Any in-panel MP3 players like this?

[Jay Honeck]

While shooting the breeze with the avionics techs today, I started to
sketch out the perfect aircraft music system.

Basically, we came up with an in-dash MP3 player that looks very much
like my daughter's portable MP3 player. It would consist of a little
display (to tell you what's playing), a volume control, a "skip to next
song" button, and a standard USB port...

....that you can stick any "thumb-drive" into. (They were selling 1 GB
flash drives at Staples last week for $12 bucks.) The whole thing
could fit into a standard 3" hole, weigh just a few ounces, have no
moving parts, and costs less than a hundred bucks.

Is anyone marketing anything like this for aircraft? Build this
thing into an intercom, and, wow, you'd have everything you need.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Frank Stutzman]

Jay Honeck > wrote:
> The whole thing
> could fit into a standard 3" hole, weigh just a few ounces, have no
> moving parts, and costs less than a hundred bucks.

Thats pretty funny.

Have you ever seen *anything* put in the panel of a plane (especially a
non-experimental) that actually costs less than a hundred bucks?

Now maybe it *should* cost less than a hundred bucks, but thats besides
the point.

--
Frank Stutzman
Bonanza N494B "Hula Girl"
Hood River, OR

[Jay Honeck]

> Now maybe it *should* cost less than a hundred bucks, but thats besides
> the point.

Point taken.

So, let's say it costs $700 -- a memory-stick-driven, in-panel MP3
player would still be a vastly superior, more flexible system than a CD
player.

Combine it with XM radio, and you could sell these things as fast as
you could make 'em.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Jay Beckman]

"Jay Honeck" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>> Now maybe it *should* cost less than a hundred bucks, but thats besides
>> the point.
>
> Point taken.
>
> So, let's say it costs $700 -- a memory-stick-driven, in-panel MP3
> player would still be a vastly superior, more flexible system than a CD
> player.
>
> Combine it with XM radio, and you could sell these things as fast as
> you could make 'em.
> --
> Jay Honeck
> Iowa City, IA
> Pathfinder N56993
> www.AlexisParkInn.com
> "Your Aviation Destination"

Does your CD player play MP3 CDs?

Kinda kills two formats with one install...

Jay B

[Jay Honeck]

> Does your CD player play MP3 CDs?

Nope. I've got the older model that doesn't play MP3s.

But I'd like to eliminate the CD player altogether, and go straight
from the digital format. The weight savings and durability (no moving
parts!) would make it a very attractive alternative.

Actually, I see that AirGizmo (the folks who make the panel dock I had
installed for the 496) makes a similar dock for the IPod. Close to
what I'm suggesting, but not quite.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Thomas Borchert]

Jay,

> Basically, we came up with an in-dash MP3 player that looks very much
> like my daughter's portable MP3 player.
>

What'S wrong with a little plug you hook any portable MP3 player up to?
What 's the advantage compared to hooking up a USB stick to the
built-in player?

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

[Jay Honeck]

> > Basically, we came up with an in-dash MP3 player that looks very much
> > like my daughter's portable MP3 player.
>
> What'S wrong with a little plug you hook any portable MP3 player up to?
> What 's the advantage compared to hooking up a USB stick to the
> built-in player?

It would have the same advantages (and disadvantages) that any in-panel
device would have over its portable cousin.

I personally hate hauling stuff to and from the hangar. A single
memory stick (that lives on my keychain) could replace the 20 CDs
(times ten) we've got stuffed into the visor-holders, and the small
size of an MP3 player would free up a lot of panel space that is
currently occupied by our CD player.

I think the key to success would be to built the player into an
intercom/XM radio receiver that fits into a 3" hole.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Kevin Clarke]

Thomas Borchert wrote:
> Jay,
>
>> Basically, we came up with an in-dash MP3 player that looks very much
>> like my daughter's portable MP3 player.
>>
>
> What'S wrong with a little plug you hook any portable MP3 player up to?
> What 's the advantage compared to hooking up a USB stick to the
> built-in player?
>

that's what I have. PS60000M and an iPod Nano. I have a short patch
cable that ties the iPod output side into the PS60000M. Works like a
charm. So that solution meets the market requirement for music.

