Topic: Tunes for the trail

[spoolnaround]

This is a topic I never see discussed.  I am pulling my hair out traveling to and from the trail board out of my mind.  Can someone recommend a set up thats cheap?  I dont know $#!t about stero stuff.  I do know I would like to do something along the line of just a small amp I can screw to the back wall of the cab  that I can plug my phone or i-pod into.  I have Sony xplod unit and speakers in my tow rig from Walymart that work just fine for me.  If I run this set of speakers
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sony-Xplod-XS-R1344-5-1-4-4-Way-Speakers/14956453 Sony Xplod XS-R1344

Car Speakers:
Impedance: 4 ohms
Frequency Response: 60-23,000Hz
Power Handling Capacity: 160W
Ferrite/Neodymium magnets
PEN mid-range

What size amp should I run?  Would this work? http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=20627927&findingMethod=rr

a buddy said I can get RCA input that will plug into my phone/ipod and run straight into the amp.  This will work wont it?  Any thoughts?

[Slolyfe]

Here is mine. right to an Ipod

[spoolnaround [OP]]

Thats exactly what I am after!  Is there a formula for matching the amp to your speakers?  Do I just not want to go with a bigger amp than my speakers can handle?

[Jdlucasjr]

that setup will work but the question is for how long. looks like wallyworld even told you the amp is a pyle haha i think thats funny, but seriously if money is an issue it will work get a cable like this and it will charge your ipod also http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_19570_iSimple-IS76.html.. i had a buddy run a setup simular to this and had his truck sunk in a pond for 3 days and when he pulled it out let it dry out the stereo still worked. speakers http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_33973_Boss-MR652C.html amp http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_44142_Boss-MR202.html

[Jdlucasjr]

rule of thumb is dont look at max watts or max power look at rms rating and rms load. a amp that claims it pushes 200 watts max at 4ohms but only pushes 25 watts rms is crap. should match rms to rms.

[spoolnaround [OP]]

Cool thanks for the help.  After looking at the cable I need one with a 3.5mm, I have that little square ipod-same as my phone.

The $$ difference isnt enough to worry about.  My worry is some tweaker thieving thats why I dont want a head unit, look in and see an empty hole where the head unit is supposed to be and keep on moving!

[Jdlucasjr]

i see you got a shuffle, so yeah you will need a 3.5mm cable. still really easy to do though. and i agree with having a runner i dont really get to drive with my top off as much as i like because im afraid some tweaker is going to reach back and try and rip out my amp or sub. i usually pull my faceplate off the head unit and it looks like nothings in there.

[crazymoritz97]

i use to have a set of old box speakersfrom kragen  then a 60watt amp then then just a good radio with i input line for the mp3 player or ipod  i  was just happy with that

[Cheesemaker]

I run a Kenwood tape deck, and some 4" duals with bass blockers in the dash, and some old school MTX box's with upgraded Fosgate 8" Series ones behind the seats.  And a cassette adapter from my MP3/IPOD.  Works good, but I do need a little more power.  Sounds good, until you roll the windows down.  I just haven't gotten around to installing my 20 year old Sherwood Tri-Way amp yet.  At 320 Watts, it's almost too much for such a std cab.  I'd like to find a 200 watt amp, and half the size.  The newest items are my dash speakers and they are 5 years old. 

I wouldn't spend a ton of money.  Especially, with all the thieving going on, and we just beat our rigs.  I've seen way too many guys with $1000's invested in a system, only to have water and mud short out their amps, and rot out the foam/paper in their speakers.   And the press board speaker boxes fall apart/mold when they get wet.

[spoolnaround [OP]]

I run a Kenwood tape deck, and some 4" duals with bass blockers in the dash, and some old school MTX box's with upgraded Fosgate 8" Series ones behind the seats.  And a cassette adapter from my MP3/IPOD.  Works good, but I do need a little more power.  Sounds good, until you roll the windows down.  I just haven't gotten around to installing my 20 year old Sherwood Tri-Way amp yet.  At 320 Watts, it's almost too much for such a std cab.  I'd like to find a 200 watt amp, and half the size.  The newest items are my dash speakers and they are 5 years old. 

I wouldn't spend a ton of money.  Especially, with all the thieving going on, and we just beat our rigs.  I've seen way too many guys with $1000's invested in a system, only to have water and mud short out their amps, and rot out the foam/paper in their speakers.   And the press board speaker boxes fall apart/mold when they get wet.

I should be able to do this for under $150.  I already have 6X9 holes cut from PO in B pillar.  I dont want a booming system just something so I can rock out to that I can hear not everyone around me.  I also need to quit spending money! Anyone want to buy a 69 duce and a half?  lol, yea I just committed to buying one to turn and make a buck.  Should give me plenty to do my tunes with.

[b4wheeler]

This guy has small 50 watt/ channel hidden amps with a 3.5mm (common headphone jack) input to plug your iPod directly into the am and then it has the outputs to two speakers.... He also has 4 speaker systems, but for a trail rig, two speakers is probably enough...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ford-GM-Chevy-Dodge-Mopar-Muscle-Car-Hidden-iPod-iPhone-MP3-Stereo-Audio-System-/271144599581?pt=Vintage_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3f217a401d

[Rocksurfer]

My setup is cheap and easy, a standard issue Pioneer stereo with usb port 50 bucks used, a pair of Sony tweeters mounted where the speakers normally mount in front 20 bucks new from Wallyworld closeout, 2 6 inch Sony explodes in the doors 25 bucks, 2 Blaupunkt 6x9's in the rear location 40 bucks used at the swapmeet and now here's the interesting part I took a Bose AM5 Subwoofer gutted it and took the speakers & circuit board then mounted them in the rear compartment for the jack on both sides, then also mounted 2 tweeters I robbed from an old wired game chair 40 bucks for the AM5 and the tweeters were free. I get complements all the time on the crisp clear sound in fact one guy said it was so clear and clean that it hurt his ears. Everything is flush mounted, no loss of room and I have ideas for a few more.  So lets see:

50.00
20.00
25.00
40.00
40.00=175.00 total for a system that sounds like it should be in a Lexus or Infinity.

Plus I did have the Bose Cubes that I added to my home stereo so if I deducted those I could cut 20 bucks on that making my total system at just over 150 bucks.