loss there.

Hey, I just realized I could be a "Triple Honda Owner" too now! We should form a club.

RobD · 01-25-05, 01:30

Do the Belkin units work well? I saw both the plug in version and the battery only version...is the battery version OK or does it eat up batteries too quick? TIA

The Uncle · 01-25-05, 02:39

I have an Acura TSX, with a panasonic head unit. I know that that adaptors for the IPOD are available for my vehicle at
http://www.soundgate.com/

zzyyzx · 01-25-05, 03:11

Rob, are you talking about the adapter that sends iPod music to your head unit without a charger plug in? If you are, I would assume it wouldn't use the batteries any faster than if you were using regular headphones. I used my iPod with a cassette adapter all the way from CA to IN and it would last nearly 8 hours, which is what they say the battery is supposed to last. I don't see how it would cause a larger energy drain on the iPod.

Uncle, thanks for the link... I'll go check out their product selection and see what I can find.

Thanks everyone!

The Uncle · 01-25-05, 03:30

I think you'll find that a hardwire kind of connection, like through some kind of adaptor, sounds a lot better than an FM modulator.

RobD · 01-25-05, 04:12

Quote:

Originally posted by zzyyzx
Rob, are you talking about the adapter that sends iPod music to your head unit without a charger plug in? If you are, I would assume it wouldn't use the batteries any faster than if you were using regular headphones. I used my iPod with a cassette adapter all the way from CA to IN and it would last nearly 8 hours, which is what they say the battery is supposed to last. I don't see how it would cause a larger energy drain on the iPod.

zzyyzx, actually, I'm asking in relation to a small Creative MP3 player, but I was interested more so in the Belkin's (battery only version) battery life. Is it just better to get the Belkin unit that plugs into the cig. lighter, even though it's a little more cumbersome? Thanks.