However, if I could figure out a cheaper way of getting XM I'd be all
for that. Right now I am looking at a GDL69-A @ $5K or so and then the
XM subscription fee. This is an expensive hobby!

I still haven't quite come up with the right music for flying yet however.

KC

[Ron Natalie]

Jay Honeck wrote:

>
> Is anyone marketing anything like this for aircraft? Build this
> thing into an intercom, and, wow, you'd have everything you need.
>
How about an IPOD dock?

[Ron Natalie]

Jay Honeck wrote:

> I personally hate hauling stuff to and from the hangar. A single
> memory stick (that lives on my keychain) could replace the 20 CDs
> (times ten) we've got stuffed into the visor-holders, and the small
> size of an MP3 player would free up a lot of panel space that is
> currently occupied by our CD player.

The current crop of MP3 players are no larger than a memory stick.

[Gig 601XL Builder]

"Jay Honeck" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> While shooting the breeze with the avionics techs today, I started to
> sketch out the perfect aircraft music system.
>
> Basically, we came up with an in-dash MP3 player that looks very much
> like my daughter's portable MP3 player. It would consist of a little
> display (to tell you what's playing), a volume control, a "skip to next
> song" button, and a standard USB port...
>
> ...that you can stick any "thumb-drive" into. (They were selling 1 GB
> flash drives at Staples last week for $12 bucks.) The whole thing
> could fit into a standard 3" hole, weigh just a few ounces, have no
> moving parts, and costs less than a hundred bucks.
>
> Is anyone marketing anything like this for aircraft? Build this
> thing into an intercom, and, wow, you'd have everything you need.
> --
> Jay Honeck
> Iowa City, IA
> Pathfinder N56993
> www.AlexisParkInn.com
> "Your Aviation Destination"
>

Air Gizmo, the guys that make the 2/3/496 mount make a mount for the I-Pod.
I saw one installed in a 601XL a couple of weeks ago. The neat thing about
this is the I=Pod also comes in a video version that in my 2-place would be
perfect for the passenger to watch.

[[email protected]]

Jay Honeck > wrote:
: While shooting the breeze with the avionics techs today, I started to
: sketch out the perfect aircraft music system.

: Basically, we came up with an in-dash MP3 player that looks very much
: like my daughter's portable MP3 player. It would consist of a little
: display (to tell you what's playing), a volume control, a "skip to next
: song" button, and a standard USB port...

: ...that you can stick any "thumb-drive" into. (They were selling 1 GB
: flash drives at Staples last week for $12 bucks.) The whole thing
: could fit into a standard 3" hole, weigh just a few ounces, have no
: moving parts, and costs less than a hundred bucks.

: Is anyone marketing anything like this for aircraft? Build this
: thing into an intercom, and, wow, you'd have everything you need.
: --
I don't recall what you've got in the panel, but I REALLY doubt you'll find
what you're looking for... let alone for an aircraft. What I'd do is just wire a 1/8"
stereo mini-jack into the panel and connect an mp3-player doodad to it. If you want
it "panel-mounted," get some velcro.

I do know that they make them in a bunch of permutation... they take flash
cards (like SD), they *are* USB keys, they can take cards AND be USB keys, and I'd be
surprised if you couldn't find one that would also take a USB key. Buy one for <$100,
velcro it to the dash, and leave it in the plane if you don't want to haul stuff.

I personally use the portable CD-MP3 player "discman" that I bought in 2001.
If I'm solo I connect it to my Lightspeed XC directly so I get better fidelity and
stereo than the mono PC4 intercom in the plane. Solid state might be nice, but I get
burned out on the 10x CD's of MP3's I've got in the case... can't imagine if I were
limited to 1 or 2 worth on a memory stick.

