[Q] in-dash android tablet? - General Questions and Answers

What tablet do I get?
I was wondering if anyone had any good suggestions for a tablet to install into my dash. The Archos 5 IMT looks like it has almost everything I want, but I would really like a 7".
It needs:
Built-in GPS (or enough ports for a dongle, and support for a dongle. I don't want bluetooth, because I don't want to have to worry about it losing power)
FM receiver (I know there are internet radio apps, but I want to be able to use this offline.. if it's possible)
Capacitive screen (Cause I want it) with a wide viewing angle.
I don't care much about which version of Android it has, it will pretty much just be used for GPS and Music/video.
As a side note, I'm still doing research, but if anyone knows how to, or knows where there's a tutorial, I need to figure out how to hook the tablet to the speakers. I don't really want to have to use a head unit, though that would be the easy way. There must be some kind of small device I can use that has a volume knob and maybe fade/balance controls that I can install anywhere in the truck.
Thanks for reading!

I have installed the archos 5IT in my dash and love it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kUsui3-5Y0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nN-8Hrf0sM
Its not capacitive but it does not suffer from the glare that the glass screens have. As far as touch sensitivity its pretty acurate for a resistive device.
I dont have the gps signal issues most have as i have the flash version and not the hard drive based ones as most say the hdd must be blocking the gps. I paid for the one time map fee from Ndrive but also tether to my phone and use google maps as well.
I have over 100 youtube music video's in mp4 format ripped to the device and use those as my music and have it set to random play and it goes from one file to the next without having to select a new video once one is over.

Thanks!
Some good input there. I'll have to keep that in mind. I just really think a 7" would look a lot better. Especially in my F150 XLT. Seems like the 5" would look dinky, and I have room for a 7".
If archos put the 5's guts into the 7 form factor, I'd buy 2 right now. Rly.
Also, for anyone who stumbled on this, I think it won't be too hard to set this up without using a head unit. (I could be wrong on some of the technical info, but I think I have the right idea here.) Your amplifier has a 'plug' with like 20 wires attached coming out. Normally, your radio has a plug that fits this plug. You plug it in, and now the radio's attached to the amp, which is attached to the speakers. Good to go. So you buy a new plug (called a wire harness), one that fits your amplifier (assuming stock amplifier, I will just look up 2000 F150 wire harness on amazon, and that's it), and wire up your tablet to it instead of your radio.
The wire harness puts out a 12v (ignition on) wire. You can adapt this to a USB and use that to charge the device. Set it to display/wifi/gps/all other battery draining crap off while not charging. When you turn the car on, it's now "Charging" and everything will turn off. I think it should be able to 'sleep' for a few days, so it should be 'always on' as far as you can tell.
The harness also has a wire for each of the 4 speakers, maybe subwoofers too, I forget now. I'm sure someone makes a product that controls these easily, I'm going to have to go to a local car audio shop, and ask some questions. Hopefully I can put the audio out from the tablet into the audio in of this unknown device. Then I should be able to wire the unknown device to the wiring harness. If I can't find something, I think I'll just make my own circuit, 3 Pots for volume, fade and balance, some resistors or something.. we'll see if I can't just buy something. The rest of the EQ can be done on the tablet.
(If I do make my own, I want to use a slide-style pot for volume instead of a rotating one. I think that'd be the nuts.)
Wiring harness: Ignition on wire adapted to USB. Speaker wires wired to volume/fade/bal device.
Tablet: plug in USB, and connect audio out to volume/fade/bal device.
Easy cheesy.
I'll be updating.
This thing is starting to look like it'll be really easy to do.
I can't get started 'til I find my tablet though. I would love to hear some more ideas! THANKS!

they updated the 7" home with newer hardware but it does not have gps. I would look into the upcoming wifi only samsung galaxy tab and see if it will have gps.
your on the right track with the audio wiring however you would better off getting a cheap 4ch amp to do it as you need power to pump the speakers the way you are talking about wiring it up would basically have the android device trying to power door speakers from the headphone output amp. If you got a cheap 4 ch amp and wired it through the stock vehicle harness you would have all the hookups u need just get the headphone to rca cable and a set of splitters to power all 4 channels of the amp volume could be controlled from the android device. If the amp had external volume remote or if you wired one inline with the headphone output you could have better volume control however the turning on and off of the amp might send a pop to the speakers as the amp would always be turned up.

Hmm
I was under the impression that my vehicle came with a stock amp. Everything's stock (as far as I know, got it used and haven't tinkered with it yet.)
Just trying to understand better, as I have never dealt with car stereos before.
So my stereo was supplying power to the speakers before? There's not an amp in my truck right now between the stereo and the speakers?
EDIT:
I'm almost thinking of getting something really cheap, as I plan on permanently mounting it in the dash. Something Chinese maybe?
I'm sure the Galaxy Tab would work really well, but it's a bit expensive for a GPS/radio/computer.. now that I'm typing this out, that's a ****ing deal! Maybe I will get something nice to pop in there.
I found a tutorial online for making the 12v ignition into 2 USBs, so I am now considering a usb-powered bluetooth gps. Too bad it adds $50 to the cost.

