Any in-panel MP3 players like this?

"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.

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 *
************************************************** ***********************

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"

"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.

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.

-----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: 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.

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

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"

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: 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"

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 *
************************************************** ***********************