This used to be a simple subject, but there are so many alternative devices out there now, charging can be a bit more complicated.  So hopefully this page will help you understand your options.

Most music devices available nowadays are charged via 5 volt USB charging.  But the earlier generation iPods were charged via 12 volt "Firewire" connections.  When the GM PAL (Personal Audio Link) came out in 2009, that was around the time when Apple was changing the charging method from Firewire to USB.  Some of those generation iPods, like the 3rd Generation Nano below, could be charged using EITHER 12v Firewire or 5v USB.  But soon, Apple iPods and ALL iPhones required 5v USB charging only.

So that meant that the PAL charging method became obsolete almost as soon as the PAL became available to Corvette owners.  If you are lucky enough to find an original GM PAL (part number 17800593), you will get a very nice iPod interface for your Corvette, but it likely won't charge your iPod unless you have one from a few years ago.

Fortunately, there are quite a few solutions to this problem.  Before I go into the solutions, let me provide a few details on how the iPods (or Iphones) are charged.

Until the release of the latest iPhone 5's, almost all iPods and iPhones are charged via its proprietary Apple 30 pin connector.  All devices that connect, including speaker docking stations and iPod interfaces like the PAL, provide a male 30 pin connector that the iPod connects to.  Early devices, including the GM PAL, provide 12 volt charging to Pins 19 and 20 of the 30 pin connector.  Later devices provide 5 volt charging for later iPods and iPhones to Pin 23 of the connector.  The 4' OEM PAL iPod cable shown below that is included in the original PAL kit provides 12 volt charging to Pins 19 and 20, but no charging to Pin 23.  So they will not charge the latest iPods and iPhones requiring 5 volt charging.

There are a number of charging adapters available to connect to the PAL iPod cable and convert the voltage from 12 volts to 5 volts and redirect the charging from Pins 19 and 20 to Pin 23.  The Scosche Passport (available from amazon.com for about $20 bucks) is one of them: 

 But they are sort of bulky and there are reliability complaints as well - if you order one, hopefully you'll get a good one.  One owner said he had problems with the Scosche and found the "CableJive dockStubz + Charge Converter" from amazon to work well.  Click HERE for a link.

 Another product that was useful to PAL owners was the iSimple IS710, which is a 4' long cable with the voltage conversion and pin reassignment built in. 

 These are hard to find, and I've heard reliability complaints about them as well.  But they are a good solution for the charging problem and they also extend the total length of the iPod cable to 8', which is handy if you want the iPod or iPhone near the center console.  Do a Google search for these charging solutions and you'll likely find one.  If you can't find an IS710, try one of the smaller iSimple adapters, the IS712, sometimes called the ReVolt.  These are often on amazon.com.

Next, here is an "extender" cable that some owners with coupes and Z06s MIGHT want (BUT READ CAREFULLY):

This is NOT a charging cable, although it looks almost identical to the iSimple IS710 above it.  This is a 3' Patuoxun Dock Extender, available on Amazon.com for only about $7 bucks.  This cable will pass through charging wires, but remember that the PAL only provides 12 volts on Pins 19 and 20.  So when this cable is connected to the PAL iPod cable, it will pass the 12 volts only on Pins 19 and 20 to the extended end.  But it will NOT convert the voltage to 5 volts and redirect to Pin 23.  If it was connected to a power supply that provided the 5 volts on Pin 23, it would pass it through.  So conceivably, you could connect the Scosche Passport described above to the PAL cable, then extend the cable another 3' to your iPod or iPhone.  Again, if you have an early iPod that can be charged by 12 volt "Firewire" on Pins 19 and 20, this cable would also work as an extender to be able to reach the center console area from the XM receiver area in coupes and Z06s.

For those of you with one of the newer iPods or iPhones, you will have one of the Apple Lightning connectors.  For these devices, you can find lots of 30 pin to Lightning adapters like these:

You can get them in various lengths to extend your iPod cable length from the PAL module.  Remember, however, that these adapters will not provide charging for the later Apple devices that require 5 volt charging.  You will still need some type of charging adapter to convert the PAL's 12 volt charging to 5 volt charging.  Something like the iSimple ReVolt IS712 (described above), connected between the PAL iPod cable and the Lightning extension should do the trick.  I haven't tested that combination, but I would think it should work.

