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Tips
Tips

CD player hookup suggestions

roofman

Jedi Knight
Offline
Hooking up a cd player to my 72 TR6. Where should I get the power from?
 
I actually hooked up an IPOD jack to my TR-6, through an original AM/FM radio and an FM modulator. So, I have an authentic 1970s pushbutton radio, that plays my IPOD tunes, (which are 60s and 70s tunes anyways.)

I just connect my IPOD shuffle to an input jack that I installed on one of the side kidney panels. (no power hookup for the IPOD, although you could do that) and I can disconnect the IPOD with ease. You may want to look into the IPOD vs the CDs. I found the CDs scratch easily, are cumbersome to carry around, and don't hold nearly enough songs as the IPOD.

Plus, when I drive my 15 year old daughter around, she can easily plug in HER IPOD, but those are tunes that should never be heard coming from a TR-6!

Please let me know if you have any more questions.

great looking TR, BTW.
 
Good tip, but for now just want to install a regular cd player in the car and need to know suggestions for getting a power source in the car.
Battery?
Fuse box?
Under dash, which wire?
Ignition switch which # spade hookup?
or other ideas?
 
I just installed a Jensen CD player in my TR3, that I had converted to neg. ground. With most newer CD players, you'll need to use 2 different hot wire hookups.
One wire will be used to keep the memory of the channels you preset and the other wire will be to turn the unit on and off. The preset/memory wire must be connected to a hot power wire that is on/hot at all times. The 2nd wire/on/off wire should be connected to the ignition switch.With both wires, I'd use an inline fuse to prevent fires/burned wires.
As for where the wires are located on a TR6 I can't help. I used a light tester to locate the wires I used with my TR3. Once you locate the wires, I just used plastic inline wire connectors, very easy to install. Good Luck
 
How did everyone hook thier's up?
 
I haven't done any re-wiring of my TR6 radio yet but on my other daily drivers I have always direct wired to the battery with an inline fuse and grounded to the frame. Never any problems and allows me to listen when ever I want.

I'm sure this is what I will do to my Tr when the opportunity presents itself unless this thread finds this be be a dreadful option.......
 
Roof: Not the expert by any means, here; but
according to Dan Masters, (TR Electronics Guru), I think you are looking for a purple wire for power.

This is because the purple wires are hot all of the time
and it is a fused circuit. Seems there should be no
need to reinvent the wheel.

My car stereo, '74 TR, was hooked up to a purple wire.
I believe the intrusion from previous owners has been
negligible on my car. The idea that you can play
music at any time; i.e., ignition on or off, and have
a fused circuit, makes sense to me.

My suggestion is to go for a purple wire.

2wrench
 
I connected the 'switched' power to the original radio wire (I think it was white and pink).

And connected the 'hot' wire to one of the 'hot all the time' wires on the ignition harness. The harness between the key switch and the connector comes out pretty easily. I just carefully cut back the insulation, soldered on a jumper wire, then covered it all back up with shrink wrap.

If you don't have an original radio wire, you should be able to tie it in on the ignition switch harness as well.

I put an inline fuse on both wires.
 
Hi 2Wrench, Yes the purple wires are hot all the time and yes they are fused at the fuse box. However, that fuse is not sized to protect add on electronics and I strongly recommend an additional fuse in the circuit to protect the added electronics. With a radio this is adequately handled by its own in line input/memory fuses.--Fwiw--Keoke
 
Roofman
My Alpine CD player has a 10a fuse on the live wire (yellow) which I connected direct to the battery +, following the ignition wire harness thru the firewall.
I connected the power on wire (red un-fused) to the ignition accessory tab.
I don't like modifying the original wiring. I learnt this last month when part of my ignition harness caught fire from some mods the PO did.
Regards
Craig
 
Keoke said:
Hi 2Wrench, Yes the purple wires are hot all the time and yes they are fused at the fuse box. However, that fuse is not sized to protect add on electronics and I strongly recommend an additional fuse in the circuit to protect the added electronics. With a radio this is adequately handled by its own in line input/memory fuses.--Fwiw--Keoke


I agree, you would want to stay totally independent of your stock harness.

Why would you want a CD? I ditched mine, couldn't hear the dang thing anyway.
 
I just want to fill the hole, and have some tunes when in the mood.
 
I have a Radio/CD/MP3 player I use in my TR I just temporarily hook it directly to the battery {Both Hot and Ground} the reason is I NEVER leave it in the car! The wired plug that came with the player is permanantly wired to the battery and speakers. to use the player I just plug it into this wired plug, plug the antenae in and im good to go.
Someone mentioned {NOT enough songs on a cd}
Useing the .MP3 format I have put as many as 250 songs on one cd {Sometimes less depending on the file sizes} but well over 200 songs. THATS a lot of listening!
 
Thanks for the tips guys.
 
I have to disagree with some of the advice being given... there's no need to reinvent the wheel here. Whatever stereo you choose should come with instructions as to what each wire should connect to; speakers, etc. The 'power' wires should be marked as 'switched' (i.e. turning on and off when the key is turned to the RUN position) and 'constant' (i.e. always hot).

The 'constant' power enables your stereo to conserve things like station settings (and in newer stereos, MP3 and album names, pictures etc.) You can easily find a constant power supply under the dash, and make a clean (and reversible) splice using commonly available connectors. Often, a cigarette lighter (if constant) is used.

The 'switched' power shuts down most components when the key is removed, avoiding draining your battery (for example, if the stereo has a hard time ejecting a CD and tries to do so over and over.) Again, your dash is probably filled with sources of switched power.

Unless you're running a massive stereo, amps and large speakers, the current draw should not be excessive. Even less so if replacing an existing stereo. As with any such work, take the opportunity to replace all your fuses, clean the fusebox contacts with emery paper and/or contact cleaner spray.

And if you really want to sit in the car, while turned off, and listen to the radio? Err... put the key in the ignition. Done and done.

My two cents,

Duncan, Ottawa

'78 Midget 1500
'77 VW Rabbit resto
'67 VV P1800 RIP
 
I agree with TR674. Run a line carefully and straight to the battery. This has a few advantages: you are not cutting up existing wiring, you eliminate the risk of tapping into a wire thats either inadequate, or insufficiently fused, and finally, there's no guess work.

But going directly to the battery, like any electrical work, should be clean and neat. Make sure you use an appropriatly sized terminal lug that bolts cleanly to the post - no bare wires. And you MUST attach an inline fuse as close as possible to the battery post to prevent any accidental grounding. Ideally, even when the fuse is removed, the remaining tail to the battery should covered and not be exposed to any metal.
 
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