I was given an in-car CD player and decided I was going to get it working.... First off I got myself a computers PSU, changed the normal black fan for a coloured LED one.

Next, I downloaded a .pdf with the CD player's wiring diagram (can be found here should you want to see it. Note: it only applies to some cd-players so dont presume it applies to yours!)

I then connected the yellow wire on the PSU's molex connector to the yellow and red wires on the CD player connection and the black molex wire to the black CD players wire. I did not need speakers as I am using logitech 2.1 speakers plugged into the phono output. Also, I shorted the green wire with the common (black) wire to turn the PSU on... The whole thing is now turned on/off via the PSU switch
CD player:


CD player with PSU:


.................................................. ........

Next, the case... I am going to make the case so that the CD player and PSU fit in with some room at the back and sides but it is just the right height. For the case, I am using 5mm thick clear perspex that I have left over from my PC mod.

ok, so the top, bottom, left and right pieces are cut... I only need to cut the front and back now... the top and 2 sides are attatched, I will only be able to attatch the base and that will be all for probably this week.




I will have to cut the bolts down at some point with a hacksaw...

The top is now attatched:





Here is roughly what it will look like with the player and PSU in it:




Obiously with the front and back on, and also the white protective cover off it

I am thinking about adding some lights, it wont be hard at all because I can get lights designed for use in the PC and plug them into the power supply im thinking along the lines of 2 (or 4) internal speakers and 2 sound activated lights.

I wasnt going to use internal speakers but as I want sound activated lights, it would be easier to just place the mic by the speaker than have to make a circuit which involves a power transistor, op-amp and them perhaps a low voltage relay or other switching circuit so i could use the PSU to power the bulbs... the bulbs i were looking at were 12V and 20W, the max output for each audio channel is 14W...

The dual 4" blue cold cathodes are ordered.... it was hard trying to find them!! i found some but they were not sound activated and the ones that were sound activated were red!!!

Im still deciding if i should give the perspex a "frosted" effect, this will hide the wires and allow the light to shine through... I will also have to cut a hole at the top and side at some point for the fan (top) and switch/ventilation holes/switch (side) I will cut one big hole for this... ive then got to find screws long enough to fit throush the plastic but the right diamiter so they screw into the power supply.

Cold cathodes:

I have now hidden some of the PSU wires:



Work will continue in a few weeks.... i'm away saturday ans next saturday im going to blackpool with a few friends and really, I need to go to my nans to do it because there is a workbench there that I can use. Im off to paint the fence in the back

All the plastic is now cut (minus the back)

All I have to do is
1)Secure CD player
2)Screw PSU to case
3) make a back (probably out of thin wood)
4) cut down some of the bolts

The pictures:

Needs tidying up....


so does this....

not too bad..

I have cut down the screws, secured the cd player and put a short, long piece of plastic at the back to keep the wires in

.... And it wouldnt be "mine" without flashing lights



edit: ignore the song.... i dont have many cd's yet and out of the cd that was in, that made the best vid... so there you go

also, as you can see, the screws have been cut down