Technical USB input possible?

[Craig830]

Hi all

I have bought an active (only suitable Bravo within 100 miles of rural Northumberland) but have always had cars with a usb input for music.

Can a blue and me be retrofitted or some other way of getting a usb input into the factory headunit?

Sorry if this has been answered elsewhere, I could find it.

Craig

 

[Craig830]

Oh, it's a March 2008 build of that helps?

 

[Cadabena]

You can use the USB port to load a memory stick with MP3s and play them if that's what you mean?

 

[Eklipze3k]

I think he means it doesn't have a USB port.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

To be honest B&M is rather naff, so I wouldn't bother. You'd be far better of putting in a decent after market head unit with the interfaces you want

 

[Craig830]

Cheers for the info guys.

So my options as far as I can see are fit a 3.5mm Jack socket and play from my phone, or a new aftermarket head unit?

Craig

 

[Eklipze3k]

Pretty much, in a car that's 10 years old an aftermarket unit can only add functionality. I have 2013 Alfa with B&M and tbh it's rubbish compared to the HU I installed in my old Punto.

 

[aurick86]

USB? is this 2010?
Everything is in the CLOUD.
Bluetooth!!
You could install something like a
That's just an example there are numerous things like it.
Have it professionally installed, you won't loose the 12v soket.. hide the wires behind the HU, Yow'll only have the extra round bit.

If you NEED the USB and AUX there is always Yatour with Bluetooth...but those start at ~70gbp.

 

[MikeG20]

Im using Yatour for few years without problem.
Ordered from ebay

 

[ovarb]

Just buy HU with all in one gadgets: DVD, GPS, Bluetooth, besides the radio and some other (un)usefull things such as reverse camera, front camera, mirror link, internet,.... just look for na android HU on ebay and you don't need to worry about hiding wires and all that stuff.
I switch my HU by one android and it's just plug and play.
My daughter has a 500 with B&M and it's a crap when playing music from the phone because the sound comes out on mono format.

 

[Craig830]

I'm an electronics engineer by trade, so no problems with installation.

I just do Radar for a living, not car audio, so am a bit out of the loop. But a Bluetooth for might be a great idea

 

[Tosos]

So, this is what I did.
Bought a 3$ bluetooth 3.5mm receiver with integrated microphone, removed its cheap and very flamable battery.
Removed from the car the panel where the cigarete lighter is located, ( 5-6torx bolts, good instructions on this forum)
Connected a LM317 (0.2$) voltage regulator, to regulate the 12V comming from the cigarete lighter to a 4V needed by the BT unit.
Connected the 3.5mm aux cable ( 7$ ebay) to the radio unit and pluged in the BT module. ( There are good tutorials for converting Blue and me to aux input on this forum)
Drilled a hole for the microphone, and screwed everything in place.
And works like a charm

Just to add, its far more functional than USB player. Its connected (wirelles obviusly) to my phone, I can play music from my storage, youtube or other sources,and with its audio integration, you can use voic navigation, google voice commands, make calls ( like a handsfree) and more. All for 10-15$

 

[aurick86]

So, this is what I did.
Bought a 3$ bluetooth 3.5mm receiver with integrated microphone, removed its cheap and very flamable battery.
Removed from the car the panel where the cigarete lighter is located, ( 5-6torx bolts, good instructions on this forum)
Connected a LM317 (0.2$) voltage regulator, to regulate the 12V comming from the cigarete lighter to a 4V needed by the BT unit.
Connected the 3.5mm aux cable ( 7$ ebay) to the radio unit and pluged in the BT module. ( There are good tutorials for converting Blue and me to aux input on this forum)
Drilled a hole for the microphone, and screwed everything in place.
And works like a charm

pictures links?

 

[Craig830]

So, this is what I did.
Bought a 3$ bluetooth 3.5mm receiver with integrated microphone, removed its cheap and very flamable battery.
Removed from the car the panel where the cigarete lighter is located, ( 5-6torx bolts, good instructions on this forum)
Connected a LM317 (0.2$) voltage regulator, to regulate the 12V comming from the cigarete lighter to a 4V needed by the BT unit.
Connected the 3.5mm aux cable ( 7$ ebay) to the radio unit and pluged in the BT module. ( There are good tutorials for converting Blue and me to aux input on this forum)
Drilled a hole for the microphone, and screwed everything in place.
And works like a charm

Just to add, its far more functional than USB player. Its connected (wirelles obviusly) to my phone, I can play music from my storage, youtube or other sources,and with its audio integration, you can use voic navigation, google voice commands, make calls ( like a handsfree) and more. All for 10-15$

Links or pics would be a great help.

If suitable i will go ahead and create a guide

 

[Craig830]

Ignore my previous post, full of a head cold and didn't take on what you wrote!

It sounds like a great plan, how is the audio quality (stereo or mono, any breakup?)

Craig

 

[Tosos]

Sorry guys, I was out of town for the past few days, but Im glad if I could help.
I was searching on ebay a plug and play bluetooth receiver but I was not realy looking forward for the 30days shipping time, so I went to the local chinese shop and bought one of these, they seem to be quite popular.
https://goo.gl/j1kHBH
I payed 3.5$

First I will tell you my experiance with the device, and if you like what you see I can explain how i did the conversion.

I used the unit for 2 months.
The audio quality is overall good, I tried comparing it when playing directly to the aux cable and the audio sounds the same.
It has one problem, but it seems common on that type of devices. There is a high frequency sound comming from the unit when is connected to the charger and there is no audio input (from the connected device). The sound itself is dependable on the engine rpm, so its a ground loop issue, it sounds like a turbo
Just to note, the sound is not present when playing, and can be removed by a ground loop isolator (or maybe a big capacitor ?)
The Mic quality is not very good, sounds like you are speaking from a bucket, but is good enough for calls and google voice recognition. But what to expect from a cheap unit.
By the time I worked on the conversion, I could not get good info on the mic type, but on the board of the unit there is room for a external microphone, so that is the next upgrade.
The unit itself plays "power on/off connected and pairing" sounds in english and they sound good, there is a two led indicator, and you are interfacing with the unit via a button.
After the two monts, I took apart the unit, the battery inside was like a baloon, so I removed it.
The good thing about the integrated battery is that the unit does not power off when you turning on/off the car and it stays connected to the device.

I replaced the battery with a LM317T regulator adjusted to 4V and because I was
Connected to the cigarete lighter wiring, the unit was powered on only after turning the key. In future I will partialy rewire the cigarete lighter to take power from the gloveboxlight ( its stays on for 20min when car off) so the unit stays on when main power is off, or you have a engine stall or similar.
All this can be avoided if bluetooth module would be installed into the built-in radio, which is not so complicated, but takes more skill and some wiring diagrams

 

[Tosos]

This is how it looks.
The dual USB was 10$ of conrad.de its 2A.
The bottom hole is for the microphone, the top black is a window to se the two LEDs ( but you dont need it, the unit itself says when it is pairing or connected, I realy don know why i drilled it ) and there is a button on top the USB for interfacing with the unit (turn on/off pair, answer emd calls)

 

[Tosos]

This is how it looks.
The dual USB was 10$ of conrad.de its 2A.
The bottom hole is for the microphone, the top black is a window to se the two LEDs ( but you dont need it, the unit itself says when it is pairing or connected, I realy don know why i drilled it ) and there is a button on top the USB for interfacing with the unit (turn on/off pair, answer emd calls)

I im sure somebody can do it better, but it works realy good , and the looks, you cam Judge by yourself.