Hi,

I have a satnav system that has a standard 3.5mm headphone jack as an alternative to the crappy speaker built in. I would really like to "inject" this sound into whatever is playing on my Audio 10 system.

I know about the AUX option but this is not what I want to do. I want to overlay the sound coming from the Audio 10 with the voice instructions from the satnav and for the sounds from the satnav to be routed from the unit through the car's speakers even if the Audio 10 is switched off. is there such a setup that anyone knows of? I guess what I need is a box with an headphone jack in / Aux in socket and then an option to take speaker leads from audio 10 and have out leads goind to the speakers.

Anyone help??

Cheers.
Paul

 

Doing a sound overlay would be difficult and having it play while the Audio 10 system is off would be even more difficult. Think of your headunit as the brain of the sound system and the speakers as the limbs. When the brain is off you aren't going to be able to play anything through the speakers. An AUX option would by far be the easiest, but the only downside is that it would have to be switched to AUX to hear the sound of the satnav...which just isn't practical. You could get another headunit as you mentioned and then splice all of the speaker wires to go to BOTH headunits, but frankly thats not worth the trouble...not to mention the fiberoptic system may not be able to allow that. From my experience, an aftermarket headunit that would allow for some type of audio overlay (which I've never heard of) would be your best option. Other than that, I dare say you're going to end up spending a lot of money trying to accomplish something that won't even have a high quality of sound, and it could end up degrading your music sound quality in the process. Buy yourself a loud powered speaker with a line in. Splice the power to the unit so it always powers up when you turn on your car. Hide it under your dash and run the line out straight to that speaker. That way you won't have to compromise the Audio 10 setup and it can be completely removed. My $0.02 ...

 

Hi,

What about those car kits that push the sound through the cars front speakers - could one of those be adapted perhaps?

Cheers,
Paul

 

Some cars have a speaker behind the right front kick panel that was to be used by the Teleaid (similar to On Star) system. You could get a small amp for that speaker and send the NAV sound to that speaker. My car had the speaker, and I connect it to my laptop which runs NAV. I attached this little $ 10. amp near the speaker to accept the signal from the laptop.

http://www.gibsonteched.com/ck003.html

The 2005 and up cars with MOST (media orientated system transport) use a DSP (digital signal processor) for the audio control and signal. Only the AUX INPUT allows an analog signal to be sent to the speakers. That has no ability to mix the analog signal with the digital signal from the radio and CD player.

 

Hi

My W203 is an early 2001 with no AUX and as far as I know no MOST or Fiber. Also the UK cars did not have teleaid and therefore not the speaker you mention either.

Cheers,
Paul

 

It would be an unreasonable amount of work to do what you're looking for.

I think it would be a better idea to come up with a way to play your nav's sound on its own speaker. For instance, why not take the amp mentioned above and use it to power your center speaker? Depending on wether or not you have the Bose or H/K system, your center speaker might not even be in use right now.

 

Okay, thanks for the advice. I didn't think there was a centre speaker on the Euro W203. I have a front central Air Vent on the dash - is this where the USA cars have a speaker? I have a C240 Saloon 2001 with standard Audio10 system.

Cheers,
Paul

 

Some US cars with BOSE sound systems have a wee speaker in the oval grill on top of the dash. I am not sure about UK cars. It is possible that the UK market used an analog (analogue for our UK friends) volume control back in 2001. I have not seen a drawing for an audio 10, but if it is analog you can connect a cable through a couple of .22 isolation caps to the volume control. This would mix the external source over what ever the head unit was playing.

Not real easy, may need an attenuator to balance the sound, but possible.

 

Thanks for all the advice everyone. I think I will go with the mini Amp option. I have an old Nokia speaker that was frm a CARK1 car kit 8ohm that works but is quiet. I think the little amp would be ideal.

Will not mute the stereo but I can live with that.


Cheers,
Paul