Ipod charging question

[wolfpackjeeper]

Ok in my MJ I have the following USB jack fitted into the dash:

It connects to my pioneer head unit. I was just using a flash drive, until my wife got a new ipod, so I got her old one. By old I mean like 6 months ago and she just wanted a bigger one. The headunit can actually control everything from the USB connection, all ipod functions, so there is no need to buy the IPOD cord that actually connects to the back of the headunit.

Problem: The ipod is the skinny Nano, and does not charge from the usb jack in the truck. I assume that this is because the headunit only takes signal from two of the four wires, and does not send any power back, like my laptop does. The ipod does charge from the usb cord if hooked to my laptop. The weird thing is that it did not charge from the special ipod cord in her truck (she has the one that is specific to the IPOD and connects to the back of the unit).

Solution?: I figured I could splice a 5v, key hot source into the usb cord that is behind the dash, using the unused red and black USB wires. This should charge the IPOD correct? I realize that I need to filter it well and all that. I figure the easiest way would be to get a dc charger and take it apart so I have the actual guts and don't have to deal with soldering any contraptions together. Then I could just run some wires off the fues block, to a project box with the DC reg from the charger, and from there to the usb connection behind the dash, right?


Thoughts, comments, concernes? I was planning on getting another USB extension cord to mess with incase it does not work, that way I do not ruin the one I already routed. I am slightly worried about sending 5v back up the line to the headunit, but that may be unfounded.

 

[redneckboarder]

bring it in at night and charge it, i wouldnt trust myself wiring a $300 ipod to charge in the truck, and i have the same setup as you except my wire goes directly into the head unit

 

[wolfpackjeeper]

I thought about that, but I enjoy little projects. Plus it is really annoying to forget to bring it in and have it die on the road. I like little projects. I just want to know if this is doable.

 

[redneckboarder]

good luck with it

 

[wolfpackjeeper]

thanks, If I can get it working right I will probably take pictures and put it up as a writeup somewhere. I know a few other people that would not mind having the cheap option.

 

[GSequoia]

I'd go for it. Just pick up an iPod charger for the car, I know the Giffin charger uses a +12VDC to +5VDC transformer with a USB port then you plug any old dock cable in. I'd suggest basing it off this, if you don't have the clock in your dash above the lighter you should have plenty of room to stash the guts there.

The only consideration is do you smoke? You don't want to punch a hot lighter into your dock cable by accidentally possibly shorting it.

 

[GrimmJeeper]

You can look up online to see which pin in a USB cable is wired for power, it will take a 12v charge and run the ipod just fine. then all you have to do is split the wire and find which one is going to that pin.

i bought a knockoff chinese ipod hoookup cable for my alpine and it has a power and a ground pigtail coming out of the connector, just wired em right in and i am good to go. maybe they make a cable like that for your head unit. mine was $2.85 shipped direct from hong kong.

 

[Carol.92124]

maybe they make a cable like that for your head unit. mine was $2.85 shipped direct from hong kong.

Did it arrive labeled as an "LED Flashlight"?

All the cool electronic crap that my son orders from overseas arrives labeled as an LED Flashlight. I guess it keeps the import or export duty costs down. So far, I have resisted the urge to subtly open one of the packages and replace what's inside (say an anxiously-awaited replacement Revolution R4) with a small LED flashlight. But oh I've been tempted!!

 

[GSequoia]

So far, I have resisted the urge to subtly open one of the packages and replace what's inside (say an anxiously-awaited replacement Revolution R4) with a small LED flashlight. But oh I've been tempted!!

It's gotta be tough growing up with an evil mom.

 

[Carol.92124]

At least I'm good at it!! My brother (7-1/2 yrs older than me) was highly inventive in making my life full of surprises, so I had a good teacher.

 

[OverlandZJ]

Plus it is really annoying to forget to bring it in and have it die on the road.

I need a solution to charging my Ipod in the rig too for multi day roadtrips. Your thoughts are to charge as it's actually being used in the rig?

Please update how you accomplish this mod, i'm gonna need to copy it.

 

[GrimmJeeper]

most direct ipod hookups (the ones that allow you to connect directly to the ipod, without a USB adapter) charge while the ipod is playing. Alpine's Ai-Net hookup is of this type, but it uses a secondary box mounted under the dash to communicate with the radio and power the ipod (unless you have one of the newer models with the function built into the head unit).

this is exactly like the one i bought, but a bit more expensive
http://cgi.ebay.com/ALPINE-KCA-420i...ltDomain_2?hash=item41496a3907#ht_2571wt_1165

as you can see there is a +12v and a ground wire coming out of the connector. my ipod lives in my glove box now and only comes out when i want to add songs to it.

edit: also, to correct my above post, the charge would be a +5v not a +12v, i looked it up. you would need to wire a resistor inline with it. dont blame me if your fry your ipod

 

[GSequoia]

this is exactly like the one i bought, but a bit more expensive
http://cgi.ebay.com/ALPINE-KCA-420i...ltDomain_2?hash=item41496a3907#ht_2571wt_1165

Holy misleading eBay auction title!

