Thread 2942167

As far as I can tell by looking at eBay and Amazon and aliexpress, I've been completely screwed by the Boomer I bought my KS-RT70 and XL-MK500 from, because he cut the stupid proprietary cable that these units need to connect to each other and I can't find one anywhere. At this point, I'm starting to think that this type of cable doesn't even exist anywhere else but for this one specific JVC head unit produced sometime in the 1980s.
I'm at least glad that the tape deck works, but I don't see a point replacing the failing CD player in my car with a working cassette player and a CD player that I can't even use.

Is it even possible to make this cable myself? Do one of you somehow have one laying around that you could throw up on eBay so I could buy it? Or maybe one of you guys are way better at internet searching than I am and are you able to hunt one down?
Did you know that if you spend enough time on eBay uselessly searching for a specific type of cable that they will start to suspect you're a bot and make you solve captchas? Hahahaha my life sucks...

The closest I have found, is this, this thing appears as if it would allow me to physically plug the head unit into a 13-pin cable that I have already, and plug that keyboard into the CD changer, but there's no possible way the pinout is correct on this, right? https://ebay.us/m/TlR63f

You can still find those cables on various auction sites. Search your units user manuals for cable part#'s. Or just search JVC 13 pin cable etc.

Be cautious though car audio makers usually went through 2 or 3 styles of cables so make sure it looks right before purchasing one.

You can probably just solder the old one back together.

>>2942168
Don't have the old cable, only one end of it, and I can't find anything on eBay that has 13 pins on one end and eight on the other, at least not except for a certain type of Bose audio cable that doesn't look like it would fit at all.
Image is the cut-off connector and the existing cable I already have, which I can't use because the other end won't plug into the receiver.

Here's that eight pin connector on the back of the receiver

>>2942171
And here's the connector on the CD changer, 13 pins just like the eclipse CD changer I have, so I suppose one possible solution would be to buy something like this which also appears to have a 13-pin connector, but is a Kenwood head unit going to be able to control a JVC CD changer?
https://ebay.us/m/qihDKx

>>2942172
I'm just so disappointed, man, finally get my hands on a functioning CD changer and a functioning cassette receiver for a mere $50 and I can't use them because I'm missing the other half of some stupid proprietary cable that just doesn't exist anywhere except in the crushed remains of an old boomer's Grand Marquis in a junkyard somewhere.

>>2942167 (OP)
seems like plenty of info out there to make a cable
8 pin pigtail
https://www.ebay.com/itm/205250849744
several sites give pinout info
https://presearch.com/search?q=kenwood%2013%20din%20pinout
other end
https://presearch.com/search?q=kenwood+8+min+din+pinout
maybe this
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/8-pin-din-for-kenwood.122462/
then just solder the fucker up

>>2942174
https://pinoutguide.com/CarAudio/kenwood_head_pinout.shtml
13 pin end

>>2942174
>8 pin pigtail
>https://www.ebay.com/itm/205250849744
I suppose that would work, it would be a pain to wire up because this thing has three different wires inside that are gray, but I guess if that's what it takes then I can just have a gigantic bundle of crimp connectors wedged somewhere in the back of the car...
I just really doubt my ability to actually get the pinout right on the first try :(

>>2942175
Seems like we have plenty for Kenwood but this head unit and changer are both JVC

>>2942178
apologies. drunk poasting

>>2942182
Don't worry I certainly made plenty of dumb posts myself, the manuals have very little helpful information on the subject as well, I wish there was at least a mention of a part number for the cable...

>>2942183
ill hevlpin ma
how abouts this p/n from the cd changer packing list
>vmp3230-001

>>2942186
>vmp3230-001
I suppose I don't really know what I was expecting but I let myself get excited anyway

>>2942187
https://www.ued.net/ued/viewItemAction.do?itemCode=JVCVMP3230-001
only thing close to available i found so far. maybe they have the pinout to build to order

>>2942188
Good lord, fifty bucks, but there she is! I guess by projected shipping date they mean that if you order one they have to make it and then they ship it to you?

