auxillary input

[e_piph_a_ny]

The RCA jacks do not natively merge together. However, RadioShack probably has a hybrid frankenstein-esque cable that is similar to what you are asking for.

[Wicked]

I am also confused about Hondas setup with the XM.
I want to use my Sirius if possible.

In my Ford, all I had to do was pull the radio and plug in an adapter in the antenna female in the back of the radio, then plug the male antenna into the adapter, and tune to 88.1 FM and my portable worked perfectly.

The adapter brought the signal straight to and from the radio.

Can I do this with the RTS?

I would like to have the XM integrated into the radio, but not for $250.

[Drewman]

Hey guys-

I got an aux input box from Ebay for about $50 that does everything I need it to. I wired a mini-jack into one of the blank panels on the dash- but it could go anywhere. Try searching Ebay for 'Ridgeline AUX input'. I got the plug at Radioshack for $2.39 and a mini stereo cable from some old earphones. Works great when I hit the AUX button on the radio. The only thing that I would have done differently is use a better cable from the jack to the box as I occasionally get some alternator whine when driving around at low speeds and quiet music. A nice shielded one would probably have solved that. Maybe I'll get ambitious when it warms up a bit.

[djeaux]

Bear in mind that the connector on the back of the head unit is not merely an AUX input. It is an AUX interface. The head unit buttons can control an external device (just as they do for XM). Even a simple AUX input needs to deal with this set-up. There are relatively inexpensive solutions. The Car2Aux adapter for Hondas is $55 & provides one set of RCA connectors.



These adapters (not just the Car2Aux shown above) plug into the back of the head unit with a: & if used along with an OEM ((XM)) receiver, a Y-cable is needed, too.

The same outfit makes interfaces that allow head unit button control for iPod, Axim or Palm handhelds (or Treo phones), or even computers via USB. These "controller" interfaces cost about $75. They aren't as "pretty" as USA Spec adapters, but they're a lot cheaper. I've had mine for almost a year with no problems other than the 3M sticky mount coming lose a couple of times

I don't know of any AUX interfaces that will control a non-OEM ((XM)) or Sirius radio from the head unit & certainly none that display significant data on the head unit LCD. (My Car2PC adapter will show time elapsed on mp3s playing on my laptop but won't show the id3 tags...)

[Altamont]

have had a Ridge for two years, and have tried both XM and Sirius tuners with FM modulation, and an ipod cable that only lets me control it through the ipod itself. in one 400 mile trip I have to retune the FM modulation four times as I pass thru cities.

I am going to get a new head unit with built in XM and the ipod cable that lets me fully control it from the radio/steering wheel controls. my HU sounds kind of muddled, probably both the speakers and the HU. we will see.

[Pug]

Originally Posted by shovelhd

I'm just telling you what the wiring diagram says. There's nothing about voltages, whether they're differential outputs, important things like that. The connector is proprietary so you'd have to bugger something up.

A question sorta along the same lines occurred to me...
The signal the subwoofer uses originates from the HU's LEFT REAR speaker circuit, right? Is this signal "conditioned" in any way within the HU before it is passed to the sub. Would using any other output to feed the OEM sub (or any other, for that matter) offer an inadequate signal by comparison?

Unrelated: What does the abbreviation "SCTY" mean/refer to?

I've often "buggered-up" connections between inputs/outputs, but having no true input in this circumstance tends to put a damper on things.
Having the AUX input on my dash seems like it was a design afterthought, as far as I'm concerned. The big volume difference while using the AUX jack makes me think that some sort of "standardization" should have been built-in to make knob-turning less of a necessity.

BIG volume differences between my FM and CD too.
Isn't this one effect of "differential outputs"?

[gimli]

I wanted to run my portable XM through an aux jack as well as my Ipod but of course there ain't one (shame on you Honda!! My Element had one) so I had a Dice unit installed and it sucked royal. They ordered a second unit and it sucks too. The Ipod interface sounds fine but everytime I turn the truck off the Ipod resets into repeat mode and loses it's shuffle feature until I reprogram it. The XM AUx plug has so much hum/whine you can't stand to listen to it so I'm taking it back tomorrow and having the dealer pull the Dice until OUT and buying a whole new radio with an AUX jack built in. Oh yeah, if you are having any sound equipment installed and then find your dimmer switch for your dash lights won't work...it's cause the sound guys didn't replug the dash lights!

[shovelhd]

Pug,

I don't know what "SCTY" stands for. Nothing comes to mind.

I don't know if the sub output is conditioned, i.e. equalized, limited, crossed over, etc. In general, you can use any speaker level signal to tap a sub amp input as long as the amp has high level inputs and a crossover built in. Many sub amps have two (L+R) high level inputs so you can tap both sides. You will lose the ability to control the sub level from the HU.

What you're seeing with the volume mismatches is an impedance mismatch. The aux input is designed for a certain impedance signal. If the impedance is exactly right, the levels between the two devices will match, and all is well. When one is off, it can be too soft or too loud (overdriven).

Differential inputs are used when grounding one side of the signal is not desired, i.e. in high noise environments. There are two signal wires and no signal ground (although there is usually a shield and one end is grounded). The amplitude of the signal is the difference between the signals on the wires, instead of a voltage above ground. I don't know what the OEM HU uses on the aux input.

[wrenrj1]

I'm about to take the plunge and buy one of these. Does anyone have pics of where their Aux inputs come out of the dash? I'm thinking of using one of the plates in between the 12v outlets for the Aux input, but not sure where the Ipod cord will be.

[wrenrj1]

I'm gonna post this as a thread pretty quick as well, as my dash is torn apart and I need my truck tomorrow, but...Here are a few questions

1. Where to mount the USA SPEC box...I'm thinking about leaving it loose in the glove box.

2. Where to mount an Aux input jack for XM (or better yet a suggestion on a clean XM head unit install).

3. How to punch out one of those blank switch plates between the power outlets?

The USA SPEC product DOES work as advertised by the way!

Any quick replies would be helpful.