Line in on the stock radio.

I have the stock 99 or so, radio/tape player.
I plan to put a laptop (or parts of) behind the console, for engine monitoring, and MP3 playing, amongst other tasks.
However, I haven't found a suitable (cheap or free) display, so I'd like to run the laptop sound into the stock radio.
Is this possible easily, or does it involve dissecting the
radio - which I do not have the code for.

Probably one of those tape to line in things would be your best bet.

just checking, so u want to: "have a laptop in the centre console somewhere where u can listen to music. however u want the sound to come off ur laptop into the radio/cd player and then out through the standard car speakers??"

Napster

Thinking about this some more, im not sure if its going to be easy AT ALL!!!???

id like to think of myself as quite an ELECTRICALL kind of person lol (someone will proberly say otherwise lol), but ther is quite a lot of wires u will need and then, im still not sure if it will work?? :-(

the other thing is the standard TAPE player u got with the car. might need upgrading, might not.

after thinking about how it can be done, "I THINK......That you would have to bypass the speakers from the tape player. this means u wont have any sound coming from the unit at all cause they are linked to the laptop. however u could add 2, second wires in to get sound from the laptop and the tape player, but its a bit RISKY :-("

email me or reply if u want me 2explain more :-)

hope i havent put u off too much, but ill have another think about it :-)

Napster

I don't think the factory radios have line inputs.

One option would be an FM modulator which transmits the signal in high quality FM and you tune the radio into that frequency. These are common in cars for all kinds of uses ranging from CD stackers, aftermarket phone kits etc.

cisco i do agree, cause the standard tape player has not got a line iput or RCA adapter.

this means an upgrade to start with.

u where saying about sending a FREQUENCY to the tape player, but how can u do that from the laptop??

Napster

You can get these little FM modulator things.
You would plug it into the laptop's sound output jack and the Fm modulator automatically broadcasts it to FM. Then just tune the tape player into that frequency on its radio.

You can get heaps of different FM modulators. Some powered by battery are quite small, others run off 12v etc.

well i didnt know that cisco, there i was being all COMPLICATED lol when there was a simple solution.

i had never heard of them, so i didnt think about that lol.
i will look into these MODULATORS, cause im INTRIGUED lol

Napster

You can also buy adapters that plug into the antenna at the back of the tape deck. it should feed a better signal than the over the air stuff, but you are still limited to the confines of FM radio.

I have one of these

http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/443206bd06ba81de2741c0a87f9c06fa/Product/View/XH6171

for my mp4 player. Charming little thing that runs off your cars DC and plugs into a 3.5mm stereo jack. You then choose whatever radio signal you want (whatever one has no noise/music/interference) then tune you radio into the signal it is producing. Its like an itty-bitty radio station creator for your car.

If you wanna be fancy, get a sticker made up of your station and put it on your car so people around u can tune in too! :D

Theres also a cheaper version,

http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/443206bd06ba81de2741c0a87f9c06fa/Product/View/XH8217

But only chooses from 4 frequencies. Also, doesnt have the 'run off car DC' option, so replacing batteries will become a weekly habit.