Probably a dead end but in my 96 Aerostar cargo I have the factory AM/FM radio without CD or cassette, has buttons, no rotary knobs. A very common radio as a matter of fact. I assume it's pretty basic so when I ask this I assume no is the answer but I have to ask anyway. The radio has two (one grey one black) right angle connectors on the back along with a 2 pin connector. Anyway I'm going to put in a cellphone car kit. The carkit's brain box has a lead to mute the radio if so equipped, or I can use it to operate a relay to turn off the ignition switched power to the radio. If I'm correct should I use the power on/off method the constant 12v memory lead will hold the volume, station, etc just like when I turn the key off. My main question is - does the basic AM/FM radio have any sort of internal mute built in? I have seen AM/FM/cassette units for sale that are identical except the cassette is in to the right of the front display and the buttons are slightly rearranged to include one mine doesn't have - AMS. No idea what AMS means - I can assume it means auto mute system but it probably means something else. I never run cassettes or cd's or I would put in an aftermarket unit - I have a Pioneer DEH-6 from my daughter-in-law's last car but why change what works - I listen to AM and FM equally as much, problem with being a kid on the 60's and being glued to WLS and WCFL in Chicago before FM became the norm. Also (this is a question my wife the CD/cassette junkie wants to know) is there a way to input outside line level audio from a CD player occasionally? With the big flat passenger side dash a velcro holder and a walkman type CD player wouldn't bother me on occasion.

Not sure about the Cell Phone Mute, but to answer a couple of your other questions:   AMS is a function of a Cassette Deck to search for the beginning of a Track (Song)   As far as hooking up a CD player to your current Radio. You could use an FM modulator (transmitter) and tune your radio to a specific FM frequency. I bought one for my son to use with his MP3 player in his car and it works well.     Ken  
Russ

I'll take a shot at this, crossing fingers that I understood your question(s). 1) Follow your instincts with the power switching; i.e., the lead that just turns off the power but maintains station memory. Of my three A'stars, I don't recall any of them having the "if so equipped" that you describe. Things could have changed by '96, but my '93 cargo had the same Plain Jane unit you describe. When the radio went nuclear and I pulled it for replacement, I don't recall any such sophistication as a mute circuit being built-in. The van happened to come with a professionally installed full-size Motorola 'car' phone from the previous owner. In spite of all the wiring and harnesses I ultimately removed, none of them had anything to do with the radio. For the sake of simplicity, you might just want to turn the volume down! <g> 2a) You call your wife the CD/cassette junkie. I call mine the war department. Regardless, I have used two methods. One was a 'black box' transmitter, with tiny telescoping antenna and self-contained battery, that re-transmitted the output from -either- CD or cassette through the radio. The transmitter has a variable tuner for finding a quiet spot on the FM broadcast band. Although this worked, I was disappointed with the performance. It depended on (antenna) placement in the vehicle due to the low power transmitter, and finding a quiet spot on the FM band was problematic, even in though I live in the sticks. I'd hate to think about living in a more metropolitan area. 2b) The second method I've tried is the so-called 'car adaptor' that comes with certain CD players as well as separately. This works the best. This is the one with a cassette shell containing a pickup that transfers headphone level output through the radio. The downside is of course the wires coming out of the shell that must be routed or left dangling. With this setup, you can control volume with either the player's volume or the radio's volume. You'll arrive at the best levels for each with a little experimenting. Once that level is determined, you might want to mark the CD player's volume with a spot of white-out, then use the radio's volume from then on. 3) In spite of your idea of a Walkman velcroed to the dash, I'd like to discourage that. It only takes one time (or for us slow-learners -- twice) to realize that they don't hold up to the sun and resulting heat. I finally installed the CD player in an after-market van console, and haven't had any more problems. Good luck, Jim Harvey '86 shorty, '93 cargo, '94 extended

Thanks for this, Ken. Head-scratching didn't work while writing my reply -- I couldn't think of the AMS meaning, even though I'd seen/used it. I now remember that it's an acronym for "Automatic Music Search", and it's function is to look for the quiet spots between tracks on a tape.

Also couldn't think of the word 'modulator' while replying. so had to write around my senility.

I should also mention that I finally sprung for an MP3 player, and am using this instead of cassettes or CD's for road trips. The cassette shell with pickup also works great with this player.

I'm aware that there are different makers of FM 'modulators', and that they should work really well in theory.  I must have bought one that possibly wasn't quite as powerful as others, therefore my disappointment in the unit's performance.

