Zune Car Pack V2 - line out mod/hack?

[krick]

Is it possible to modify the Zune Car Pack V2 to remove the FM transmitter part and wire up a line out AV cable?

On the surface, it seems like it should be pretty simple to do.

[Charge]

Try it and find out =]

Should be easy enough to do.

[Trogdor]

Why not just use a zune car charger instead and use the zune audiojack?

[krick]

Originally Posted by Trogdor

Why not just use a zune car charger instead and use the zune audiojack?

Because I want a professional looking installation with a single cable connecting to the bottom of the Zune.

[hyzod]

I took a first gen zune dock and installed it in my car so that i could use it with the remote control.

I hard wired a zune car charger to the car and hid away. I then picked up an auxilary out put for the car's head unit. I removed the sensor from the zune dock and attached it to a long wire so that i could put it anywhere I wanted. that way I did not have to hold the zune in my hand while driving. I like going back and fourth through my music library. I plugged the USB adapter to the car charger then I plugged the AV cable to the the dock. I was done I could put the zune in the glove box no wires showing at all. I had to do some soldering to connect the remote sensor to a wire. I also picked up a really small LCD tv that I could mount in the car. So if i wanted to set up a TV since the zune has a tv out option I haven't put the TV in the car yet though. I bench tested everything and it worked just fine.

In the next coming weeks I will do this with the 2nd gen zune dock as it is much smaller and easier play with. I will also install the TV in the car as well.

[ianrab]

If the stereo has no aux input (like mine) you could run a wire from the antenna of the Zune transmitter and splice it into the car's antenna wire via an extension. I might try this with a 1st gen transmitter. I've never actually done this, so if anyone has anything to add, please do.

Also, I was thinking (uh-oh) and it occurred to me that the Zune pinout has no "FM out," making the only output be audio. So maybe a direct audio out is possible by tapping into the transmitter's audio-to-FM connection.

[Matt]

if you do end up making it work can you post details on how to do it please?

[pRoFiT]

So no one has done this yet...

I've started on mine and it looks like you will need to break the RF part open to get inside it. There are no outside screws visible and the damn thing is like glued together. Making it real hard to pry apart without damaging it

I'm planning on wiring in a stereo jack into the RF box so that i can have it wire directly to my stereo in. If i get it open i will try to take some pictures.

edit: Okay didn't take long to do. I took pictures along the way. Bent the outer case and then hammered it back in place when i was done

Plugged it into my car and bam, worked like a charm. No more car charger and stereo plug and no more RF since i cut the audio wires. Maybe now that it works i will go back and completly remove the RF box.

[MERGED]__________________________________________________ _______________

Sorry for double posting back to back. But here it is.

Zune Car Charger

Simple pictorial of my mod today.

[riuele2]

Originally Posted by pRoFiT

Zune Car Charger

Simple pictorial of my mod today.

was trying to do this myself and found your post. it is had to tell which wires you are actually using and which ones are for what.


====
so the text under the picture said the brown wire but in the picture it was blue. used the blue and green and a ground. connected it and works. pretty simple mod wrecked the outside metal case opening it up. i havet put it back together all the way yet but it does work.

[hyzod]

I managed to get it to work just fine. The only problem I had was that the remote sensor stopped working. Other than that it works. I've been using it for about a year now. still working but the car is dead. Putting every thing in the other car.


I did find this SoundGate ZNCBLPAK CORE™ Zune™ Cable Pack I thought its perfect they even provide a wired remote.

[Poseidon's Navel]

this is what my first zune transmitter was Amazon.com: Belkin F8M026 TuneBase FM Transmitter for Zune: Electronics it has a port on the bottom of it for auxilary which is pretty kick ass IMO.

and i currently have this one Amazon.com: Zune Car Pack v2: Electronics and the only problem with it is no auxilary

But i if i actually had experience with taking electronics apart I would totally try and do something with one of them. 1234

[Nortonics]

Originally Posted by pRoFiT

So no one has done this yet...

edit: Okay didn't take long to do. I took pictures along the way. Bent the outer case and then hammered it back in place when i was done

Plugged it into my car and bam, worked like a charm. No more car charger and stereo plug and no more RF since i cut the audio wires. Maybe now that it works i will go back and completly remove the RF box.

Zune Car Charger

Profit, that's a slick deal, and thanks for posting those details. I ended up going a slightly different route to the same effect by purchasing this item off Amazon for $8 delivered (DLO TransDock Micro for Microsoft Zune). The RF portion of it is total crap, but what makes it shine is this on the back of the unit (Line Out jack):





Basically the same thing you did with the Car Pack unit. You can see a couple review with a bunch of pics here:

DLO | TransDock micro All In One Car Solution for iPods — The Gadgeteer

http://schwarztech.us/reviews/dlotransdockmicro

Google Image Result for http://www.zunescene.com/zune-fm-transmitter-transdock/PDRM0018.JPG

TransDock Micro de DLO pour le Zune [Évaluation] | Blogue de Geek

[neomits]

Originally Posted by Nortonics

Profit, that's a slick deal, and thanks for posting those details. I ended up going a slightly different route to the same effect by purchasing this item off Amazon for $8 delivered (DLO TransDock Micro for Microsoft Zune). The RF portion of it is total crap, but what makes it shine is this on the back of the unit (Line Out jack):





Basically the same thing you did with the Car Pack unit. You can see a couple review with a bunch of pics here:

DLO | TransDock micro All In One Car Solution for iPods — The Gadgeteer

http://schwarztech.us/reviews/dlotransdockmicro

Google Image Result for http://www.zunescene.com/zune-fm-transmitter-transdock/PDRM0018.JPG

TransDock Micro de DLO pour le Zune [Évaluation] | Blogue de Geek

That DLO Dock looks perfect. I'm wanting a single cable that can attach to the cig charger as well as has a line out.

Do you happen to know how it handles power on and power off? Does it pause the track it's playing when power is disconnected (aka the car is shut off?)

[apours89]

is there anyway to wire a car pack to a usb cable while cutting out the fm transmitter