I have a cheap home stereo integrated amplifier (radioshack - accurian) that is not being used with an efficient bookshelf speakers. I have an unused PC ATX powersupply with 12VDC out.
Can I pickup a car radio-CD player and rig it so I can output to a home stereo amplifier and play on a bookshelf speaker?
Anyone with a similar setup? thanks,
gychang
Can I pickup a car radio-CD player and rig it so I can output to a home stereo amplifier and play on a bookshelf speaker?
Anyone with a similar setup? thanks,
gychang
Of course you can rig up your car stereo as you described........It is a common practice......usually they are set up in garages as the car stereo will be sprouting wires for the power supply and speakers, not the best looking set-up. Check the current output of the 12 Volt supply. An output of four amps or so should do just fine. Read the power consumption of the stereo in amps, sometimes it will be printed on the back of the unit. A smaller power supply of say just one amp might be overstressed, but can be used if the volume level is kept low.
_________________________________________________________Rick......
_________________________________________________________Rick......
this is great!, guess will have to take a look at the amperage rating of the ATX PS and should be reasonably close to radio-CD unit.
thanks again, now have to look around the used radio-CD that I like.
gychang
Chang??
Ok..Do you want to run a pair of speakers off the Car-stereo?
Your description was a little confusing, it almost sounded like you wanted to run the car-stereo thru this integrated amp and THEN to the speakers.
Kinda pointless doing it this way as the car-stereo has an amp in it.
You will find out quite soon that the quality of a common car-stereo will quite probably out perform your "integrated amplifier".
______________________________________________________Rick.......
Ok..Do you want to run a pair of speakers off the Car-stereo?
Your description was a little confusing, it almost sounded like you wanted to run the car-stereo thru this integrated amp and THEN to the speakers.
Kinda pointless doing it this way as the car-stereo has an amp in it.
You will find out quite soon that the quality of a common car-stereo will quite probably out perform your "integrated amplifier".
______________________________________________________Rick.......
I was hoping to use bookshelf stereo speaker which is rated at 8Ohms with sensitivity of 88dB (made for "home amplifier").
If the car-stereo unit has enough power than my radioshack integrated amp will not be needed. I hope the quality of the car unit will out perform my "stereo" amp.
gychang
Wire harnesses for car stereo head units (the bunch of wires that plugs into the multipin Molex connector in back) are usually color-coded to make installing easier. So your constant 12V wire might be yellow, but you'd also have a switched 12V line that might be red, for example. Both would need to be hooked up for the unit to turn on 
Wire harnesses for car stereo head units (the bunch of wires that plugs into the multipin Molex connector in back) are usually color-coded to make installing easier. So your constant 12V wire might be yellow, but you'd also have a switched 12V line that might be red, for example. Both would need to be hooked up for the unit to turn on
that's very helpful, thanks.
gychang
There are very inexpensive new car stereos here: http://www.crutchfield.com/c_3/Car-Audio-Video.html
I have bought several new car stereos from these folks over the last decade with great results.
You should be very wary of any used car stereo you find, a great many of them will be broken and they are next to impossible to repair for the mere mortal. (I've done it, and I will never, ever do it again.)
A 15W per channel car stereo should be able to produce fairly obscene spls (LOUD) in your garage with the speakers you mention.
Note also that most car stereo amplifiers have floating outputs and you must keep the wiring for both channels fully independent of each other or you will blow up the amplifier ICs.
I recommend no less than a 5A 13.8V supply, and for good performance it should probably be a linear type. Most ATX supplies will not operate if the 5V outputs are not loaded so your idea may have some issues besides the relative lack of available output current.
One personal recommendation I have would be to avoid Clari*n, (just my opinion and a particular personal bias) based on a bad experience with one of their early models. You may have better luck, but I have generally stuck with Kenwood and Alpine and have been happy.
I have done exactly what you propose with very good results several times in the past where I used such a system in my bedroom.
I have bought several new car stereos from these folks over the last decade with great results.
You should be very wary of any used car stereo you find, a great many of them will be broken and they are next to impossible to repair for the mere mortal. (I've done it, and I will never, ever do it again.)
A 15W per channel car stereo should be able to produce fairly obscene spls (LOUD) in your garage with the speakers you mention.
Note also that most car stereo amplifiers have floating outputs and you must keep the wiring for both channels fully independent of each other or you will blow up the amplifier ICs.
I recommend no less than a 5A 13.8V supply, and for good performance it should probably be a linear type. Most ATX supplies will not operate if the 5V outputs are not loaded so your idea may have some issues besides the relative lack of available output current.
One personal recommendation I have would be to avoid Clari*n, (just my opinion and a particular personal bias) based on a bad experience with one of their early models. You may have better luck, but I have generally stuck with Kenwood and Alpine and have been happy.
I have done exactly what you propose with very good results several times in the past where I used such a system in my bedroom.
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, but I haven't had any experience with their other units. Besides, it'd be way overkill for what he wants to do, anyway
You could also run down to Rat Shack & get a Two-pack of Ten Ohm power resistors for a couple bucks to load down the 5V supply.STK # 217-132, Ten Ohm 10W. So the five volts will see half an Amp, for 2.5W, well under the 10W rating & it should be a nice load for the regulators to be happy. Point is, does the 12V supply also need a minimum load to operate.
_______________________________________________________________Rick...
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