sound system

[kontiki]

I have a 76 Argosy . There is a radio antenna coming lead into the cabinet above the dinette and 12V power leads. There are no speaker wires. I checked into buying an AM/FM CD player but after looking at the difficulty in installing the speakers I decided to wait. Here is my question: has anyone found a stand alone system that is 12V compatible that might fit into the overhead cabinet?
Jim

[CanoeStream]

Jim, I understand what you say about speaker installation. It would be a headache to mount more than 2 stereo speakers up front unless a person was doing a complete renovation with internal skin removal. An inexpensive auto unit from Best Buy or whoever could be looked at. Be careful of Sony if you ever want to run an iPod or mp3 player into it -- Sony had a go-it-alone approach and instituted a proprietary mp3 system that is incompatible with everything else.

Are you just looking for experiences and people that may not have seen your thread at the end of last week? I'll admit that the Forums turned really dead from Thursday through Saturday. Can't help that I guess.

[Roscinante]

I have a 2006 Bambi Safari with a Sony single CD/AM/FM radion installed. It is a great little unit with four internal speakers. It has an outlet where I can plug my iPOD into with no adaptor or anything. Just a straight line from my iPod to the Sony. It works great. I have a remote for my iPod and it works fine.

JERRY

[myoung]

Jerry,

Apparently, Airstream installs different models of Sony in different trailers, even of the same vintage. Our Sony definitely does not accept an iPod without a separate Sony controller, which is now out of production. There is a replacement Sony controller that costs over $100 and it also requires additional wiring that will add another $10.

Sony hasn't much incentive to play nice with Apple, I suppose because Apple is cleaning Sony's clock when it comes to portable music.

[TomW]

Jim,

Here is one solution to adding speakers.

Tom

[zamboni]

I too have gone the computer speaker route...two flat panel w/ powered subwoofer by Altec Lansing. They hook up to the laptop for watching DVD's or the tv for satelite or local tv.
They don't sound as great as a car or home stereo system, but are good enough for "camping".

[myoung]

Because the pre-wired Sony system in our AS is incapable of taking a feed from an iPod without additional equipment and without the intuitive navigation of the iPod, we now have an Apple Hi-Fi, which operates off A/C or batteries. This allows us to move the music around in the trailer and also outside. There are other speaker options for the iPod, many with other features like clocks or radios.

[CanoeStream]

Jim -- Airstream certainly prewires their product for sound systems today. I don't know how far back this was done. Only enough responders with 1995, 1990 or earlier trailers would give an indication of how far back this goes. But I think it's almost certain it didn't happen in the 1970s. TomW's link is a more elegant solution than just putting a boom box in the front overhead like my PO did. I don't think there is anything sacred to prevent you from mounting speakers -- just put them where you wouldn't run into them.

I'd definitely think a 12 volt automotive type radio-CD player would be the way to go. You could patch into wiring of any light -- those should all be 12 volts and you'd be fairly assured a PO didn't modify to 110V if they run off the battery without your Argo plugged in (I'd use my multimeter for sure). Do you still have the outside radio antenna on roadside front between the kitchen & pano windows?

You can dream up all sorts of options on an automotive radio-CD player, even including a subwoofer. I'd certainly consider something that is iPod compatible -- which about rules out a lot of Sony offerings. Probably time for a trip to Best Buy or other favorite vendor. One option is running wiring fore and aft under the metal water line guard at the roadside wall & floor junction between the couch and kitchen sink cabinet.

My first option would be to mount it inside the front overhead cabinet. Two different speaker options are shown below -- the top one would take some thinking but would work best with a midships location for the radio-CD player. The easiest 12V source over the fridge might be a small line from the ceiling vent fan back to the room divider before turning toward the overhead above the fridge. The fan turned on might put some noise in the circuit. Time for a modern Fantastic Vent and maybe a new converter... All sorts of possibilities, eh? Next you'll wish for more than the one Group 24 battery...

[niftypkg]

I have the 4 speaker system with the Moto 12v radio. I believe that the radio will work if I fixed the antenna. That system is in a 1971 Overlander. Don't have any 8 tracks to use, of course. I would like to keep the Moto and install a CD player below and utilize the existing speakers. Havn't put that much thought in it yet. Wiring etc.