How to Connect a Car Stereo for House Use With a Psu

Last Updated: November 5, 2020 References

Did you know that you don't need to buy a stereo specifically for home use? You can use your car stereo. Follow these steps to safely connect your car stereo to your home power supply.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

On the PSU

1
Disconnect all power from PSU.
2
Depending on year and model of PSU, there may have different color wires. on my PSU, there are black, blue, yellow, orange, red, and green.

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3
Try to eliminate blue, orange, red and green.^{[1]
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4
Now all the yellow wires using the wire strippers, strip them approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm).
5
Twist all yellow cords together.
6
Now do the same procedure for the black wires.^{[2]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

On Stereo

1
Strip black, red, and yellow wires.^{[3]
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2
Now twist yellow and red wires together.
3
Connect both yellow and red wires to the psu (YELLOW!) wire.^{[4]
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4
Connect black wire with black on psu.
5
Leave switch off and plug power supply in outlet.^{[5]
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Community Q&A

Question

I carried out all instructions in the article, but I'm getting very few stations and lot of static. Do I need an an aerial to receive good reception?

Community Answer

You need a proper antenna. Otherwise, the radio won't get enough signal. Also, use a good quality wire for connecting the antenna to the radio.
Question

Is the procedure the same for a 24 pin connector?

Guna Vardhan

Community Answer

The 24pin Header will only go in one way. Check the pin header carefully for damage and make sure none of the pins are bent. AS you have RMA'd the board, I'd suggest the issue is with the Pin Header or if it's an older PSU, it may predate current ATX 2.2 power connection standards.
Question

What PSU should I use for this?

Community Answer

Any PSU from a PC should work. You can either buy one or try to find an old one from a computer. It doesn't matter how many W it is, or whether it's modular or not.