Install a basic sound system on a soviet car

Thread Starter

Adrianadrianaaaadr

Joined Dec 4, 2020
1
Hello all,

I bought a very simple car of soviet design (a lada) that doesn’t have a sound system installed on it.

I want to build a basic setup to plug my iPod in via jack 3.5mm to be able to listen to music when driving that car.

I can get cheap 12v AC 100w mono amplifier boards here in the Caucasus and I’m thinking about using two of them to get a dual channel amplifier able to drive two speakers. I might also add a third of these amplifiers through which to attach a dedicated bass speaker. A switch, a fuse, a fan and a jack socket...

Would that be enough?

The amplifiers boards being to be powered ac, what would be the easiest way to plug the circuits onto the car’s battery ?
Would I need an inverter to get ac from the battery as well as a dc-dc converter to get more power from it?

If it’s to get that “complicated”, are there diy-able versions of it (inverter, converter) out of widely available components ?

I think it’d be more elegant (aesthetically too because an elaborate-looking installation could look a bit strange on that car) to set up that little system myself - and I could use some experience with electronics too.

I’m sorry if it all sounds very basic but well, it’s not really my thing until now. Id be happy to make that little projet work out by myself as far as possible (time-wise also) and on the cheap side.

I would appreciate any advice to the completion of that installation !

Thank you.
 

Wolframore

Joined Jan 21, 2019
2,609
You can easily find amplifiers designed for 12VDC (converting from 12V DC to line level AC and having the system them convert back to DC that it needs to operate will introduce efficiency issues) and I would simplify your design by using a dual channel version ready for stereo because again this is pretty standard. You will need a preamp which can be simple or more complicated if you want to add features like equalizer, mixing... so forth. Do you not have access to inexpensive sound systems designed already for installing in cars?
 

Audioguru again

Joined Oct 21, 2019
6,673
What is a "12VAC 100W amplifier board"??
If the 12VAC powers it then the supply to the amplifier circuit is 16VDC and its bridged true maximum undistorted power is 24.5W into 4 ohms.
Frequently they say the momentary peak very distorted power number.
The true power output from an ordinary car radio is 15W per channel at low distortion but they advertise 200 Whats! 200W for 4 speakers is 50W per channel but at very high distortion.
 

LowQCab

Joined Nov 6, 2012
4,023
After you go through all the complicated craziness it would take to make this work,
you will have spent more money than it would cost to simply purchase a cheap Chinese Car-Radio Head-Unit.
You can get them for less than $100.oo (US).
Virtually all of these have a USB input, allowing you to put all your music on a USB "Thumb-Drive".
These will come with standard "Bridge-Amp" Amplifiers that will put out ~12 watts per channel with no distortion.

If you want to be heard for 100m in every direction,
you can now get "Class-D" 12vdc Amplifiers in any wattage you can imagine, also very cheap.

BUT ............. Your Lada's Alternator WILL NOT SUPPORT 300 Watts of additional Load.
With a 300 Watt load, your battery will be DEAD in about ~15 minutes, or less,
and maybe ~30 minutes with the Engine running.
 
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