How to connect an amplifier from an old radio to a computer. Do-it-yourself car radio installation and connection

Installing a car radio is a creative process, but not very complicated. An experienced car enthusiast, at least a little familiar with the basics of electrical engineering, will be able to connect the car radio with his own hands without any problems. We will tell you in this article how to properly connect a radio in a car, and in what order this should be done.

It should be remembered that an incorrectly installed and connected radio will not only sound bad, but may even lead to a short circuit or even a fire in the car.

A good video instruction for installing and connecting a car radio in a car can be seen in the video at the bottom of this page.

Incorrect connection of the car radio causes the following problems:

• When parked, the radio consumes too much electricity, as a result of which the battery is constantly discharged and if parked for a long time, there is a chance that the engine will not start.
• When listening to music at high volumes, the radio starts to “stutter” and significant distortion appears sound signal. Also, at high volumes, the car radio may simply turn off.
• When you turn off the power, the radio settings are lost.

All of these problems in 90% of cases arise due to incorrect connection.

Features of installing car radios

According to the installation method, modern car radios come in two types: built-in and stationary.

1. Built-in car radios are usually equipped with a removable front panel or a special curtain - the devices are simple, but effectively protect the radio from theft.

1. Stationary car radios are usually installed by car manufacturers on the assembly line. Their original shape and non-standard sizes save them from theft.

When installing a car radio with your own hands, you need to consider the following features.

Firstly, it is necessary to connect the radio only in accordance with the instructions. Failure to comply with this rule may lead to its failure or even fire. In this case, you should not use installation instructions for other car radios, since even the same manufacturer may have different plugs and wire markings depending on the model.

Most radio tape recorders have a connection diagram on top cover, and we will provide a typical car radio connection diagram below.

Secondly, you need to remember that the wiring of most domestic cars since Soviet times has been designed for the installation of radios and radios with mechanical settings, which can create additional inconvenience.

For example, in “Zhiguli” or “Samara”, regardless of the position of the key in the ignition switch, voltage is constantly supplied to the power cable of the car radio. But when you turn the key in the lock, the electrical circuit opens for a split second, which is enough to erase all settings from the memory of the radio (if it is not non-volatile).

The process of installing and connecting a car radio

Car radio installation process different types and manufacturers are not much different from each other. To do this, the container without a radio is installed in a standard socket and fixed by bending outward the metal petals along its perimeter.

• In modern cars, a special ISO standard connector is provided for connecting the car radio. The whole connection in this case comes down to the fact that you will need to insert the connecting block of the car radio into the corresponding ISO connector of your car.
• In older cars, as well as in many domestic cars, the ISO connector is not provided by design. To install a car radio in this case, you will have to purchase the appropriate connector and connect it yourself. Fortunately, the wires on such connectors are usually marked and signed.

Let's move on to connecting the car radio wires to the ISO connector. Take a look at the connection diagram below. As can be seen from the diagram, the left side of the ISO connector is responsible for powering and controlling the radio, and the right side is for connecting speakers to it.

Typical car radio connection diagram

The main step in connecting a car radio is connecting the power. It is at this stage that most mistakes are made.

Power is connected to the car radio through a separate fuse using a flexible stranded wire with a cross-section of at least 3 mm 2. In most cases, it will be enough to use a 10 ampere fuse; it will reliably protect the power circuit from emergency situations.

The radio is powered through three wires: yellow, red and black.

+12 V(yellow) – main power wire. It powers the built-in amplifier and also serves to save car radio settings. This wire is connected through a fuse directly to the battery. It is advisable that the length of the wire from the battery to the fuse does not exceed 30 cm.

ACC(red) – control of turning on the car radio from the ignition switch. On many vehicles, the ignition switches have an ACC (accessory) position. When you turn the key to the ACC position, power is supplied to the car radio, interior heater and cigarette lighter socket, but the car's ignition system is de-energized.

GND(black) – connects to the negative terminal battery. But this is ideal. Due to the low power of the car radio, it is allowed to connect the black wire to the car body. You must first ensure good contact with the body by cleaning the joint from dirt and oxides. You can also use contact lubricant to protect them from oxidation.

