IPod-Perhaps a Question for Barry

[67HEAVEN]

Since we are talking about updating the music-listening capabilities of our C1s and C2s, this thread has some legitimacy in this C1/C2 section.

Okay, all you IPoders, please answer this:

My wife got a IPod Shuffle from her workplace. I know it's the junior of the family, but I am spectacularly "unimpressed".

No doubt, its extreme limitations are absent from the costlier versions, but let me give you a chance to quash my preconceptions about most MP3 players.

My style of music listening is the opposite from most people. I do not want a playlist....don't want to hear songs in the same order every time....don't want to shuffle the songs. What I want is to listen to the very song that I want to hear, when I want to hear it. Like right now!

The ideal would be for me to simply "think" of a song, and it magically starts playing. How's the IPod doing with that? otfl

But seriously, folks, how much crap do you have to go through to pick out the song you want from among several thousands on your IPods? Can you search for the next song while the current song is playing? Can you cue up the next song to play as soon as the current song ends....not as part of a playlist....but manually in real time? How long does it take to track down a specific song out of thousands? In other words, will the IPod function just like the various MP3 software programs on my PC? Or, am I locked into a tiny little screen that makes music searches a pain while parked and impossible while driving?

:confused

 

[Bob Chadwick]

The limitations of the IPod are the same as any other musical playback system. Until the device can read your mind, you have to select the title.

The searching on the IPOD is really no problem. There are genre's, albums, artists, etc. and if that doesn't meet your needs, you can use smart playlists to group songs together to make the searching easier. The favorite playlist I have is new songs, which has all the songs that I have purchased recently and am probably most interested in hearing.

You can search for the next song you want to play while the unit is playing the previous song. It has a system generated playlist called "On-The-Go" which you add to by holding the center button down while selecting the song on the list of songs (not while playing). For the first song, you then go to the "On-The-Go" playlist start the song and then back out using the Menu portion of the wheel and go search for more songs adding them in the same fashion. It will then go down the "On-The-Go" playlist playing the music you have added. Unlike the other playlists, this one can be cleared on the IPod when you are finished with it.

IMO, the IPod is the greatest thing to happen to personal music since the Walkman. There are other players, and people don't understand why the musical ability of the PPC has not caught on, but for ease of use from purchasing to organizing and playing your music it can't be beat.

 

[BarryK]

Since we are talking about updating the music-listening capabilities of our C1s and C2s, this thread has some legitimacy in this C1/C2 section.

i knew you would see things our way

The ideal would be for me to simply "think" of a song, and it magically starts playing. How's the IPod doing with that? otfl

iPod contro thru mental telepathy?? hmmmmm sorry Bob, you need to give Apple a few more years on this one but with "Smart Playlists" they are getting close!

But seriously, folks, how much crap do you have to go through to pick out the song you want from among several thousands on your IPods?

as for the searching options........ your fellow staff buddy Bob gave you an excellent answer. Search by song name, genre, artist, etc.
Usually doesn't take me but 10-20 seconds at most to find any song on mine and I have a couple thousand. The songs I listen to the most I have in my "Favorites" playlist so i can usually access it in just a few seconds.


Keep something in mind - compare an iPod to a 100 disc CD changer or worst, just a huge stack of CD's. Try to find the CD you want, than the song you want, load up the CD, go to the track of the song, hit play, and than listen to it. All that can easily take MINUTES. With an iPod all the songs are already in and "loaded" and ready to go. Just go to it, may take a few seconds, may take 10 or 20 seconds but it's way faster than any other source of music storage i've ever used.
if you want mental telepathy control and it knows what you want to listen to before the thought even finishes in your own mind........ well, yes you will be disappointed!

 

[Bob Chadwick]

Keep something in mind - compare an iPod to a 100 disc CD changer...

I kust threw away a 10 year old 100 disc changer for the IPod. I thought it was the greatest idea when I bought it but hated it when I got it. Putting a CD in there was like putting it in the black hole of death. I could never find what I wanted.