>>2942189
likely. you might try to fenagle the information out if them by asking for the crossover pinout to verify. otherwise yah theyve got you by the balls

Just search "XL-MK500 cable"

What about https://www.ebay.com/itm/335521261828

>>2942192
This is an extension cable, which finally enough would just bring me back to what I already have, a 13 pin cable at both ends.
Also, yes, I looked up every single model except for the European one and nobody is selling any of these on ebay.

>>2942195
>finally
*Funnily

>>2942167 (OP)
Figure out which of the 13 pins are active, get an 8 pin DIN & cut one end off.

Find suitable sized copper pin to insert into active 13 pin socket, solder wire to pin, then insert pin into socket

>>2942202
I'm pretty sure it's going to take more than one single working connection for the headunit to operate that CD changer

>>2942167 (OP)
People want to complain about USB-C but the days before universal standards were hell for any sort of troubleshooting

>>2942167 (OP)
OP back at it again with the bad decisions, I have driven across state lines a second time to pick up an alpine tape deck/cd changer instead :)
Will be testing it in a few hours...

>>2942315
I have acquired an Alpine TDA-7547 and CHA-5604 and to my great delight, they both function, so I will be putting these in my car as soon as the new factory radio connector shows up, and the JVC unit will just sit here until I eventually get that cable and then perhaps I'll go put it in my van, because I would like to be able to play cassettes in it as well.

>>2942167 (OP)
>blames some old guy for his own stupidity.

https://archive.org/details/manual_KSRT70_SM_JVC_EN/page/28/mode/2up?view=theater

1 - Left audio
2 - Ground
3- Right audio
4 - Signal ground
5 - REM
6 - SCK
7 - SI/SO
8 - Bus in

>>2942167 (OP)
At fifty fucking dollars the price is a complete scam but this certainly looks like the exact cable I need, the box and the listing refer to a different type of cable but I suspect that what happened here is someone bought this CD changer back in the day, it came with the cable I need, they bought this converter cable and put the standard cable in its box, and here I am 30 years later buying that OG cable because I....
Well I don't exactly need it at this point because I already have an Alpine unit that I'm going to be putting in the car instead, but if I don't verify that these two JVC units work it's going to drive me gradually insane!!!!!!

Might be easier to just replace whatever you're trying to connect to

>>2942477
That's the funny thing, I'm going to be installing an Alpine unit in the car instead so I don't even need the JVC to be operational right now
But just the knowledge that I have it in my possession and it is missing something important is going to eat away at me because i'm re- autistic

>>2942530
I have decided that I am going to go BEYOND autism and attempt to install this JVC cassette/CD combo in a 2019 Equinox, because due to family reasons I am stuck with it, and since MY cars have to be parked during the winter, I might as well be able to play some CDs and such while driving around during the winter months.
So far, I'm thinking about jamming two speakers into the front door "pockets", and boxing up two 6x9s and sitting them somewhere in the back.
The CD changer will sit in the back as well, and the headunit will sit on top of the dashboard, where I currently have an old Discman taped to the dash. But since the Discman is subject to the retarded whims of the Equinox and its Aux port that works whenever it feels like it wants to work, it needs to be replaced by something that will work whenever I want it to fucking work.
Which is also why the "new" sound system will be wired directly to the battery, so I can sit around in the car with the engine off without the damn thing killing the power on me.
It won't even let you have any interior lights once it's been shut off for like 15 minutes. Why? I drove here, I shut the engine off, I didn't open any doors, you KNOW that I'm still in here, why can't I have the damn dome lights on?

And if, for some reason, I ever feel like enjoying the world's least functional bluetooth, then the factory sound system will be relatively untouched and I can just turn it on whenever I want. I'll also be able to continue to use the GPS screen functions and all that of android auto, which are nice, I'll give it that.

But nothing can beat the simplicity of shoving a cassette tape into a slot and having the music play.

>>2942530
>an Alpine unit
Also it's gonna be hilarious to me and me only when I tell everyone who has working eyes or ears about how I have "Integrated AI into my car" because little do they know when I say AI, I am talking about the AI-net CD changer protocol.