I need a KCA420i for my Red Jeep but that ain't one of them.

I hate eBay slime.

 

[GrimmJeeper]

yea its not the whole box, but it will let the ipod play if you set it to aux, just wont control it for less than 10 bux tho you really cant complain that much

 

[GSequoia]

for less than 10 bux tho you really cant complain that much

I'll complain all I want thank you very much!


I've got a cable that's better than that already (has a dock connector, RCAs, and 1/8" phone jack), I need to control that iPod from the head unit so the Red Jeep can roll in style like my '96 and the Mini!

 

[wolfpackjeeper]

I need a solution to charging my Ipod in the rig too for multi day roadtrips. Your thoughts are to charge as it's actually being used in the rig?

Please update how you accomplish this mod, i'm gonna need to copy it.

Yea, I am trying to budget this low since the NANO did not charge with the cord in her truck (alpine specific), however her old IPOD gen2 charged, and her new classic charges just fine.

Yea, I got an extra usb cord I am hacking up, and I have an IPOD car charger I am bidding on on ebay. That way I can get the "meant for ipod" charger guts to hack up and use. Ill just splice it into the usb cable and see if it works.

Me and a buddy were talking about it and decided that was probably the best route, he said that the apple products have a pretty stringent tolerance for voltage fluctuations.

 

[kastein]

Should work fine. You're lucky, the USB spec requires the wire colors to be standardized (Red = +5V, Black = Ground, white/green = data+/data- not sure which is which.) Get yourself a pack of 0.1uF ceramic capacitors and 7805 +5 volt regulator from Radio Shack. Holding the regulator with the bolt hole at the top and the part number label toward you, solder a wire from a +12 volt source to the left most pin along with one lead of one of the capacitors. Solder the red wire from your hacked up USB cable to the right most pin, along with one lead of another capacitor. Now solder a ground wire from the vehicle, the black wire from your hacked up USB cable, and both of the free capacitor leads to the center pin of the regulator. Optionally you can put a half-amp or one-amp fuse on the input and output pins (+12V line and red wire.) You're done! insulate it up and stick it somewhere in the dashboard.

EDIT: I guess an ipod charger will work the same though I am way too cheap/lazy to do that... seeing as I have piles of the parts required sitting around in my junkbin usually.

 

[wolfpackjeeper]

Should work fine. You're lucky, the USB spec requires the wire colors to be standardized (Red = +5V, Black = Ground, white/green = data+/data- not sure which is which.) Get yourself a pack of 0.1uF ceramic capacitors and 7805 +5 volt regulator from Radio Shack. Holding the regulator with the bolt hole at the top and the part number label toward you, solder a wire from a +12 volt source to the left most pin along with one lead of one of the capacitors. Solder the red wire from your hacked up USB cable to the right most pin, along with one lead of another capacitor. Now solder a ground wire from the vehicle, the black wire from your hacked up USB cable, and both of the free capacitor leads to the center pin of the regulator. Optionally you can put a half-amp or one-amp fuse on the input and output pins (+12V line and red wire.) You're done! insulate it up and stick it somewhere in the dashboard.

EDIT: I guess an ipod charger will work the same though I am way too cheap/lazy to do that... seeing as I have piles of the parts required sitting around in my junkbin usually.

fantastic, thanks for the post. I can try this today (well depending on how long my systems test study group goes maybe tomorrow), the ipod charger I would have to wait a few days for the auction, and a few for the shipping. Might try radio shack later, although the snooty counter guy they have working is a dick.

 

[kastein]

just start spewing part numbers and questions about anything other than cell phones and batteries. Works for me every time! They stumble over their words and point in the direction of the parts drawers... or happen to be good with electronics and ask me what I'm building.

 

[wolfpackjeeper]

Yea, the guy who was there today asked and I told him. He looked over the little sketch I made and the parts and said it should work perfectly. I had already walked to the back and grabbed the stuff I needed.

I already had wire and and iron, it cost me $7.48 for the smallest project box, two capacitors, and a regulator. I managed to get everything together, no small feat when I got home and realized the tip on my iron was almost unusable, I had to go to work with some sand paper a few times. Tomorrow I will probably try to wire it into the truck. After our test we moved our other class way up, IP's probably want to be there on a Friday afternoon less than we do.