 

[BarryK]

I kust threw away a 10 year old 100 disc changer for the IPod. I thought it was the greatest idea when I bought it but hated it when I got it. Putting a CD in there was like putting it in the black hole of death. I could never find what I wanted.

that was my entire point!

unless you take the time to create a master list of what CD's are in the machine and in what numbered spot you would never find anything

 

[paul67]

Apparently some of the CA units are "cloned" Kenwoods but not all. So I don't know what I have. I may go back to Plan A which is to dump the CA unit (4 x 25W) and re-install the original 1967 radio cold: not hooked up. I have rebuilt the face so it looks very nice. I have a brand new (from 2003) Pioneer DEH-P3500 CD head unit (4 x 50W) that I have never used (one of those round-to-it projects) that I will put in the glovebox. Pioneer has introduced an IPod adapter that connects to the IP-BUS so compatibility should not be a problem.

I will check out ITunes.

IPod is a new world for me. Thanks for everyone's patience.

And here is a C2-compliant pic....Seriously, my thanks to 67Heaven for allowing the thread. Good music is an integral part of the enjoyment of driving my car.

 

[Ron Miller]

IPod is a new world for me. Thanks for everyone's patience.

And here is a C2-compliant pic....Seriously, my thanks to 67Heaven for allowing the thread. Good music is an integral part of the enjoyment of driving my car.

[/quote]

I agree, Paul.

Don't remember it having been mentioned yet in the previous 4 pages of posts or not, but another alternative for connecting an Ipod (or any other of the MP3 or similar players) is an FM transmitter that plugs directly into the device and broadcasts over an unused FM station on your present radio. I've considered going this route, I know Walmart handles some of the transmitters for around $30 or so. But I want to do a little more research on these (sound quality wise) before investing.

One of the upside benefits to this type of connection is that it's completely portable from car-to-car, as well as to the home stereo, or any other FM radio!! Anybody have any first hand experience with these?

PS. I built my own C-2 radio system using the Pioneer you see as a starter. Mounted the volume/tuning portion of a junker C-2 radio on the top, cut and spliced all the wires for the volume and tuner knob (wouldn't reach without lengthening the wires, 13 on one knob and 8 or so on the other), and worked out pretty good, I think. Cost of about $120 or so, radio included. (Also note my "almost correct tuning knobs and spacers").

 

[Bob Chadwick]

Ron,

They work OK in the best of circumstances and are not very good most of the time. The sound quality is vastly improved with the direct hook up.

 

[BarryK]

Paul
the Pioneer in the dash is a very viable option and would most likey sound better anyway - the iPod interface is an additional welcome bonus

Ron, yes, the Fm transmitters are available and that's how I'm currently "stuck' using mine. If i'm in the Lexus it's fine but in the vette it sucks! The problem is that RF is blocked by metal. Newer cars have very little metal in the dashes to block the signal to the radio where our older vettes have a lot of metal surrounding the radio. at least in my car it causes me endless problems and lousy reception even with the iPod directly in front of the radio within an inch. Some others seem to have a bit more success than I have with FM modulators but in my experience with my iPod in the vette and past experience with other FM modulators with other equipment and other cars they typically are more trouble than they are worth

 

[Ron Miller]

Thanks for the info, guys. Barry, it seems like it would work better if the Ipod were in the trunk compartment near the antenna rather than near the radio?

I'm sure a direct hookup would be better, no doubt in my mind. Just wondering if you could get an acceptable FM transmitter? Does the more you pay for one have any bearing?

 

[BarryK]

67Heaven
I just did a search for you on wireless speakers. The vast majority of the ones I found were very small, low powered units (approx 10 watts) designed for portable use on things like an iPod, not a complete system. I'm not surprised at all.
The few reviews I came across on these wireless speakers all had on common theme - mainly that they suck.

i'm not surprised by my search results based on what I previously mentioned to you.

I think the removable speaker boxes with long speaker wires are your best answer for now.

BTW, how do you plan on running the steroe and speakers such as at Carlisle? It won't take long to run your car battery down. You may have to consider installing a second battery with an isolator between the two. The second battery can run the stereo with the car off and the isolator will keep your main battery from being discharged. Than you just need to run the car to rechage the secondary battery.
In a case such as this, your best type of battery is a deep cycle battery as they are designed to take deep discharges and recharging again much better than a standard type battery.
As a main battery, one with a high CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) is best for plenty of cranking power to your starter but in the case of a secondary battery for dedicated stereo system use, especially if it will be used without the car running and getting discharged a lot a Deep Cycle battery would be best. Check with Optima Battery.
hope this helps a bit

 

[BarryK]

Thanks for the info, guys. Barry, it seems like it would work better if the Ipod were in the trunk compartment near the antenna rather than near the radio?