>>2942167 (OP)
It's nice to see you prevailing with vintage car stereo gear anon. If you want to add bluetooth aliexpress/ebay have your back with cheap cd-changer port bluetooth modules for most brands. Most of the old cd changer protocols allow for daisy chaining/port replication allowing position 1 to be a cd changer and position 2 to be a bluetooth module.

>>2942822
>daisy chaining/port replication allowing position 1 to be a cd changer and position 2 to be a bluetooth module
Now that is actually something I'd be very interested in! Not much of a point doing it to the equinox, but does the Alpine Ai-Net protocol let you do that?
Argh, I'm being given a reason to look at aliexpress again but the tariff tomfoolery made it all so expensive last time I looked there...

>>2942822
I do see the BT modules, like this one;
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mOUFIyH
But nothing for the daisy chaining or splitting, the cd changer I have now has just the one connection.
Hilariously enough I have a /second/ Alpine "compact" six-CD changer unit on the way because it was cheaper to buy a whole damn changer with an extra magazine than it was to just buy two magazines alone, but it seems to predate the switch to Ai-Net so I'll have to disassemble it partway to get the magazine out and then I guess just throw it in the house for parts since I assume all of the disc changing/playing mechanical bits are likely going to be the same as the one I already have.

>>2942171
>>2942167 (OP)
cant help you other than to say about 6 or 7 years ago i went searching for an 8 pin mini din with an offset middle pin to fit the back of a radio in a volvo (to connect an ipod but thats another story) and ended up buying a modified alpine cd changer interface cable with level shifters in an epoxy block between the two ends.
the mini din plug was a normal mini din, not an offset center pin, and did not fit the radio.
after a few months i found one chinese website offering to sell the correct offset plugs in batches of 10k units. that was it; one company.
good luck.

>>2942960
I managed to find what LOOKS like the correct cable on ebay under an incorrect name so when it shows up tomorrow we'll see if that sucker works or not

>>2942864
>does the Alpine Ai-Net protocol let you do that?
It sure does, there are a bunch of pic-related type devices to help you enable it. I'd be surprised if some people haven't rolled their own, If you're a bit handy and diy you might be able to.

*Some* of these old changer protocols allow you to do this with just a cable thats just a Y splitter. Pricing on this stuff is kinda like the cd cartridge - on its own people often look for collectors prices but as part of a bundle its often the cheapest deal around.

>>2942167 (OP)
>accuses "Boomer"
>can't figure out cabling

>>2943001
>pic-related type devices
Damn, one of those with a Bluetooth dongle as "changer #2" would be sick, I think that's the closest I'll ever get to simultaneously having CD and cassette and Bluetooth in something that resembles Factory functionality, as in, nothing hanging off of the head unit and nothing taking up the cigarette lighter port.
>>2943003
Skill issue :(
The boomer was still dumb for cutting the damn cable though and not at least warning me about it, he was even trying to convince me that the system used to work in his car without a din cable because "there wasn't anything else plugged into it" but he also told me that he wasn't even the one to install it so he paid a shop to put that thing in, so???
But I assume happened is that when he pulled the head unit out the eight pin half of the cable just fell out the back since it was missing completely and then he just cut the other half of it because he couldn't be bothered to actually unroute the cable from the car.

>>2942456
>that OG cable
It fucking works

>>2943125
So you paid the $50 for it?

>>2943216
Yes, and I'm glad the gamble paid off, because the cable is not what the listing claims it to be, but it is what I needed.
I got the receiver and CD changer and a few speakers for 50 bucks anyway, so I guess a hundred total isn't really that bad. The Alpine was a hundred, after all.

>>2943298
It would be nice to know the pinout. Did it come with a diagram?

>>2943344
Even if it did, it would be the wrong one... but sadly no :(

>>2942167 (OP)
If you bought it from eBay, it was marked used (not broken/for parts), report as item not as described and get your money back.

>>2943507
Nah I drove a hundred miles into Pennsylvania to pick it up and didn't find out the damn cable was missing until I got there

Thank you one single eBay seller for having the cable I needed, the Alpine unit works great in my car and these JVCs are gonna be great in the winter cuckover, it desperately needs an injection of soul