I have a sony head unit laying around (and some speakers) from my last car and I was just wondering if anyone has ever made a car cd player into something that you can plug into the wall and use for a home stereo. I'm pretty sure its possible. Any specifics I could get like a how-to, or a link would be great. I wanted to post this in the wiring forum of 6gc, but I thought it was too off topic.

thanks!

Yeah, you need a D/C converter. Radio shack sells what you need for like 60-100 bucks. it has to convert A/C to D/C, NOT vice-versa.

they're hard to find due to the popularity of dc-ac inverters (so people can use regular plugs in their cars ) but you want one to do the exact opisite, convert the wall outlet to direct current. I've got mine from a pawn shop, that's how they test head-unites and subs.

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/1YAY4

This is an example, but 400W will easily push a head unit w/ regular speakers. Now if you want to push a amp w/ subs too, you'll need a bigger one. The example above is for a 400W converter.

EDIT: after you have a power source; you'd wire it like a regular car stereo; just splice the Constant and Acc. Now; If you want to save radio stations, presets, ect; then you're going to want to put a toggle switch on the acc line between the inverter & the head unit; so that you can turn the radio off; but save the station. (and use mimimal power) but be fore-warned; DC converters use up a fair amount of electricity.

Have fun

This post has been edited by D-Man: Jun 20, 2008 - 2:03 PM

i've been using one for my room for the past 5 years.
it's a Sony cdx-m301 and i'm using the rear line-out RCA jacks as my output to my logitech computer speakers, and the line-in RCA jacks as the input from my PC.
i can get a ac/dc convertor here for like $20. basically you twist the red (battery - constant 12V) and the yellow (ignition/ACC - switched 12V) wires from the stereo together and connect them to the positive end of the convertor. and ground the black wire from the stereo. no need to have a toggle switch if you stereo has a on/off button.

Yeah, but it'll use a sh!t load more power, because the head unit will still be powered "on"

Personaly, i flip the hard swtich on the inverter when i'm done. Personaly. (But i pay the electric bill in my house )

i would like to do this so all i would need is a coverter,headunit,speakers,and speaker wire??wat if i wanted to add amp and subs??where would i plug in the amp power??thanks

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Same as the head unit, you'd put the amps power&acc w/ the headunits power&acc all to the positive, and all the gounds to the neg.

Now you'll need a biger one than the example i showed earlier; something capable of pushing the headunit and the subs.

Personaly, i have this setup (w/o head unit) but 2 - 12's in a banpass behind my couch with a 10 in the center of my entertainment. that makes 5(2's).3 surround sound system

w/ my bigscreen it makes watching a move, into experiencing a movie

hahah ill watch pearl harbor lol BA BOOM BOOM thx

This post has been edited by CelicaST_CALI: Jun 20, 2008 - 4:22 PM

Yeah, it's cool and all, but i gotta keep it turned WAY down; (b/c i live in a little appartment right now) but when i had my old trailor, ****, i used to rattle that whole damn thing, i loved it (i miss that place )