The yellow power wire may also be marked as B+, B.U., Batt.

It can be connected to the red ACC wire (bypassing the ignition switch) - this will allow you to listen to music without a key. But in this case, the radio will constantly consume current, and if the machine is idle for a long time (from several days to 2-3 weeks), your battery may run out.

The following wires are responsible for connecting acoustic speakers to the car radio:

• FL– front left,
• FR– front right,
• R.L.– rear left,
• R.R.- rear right.

When connecting speakers to the radio, be sure to maintain the correct polarity, otherwise the sound will be Bad quality, since the acoustics in this case will work in antiphase.

In some car radios, the outputs to the speakers are duplicated with separate “tulip” type connectors - it is advisable to use them if the acoustics installed in the car have the same connectors.

It is advisable to use special speaker wires to connect speakers. They often come with a radio.

And do not even think about connecting any of the terminals intended for connecting acoustics to the ground of the car - you will be guaranteed that the car radio will fail!

The remaining wires in the car radio are responsible for controlling additional functions and equipment.

ANT(white) – antenna control. Acts as a power source for an internal active antenna, or provides a control signal to turn on an automatic external antenna.

ILL(ILLUMINATION) – is responsible for the car radio illumination. Connects to the “plus” of the side lights power supply circuit.

MUTE– controls muting the sound from the car kit mobile communications. The sound is turned off when this pin is connected to ground.

Parking Line– found on most car DVD players. Connects to the parking brake sensor. With this connection, you will be able to watch DVD only when the car is in the parking brake.

After connecting the power, acoustics and antenna wires to the ISO connector, this entire harness is pulled inside the container so that their ends with connectors extend into the car interior at a length convenient for work (approximately as shown in the photo at the beginning of the article), and connected to to the corresponding connectors on the rear wall of the radio.

After this, the car radio must be turned on and listened to. If everything works fine, then it can be inserted into the container until it stops (the latches on the sides should work).

When installing a car radio, it is useful to know

During the process of installing and connecting a radio in a car, non-standard situations often arise that cannot be foreseen in any instructions.

So, if you use a standard car antenna when installing a car radio, then sometimes the length of its wire may not be enough. Many cars are still equipped with antennas designed to install old-style radios. Their antenna socket is located on a “tail” that is only about fifteen centimeters long.

In this case, you can try to connect the antenna blindly after connecting all other wires to the radio. If this fails, then, most likely, you will have to remove the console and insert the antenna plug by touch after installing the car radio in the container.

By the way, after about half an hour of this “Kama Sutra” you will probably start to think about buying a new car radio antenna.

If it becomes necessary to remove a car radio with a removable front panel from the container, you will need to insert two flat keys included with the radio onto the sides of it until they stop. But before that, do not forget to remove the front control panel - it is usually detached with the “Release” button.

Video instructions for installing and connecting a car radio with your own hands

The other day I was reminded of another idea for computer modding. We will talk about how to connect a fluorescent (VFD) indicator from a Soviet tape recorder to a computer.

Once upon a time, a long time ago, I had a Mayak 240-S1 tape recorder. Due to obsolescence, the tape recorder was scrapped. All that was left of him of value was the electroluminescent indicator, which I had lying around collecting dust. Once upon a time, a couple of years ago, I already tried to install it on a computer, but it did not fit the design.

The indicator looks like this:

And today I will tell you how to connect this or a similar indicator to a computer.

So, let's start with the schematic diagram:

but we don’t need the entire scheme, we are only interested in part

As can be seen in the diagram, the indicator has dual power: bipolar ±15 volts and alternating 5 volts. But the indicator remains operational when powered by a bipolar voltage of ±12 volts and constant voltage+5 volts.

Let's connect XP1 as follows (designations according to the diagram):

1 - zero
2 - +5
3 - +12
4 - -12
5 - zero

To make it more convenient to connect, I took a non-working and half-soldered one motherboard

and soldered the wires on the back of the ATX connector and connected the power supply.