-Cory

--

************************************************** ***********************
* Cory Papenfuss, Ph.D., PPSEL-IA *
* Electrical Engineering *
* Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University *
************************************************** ***********************

[Jay Honeck]

> I personally use the portable CD-MP3 player "discman" that I bought in 2001.
> If I'm solo I connect it to my Lightspeed XC directly so I get better fidelity and
> stereo than the mono PC4 intercom in the plane. Solid state might be nice, but I get
> burned out on the 10x CD's of MP3's I've got in the case... can't imagine if I were
> limited to 1 or 2 worth on a memory stick.

It's funny -- we've got half a dozen CDs that we always seem to listen
to when we fly, and we rarely seem to get tired of them. I suppose
it's because most of our flights are 30 minutes or so, which means
you'll hear (at most) six or seven songs. (We maintain a sterile
cockpit in the pattern, so that whacks off probably ten minutes of
flight time right there.)

Now, with XM radio, I suspect we'll not be using the CDs much anymore.
We've gone through and picked out the half a dozen stations that play
"our" music (60s, 70s, 80s rock, classical, blues, and 40s swing), and
I doubt we'll ever hear the same song twice.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Gig 601XL Builder]

"Jay Honeck" > wrote in message
ups.com...
>> I personally use the portable CD-MP3 player "discman" that I bought in
>> 2001.
>> If I'm solo I connect it to my Lightspeed XC directly so I get better
>> fidelity and
>> stereo than the mono PC4 intercom in the plane. Solid state might be
>> nice, but I get
>> burned out on the 10x CD's of MP3's I've got in the case... can't imagine
>> if I were
>> limited to 1 or 2 worth on a memory stick.
>
> It's funny -- we've got half a dozen CDs that we always seem to listen
> to when we fly, and we rarely seem to get tired of them. I suppose
> it's because most of our flights are 30 minutes or so, which means
> you'll hear (at most) six or seven songs. (We maintain a sterile
> cockpit in the pattern, so that whacks off probably ten minutes of
> flight time right there.)
>
> Now, with XM radio, I suspect we'll not be using the CDs much anymore.
> We've gone through and picked out the half a dozen stations that play
> "our" music (60s, 70s, 80s rock, classical, blues, and 40s swing), and
> I doubt we'll ever hear the same song twice.
> --


Check out XM 26. I think both you and the kids will be able to stand it plus
the name of the channel is Flight 26.

Also, some time when you are in the aircraft alone and NOT with the kids or
your wife switch over to 202.

[xyzzy]

Kevin Clarke wrote:

> I still haven't quite come up with the right music for flying yet however.


Pink Floyd "Learning to Fly" (obvious)
Johnny Nash "I Can See Clearly" (VFR days only)

Surely this newsgroup can come up with a playlist.

[Jim Carter[_1_]]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jay Honeck ]
> Posted At: Friday, December 01, 2006 7:02 AM
> Posted To: rec.aviation.owning
> Conversation: Any in-panel MP3 players like this?
> Subject: Re: Any in-panel MP3 players like this?
>
....
>
> I think the key to success would be to built the player into an
> intercom/XM radio receiver that fits into a 3" hole.
> --
> Jay Honeck
> Iowa City, IA
> Pathfinder N56993
> www.AlexisParkInn.com
> "Your Aviation Destination"

Jay, I think you are absolutely correct except for one point. There is
no reason that this should have to take up a 3" panel opening. Even
considering operator controls and the USB jack it should be able to fit
in one of the smaller openings (2 1/4" or so).

For that matter, it could use the portable memory stick and read the
tunes directly from that location. You wouldn't need the additional
memory in the unit and it should be a nice enhancement to an intercom as
you suggested.

[Jim Burns[_1_]]

You've got a good point Jim, infact, I wouldn't want it to be round at all.
I'm pretty stingy with my pre-cut round panel openings. I'd much prefer a
small rectangular format that could be either vertically or horizontally
orientted such as PS's intercom only products. Most panels have such a
space available, say 1" x 3".

