[Sansa Clip+] car radio connection

[[Saint]]

That said I will stick with using the headphone / aux input method as I mostly use it for stop / start delivery driving and it takes a while to re-read the USB directory info each time (apart from which most of the work van radios don't have a USB input anyway).  I also keep a copy of my music on my phone which provides an even easier interface to browse and choose music to play.

I feel like you might be looking at this feature in the wrong way perhaps, or misunderstanding the way it functions.

In your described use case, as a start/stop delivery driver, Car Adapter Mode could indeed be highly advantageous to you.


Car Adapter Mode automatically starts and stops playback based on detection of a power supply, if the car head unit in your vehicle is wired correctly (tied to the accessory rail in the vehicle wiring loom - as opposed to being constantly actively powered), and with a sufficient Idle Poweroff duration (set this to something large-ish, like 30~60 minutes or so - this isn't particularly wasteful as the device is constantly powered when the vehicle is in use, and will not drain the battery in a properly wired vehicle loom), you should not need to interact with the device at all unless the idle poweroff duration has expired.

You would get in the vehicle when you start your day, start playback, and from that point onwards playback will stop and start on the device whenever power is detected (ie. keys in the ignition and on the accessory notch in the ignition barrel), but the device will still power off after the idle timeout duration has expired when power is disconnected from the device (ie. ignition off).

I find this particularly useful if you just like to set a large playlist on repeat shuffled. Get in the vehicle and interact with the device once in the morning to initiate playback, and then enjoy playback starting and stopping automagically whenever power is connected or disconnected (unless the idle timeout has been reached while the device is not actively powered).

This would be useful for anyone who spends a majority of their time in a vehicle making short stops frequently that require the vehicle to be stopped and started with equal frequency. Taxi drivers, couriers, postal workers, delivery drivers, etc. and so on.

I would stress that there is essentially no reason not to use this option, and every reason to do so.

It really does not matter in the slightest if the car head unit does not support USB direct connection, as this is not required for car mode to function at all. You could quite easily get exactly the same effect by continuing to use an axillary cable as you are already, but supplying power from a USB car cigarette lighter adapter. If of course the car cigarette lighter is properly wired to the vehicles accessory rail, and not actively powered, like they seem to be in many older vehicles.

Even if that is the case, it is foolishly easy to correct wiring mistakes like this, or to just add another power supply port tied to the accessory rail. Automotive wiring looms are foolishly simple.



[Saint]

[gomezz]

I understand what you are saying but it does not quite meet my needs.  I run off battery and Pause when I am ready to get out which can be a while after I pull up, stop and turn the engine off.  I hit Play after I get back in and start the engine *and* the van radio has re-initialised after momentarily cutting out as the ignition is turned ON which takes a few seconds.  I use a 10 minute idle power-off which covers most stops and takes care of saving battery but as a fully charged battery can easily last two full shifts anyway then it is not really an issue.  I should add that I normally play a series of three hour radio programmes which I have ripped to the Clip+ after recording them on my PVR.

Another reason not to do it your way is I would be stuffed when I come to park up when there is a gap in my route as the vans we use only keep the aux power sockets alive when the engine is running (crazy I know, tell the Italian makers about it).

I do have a portable power pack which I can use to charge / power the Clip+ if I find the need to do so - a couple of occasions it seems to have lost all power while turned off overnight.

I have been doing the job for nine years and by now I have figured out what works best for me.

[[Saint]]

All of the issues described would be entirely negated if whoever did the wiring on the vehicle(s) you drive wasn't an idiot and they actually put accessory power outlets on the accessory rail, coupled with a large idle timeout value.


[Saint]

[gomezz]

Like I said, tell that to the Italian makers of these vans.  And wouldn't solve the radio blipping off whenever you start the engine.  As I see it Car Adaptor is a solution for a problem I don't actually have.

[nbi]

A mobile electronics store just added an AUX port to my Honda's stock stereo using a GROM adapter: http://gromaudio.com/store/all-mbusd.html

I only opted for the AUX adapter, but in hindsight maybe I should have considered the more expensive USB option for power-on capability.

It would be really slick if the Sansa Clip+ could be powered up by insertion of the AUX plug, but there seems to be no support for that, neither electrically in the Clip+ nor in the RockBox firmware. Oh well. 

Switching the Clip+ on isn't a big deal, but having it power on by turn of the ignition key would be one less thing to fiddle around with when getting into the car.

[saratoga]

Switching the Clip+ on isn't a big deal, but having it power on by turn of the ignition key would be one less thing to fiddle around with when getting into the car.

You don't have any access at all to the 12v supply from the car?