Now that power is supplied to the indicator, you need to send some signal to it. I will use an mp3 player as a signal source.

The XP2 connection diagram is very simple (designations according to the diagram):

1 - left channel
2 - right channel
3 - Fe tape type indicator
4 - indicator of the PN noise reduction system
5 - Cr tape type indicator
6 - microphone on indicator
7 - speaker on indicator
8 - recording indicator

Taking out from your supplies a cable to connect the CD-ROM drive to the sound card

And having removed the original connectors from it, I soldered one end to the indicator board, and soldered a 3.5mm jack to the second

In general, this gray cable is a very good help in such cases, because inside the insulation there is a shielded two-channel stranded wire and for many applications it is long enough. But, unfortunately, recently, very often these cables are not shielded. But I got distracted, let’s continue.

Many car enthusiasts have probably thought about using a car radio at home, in the country or in the garage in order to be able to listen to music not only in the car. Several questions arise: is it possible to do this and how to connect the car radio at home yourself?

A good radio usually costs much less than any music center, and with multi-channel outputs, it becomes possible to assemble a full-fledged home theater. Which will have decent sound quality for a modest amount, but you will still need to devote a little of your time to this moment.

Why do we use a computer power supply?

Connecting a radio from a computer power supply is the most common example of connecting a radio at home. You can also use a battery instead of a power supply, but this method not very convenient, as it needs constant recharging.

Using a power supply is another one of the most budget-friendly methods; you can purchase a used power supply, or use it as a donor old computer. Before connecting it, you must check its functionality, make sure that it is working properly, and if problems are found, the unit must be repaired or replaced. To do this, we need to perform the following algorithm of actions.

Inspection and troubleshooting of the power supply.

If you purchased a new power supply, then you can safely skip this point.

• Turn on the computer power supply to check the output voltage. Make sure that when current is applied, the cooler (fan) installed on the rear starts spinning.

ATTENTION. Before starting the following steps, make sure you have disabled computer unit from the power supply.

• Open the lid and look inside the unit, there will probably be a lot of dust there, wipe everything thoroughly with a dry cloth, you can also use a vacuum cleaner.
• After cleaning off dirt and dust, carefully inspect the board contacts for defects and cracks in the solder.
• Carefully inspect the capacitors located on the board, if they are swollen, this indicates that the block is faulty, or it does not have long to live. (capacitors are circled in red in the picture above) Swollen capacitors must be replaced. This process requires caution, since high-voltage capacitors contain a residual current charge, which can cause a slight but very noticeable electric shock.
• Assemble the power supply and start connecting

How is the radio connected to the power supply?

To connect at home you will need necessary materials and equipment:

• the computer's power source, this is our unit; its power should be 300-350 watts;
• car radio;
• acoustic speakers or speakers;
• wires with a cross-section of more than 1.5 mm.

The acoustics must be of high quality, the device has a four-channel output, and a speaker can be connected to each output. For louder sound, you should choose speakers with a resistance of 4 ohms, usually car speakers. Home acoustics have an impedance of 8 ohms.

Connecting a car radio to a computer power supply involves several main steps:

If after reading it seems that there is not enough information, read the article “”

Video instructions on how to connect a radio via a power supply

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Surely every car enthusiast has come up with the idea of ​​using a car radio, in addition to the interior of the car, whether in the garage, in the country, or even in the space of his room.
Well, why not? After all, even the most standard car radio, the price of which is not comparable to the price of a music center, has normal output data and is not from the most famous manufacturer, is capable of “boosting” home speakers without loss in sound reproduction quality.
And if, in addition, the car radio has a multi-channel output, then by connecting all the provided acoustics to it, we end up with an almost complete home theater, assembled with our own hands.

Selecting a car radio

Since by default, to create a homemade one, we will use a device lying around idle, any car radio will suit us.
But this “any” should still have a minimum set of functions:

• At least two-channel output with a power of 40 W each;
• Tuner;
• CD/DVD/MP3 disc player;
• USB – connector for reading information from flash drives.

