I have a car adapter like the charger and a Belkin cradle. Its cheap and simple. It's easier than trying to connect it to your wheel controls because half of the trucks out there weren't made for that. Just get the charger and you can jam real easy.

 

Last weekend I installed the FRD04-AUX by PIE in my '05 F350. It works off of the rear seat entertainment port on the back of the OEM deck. All you do is push the AUX button and you're off! It works flawlessly.

The install was very easy and I'm completely satisifed with the audio quality. It's perfect with zero static, as you would expect with the proper input convertor.

Here it is with the box exposed:


Here is it with a laptop connected for testing. This is perfect for my CarPuter plans.


I purchased the adapter from LogJam Electronics for a little less than $90.


.brit

 

An update on my iPod integration: Harman Kardon is coming out with a new unit that plugs into the AUX-IN of the head unit, but puts the iPod controls into an external lcd screen and a separate controller. You can also feed in another sound source.

I am switching to this so I can place the screen and controller on my dash in front of the steering wheel so I can see what's playing and make selections without having to move my eyes as far. This unit also provides full iPod selectivity of playlists, genres, etc, which the Neo Ion did not do through the head unit. The Harman Kardon unit costs about $200 at Amazon.

 

Cool! Mine came in the mail last week, but I haven't had a chance to install it. Maybe this weekend...

 

$90 bucks and tearing the dash apart just to plug my iPod in? Jeez...

Can anybody get a wiring diagram for that plug or at least find out left and right input wires? Im pretty handy with a soldering iron and Radio shack parts.

The only other option is to replace the entire unit. "Sorry honey, the iPod wont work in the new truck". Thats going to go over well...

 

I'm pretty sure that the magic black box does more than just connect the left and right channels. After hooking mine up the OEM deck now realizes that there is something connected to it that is putting out a signal. Before you hook up the box, the AUX button does didly squat. Now, when you hit AUX it actually transfers to the adapter. I highly doubt that this can be accomplished with $5 worth of Radio Shack parts.

In my opinion, by the time you add up my time involved in engineering a device that would take the place of this adapter, you have exceeded the $90 by quite a lot.

As for "tearing apart the dash", it took all of 3 minutes to pull everything out -- no tools required.

So, $90 is out of your budget, but a whole new head unit isn't?


.brit

 

How do you get the dash apart on the F150? It goes back together squeak and rattle free?

I guess $90 aint that bad, but why in the World didnt they just put some RCA jacks on the back of the stupid thing... Is that the same radio/6 CD unit that is in the F150s? I was just hoping it would be a little easier and less expensive to pull this off.

Maybe an F150 you can get to the plug from under the dash? Im going to order it.

Thanks for the info,

 

Greg,

I've never pulled the bezel on a F150, but if it's anything like the super duties, you just pull. I did mine with just my hands, no "prying" required.

From what I've read, it's the same deck in both trucks. I think there's a different one if you have a CD changer, though (not sure of the details of that one). I'm sure somebody here knows more than me about the different deck options.


.brit

 

The aux input is on the back of the head unit (indash cd player) below is a link for the part you need
http://www.logjamelectronics.com/logjam/piefrd04aux.html