USASpec iPod adapter

[JamesB]

After a few delays on the part of Parcelforce, and a few more while my 960 was away having its steering issues fixed, today finally say the car and my newly-arrived iPod adaptor in the same place. I could have waited until tomorrow to fit it, but I thought I'd take a quick look this evening. I guess it tells you how easy it is to fit when I say it took me half an hour, armed with no more than a torch and a swiss army knife.

For the money this has to be an excellent solution, particularly since I had the iPod but the car had no CD changer. It also has an extra aux input facility, which I'm not currently using but might come in handy at some point. Control of the iPod is pretty simple using the factory head unit, or apparently you can change the DIP settings on the adapter and use the iPod's click wheel instead.

I'm attaching a couple of pics, one of what comes in the kit and one of the completed installation. If anyone else fancies one, I got mine from www.discountcarstereo.com.

Cheers

James

[Paul ABZ]

Don't forget that you can also use an FM transmitter to link the Ipod (or other MP3 player) to the FM radio in the car, and no wires! They are for sale on eBay.

[Kent Canary]

Nice job, tidy install. So are you using the Volvo head unit CD changer port for the input?

[JamesB]

That's right - the short lead with the red and yellow wires plugs into the CD changer port on the head unit. I'm attaching another pic, of the SC-801 head unit thinking it's playing a CD

I did have an iTrip, but I wasn't happy with the sound quality so I put it back on eBay ...

Cheers

James

[Kent Canary]

Smart move James, you appear to have solved the iPOd to Volvo head unit problem!

Ive got me Denison cradle installed to my Sony head unit, the type of control looks the smae as yours where the unit thinks its playing a CD. I can control FF / RW, and skip track in both directions, and use the ipod controls too.

Top job!

[fireclown]

Hi M8 Looks good. could you tell me if this set up can be used for other mp3 players. not just ipod.

[JamesB]

Yes it can. The unit has red & white RCA inputs on one side; on the other side are two dip switches. It normally recognises five playlists on the iPod, with CD 6 on the head unit playing from the whole library. But the dip switches can also be set so that selecting CD 6 switches to the aux input on the unit. So you can connect anything you want to these - including another MP3 player. You wouldn't be able to control it with the head unit, of course.

Cheers

James

[Engineer]

Nice one James, check out this on Swedespeed forums its along one but worth the read.

http://forums.swedespeed.com/zerothread?id=32512&page=1

[Kent Canary]

Yes it can. The unit has red & white RCA inputs on one side; on the other side are two dip switches. It normally recognises five playlists on the iPod, with CD 6 on the head unit playing from the whole library. But the dip switches can also be set so that selecting CD 6 switches to the aux input on the unit. So you can connect anything you want to these - including another MP3 player. You wouldn't be able to control it with the head unit, of course.

Cheers

James

So are you using the Dock Connector end or the headphone out? I thought the pics showed a dock connection so surely another MP3 player wouldnt have that protocol / connector? Sorry to ask so many questions!

[JamesB]

Engineer: Thanks for that - interesting thread. It was actually Swedespeed where I first heard of the USASpec gizmo, there's a couple of guys who have installed it successfully.

Kent Canary: Sorry, I probably didn't explain myself too well. I'm using the dock connector, so I have full control of the iPod. On the side of the adapter, next to where the dock cable plugs in, there is also a pair of RCA jacks if you want to add another aux source - MP3 player, Sat Nav, phone, DVD, whatever.

On the iPod you have to create five playlists beginning HONDA1, HONDA2 and so on (you can add whatever you like after the 'HONDAx' bit). This is because the PA11-HON unit I'm using is primarily designed for Honda's. USASpec also do one for the newer HU-series head units, the PA11-VOL; presumably in that case you label the playlists 'VOLVO1' and so on. Anyway. These five playlists are 'seen' by the head unit as the first five of six CDs in your CD changer. The sixth can either access your entire library, or can switch inputs from the iPod dock connector to the two RCA jacks (in which case you're obviously no longer using the iPod protocol, and the unit becomes just an aux-in box).

Hope that explains it a bit better. There are some photos here:

http://www.saabphotos.com/gallery/iPod-my-ovloV

of the two sides of the USASpec box so you can see the various sockets and switches.

Hope this helps

James

[fireclown]

hi good stuff m8. but were an i buy one from. cheers

[JamesB]

Got mine from www.discountcarstereo.com. You need the PA11-HON adapter and the CDL-VOL cable.

Cheers

James

[the_boy]

Why can't you just buy the Volvo adapter instead?

Volvo adapter

Did you get stung for import duty when you got it James?

[JamesB]

The PA11-VOL Volvo adapter is for 2001-on (roughly) HU-series head units; my old barge with its SC-series head unit needs the PA11-HON adapter. Different control protocols, apparently.

I did get hit for import duty but it wasn't that much, about twenty quid I think.

[the_boy]

Bugger so it does.........

Any idea if they've just missed the 900 series off this list by accident for the Honda version?

a. Compatible with select 1991-00 Volvo factory radio model SC-710, SC-810, SC-811, SC-813, SC-816, SC-901 etc [not compatible with any HU-*** headunit. -- see our PA11-VOL ].

[fireclown]

Got mine from www.discountcarstereo.com. You need the PA11-HON adapter and the CDL-VOL cable.

Cheers

James

Thanks James i shall look into it.

[JamesB]

Dunno, mate. The list doesn't mention my SC-801 either, but I took a chance and it works fine.

The compatacility list on USASpec's own website:

http://www.usaspec.com/files/IPODAUX...tion-Guide.pdf

just says 'all models', so you're probably OK. But Dension's ice>Link doesn't work with the 900/901, so if there are protocol issues it might be a good idea to drop USASpec a line and check.

Bugger so it does.........

Any idea if they've just missed the 900 series off this list by accident for the Honda version?

a. Compatible with select 1991-00 Volvo factory radio model SC-710, SC-810, SC-811, SC-813, SC-816, SC-901 etc [not compatible with any HU-*** headunit. -- see our PA11-VOL ].