In addition, you should pay attention to the sound card of the device itself. Some radios can even surpass most modern music centers in terms of purity and sound quality.
And although due to the fact that the car radio does not have large and capacitive capacitors in its “arsenal”, due to which it loses in playback low frequencies powerful stationary speaker systems, it is definitely at its best in reproducing the high-frequency range. Another definite advantage of the car radio is the presence of a multi-stage frequency-separate equalizer, while most stationary music centers are equipped with only standard presets.

Creating a home speaker system

So, the essence of the issue is clear to us. The car radio with speakers (see) have been lying nearby on the table for a long time and are “asking for battle.” Now we are the only ones who don’t understand how we can “connect” 12-volt equipment with a 220-volt alternating network?
I must tell you that this problem has several solutions, which are contained in the instructions below on how to connect a car radio from a 220 network.

Method one: connection via a homemade step-down transformer

This method is the most complex and time-consuming. Although the level of modern electronic technology allows us to completely abandon it, due to the fact that we are considering all the ways to connect car radios to 220 V, we will still pay due attention to it.

Preparation

So, before connecting the car radio to the 220 network, we will have to create a transformer that steps down to 12 volts with our own hands.
Why do we need:

• A similar (see photo) transformer that converts the standard network voltage to a lower one (in our case, 36 volts);
• Insulating material;
• Wire of suitable cross-section and length;
• Multimeter/voltmeter;
• A calculator, although the calculations are not at all complicated, you can get by with a piece of paper and a pen.

Creation

In order to make the task as easy as possible and not disassemble the transformer winding itself, we use the free space of the magnetic core area. We wrap the free area of ​​the magnetic circuit with insulating material and wind a piece of the wire of our choice onto it of any length.
Let's say we got seven turns.
In order to calculate the number of turns and wire length required to reduce the voltage, we need to perform the following procedures:

• We assemble a circuit for switching on a transformer using a piece of wire wound around a magnetic conductor and measure the output voltage;

• The multimeter gave a value of 2.9 volts. So, for one turn secondary winding we have 0.41 volts. From this ratio we obtain the number of turns required for an output of 12 volts: divide 12 by 0.41 and get 30 turns;
• We measure the length of the wire spent on the experimental seven turns, we get 126 centimeters. That is, there are 18 centimeters per turn (126 divided by 7), which means that for 30 turns we will need 540 centimeters of wire.
• Next, we wind this whole “thing” onto a magnetic core, assemble the circuit and check our calculations with a multimeter.

For aesthetics and convenience, we attach an additional block to the bracket and connect the leads to it.

Don’t flatter yourself, in addition to the work done, we will need to connect the resulting device to rectify the current and remove its ripple diode bridge(you can take the most common diodes - D226). Then connect with the load, in series, a choke with a large inductance (you can use tube receiver or from LDS 402 watts) and in parallel two capacitors K50-18 50 volts, 10,000 microfarads each.
As a result, the whole scheme should look something like this:

Advice! All of the components listed can be found in a discarded tube TV.

The diode bridge can be made from individual diodes...

...so in the form of a monolithic structure (assembly)...

...which is preferable due to its low cost and compactness. The only drawback can be considered its complete non-repairability, since if one diode fails, you will have to change the entire monolith.

Connection

Next, we assemble the entire circuit, place the resulting structure in a pre-prepared case, connect the car radio with speakers and enjoy the music with friends. At the same time, as if by chance, he uttered the phrase “homemade music center” in a conversation with them)))

Method two: connection via a stationary power supply

As we previously found out, all car radios are “powered” DC and require 12 volts for their needs, no more - no less. Just these output parameters have stationary uninterruptible power supplies and various network adapters.

Selecting a power supply

When choosing of this device it is necessary to pay attention to the current strength at the output, it must be at least five amperes. It should be borne in mind that at maximum loads, the car radio can consume up to 10-15 amperes, but I repeat - only at maximum loads!
Of course, there are more on sale powerful blocks power supplies created specifically for these purposes, but their price is such that the entire feasibility of creating a homemade speaker system is nullified.

