MP3 for music and books?

[Tom]

Folks have various forms of MP3 players; Some have solid state memory (great for jogging or bike riding), some have hard drives, and others store MP3 music on the internal or external hard drive of the PC. Has anyone used an MP3 player for the equivalent of books on tape? Where do you get the "books"?

 

[Steve CDN]

Tom,

I use a Sony mini disc player, which has advantages and disadvantages....but nevertheless I have used it to copy books on CD which I listen to while walking.  In addition we can listen to the actual CD's while traveling in the coach or in the car.

Books on CD are not always available in brick bookstores, but the CD version is almost always available online at the Amazon RV'ers store.

In addition public libraries often carry CD versions which can be ripped and returned immediately, before moving on.

 

[Don Peterson]

A source for audible books for iPod users is Audible.com

 

[rhmahoney]

For the iPod, audiobooks are available from Audible.com, as Don Peterson said.

To make your own from CD, rip to AAC to make them "bookmarkable". An Applescript named  Audiobooker.scpt eases the chore greatly on my Mac by labeling the CD files in a coherent fashion. Each track gets an abreviation  of the title-disk number-track number and the album is labeled with the disk number.

Thus Tony Hillerman's book "Blessing Way" would be labeled thusly for track 9 of disk 1:

track: Blessing-01-09
artist: Hillerman
album: Blessing Way 1

 

[Tom]

Russ

I hear that you have a great collection of MP3 music on your Mac. Do you play directly from your PC through the audio system in your coach, or do you play from an iPod?

 

[Phil]

Do you play directly from your PC through the audio system in your coach, or do you play from an iPod?

Tom,

I can use both the PC and the iPod in my motorhome but, when driving, I prefer the iPod.    When parked, the computer menu is easier to use.  There is a wealth of books and songs available from the internet which makes long drives more relaxing and provides entertainment when hanging out in the RV.

The radio in my motorhome has an auxillary audio input that allows the computer and iPod to connect.  In my Jeep, I use a device that plugs into the tape slot in the car radio.  Both let the iPod play through the main audio system.

Headphones sound great but, in Utah, it's illegal to drive with headphones on both ears.

Phil

 

[Tom]

Thanks Phil.

 

[Alaskansnowbirds]

Where do you get the "books"?

Flying J has a "books-on-tape" program the last time I checked. But it's probably a "books-on-CD" now. You could pick them up and any FJ and drop them off at any other FJ.

 

[Tom]

Ah yes, I'd forgotten about Flying J's program Don.

 

[rhmahoney]

Tom:

Like Phil, I use the Mac>>Bose (both in coach and on patio via speakers in the front bay) while parked and iPod>>dash radio in motion.

Last fall I upgraded my dash radio to one with aux stereo input from iPod or cassette player as well as Sirius sat radio and mp3s on CD

 

[Tom]

Thanks Russ. I might need to replace my dash stereo because it doesn't have auxiliary audio inputs. It does have Sirius capability, but I opted for a portable XM receiver. I currently plug a Creative Nomad Jukebox 3 into the Sony coach audio system, both when parked and when driving down the road. The Nomad is bigger/bulkier than the iPod but, at the time I bought it, Apple didn't have good CD ripping software to run on PC.

Did your Bose come with the coach, or was it added later? I have a "spare" Bose Lifestyle system I removed from the family room at the house we sold recently and was thinking about installing it in the coach to replace the (IMO) inferior factory Sony system. On my to-do list for some time has been a complete re-wire of the A-V systems in the coach, but so far I've not managed to get around to it.

 

[rhmahoney]

Tom>>"Did your Bose come with the coach, or was it added later?"

Came standard. Amp/subwoofer module is built into the endtable behind driver's seat. I made them cut a door inthe side of the cabinet so I could reach the base & treble controls that are only found on the Amp/subwoofer module.

 

[Tom]

Russ

Your message gives me an idea. We'll be heading to Davis Cabinets for some cabinet work in August. That might be a good time to incorporate a place for the subwoofer. The cabinet which currently houses the Sony subwoofer is too small for the Bose, and in the wrong place.

 

[Phil]

We'll be heading to Davis Cabinets for some cabinet work in August.

What are you having done to your cabinets, Tom?

Phil

 

[Tom]

Phil

If you've seen Jerry & Ardra's coach, it's pretty much that. i.e. replacing one sofa with side cabinets and a desk. Kinda like the combination of these two:

• Corner desk.
• Side cabinets.

 

[Phil]

If you've seen Jerry & Adra's coach, it's pretty much that. i.e. replacing one sofa with side cabinets and a desk. Kinda like the combination of these two:

Very nice, Tom.  I have not seen Jerry & Ardra's modifications yet.  I hope to see them at Moab. 

Phil

 

[Ron]

If you've seen Jerry & Adra's coach, it's pretty much that. i.e. replacing one sofa with side cabinets and a desk. Kinda like the combination of these two:

Very nice, Tom.? I have not seen Jerry & Ardra's modifications yet.? I hope to see them at Moab.?

Phil

See there Phil thats another thing you missed by not joining us at QZ. ;D ;D

 

[Bob Buchanan]

Tom:

I might need to replace my dash stereo . . .

My player is made by Bantam (a poor man's iPod). I will either use the $27.50 4 channel FM transmitter I got from Fry's plugged into the mic jack on the player or the RS cassette adapter to play the unit while driving and move it back and forth between the rig and my jeep. No aux audio inputs needed on either dash radio.

When parked, I prefer playing via the computer because of the ease of finding and displaying my music library. I have a "Y" connector that moves the output to both my 100W per channel stereo (in the cab over in the class C) and my computer speackers. I switch the stereo off when conserving power and switch the computer speakers off when not.

 

[Tom]

Thanks for that info Bob. I've never tried playing direct from the PC. OTOH my MP3 player holds 8,000 songs and it's a lot more portable. Presumably, you just connect the audio output from the PC to the input of the stereo.

 

[Bob Buchanan]

Tom:

Thanks for that info Bob. I've never tried playing direct from the PC. OTOH my MP3 player holds 8,000 songs and it's a lot more portable. Presumably, you just connect the audio output from the PC to the input of the stereo.

I hear what you are saying -- but my computer is the source of my library so will always be more extensive than my player. I download from various sources - plus copy from CD's that I borrow or whatever. I then move whatever I want to be mobile to the player. I also like to place music on my web pages - so that makes it nice to have the total library on the computer and handy for that fun chore as well.

Yes, I connect to the stereo via any channel that is open. My stereo is the focal point of any sound in the rig (computer, tv, or whatever). Speakers in most TV's are the pits.