Convert cassette to bluetooth adapter

[winterset]

I will be receiving this $21 adapter soon, and i will try it out in my caddy radio. I have a '96 with a complete '99 active audio and 13 disk system with a cassette. I will stream music from my iphone 6s and try the phone feature out. The cassette has a microphone built in for phone calls. I will rate the battery life too. I think this is a great accessory for those of us who have cd and cassette but no bluetooth.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/141434255265?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[rockfangd]

Please do.

So wait you have a 98+ Radio that has the deck and cd player in a 96? If so what did you do about the theftloc.

And you must have the 12 disc changer in the trunk totalling 13 disc capability.

I was looking for something that could be wired in place of the cd changer to make a auxillary input.

Thanks for posting this

[winterset]

Yes. As far as i know i am the only one with this setup. Took me a few years to collect everythink. Every speaker, door wires, amp, amp power wires, twisted insulated wires from radio head to amp, etc came from a '99. I drove the radio to a shop in northern NJ, and they cleared out the vin. I think i paid less than $50 for the new radio on ebay (overstock/return, but it still had the plastic wrap on the display) and it did not cost me anything to program (my lucky day - they said no one took a radio to their front door before, and they only did the dealer work, and were not involved with billing direct customers) yes. The 12 disk is in the trunk all with oem wireing. Even analog onstar. But i took the onstar modules out. The rear door speakers are on the bottom, but there was no cut out for the rear tweeters, so i made brakets and fitted them inside the rear pillars where there was plenty of room near but clearing the sholder restraint system. So i went from 6 4 ohm to 11 eight ohm speakers (i might have mixed up the ohms here - but my point is that for active audio, the speakers were different than the standard radio. In fact, i think the rears are not speakers, but are subs.

Btw, i investigated costar, parrot, etc for bluetooth, but no longer have the desire. The cassette will be great (if it works good). I will let you all know.

One thing is that the cassette needs to be ejected to automatically shut off, battery life is 6 hours, and there is a little mic to pull out of the cassette to use the phone. I know there is a button sequence (on all caddy head units )to press that turns off the cassette motor for the sole purpose of using these adapters (otherwise either you get motor hiss, or the tape just keeps flipping sides then ejects)

[rockfangd]

I thought I was the only crazy one lol.

When I had my 96 it was not prewired for the 12 disc changer.

I installed a 1997 HU with the source buttons and made my own harness to run to the trunk to make it wired for it.

It worked perfectly. I had no noise or interference. I made it as close to the prewired harness as I could. I might add that the oem harness is not easily removable as it is incorporated into the harness that runs along the right sill and up into the right side of the dash.

I wanted to go back to get the harness when my 96 was sent to the salvage yard but it was too cold to do that much work.

[winterset]

I hope you took out the head unit. As i recall, those catch a premium on ebay (or used to) just like there is a digital onstar module that works with class II gm vehicles. I forget what single truck it came from but it is very pricey and rare. Imagine having onstar in a '96, and being able to unlock doors, and have crash response, etc. (well beyond anything i would be willing to put any time or money into)

[rockfangd]

Wow. I had on star on my 01 eldo. useless. and I have it on my 97 Seville. Useless. The 97 has the phone and hands free. the 01 only had the hands free phone.

I sold my 96 to someone and was hoping to get it back if they retired it, but they junked it.

I wanted to have it for a parts car for my replacement.

I went and got my compressor, mudflaps, and some other known good things, but when I went back for more it was crushed.

Can you post a pic of the Harder to find HU. I want to see if it is one that I have. I have a few different ones at the moment.

Was the on star plug and play with the plug in our trunk?

[winterset]

I receiced the adapter and tried it out.

Many pros, and 1 con.

Pros:

- mic protrudes on a little wire out the cassette adapter, and has a button to answer calls. Bluetooth calls thru the car audio sound great on both sides (the mic can be left in if you dont want this feature)

- the bluetooth cassette turns off automatically. When the car cassette head pushes out, it turns the bluetooth cassette on. When you turn your car off, or switch to a radio band, the car cassette head goes in, and the bluetooth cassette turns off.

- sound quality is great thru the adapter

- there are gears in the cassette, so the car does not eject the cassette, or keep switching sides of the cassette because the radio does not support cassette adapters

- Using a $.99 cigarette lighter usb adapter, and the included wire, the bluetooth cassette can run off car power while it is in the player. It might not be as clean as we want, but it'll be necessary for road trips.

Cons:

- internal Battery is advertised as only 4 hours, but i got 5 hours.

- i dont know if there is a button sequence to turn the cassette motor off (i thought there was, but could not find it). My wife has a 2002 Chevy Venture that we will be using this in, and that radio has the option - so there was motor noise coming from the radio head. It was not heard on the other end of the phone call, and it did not affect music sound quality as the noise did not come out the speakers.

[winterset]

I do not really know how to identify the radio with the source button. But currently, all the radios for 90's - early 00 cadillacs are cheap. Looking at the 60's, and 70's radios, they are very expensive. - especially the rare ones like CB radios. I guess yours with the source button will be more expensive too in 20 years.

[rockfangd]

I just received mine in the mail today. Looks like cake to use. Will post update when I figure it out