Connection

We cut off the standard connector of the car radio, which is intended for connection to the car, and strip the ends of the power wires to connect them to the network adapter or uninterruptible power supply. The speaker wiring can be left in the old connectors and reassembled acoustic circuit through standard “connections”.
In general, the car radio connection diagram looks like this:

Naturally, instead of a battery, we mean an uninterruptible power supply or network adapter, which produces the required stable 12 volts at the output. As you can see from the photo, the connection is not complicated: we connect the radio as usual and enjoy pleasant music.

Method three: connecting via a power supply from a desktop computer

Since the topic of the article has already been fully covered and the meaning of the third method is already clear, let’s get straight to the point.

Preparing the power supply for operation

Advantage this method The fact is that finding an old and working computer power supply is not difficult at all, and the demand for used devices is so low that it can be purchased at any radio market or in a computer workshop for almost nothing.
Although, in most cases, used power supplies from personal computers are in working condition, before connecting to the car radio, it must be checked, and if it needs to be prepared for operation:

• First, turn on the power supply and check its output voltages;
• Even if the power supply has started, the output voltages are in order and its fan is spinning, it is still worth opening its case, clearing out all the dust and inspecting the contacts of the printed circuit board for poor soldering;

Attention! Before each opening of the power supply, it must be disconnected from the network!

• Particular attention should be paid to the electrolytic capacitors of the current output rectifiers. If they have a broken serif or are swollen, they should be replaced.

Attention! High voltage electrolytic capacitors have a residual current charge sufficient to cause a mild, very unpleasant electric shock.

Advice! Before you begin repairing the power supply yourself, you need to discharge the high-voltage electrolytic capacitors of the output current rectifier by connecting a resistor with a resistance of 100 or 200 kOhm in parallel to the capacitor contacts for a few seconds.

Well, to complete the preparation of the computer power supply, for greater solidity, it can be painted from an aerosol can with spray paint (available for sale at any car store) to match the color of the interior of the room or the entire speaker system.

Preparing to connect an AT type power supply

Each computer power supply has several power harnesses with output connectors, where the black wire is negative or common, and the yellow wire supplies the 12 volts we need.

Since the AT format computer unit does not have a standby power supply “+5” or otherwise known as “Standby” and an output voltage of 3.3 volts, when it is turned on, its outputs “+12V”, “+5V”, “-12V” ", "-5V" voltage appears immediately. Therefore, if you have an “a-tech” power supply (AT), the necessary wires are “bitten off”, and the entire above acoustic circuit is connected to the power wires of the car radio.

Preparing to connect an ATX power supply

In the case of an ATX power supply, some modification is required. The fact is that this type The PSU (power supply unit) is equipped with a standby current source with a voltage of +5 volts (Standby).
This standby current source operates constantly when the power supply is connected to a 220-volt network and puts the entire system into “sleep” mode. Therefore, if you want the specified voltages “+12V”, “-12V”, “+5V”, “-5V” to appear on the output channels immediately after turning on the power supply. “+3.3V”, you need to close its connector contacts by installing a jumper on the black and green wires.

Connecting to the car radio power supply

You probably already know that the car radio also has sleep and operating modes, and as soon as the driver turns the ignition key electrical circuit, the car radio automatically switches from “sleep” mode to “active” mode.
It follows from this that if we connect the main wires of the car radio, black - minus (Ground) and yellow - plus (Battery), to which the voltage is connected on-board network car to the corresponding terminals of the power supply, the car radio will not turn on, it will be in “sleep” mode. In order to eliminate this misunderstanding, we will have to find the red wire marked “ACC”, which in the standard circuit is connected to the ignition switch, and connect it to the yellow wire of the car radio, after which the car radio will start immediately when voltage is applied to it.

This concludes the instructions on how to connect a car radio from a 220 network with your own hands. In conclusion, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that for the “home” version, car radios with a remote control are very convenient.
Agree, in a car the remote control mostly lies idle, but at home it’s not very convenient to get up and go to the radio every time to change the track or adjust the volume. With the remote control, the process of listening to music will be much easier and more comfortable.