Avionics Innovations seems to be mixing and matching several entertainment
sources into different products. www.avionicsinnovations.com

Jim

[Jay Honeck]

> Pink Floyd "Learning to Fly" (obvious)
> Johnny Nash "I Can See Clearly" (VFR days only)
>
> Surely this newsgroup can come up with a playlist.

1. Our current favorite: The soundtrack music from the movie "One Six
Right"

2. Our old favorite: Dwayne O'Brien's "Song Pilot" CD (It's playing
in the lobby as I type this...) See it here
http://www.flightsongrecords.com/

3. Frank Sinatra's "Come Fly With Me"

4. REO Speedwagon's "I Believe It's Time For Me To Fly"

5. A jillion others!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Jim Carter[_1_]]

While we're on this topic, I'd sure like to find the sound track for The
High and The Mighty - especially the part where John Wayne walks off
into the fog whistling the theme...


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jay Honeck ]
> Posted At: Friday, December 01, 2006 3:44 PM
> Posted To: rec.aviation.owning
> Conversation: Any in-panel MP3 players like this?
> Subject: Re: Any in-panel MP3 players like this?
>
> > Pink Floyd "Learning to Fly" (obvious)
> > Johnny Nash "I Can See Clearly" (VFR days only)
> >
> > Surely this newsgroup can come up with a playlist.
>
> 1. Our current favorite: The soundtrack music from the movie "One Six
> Right"
>
> 2. Our old favorite: Dwayne O'Brien's "Song Pilot" CD (It's playing
> in the lobby as I type this...) See it here
> http://www.flightsongrecords.com/
>
> 3. Frank Sinatra's "Come Fly With Me"
>
> 4. REO Speedwagon's "I Believe It's Time For Me To Fly"
>
> 5. A jillion others!
> --
> Jay Honeck
> Iowa City, IA
> Pathfinder N56993
> www.AlexisParkInn.com
> "Your Aviation Destination"

[[email protected]]

Jay Honeck > wrote:
: > I personally use the portable CD-MP3 player "discman" that I bought in 2001.
: > If I'm solo I connect it to my Lightspeed XC directly so I get better fidelity and
: > stereo than the mono PC4 intercom in the plane. Solid state might be nice, but I get
: > burned out on the 10x CD's of MP3's I've got in the case... can't imagine if I were
: > limited to 1 or 2 worth on a memory stick.

: It's funny -- we've got half a dozen CDs that we always seem to listen
: to when we fly, and we rarely seem to get tired of them. I suppose
: it's because most of our flights are 30 minutes or so, which means
: you'll hear (at most) six or seven songs. (We maintain a sterile
: cockpit in the pattern, so that whacks off probably ten minutes of
: flight time right there.)

It seems like when I'm flying, it's one of the following:

- Quickie 20 minute flight for fun, sunset, or taking a non-flier for a quick spin around the patch
- A local "training" flight (hood work, safety pilot)... to busy for music
- Either a 2-hour or a 5-6 hour cross country to see family in Columbus, OH or Milwaukee, Wi, resp.... need enough music
to where a CD or two of MP3's goes stale after a trip or two.


: Now, with XM radio, I suspect we'll not be using the CDs much anymore.
: We've gone through and picked out the half a dozen stations that play
: "our" music (60s, 70s, 80s rock, classical, blues, and 40s swing), and
: I doubt we'll ever hear the same song twice.
: --
Sounds nice, but rather overkill for flying music.

-Cory

--

************************************************** ***********************
* Cory Papenfuss, Ph.D., PPSEL-IA *
* Electrical Engineering *
* Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University *
************************************************** ***********************

[Jay Honeck]

> >4. REO Speedwagon's "I Believe It's Time For Me To Fly"
>
> Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

I know, I know. It's gutter-class glam rock.

But growing up in Rust Belt Wisconsin, in the 1970s, REO Speedwagon was
HUGE. Very blue collar, very rough and predictable. For some
strange reason I like that song, probably more for the memories
associated with it.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"