Ipod & Satellite Radio interface

[Patrick Wilson]

I purchase a USASPEC Auxiliary Interface for my 2001 factory radio from Circuit City. Here is a description from the website



Provides 2 standard auxiliary inputs through Factory OEM Radio.



Easily connect (up to 2) MP3 players, iPods, DVD players, or any portable stereo device to your factory radio for pure digital sound. Connects through your factory radio's CD Changer port, which insures the highest possible sound quality. Sound quality is far superior to FM Modulated units and tape cassette adapters.



For more info

http://www.usaspec.com/aux2.html



I am using the interface for my XM radio (I do not have a Ipod yet). I hear some interference when using the audio jack on the car cradle. For now I am using the headphones jack for the audio output to the factory radio.



The interface does not control the satellite radio from the factory radio; I use the satellite radio remote to change stations.

 

[Will Byington]

For others who are interested in doing this who already have an Ipod, get the USA-Spec Ipod Interface (Link at bottom). With this you can control your Ipod with the factory radio, and hide the actual Ipod out of the way (mine is in my console, out of sight for crooks). The interface hooks up through the CD Changer connection and basically tells the Ford factory radio that each "disc" on the changer is an Ipod playlist, and each "track" on the disc is a track on your Ipod. You can also use the shuffle control.



If you have an Ipod and satellite radio, you can plug the sat. radio into the Ipod interface via the available RCA jacks. Then "Disc 6" becomes your Sat. radio. That way you get all the functionality that Patrick described above for sat. radio, but you get better controls for your Ipod.