Questions that are quite common on car forums - how to connect a radio to a computer via a power supply, how to connect an on-board computer to a radio, and similar inquisitive thoughts of car owners, personal computers and car players, at first lead to a stupor. And then they evoke real pride in their compatriots who are trying to reconcile the incompatible.

Lefties have not yet disappeared on Russian soil! But there is no understanding of the issue. And how can we understand the need to combine two computer devices into one? After all, a modern car radio (multimedia system) is itself an on-board computer that performs all its duties. And connecting the player to a home PC also seems to have little justification. But let’s leave these semantic misunderstandings for other studies and simply reformulate the question that interests many. Which in the correct version looks like this - how to connect the radio to the unit from the computer! Of course, some questions arise here, but the answer to them is quite simple. So.

Why connect the radio through a computer power supply?

According to unverified allegations, quite often car radios are superior in sound quality to home speaker systems. And replacing a completely serviceable one on your car head device to more advanced technically, some owners find use for it at home. To be honest, such actions also raise doubts for a number of quite objective reasons. But connecting the radio through the power supply of an old computer and using it as a sound reproducing device from a variety of media (USB cards, CDs) and connection forms (aux connector, etc.), in the country or in a garage workshop, is quite possible.

Which power supply unit (PSU) is suitable for connecting a radio and amplifier?

From large quantity possible options, to supply power to a car player operated separately from the car, an AT or ATX computer power supply is best suited. The following reasons:

• It has a power output current source compatible with the radio.
• Has forced cooling (cooler).
• Easily accessible as a separate device, etc.

Regarding the last point, the block can be:

• Take it from an old PC.
• Buy used on the radio market.
• Fix the faulty one.

Equipment and tools required for connection

• Car player.
• Computer power supply.
• Speakers.
• A set of wires of the required cross-section and length.
• Soldering iron.

Stages of installation work

First of all, you should check the performance of both devices. If minor faults and parts are found, repair them. Clean the power supply from dust and check the quality of soldering of the contact groups.

Then we remove (cut off) the standard DIN connector through which the radio was connected to the car.

We strip the ends of the wires and connect the device to the computer.

As an adapter we use the connector of the power supply through which we used to connect hard drives PC.

We run the unit through the connector that supplied power to the PC motherboard. To do this, we find black and green wires and bridge (short) them. In this way we supply voltage to the entire power system. Accordingly, when disconnected, we de-energize it.

If there is a switch on the power supply, then very good. IN otherwise it should be installed and the wires (green - black) soldered.

Next, we assemble the acoustic system of our improvised music center. That is, we make installation boxes for speakers. Packaging cardboard and plywood boxes can be used as materials. Or housings from other speakers that match the size of the speakers.

We insert the speakers into the mounting sockets intended for them and connect them to the car radio through the four remaining wires.

We connect the resulting structure to a 220 Volt household power supply and check its operation.

If minor defects arise, we correct them as the speaker system operates.

Connecting flash (USB) drives and subwoofers

Connecting USB cards and a subwoofer (low-frequency sound amplifier) ​​to a homemade one (partially) speaker system assembled from a car player and a block uninterruptible power supply personal computer, does not raise any questions at all. But still. Almost all car receivers of the latest generations (8-10 years), with the exception of very ancient models (which you wouldn’t mind throwing away), are equipped with USB connectors and input/output jacks for connecting additional equipment (including low-frequency audio amplifiers).

If the shape of the factory connector and the plug-in connector do not match, you should use an adapter cord. Specially produced for such purposes and sold at quite affordable prices at retail outlets corresponding to the field (radio-technical goods).

As you can understand from the instructions we have proposed, connecting the radio to the computer’s power supply yourself is not difficult. But as a result, you get a high-quality, modern music center for use at home, in the country or in the garage. And at the same time you are deciding where to use the unnecessary radio and old computer.

Video instructions on how to connect a radio through a computer power supply.