Ipod and R12RT radio

[drodg]

What is the best or possibly easiest way to get my ipod music throught my factory stereo? I have had it with my CD player.

[johnlt]

There is no easy way but there is a way. You can use the "aux imput" cable from a BMW 3 series car and run it through an amp and it works great for an ipod or XM radio. Do a search in the "bike related" area and there are a bunch of posts on the required parts and process. I did it and it works great with my XM.

[MikeB]

You can get a Monster power cord and transmitter and play it through the FM radio reception. I plug mine into the power outlet, tune the radio to one of three selected stations and the iPod music comes through just fine.

[drodg]

Thanks everyone.

[Tapatio]

Check out this solution

 

IPOD

[Antaeas]

My solution is simple. I have a Starcom Advance intercom unit, which accepts input from the RT radio via a cable patched to the speakers, along with input from my iPod via a cable with two male stereo mini-plugs. The Starcom unit sits under the seat (See July '06 BMW ON for a review showing the installation).

 

Whichever source is on gives me audio into my helmet speakers, which I prefer (I can't hear the built in speakers going faster than walking speed). I also use the StarCom cable that connects to my Shure canal-buds, which give me better sound and reduces wind noise. I control my iPod with a Monster remote clipped to the left side of my tank bag, so a switch from the iPod to the radio is a simple two-step operation.

 

I admit having iPod tracks on display is a nice feature, but I also use my CD player, so I would probably not disable it just to get an iPod display. I make a playlist before I ride, or use shuffle.

 

On more iPod item: I cut a dime-sized hole in the left index finger of my riding glove, giving me click-wheel control through the vinyl of my tank bag, without reducing protection.

[Lemans]

Antaeas...like you I prefer earbud speakers (ety6"s)...more details please on tapping into the speaker wires. Is this a simple direct connect or are there impedence issues?

[Antaeas]

I got the cable from CA Sport Touring, where I also got the Starcom. They know what to send. See

 

http://www.casporttouring.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=starcom_tecstar

 

The cable has a male stereo mini-plug on one end, four bare leads on the other, and is fused. I threaded each bare lead through each of the four male spade terminals on the speakers, re-seated the female spades leading from the BMW radio (a much simpler operation at that end than getting at the radio's back panel) and ran the cable under the right-side tupperware to the Starcom.

 

I plug my Shure E3c earbuds into a Starcom output cable with a female mini-plug jack, and tuck the Starcom speakers and microphone into my tank bag.

 

The earbuds sound great, although there is some detectable ignition noise at idle if the Starcom volume control is turned up. Keeping the volume down could affect the intercom, which I rarely use. Once on the road, this setup works well, without problems related to impedance or wattage.

 

BTW, I also can hear AM and WB radio very well through my earbuds.