The Version 2 PAL

When I began working with Mediatronics to improve the GM PAL, besides software improvements and installation simplification, iPod charging was an issue.  Mediatronics began supplying me with a custom 8' long iPod cable that had a built in 12v/5v converter and redirected the charging voltage to Pin 23 - here's a photo:

This cable would charge all of the latest iPods and iPhones, plus it was 8' long.  This is long enough to reach from the XM receiver located above the left rear wheel well in coupes and Z06s, where the Version 2 PAL module is connected.  In convertibles, the XM receiver is located between the seats, behind the waterfall, so 4' is plenty of length, but this cable could be coiled up if the 5 volt charging was desired by the owner.  This cable was what was wanted by most every PAL owner, because most owners had the latest iPods or iPhones.  It will NOT charge the earliest iPods however, because it does not have the 12 volt charging on Pins 19 and 20.  Unfortunately, I have no more of these cables and at this time the chances of seeing these again are close to zero.  Until or unless more become available, we are stuck with the OEM cables described above.

The good news is that the white OEM cables are excellent quality and pretty "bulletproof".  The Version 2 cables I had were pretty good, but a few of the 12v/5v converters gave up the ghost and therefore charging ceased altogether.

Current Music Devices

So what does today's music lover do for charging and using his device?  Well, for one thing, we have a lot more options in music devices these days.  The very latest iPods and the iPhone 5 don't even have the standard 30 pin connector anymore.  For these you need an Apple adapter to adapt the new devices to the older 30 pin connector.  And Android smartphones are taking over the industry, being as popular or more popular than the iPhone.  Android phones don't even have the Apple 30 pin connector, so one would think the PAL might be obsolete for these owners.  But I have a PAL in three of my GM vehicles (Corvette, Sierra pickup, and GMC Denali SUV) and I have an Android phone.  And I wouldn't give the PAL up.  So here is what I do, and here are some other very viable options:

1.  Pick up a used 3rd Generation iPod Nano like that shown in the top photo.  Since the iPod is really only used for music storage and the PAL can do the searching, control, and display of you music, you can store it anywhere.  It doesn't need to be at your center console - a lot of owners keep their iPods in the left rear storage compartment, which is near the XM receiver.  The 4' OEM cable can reach there easily and it will charge the older iPods just fine.  You can usually find a 3rd Gen Nano on eBay for under $75 bucks.

2.  If you must use your newer iPod or iPhone and must charge it while you're driving, you will need a charging adapter like that discussed above.  If you have a coupe or Z06 and must have your device at the center console area, you will also need an iPod extension cable.  I do still have a few of those - they are 6' long and have a male and female 10 pin modular connector to extend the OEM iPod cable from the PAL module.

3.  If you have an iPhone or Android phone and want to wirelessly stream your music instead of having a wired connection to it, use one of the new Bluetooth Audio Receivers that connect to the 30 pin iPod cable.  I just posted a review of five Bluetooth receivers that work great with the PAL - CLICK HERE for the link.   These are a very nice accessory for the PAL if you have a smartphone, and they are all under $40 bucks.  Since they connect directly to the 30 pin connector, you can store them anywhere (rear storage compartment, for example) and they will shut down automatically when the PAL shuts down.  Some even work with your steering wheel controls to allow you to skip songs or go to the previous song.   They won't do handsfree calling, but if you own a 2009 or later C6, you might already have that Bluetooth capability.  With these Bluetooth Audio Receivers, you just connect them to the iPod cable in place of an iPod, and you'll always have wireless music available from most any smartphone.  You'll have to charge your smartphone independently from another power connector, but at least you're always connected to your music.

4.  Finally, if you have an iPhone or Android phone and want to wirelessly stream your music AND provide handsfree calling, there are Bluetooth devices like the Kinivo BTC450 described on my Bluetooth page (CLICK HERE) that can provide both handsfree calling and wireless music streaming from your smartphone.  The Kinivo requires a power connection (inside your console) with a cigarette lighter plug, but it also provides a USB charging connector for your smartphone as well.  With this device you don't use the PAL iPod cable at all, or its 30 pin connector, so you must unplug the Bluetooth device if your car is going to sit for a few days.  You also need an auxiliary input for the audio, but the Version 2 PAL has this capability.  I also have auxiliary input harnesses available for C6 Vettes with an XM receiver if you don't have a PAL.  So with this approach, all of your music is wirelessly sent to your audio system and controlled by your smartphone.  This means you will not longer search, control, or display your music from the Navigation screen, but many owners prefer to use their smartphones anyway.

Ray