95 Honda HeadUnit + Ipod

Hello, first post.  I was linked here from www.honda-tech.com another bad ass forum. 

To my question I have a 95 Prelude Vtec with the factory headunit and CD deck.

I would like to add the Ipod, but I would rather use the input the HU already uses for the CD player instead of the Tape adapter or FM trans.  I was thinking I may be able to use a switch to go between the CD player and the Ipod. 

Is this possible?  Has anyone done something similar and knows the pins already?  If not is there a good method of testing the pins to find whats left and right + and - ?  I have a multimeter and am prefecient in wiring, I just havn't done anything like this, so help would be appreciated. 

BTW AWESOME! forum!

Thanks

Matt

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95 Honda Prelude (OEM CD deck)
2 - Orion XTr 10's
100 watt Alpine(old as piss)

You will need something like this auxillary input adaptor. It allows you to connect something with rca audio outputs (like an iPod or satelite radio tuner) to your factory deck. I'm not sure if it will work or not with your setup though, because you have the factory CD player also. You might want to call P.I.E or whoever you want to buy it from and check.

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I also found this which would let you control your ipod through your factory deck. You would have to disconnect your factory CD player to use it though. https://www.discountcarstereo.com/detail.aspx?ID=717

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Nice links if I can't get it my self I will think of this forsure.  The thing is that those remove the CD player as an option, and I want to beable to switch between CD and Ipod.  I figured that i would need a switch relay setup.  If I can't get a switch going then I'll just use the tape adapter.

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95 Honda Prelude (OEM CD deck)
2 - Orion XTr 10's
100 watt Alpine(old as piss)

I think you can use the first adaptor I listed, and keep your CD player still. It looks like crutchfield sells it too, https://www.crutchfield.com/S-rW7D4YFroCy/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=227450&id=detailed_info&i=469HONAUX  so you might want to give them a call.

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No I can not use that adapter and still keep the CD player.  There is only one input on the back of my deck.  The CD player uses it now, so i would have to unplug it to use the adapter.

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95 Honda Prelude (OEM CD deck)
2 - Orion XTr 10's
100 watt Alpine(old as piss)

Here's the quickest solution I can come up with, but it'll involve some hacking:

Buy the adapter.  Hook it up, then measure for continuity from pins on the changer plug to the L/R RCA's.  You can tie both left signal negatives together.  You can also tie both right signal positives together. 

Now wire the signal positives on the factory changer to N/C contacts of a couple relays.  Wire the signal positives on the adapter to the N/O contacts of the same relays.  You'll need to wire a switch up to control the relays.  Get power from an accessory wire. 

With the relays at rest, the CD player will play, with the relays energized, the Ipod will.

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My ex once told me I have a perfect face for radio.

Thats how I pictured the relay function, but I wasn't sure if I would be able to find a switch that would handle at least 4 wires.  I found some connectors,

https://www.halted.com/ccp16410-8-pin-din--cable-mount-plug-din-8pb-gen102.htm ,: https://www.halted.com/ccp16409-8-pin-din--chassis-mount-socket-din-8sb-gen101.htm ,: https://www.electronicsurplus.com/ccp87108-new-8-pin-28m29-din-connectors-mp-sc-8-142951.htm ,:

but I'm not sure if they have the same dimensions as the plug on my CD-Player which I measured. 

They do look alike, anyone know for sure?

As for the switch, I havn't even begun to look for a switch.  I thought I could run a relay switch array.  I'm not really sure what to call it. 

Anyways thanks for the help.

Matt

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95 Honda Prelude (OEM CD deck)
2 - Orion XTr 10's
100 watt Alpine(old as piss)

Actually I just thought about your post somemore.  I was thining or maybe puting a switch on the CD player so that it dosn't spin while the Ipod is playing.  Actually I was kinda thinking of ditching the adapter totally and just ues the wires straight from the lineoutput on the of the Ipod to the switcher. 

Is this a bad idea because you need the adapter to "fool" the HU into "playing a CD" off the "Aux. input converter"? lol

anyways thanks again for the help

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95 Honda Prelude (OEM CD deck)
2 - Orion XTr 10's
100 watt Alpine(old as piss)

I found this the second connector is the correct one. I believe that the others are not the correct connector.
https://www.amabilidade2002.com/plugsjacks3.htm

I also found this write-up:
https://www.stanford.edu/~voloshin/lprojects.html

it is a much older model, but he used a resistor to fool the HU into thinking there was a CD-PLayer.

What am I missing?

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95 Honda Prelude (OEM CD deck)
2 - Orion XTr 10's
100 watt Alpine(old as piss)

I would use the auxillary input adaptor so you don't have to do to much butchering. You could use a switch (some relays) to switch between the auxillary input and the factory CD player probobly.

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Alright, so my plan is to use a DPDT switch to swap the L+ and R+ of the CD-Deck and the IPod.  Will this cause any signal interferance?  I planed on hooking both signal grounds to the HU at the same time.  Should I switch the signal grounds too?

Thanks

matt

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95 Honda Prelude (OEM CD deck)
2 - Orion XTr 10's
100 watt Alpine(old as piss)

No, there's no need to switch the signal grounds.  Just keep it simple, and let us know how it goes.

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My ex once told me I have a perfect face for radio.