Mp3 player to radio problem - USA SPEC interface

[djbartu]

I bought from a local Circuit City, a USA SPEC mp3 to factory stereo adapter interface, (for product details see http://www.crutchfield.com/S-Pdg9f1LAMsd/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=227450&I=581DFF1) hooked it up as specified (simply unplug CD player and plug in the interface using the supplied cables) but it does not work. I get the NO DJ message on the radio display. I emailed USA SPEC but have not yet received an answer - and I don't know if they have a tech deptartment that ever will email me.

Has anyone tried this, or a similar product?

This product would be ideal if it worked - better quality sound and without the hassle of FM converter or cassette adapter. 99% of the time I listen to my Dell Digital Jukebox (currently over 2200 songs and space for a whole lot more) so I don't really mind unplugging the CD player. If I want to play a CD, I would just pull out the plug from the interface when I load the CD.

Any ideas?

 

[lndshark]

I got the same piece of SH%^%T in my trunk. Paid like a hundred buck for it, spent a hour and a half hooking it, that cd player plug was a pain to get out. Anyway, I fudged with it for like two weeks, tried everything, and coudlnt get it to work, I got the same no DJ. Only thing I could think of was on the wiring harness part that I used there was a ground wire, maybe that didnt get a good ground?

Seems I was pretty suspicious about the help infor supplied to, no 8 number etc. Let me know if you get yours working, my certainly never did. I wound up opening up my CD player, cleaning that and putting that back in.

Good luck,

brian

 

[djbartu]

Yeah, there was an extra black wire that looked like a ground so I grounded that - no help.

Actually, hooking it up on my SHOwagon is very easy; the plug you pull is right there in front of you ... takes about 2 seconds.

If I can't get mine to work and I get no email response from the company, I'll call them and if that doesn't work, the piece of s**t goes back to Circuit City for my money back, including the open headphhone jack to RCA cable they sold me!

 

[djbartu]

OK, I got it figured out and it does work properly. However, for anyone who may purchase this item, the first thing I would do is toss the instructions ... they are worthless. To hook up the interface, you have to pull 2 plugs out of the radio (not just the one like the instructions lead you to believe): the one to the CD player and the main lead from the dash (the plug closest to the antenna input). Then the main lead from the dash gets plugged into a receptacle of the supplied harness (they call it the CAS-F20) the two other plugs from the supplied harness plug into the now empty slots on the radio and the last empty receptacle attaches to the supplied CAS-F12 cable which goes to the interface. Got it? Well, it's easier to do than it is to write.

As for the performance of the interface adapter, you have to turn the volume of your mp3 player up to max and turn the stereo up a lot just to get a decent volume. So with the factory SHO stereo, you cannot crank your tunes with this piece. But at normal listening volume, it works OK. There is no hiss that was audible through the cassette player (I would get terrible ignition noise with mine "electro-tach??"), or static that would sometimes be a problem with an FM converter.

Is it worth the $59 (+ headphone to RCA adapter, + extension cable to run up to the front of the car)? Yeah, I guess so. It's a little disappointing that you can't jam with it but I can probably rip/download music at higher rates to get a little better quality.

 

[lndshark]

Glad to see you got it to work!!!!!

Yeah, the instructions are crap. Did you pull the plug out of the back of the football, or did you pull it out of the silver radio box in the trunk. I have the same thing that has just been sitting forever.

Could you maybe post some pictures?

Id love to get mine working.

Thanks and good work.

I spent probably ten hour fussing with the stupid thing before I put my cd player back in.

 

[djbartu]

Did you pull the plug out of the back of the football, or did you pull it out of the silver radio box in the trunk.

Just out of the radio in back. I'll dig out the digital camera and snap a few shots to post. (As they say, "a picture is worth a thousand words"). It's actually a simple hookup - if the instructions would just tell you how to do it.

 

[lndshark]

Great, Id sure appreciate the pictures. I hope my hookup is the same. I bought the one that a little more expensive, like 99, it is actually made to hook up to and IPOD that you can control via the football.

So theorethically when I get it hooked up I will be able to control the IPOD, safely tucked away in the trunk, via the football.

thanks

brian

 

[djbartu]

The photos I took came out really crappy - to close to focus, so I explained the wiring diagram below.

I hope this helps.

 

[lndshark]

Gtocha, thanks a bunch. when my wife gets back from the store Ill give it a shot.

Thanks again
brian