Cheers for all of your replies guys.

I have now found out that for the Alpine units like mine - Alpine 9812, the 2 RCA's on the back of the unit are both outputs and the only way to use the auxilary channel that the unit has is by connecting an Alpine KCA 121B lead that turns your CD changer port into an RCA input.

Therefore you can have 2 RCA outputs and 1 RCA input but not at the same time as having a CD changer connected. The Aux channel will then work.

The lead is about £12. http://www.incarexpress.co.uk/view_p...partno=KCA121B

Therefore options are £12 for a lead (KCA121B) to use the ipod in the car, or £65 for the box of tricks (Alpine KCA-420i) that allows you to use your headunit to operate the ipod (therefore no need to ever have the ipod out of the glove box) and charge it at the same time.

Think it's got to be the £65 job.

Cheers though!