The latest "variation of a theme" I've seen is a unit that is slightly larger than a cigarette lighter, that indeed plugs into the lighter receptacle, and one that (accomodates) USB-style memory drives to play MP3's. I've only seen these blister packed at Wally World (approx $30.00, use your own memory drive), but it looks like they also use the modulator method of communicating through the radio. Just another thought for Russ...

Don't get old, y'all! <g>

harvey
'86 shorty, '93 cargo, '94 extended

Original message

I use the cassette adapters as well. The dangling wire can be a pain, but it always works well and I don't have to worry about dead batteries in the FM modulator. I've had an adapter from Radio Shack for some years now and never had a problem with it. Rad

There is a modulator device meant to work with XM/Sirius radios that hooks up in the antenna line to the radio, then you tune to 88.1 FM. You could input an MP3 or discman, in theory, as well as the XM. Mine was a Delphi, purchased in the car stereo intall dept at Best Buy, but I'm sure there are others. It works effectively - AC  aware that there are different makers of FM 'modulators', and that they should work really well in theory.  I must have bought one that possibly wasn't quite as powerful as others, therefore my disappointment in the unit's performance.

The latest "variation of a theme" I've seen is a unit that is slightly larger than a cigarette lighter, that indeed plugs into the lighter receptacle, and one that (accomodates) USB-style memory drives to play MP3's. I've only seen these blister packed at Wally World (approx $30.00, use your own memory drive), but it looks like they also use the modulator method of communicating through the radio. Just another thought for Russ...

Russ...before I istalled my aftermarket AM/FM/CD?mp3 unit in our Aero,I used a cassette/cd adapter. It looks like a standard cassette only it has a wire with a 1/8" stereo connector(walkman headphones) that you plug into your walkman.Push the adapter into the cassette area and the sound from your cd walkman comes through the stereo speakers.   Darwin '93 Aero'Ext/XLT/AWD/4.0L

AMS Is also a function for the radio.  You use it to tune a station manually as apposed to the seek feature.  Press the button once to change between the seek and tune function of the seek button.     Shane  

 

Good idea - like pulling into the new age (rebuilt) drive-ins that transmit FM instead of us being able to drive off with their speakers.  

You understood but gleaning some info. diagrams and my mind while driving for numerous hours today I decided to get a low current (.7 amp) 12vdc coiled relay and turn the ignition switched power off when the phone comes on - it does come back on at the same level and station since the other lead is direct and holds it at the present setting.   I was a little quick on the dash idea but that storage hole below the radio looks about right. As for the cassette adapter - I'd have to have a unit with cassette to use that. I might get an ebay cheapie factory am/fm/cassette and swap it in place of the am/fm soon though.  

Yeah, the relay idea should work, and .7a shouldn't be much of a threat to that circuit. I was somehow thinking it was a 'mute' function that you described, not a 'turn-off' function, but whatever works.

The "mystery pocket" below the radio (did I read somewhere that was for a factory equalizer y'all?) will accomodate a portable CD player dimensioned like the classic-styled Sony; but, it may protrude a little too much into the cabin for the safety of the unit, especially when you take into account the positions of the jacks and subsequent hookups on the unit (some of 'em are in the back). Since the pocket is plastic, you could always do some custom tweaking to the back of the insert for clearance purposes, but remember that it's right in front of the heater distro system (think heat again). After trying this method for the CD, I think I abandoned it due to too much fooling around while changing a disc (top won't open completely unless pulled out).

I've found that 'whatever' rides in that hole seems to work better if a small piece of perforated, rubber-looking shelf/drawer liner (popular in RV's, thicker type for router work, etc) is cut to fit the bottom area. Things seem to stay put better when going over railroad crossings. <G>

-- harvey

 

Original message

It originally was a mute I was inquiring about but the reponses to the list and taking with a cellular installer and just pondering it  and trying some things made me realize that this will work to the same effect - not as fancy since it won't have a display but once I hang up it will come back on as if I just turned the key to ACC - same volume, station etc. The .7 had to be to work with the low current for the circuit in the car kit itself (pull down coil) but the relay's contacts are rated for 15a @250v so all should be well and the relay cost me $5 incl tax. Radio Slack had ones that require well more trigger current and were obviously higher in cost plus the local store doesnt stock them, have to order them.    

My 88 A-star has the factory equalizer directly below the ashtray in the center of the dash extention but also has the mystery pocket below the climate controls.

the 95 and 96 have the pocket below the ashtray which is below the radio - I haven't been in the driver's seat of my 86 in a while so I'm not sure if it has a small pocket below the climate controls. In the 96 my President John Q CB that now has a blue LED indicator and blue meter light is going in the equalizer pocket.