I'm sure a direct hookup would be better, no doubt in my mind. Just wondering if you could get an acceptable FM transmitter? Does the more you pay for one have any bearing?

possibly, if it was right near the antenna, but I'm not holding my hand and arm stretched all the way to the back to hold the iPod there while I'm driving!! Besides, as Bob Chadwick already mentioned, even in the best of circumstances the sound is nowhere as good as a direct connection.

Never seems to find myself that any of them were really any better than the others, no matter the price. They are all roughly similar in pricing anyway.
They are frequency selectable and at time changing to a different freq. helps, but not always.

it's a relatively inexpensive and easy way of listening to an iPod anywhere, but the performance and sound matches that cheap solution. it's a shame really.

 

[Bob Chadwick]

Ilounge does reviews. Last I looked, ITrip was the best. I had one and can't say that I was all that happy, though I thought I was initially.

Try one. They're only $30 and most reputable places will have a return policy if you don't like it. I think I got mine at CompUSA.

 

[BarryK]

that's I've been using, an iTrip, and I'm not impressed to say the least

 

[Ron Miller]

possibly, if it was right near the antenna, but I'm not holding my hand and arm stretched all the way to the back to hold the iPod there while I'm driving!!

Well, I knew that, Barry. But thought you might hold your left arm out the window to get closer to the antenna.

Just kidding, thanks for the information. Thought the FM transmitters might be a practical solution to the interconnection problem. I know they also make some cassette adaptors to connect directly thru the cassette player, but I never liked that alternative, either. Too messy looking, although the audio quality of the music would probably be better than FM broadcast.

 

[BarryK]

hate to say it but I hate the cassette adapters even more than I do the FM modulators.
Years ago when I was managing a few car audio shops we did in-house repairs and we did countless upon countless repairs on radios because of those cassette adapters.

I've even told my wife NOT to use them with her iPod in her Lexus but does she listen to me............ NO!! She has gone through 3 or 4 of those d*mn things because they keep breaking and now the one thing I feared came true - the cassette portion of the stock radio in her Lexus just went belly-up and I'll bet you anything it was because of those stupid adapters!

 

[paul67]

Ron,
Where did you find that Pioneer unit without tuning and volume knobs? Not that I wish to go back to a cassette unit but just curious.

 

[paul67]

Well I guess I can't come close to a Barry Thread. Only four pages. But I wish you all a very Happy New Year!!

And I hope the year 2006 is kind to you. Nice people here and I wish you all well!!!

 

[Ron Miller]

Ron,
Where did you find that Pioneer unit without tuning and volume knobs? Not that I wish to go back to a cassette unit but just curious.

Paul, I assume you mean "with tuning and volume knobs", it's a Pioneer KEH 2929, not a particulary impressive model in the Pioneer line. I bought it several years ago just before almost all of the models with volume and tuning knobs were being phased out. This one has the knobs, but everything is controlled by wire, no mechanical connection between the knobs and the body, only wires. That allowed me to cut the wires and relocate the knobs to the peculiar layot of the C-2's.

I actually bought two of the units at the same time, one for the '66 and another for the '65, but I drive the '65 so seldom I haven't yet got around to putting one in that car. Don't know that I ever will, but it's there "in case", just like the A/C unit for the '66. :eyerole

Conversion wasn't that much of a job, except for splicing of all the wires as I mentioned previously, as the knobs wouldn't reach the required location without lengthening. The radio was made for adjustable shaft width, the knobs would slide in their mounting bracket, which I removed. Don't know if anyone makes a model these days or not with knobs, but I believe this one or similar is still available in some places.

I believe I got the units at Wal-mart or similar, but really don't remember. A quick google turned up a model 3939 as well, not sure exactly what are the features of that particular model.

Lastly, don't give up yet on your thread length, you may be able to give Barry a run for his money yet if the questions/answers keep coming!!

Best wishes to you and everyone on this forum, believe I told you I made the switch to an identical carburation system as your on my '66 Powerglide, runs like a champ and couldn't be happier. Thanks for all your info on that subject, sure made my changeover a lot simpler!!

Happy New Year to All of you guys on this forum. You guys are GREAT!!!

 

[67HEAVEN]

Well I guess I can't come close to a Barry Thread. Only four pages. But I wish you all a very Happy New Year!!

This thing ain't over just yet.