Midyear Boombox Option (BBX22)

[Joe C.]

So, I've got this great collection of about 650 fifties and sixties oldies tunes, all courtesy of the internet, and file sharing. They are all burned onto CD's and I love 'em. Trouble is, that I own 2 Corvettes without CD players!

The '65 has the original stone age AM/FM monaural radio with single front speaker. The '85 has the original, great sounding Bose unit with cassette tape player.

I have explored 2 options, in order to bring "The Sound of Music" into my vintage Corvettes:

1. Buy a portable CD player, like a CD Walkman (approx $40), an RF adapter for the '65 cigarette lighter (approx $30). This RF adapter can be used for both Corvette radios, but, I can add a special cassette adapter to the Bose unit (approx $30), which will take full advantage of the Bose stereo's high fidelity. Total cost of this option is roughly $100.

2. Buy a Sony CFD G500 boom box for about $90, which has tons of power, and glass breaking low frequency response. It would probably be wise to power this with a power adapter from the cigarette lighter, for about $15. Total cost of this option is roughly $105.

I would be interested in any of your experiences with either of these options. Any pros and cons that I haven't considered. You all are welcome to listen to the results at Old Town later this month. It'll be great to hear some good music during the trip, with the '85.

Joe

[Larry S.]

Re: Midyear Boombox Option (BBX22)

Have you ever heard of an ipod.Seams Cds are being replced with mp3 players. There is an active topic on this over at the "corvetteactioncenter.com" in the C1/C2 section that may shed some light on this, i purchased some ipods for the kids for christmas and I am now going to purchase one for myself and then install the needed car kits into the cars.

Good luck

[Joe C.]

Re: Midyear Boombox Option (BBX22)

Larry:

Thanks for the response. The Ipod might be a bit too much "tech" for my needs. Not sure if I need the capability of a hard drive for 1000-plus song storage. The Sony CD that I priced will play MP3 formatted CD's, as well as ordinary CD's. MP3 CD's can contain about 250 songs each (remember, the old songs are typically short.....3 minutes or less in length). What would be nice, though, would be a "tracklist" to enable browsing through the music library. What I don't want, is a system too complicated, whereby I would not be able to wave at other Corvettes whilst FU&*(&()*ING around with the music player!
My AM/FM radio is original. I disassembled it during restoration, cleaned the innards, and lubed all moving parts. All electronics are original, and in good order. Cosmetically, it is "as new" due to a thorough refurbishing BUT, I am not sure that I want to press my luck with the semiconductors.
I'll be sure to take a look at the thread over on the CorvetteForum. Actually, I haven't been there in over a week.

Joe

[David B.]

Re: Midyear Boombox Option (BBX22)

Actually I am thinking of the ipod route also. Here is a link to explaining how to use it as a music storage device for your FM radio.

http://www.informit.com/articles/article.asp?p=174345&rl=1

Looks like a better alternative than a big box CD storage/player.
David B.

[Gerard F.]

Hey Joe, Have you got this one

Give it a little time to download while you're thinking about cruising around Brooklyn and Queens in the 60's. What's the name of the group?

Ripped this from my Roberts 770X SS reel to reel. (guess that shows you how old I am)

Jerry Fuccillo
#42179

http://www.flurl.com/uploaded/Everybody_Loves_a_lover_33546.html

[Joe C.]

Re: Hey Joe, Have you got this one

Gerard:

I like the Shirelles, but that is one of the few their songs that I never cared for. Shirelles songs that I DO have, include: "Baby, It's You", "Dedicated to the one I Love", "Foolish Little Girl", "Mama Said", and "Will You Love me Tomorrow".

My collection is fairly extensive, and goes back as far as John Lee Hooker's "Boogie Chillen'" from 1948.

Joe

[Grant M.]

Re: Hey Joe, Have you got this one

Gerard,

Was it a commercial pre-recorded 7 inch reel to reel tape from the record company (they were available in the 60s--I used to have an AMPEX 860 unit), or did you transfer from disc or record yourself? I remember the Roberts machines--highly rated at the time and highly priced as well.

Sme years ago (in the late 1980s) I discovered that the recreation centre music library at Thule Airbase in Greenland had a fair number of these 7 inch reel to real commercial tapes, and copied a few for my own collection. Jan and Dean and some Mommas and Papas to name a couple.

Grant

[John Walker]

Re: Midyear Boombox Option (BBX22)

Joe; do the Ipod thing. It is no harder than recording cd's and you can browse through the playlists in many different ways, by song, alphabeticly, by album etc. it is very easy to get the music to your radio. Many electronics shops have cords to charge and transmit the ipod to any fm radio. I have used my ipod over a year now and would not go back to anything else. By the way I used my older brothers TEAC reel to reel for many years and if I can do the ipod anybody can. E-mail me if you need more advice. good luck. John

[Chas Henderson #28127]

Re: Midyear Boombox Option (BBX22)

Joe,
I was wanting to put a CD player in my 71, but couldn't find one to fit the original area. My Kids got me an IPOD and the transmitter that powers it and transmits the signal to my original style am-fm radio. Its the best thing they have come up with. No CDs to put in or out or to store. Days of music and if you put it on shuffel, you will never hear the same song twice. Bet of all, I can still get it judged and have good tune as well with out loosing any points. Welcome to music, 2006s style!

Chasman

[Gerard F.]

Re: Hey Joe, Have you got this one

Grant,

The uploaded track was from a 7" prerecorded commercial tape (Ampex) which I got in the 60's. My Roberts 770 SS, which I acquired in the Navy in 1969, still works. I copied the album to my computer hard disk with a simple line in-out cable from across the room. Then I can burn the tracks to a CD or convert to MP3.

The Roberts (same as Akai) reel to reel replaced a Telefunken I lost at sea (but that's another story). It is now relegated to the basement office (by my wife) with the rest of my archaic stereo equipment. I must have about 50 hours of 60's music on reel to reel, mainly recorded from LP's, 6 albums to an 1800' tape. I still have a few prerecorded tapes, some at 7 1/2 ips which are about CD quality.

Having fun,

Jerry Fuccillo

[Rick S.]

Re: Midyear Boombox Option (BBX22)

David,
Are you saying you can link an Ipod to a C2 AM/FM radio OR to the 85 Bose system?
Rick

[Harry Sadlock]

Re: Midyear Boombox Option (BBX22)

Rick, yes. You can purchase a transmitter, that transmits on FM frequency, such as station 88.7. Turn on the transmitter attached to the Ipod and tune the C2 AM/FM to the station selected and away you go.

Harry

38513

[Rick S.]

Re: Midyear Boombox Option (BBX22)

Cool, thanks Harry. Off to the store I go!!! Rick

[John H.]

Re: Hey Joe, Have you got this one

Jerry -

When I was a radio DJ while in college in 1960 (WCBN, Ann Arbor, Michigan), I was surrounded by Ampex and Magnecord reel-to-reel machines (and piles of 4-circuit patch cords "lifted" from the phone company switch down the street). Ever have a hub lock fail on a 9" reel at max rpm during rewind? Sure made a mess ricocheting around a 9' x 9' on-air studio

[Charles P.]

Re: Midyear Boombox Option (BBX22)

Brookstone (check any big mall) has wireless ipod transmitters that plug in to your cigarette lighter. They transmit a signal that can be instantly tuned on your FM radio. Easy, no wires and a perfect marraige between high tech and ahem! old tech.