iPhone/iPod Stereo Setup With waterproof Wrist Watch Remote

[Blacky22]

Okay here goes...

It may be way out there but just all you tech heads out there might be able to lend some advice and knowledge. I am after hooking up an infrared waterproof remote control so that it works on my iphone as well as the head unit. That way when we play music through the head unit the remote works and when we switch it across to the iphone the remote still works. Planning on installing a docking station setup on my boat and have an RF remote with an Infrared signal emitter to the infrared sensors on the head unit and the iphone. http://www.rockthebo...html/38268.html . the idea is the remote can be worn (like a wrist watch) by a wakeboarder whilst riding out the back of the boat, allowing the rider to select the music and volume.

Being RF the Magnadyne universal remote does not require line of sight and works up to 150ft away. As I don't use my head unit very much for music selection, but would still like to have it controlled by the remote, i planned on connecting my iPhone4 directly to the head unit. by doing this I would be able to use the waterproof universal remote to turn the volume up and down through the head unit but was thinking as we use the iphone a lot more, of somehow hooking up an infrared receiver to the iphone so that it picks up signals "track forward & track back" from the remote? so therefore allowing the wakeboarder to control the volume and tracks...

I want the rider to be able to select the volume and track using the remote. I may be wrong here but when hooking the iphone up to a headunit via the 3.5mm jack into the RCA left and right audio of the head unit, you can use the head unit to alter the volume but cannot use the headunit to stop, play pause and skip tracks. As my head unit has an infrared remote already (not waterproof) that would mean I can change the volume only by any remote.

I have heard that to have full use of all the buttons on a remote or head unit in conjunction with the iphone you need to connect the phone by USB. my headunit does not have USB connection. however would this work:

connecting the normal white USB SYNC cord to the bottom of the phone then connecting the USB end of the SYNC iphone Cable to a USB conversion to left and right audio cable and connecting it to the head unit that way? or is that just taking the USB data from the phone then converting it back to left and right audio???

another option i have considered is the following:

How about splitting the RF receiver so that it has two IR transmitters. one attached over the IR receiver of the head unit and one attached to the IR receiver of the iphone. for that i would need to get the IR attachment for the iphone and an IR remote as well so that I can tune it into the waterproof remote. So that way I can tune the remote volume source and mute buttons to the head unit and then tune the track up and down buttons to the iphone???

Done some research and i think the second option will work... I want to install the remote into my system with the HSE unit Volume Control & WS420 EQ. the iphone setup will be just a defender series hard case otterbox, dove tailed jointed onto the dash for a slim line minimal look.

i will need to plug in both the infrared receiver to the iphone and also want to be able to charge the phone wile playing so also will need an adaptor to allow a cigarette 12v plug. Just need to price up all the accessories i need and see if it's worth it.... will need the following:

1 x Dual Link Splitter Cable For iPhone (USB to 2 SYNC points) - $20 (image below)

1 x Female to Female double ended USB Connector - $1 (image below)

1 x 1 x Normal SYNC cable - $2

1 x car 12v car charger plug that accepts USB input - $5

Will allow me to plug in the Infrared Receiver to the iPhone and also have a charging point that can connect to the 12v power supply (cigarette lighter point). Don't think there is a cable out there available that splits the SYNC cable into a double adaptor so have created my own. The only one I could find was the Duallink Splitter which splits the USB into two SYNC cables & points.

Will also need these:

1 x Infrared emitter to 3.5mm jack to place over the iphone IR receiver - $20 (image below)

1 x 3.5mm jack dual splitter - to split the IR receiver coming from the RF Receiver so that both head unit and iphone can be controlled by the waterproof remote. - $1 (image below)

1 x apple IR remote - to assist in tuning signal responses into the new waterproof remote. - $20(image below)

1 x iPhone IR receiver to receive signals from new waterproof remote - $40

Total around $110 - opinions welcome and advice if this will work would be great!! find below a rough wiring diagram of the WS420, HSE unit & waterproof remote. Just realised that the duallink SYNC iphone cable to USB wont work as i need to female inputs to plug in the charger and ifrared receiver. will do some reasearch to find a cable that will work.

Edited October 17, 2010 by Blacky22

[martinarcher]

I like the way you roll! The system drawing is good. Reminds me of the stuff we do at work for control layouts. Good work. It certainly helps make sure you have all your ducks in a row and it looks like you've got a pretty good plan.

So, is your plan to take the guts out of the iPhone remote and stuff it into some sort of wrist watch mounted gizmo? Got any leads on a watch mount yet?

[Blacky22]

Nah... plan is to use a waterproof RF remote control that is fully submergible in water to 15ft. can be used up to 150ft away from the system. this remote is universal and can be used on any stereo system. only one i could find was the Magnadyne... go to this link - http://www.rockthebo...html/38268.html Hoping to somehow hook up the remote to the iphone and the stereo so when playing CD's or theiphone the remote still works and the rider can have full control of the track next and back, source, mute and volume buttons.

have been informed that its prob best to invest in a head unit that is USB compatible so that i can plug the iphone straight into the headunit and still have full control of the head unit functions, which would mean the remote would work on the iphone aswell. someone has mentioned that the sound quality is far better from the bottom jack of the iphone rather than the 3.5mm jack.

[martinarcher]

Cool. This thread might be worth a read. Looks like he did something similar.

[Blacky22]

Awsome... perfect thread for me. will have a look at that headunit he has b/c thats exactly what i want to do. great idea to have another remote on the streering wheel like he has mounted so that you dont have to turn to the side to change music.... Thanks bud.

[martinarcher]

Awsome... perfect thread for me. will have a look at that headunit he has b/c thats exactly what i want to do. great idea to have another remote on the streering wheel like he has mounted so that you dont have to turn to the side to change music.... Thanks bud.

No problem. I thought the remote on the steering wheel was a pretty cool idea too. Can't get much more convenient than that.