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Positive ground MP3 audio installation

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Hey all,

I know it's not original but I still like to use my PDA to play music in my 1964 POSITIVE GROUND MGB. However since this is considered a non-original add-on I'd like to keep the rest of my car so original as possible and therefore would like to stick to positive ground if possible.

As far as I am aware there are the following things I need to connect:
- Power connection for my PDA
- Audio cable for my PDA to an audio amplifier
- Audio cables from my audio amplifier to my two speakers

Nothing has been bought so far.

First the power connection to my PDA. This is prefarably a cigarette lighter connection so I can use my normal connection cable. Which problems will I occur here with the car being positive ground?

Second the audio amplifier. Allthough this one should be easy to isolate I was wondering if there are no dual-polarity 12V audio amplifiers available.

Third the speakers. Are these sensative to positive/negative ground as well? Or doesn't it matter if I mount them to my car without worrying about isolation?

Hope someone can help me out a bit here /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Do you Really want to introduce your PDA to the Prince of Darkness? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Mark
 
Yes I do. Call me crazy but I actually have GPS on it as well /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
What I would do is get a positive ground radio and get an FM modulator and hook it up to my PDA and then tune th radio in to the station and listen to the MP3s that way. What do you think about that?
 
guess what i would do since you want to keep the positive ground, and i would certianly error on the side of caution here, would be to use a separate battery. and isolate ALL of the stereo components

the more i think about this the more i would swap to a negative ground car. Might be easier. but that is just me.


There has got to be a better way.


mark
 
Sounds like an idea but actually I will receive an original radio for my MGB in about a week. The sound quality however will be very poor. I'll connect it (to the original speaker) but I will basically only use it cause it looks nice. Real sound needs new equipment I am afraid.
 
But if the speakers are not polarity sensitive, and I can find a dual-polarity AMP (I've seen some around using Google), wouldn't my problems be solved then? What about a power inverter for both the PDA and the AMP?
 
i would still isolate the stereo speakers, just so nothing could bleed thru. How big an amp will you be using? a power inverter i think would probaly work ok

mark
 
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