Car Stereo in computer

[ssc456]

ok well the title says it all i have a car stereo id like to put in my computer,

for 2 reasons 1, i have a spare car stereo, 2, im bored and have nothing to do.

im guessing the cd player runs from 12V DC the same as the Yellow wire in a 4 pin molex right ?

so therefore jus hook that up as power hit the ground to a black wire, and probably the yellow wire on my stereo to either the same 12V lead or something similar, so it thinks my igintion is on right ?

after that its just speakers isnt it ?

first off any suggestion / comments on that,

second thing is could i place a speaker in my computer somewhere that wont kill my hardrive or other components ?

and 3rd jus to ask if a 600Watt PSU will be enough for that or if not i could add a dedicated 450Watt for the stereo.

as i say its only because im bored and i have all the materials to do it its not going to cost me a penny to do.
if the speakers wont go in the case without interfering with something ill build an extension of the case probably height wise jus enough to fit a small speaker in it, maybe 2 X 5.25"

 

[Remeniz]

It can be done with a bit of case modding. Although if your case is wide enough it might not need that much work.

The only thing is current consumption. Depending on the specs of the unit they can draw 10A or more from a 12V supply. Think 'running a high spec graphics card, or two' and you get the idea.

So the main thing to worry about is the power requirements.

So adding a second PSU for the stereo would be the way to go.

Speakers in the computer case? Well these speakers really shift air. So vibrations is the main concern here.

Overall it's sounds like a pretty good idea. Excuse the pun.

 

[ssc456]

lol your excused.

right so second power supply it is then, the speakers arent the biggest problem for me, the head unit has an amp out and i can connect it to my mixer which is connected to home amp and speakers so its no great loss there, the speakers are for next build i might do, like if it works in my next build i might buy a bigger case for that reason,

so second power supply connect it up and hope i dont die ? lol, honestly how dangerous is 12V nowa days ?

 

[Neodude1123201]

It's not the Voltage,It's the Amps that will kill you.

 

[Remeniz]

Haha!

Well the 12V potential isn't what will kill. It's current thats a killer. Only about 40mA, 0.04A, is required to stop a human heart beating but usually more than that causes deaths. I have worked with 240VAC live circuits without anything bad happening. Just respect electricity and you'll be fine.

So if your only using the pre-outs on the stereo then you reduce the current consumption because your not driving 'load heavy' speakers from the stereo.

So a standard 12V supply that can produce at least 10A will be sufficient.

And the only bad thing that can happen is the PSU will shut down. You won't get smoke or sparks. These 'switching' PSU's in computers are well protected and should an overload occur then they just switch off.

You'll have to let me know how you get on.

 

[ssc456]

ok then thats always conforting to hear,

bu how much amps does a hardive / cd drive really take im hoping its not deadly,

im sure ill be fine, got myself some electrical tape and some rubber sole shoes lol

 

[root]

put in a seperate PSU and I don't see as there will be any problems.

your stereo should have a sticker on it saying it's power specifications, (you may even get away with not neededin a second PSU.

the speaker in a case.

I wouldn't be so wirried about the noise, or vibrations, it's the magnetism that would worry me. high power speakers usually have large magnets.

hard drives have small magnets for arranging the bits...

i'd personally keep large magnets away from hard drives and such.

 

[Remeniz]

im sure ill be fine, got myself some electrical tape and some rubber sole shoes lol

lol!

That helps. haha.

Anyways. A hard drive draws about 0.5A from the 5V rail & 0.5A from the 12V rail. Correct me if im wrong anyone. So about 8.5W. And assume the same for a CD drive.

 

[ssc456]

lol need a quick reply which is on I or O and do i need a way of triggering the PSU or is it always on ?

 

[Remeniz]

I = On. O = Off.

You will need to switch the secondary PSU on.

Look at the ATX plug. You will see one green lead and many black leads. The green lead is the one you need.

Short the green lead to one of the black leads to turn on the PSU.

So switch the main switch to 'I'. And at the ATX plug short the green lead with a black lead and your away.