Radio/Ipod Puzzle

[pjrogers]

Why does an Ipod cancel our radio?

Our boat has a Clarion XMD2 radio & CD which is connected by volume controlled line-level outputs to a Clarion APA2104 2-channel amplifier. The amp has only two phono inputs. It does not, obviously, have an input selector. To add an Ipod as a source I put a Y splitter on each of the amp's inputs, and plugged the radio and the Ipod into the splitters.

The weird thing is that with the radio on and making music, if you plug the Ipod into the 3.5mm jack radio's music completely disappears. Doesn't fade, doesn't play along with the Ipod - it just goes away. Pause the Ipod and you don't hear even a hint of music from the radio. Unplug the Ipod from its 3.5mm jack and the radio's music starts blaring merrily from the speakers.

Would the Clarion radio have some kind of protection relay that trips to prevent signal from coming back down the line-level outputs?

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Radio/Ipod Puzzle

You can't put a splitter on an input unless this "Y" has a switch on it. Does it?

The only "Y" I have ever seen lets one output drive multiple inputs, not the other way around.

What you are doing is connecting two outputs together.

 

[wcsparky05]

Re: Radio/Ipod Puzzle

if you really wanted this to work, disconnect the stereo from the amp and use the amp and whatever speakers are connected for your ipod. or just get a deck with an aux port. you can find them pretty cheap online. less than a hundy. but your amp input is not made for your ipod. are you sure your stereo doesn't have aux. rca's out of the back? cause that would work. good luck.