Alright
Nope, no amp in the F-150 standard. It's in the head unit. So I will need to get an amp.
I figure I can move this whole system to my next car (Plan on getting a new truck in 3-4 years.. or sooner if this one decides to go on me), so the amp is an investment.
Truck has 4 speakers stock (no subwoofers)
I will hook those 4 speakers to the amp I buy. (I'll have to look up how to install an amp now.. geesh.)
I will put the audio out from my tablet into the amp.
Now I have to figure out how the 12v ignition on is gonna work, since I'm now going through a new amp. I found a tutorial on instructables titled "12v to USB adapter \ 12v to 5v transformer (great for cars)" I'm not allowed to post links yet, but I'm sure you can find it if you want it.

Yeah the amp any small 4ch or 2ch if you dont care about front rear fade will work..
As far as hooking up an amp they are pretty easy just need to run your own main power wire for the 12v constant for the amp. 8-10 gage should be fine for 400-600w 2 or 4 ch amp to power door speakers....
then use your red ignition wire from the harness u get to power the remote to the amp so its only on with the ignition. Extent the speaker wires to reach your amp you can mount under the passenger side dash or behind the center consol as trucks have plenty of room under there.
the wires from the harness you get to plug into your factory radio harness are easy to figure out as the colors have been standard for a while. Black is ground but you will need your own closest to the amp as possible any bare metal spot you can find that has a bolt to the frame or under dash should suffice. The black from the harness will power the usb fine. Yellow is constant + (always on) if you want the usb to always have power if not use the red as its only on with the ignition it will have enogh amps to power the remote for the amp and charge/power the tablet. green and purple are rear speakers, white/gray are front speakers. the remaining wire colors depend on the vehicle if they have them like blue is for power antenna or factory amp turn on. orange is to dim an after market head unit display when the head lights are on.
I was in best buy a few weeks ago and saw the archos 7 home tablet for $129 almost got one just because of the deal but dont need it as the 5it i have is fine and has the built in gps. but if using an external bluetooth gps is the route you go the 7 should be great. You will just need to find your own gps app or use google maps and have to terher to something like a smart phone for data.
http://www.archos.com/products/ta/archos_7/specs.html?country=us&lang=en
they show the gps icon on the home screen however it does not have built in gps. there are a ton of gps solutions you can side load or get from android market.

Damn...
Was just about to order the 7 home. Such a good deal.
No bluetooth...
The search continues.

i was searching ebay for something 7" that had gps or bluetooth and nothing cheap cought my eye so i took the 7" tag out and added 2.2 for froyo and gps...
I came up with this. http://goo.gl/hyNtC
All you would need to look like the soundman from youtube with his f150 ipad 2 install.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jr3_zLHTbY

May have found a contender.
a 10 inch would be nice, but I don't know how to do fiberglass, and for my first car mod, I'd prefer to keep it simple. a 7-inch should just fit in my double din.
Found this little gem.
http://www.dinodirect.com/tablet-pc...camera-android.html?ddse= gps&utm_source= gps
Gonna look at it more when I get home, will probably buy it. Only thing that's funky about it is that it charges with AC. We'll see...

A software to be written to tell it to go to sleep immediately when "ac" power is removed would be nice, also, that app to tell music/radio to resume on "wake" would be nice.
That way it plays the true car infotainment roll.
A device with USB host would almost be required before I dig into android platform for my infotainment system.
I have a custom built net-top based system built in my truck using a 7" touch screen, automatic power supply from mini-box.com, and a USB controller connected to my steering wheel control buttons. USB host is a must for me!

Sounds like a good setup. Honestly i'm fine with the stock radio in my truck, but I like to tinker.
Still haven't found the right device. I'm buying an Arnova 8 when they switch to the new model, and I'll give that a test fit.. see how it goes.
My plan is to set the device to have the display always on when plugged in. It's in settings or something. If it's wired to the ignition, should work right? We'll see.
I think if I get juice defender and set it to aggressive (no gps, no wifi, no bluetooth, no anything), it should stay on for a while in standby.

Well...
Seems like Android Tablets haven't matured enough for my project. I don't see a cheap 7" capacitive tablet with GPS coming out anytime soon. I'm going to go ahead and get a stereo with rear usb and aux ports, and make a mount for my phone. Should be fun. I'll make a new post with pictures and instructions, and link it here.
Oh well...

My 2 cents...
I've been looking to do the same thing. I've been digging around for a good table and this is the best I've got. Specs wise, it fits the bill. But I can't find any good reviews.
http://hotmid.com/wits-a81h-tablet-cortex-a8-7-capacitive-touchscreen-android-2-3-gps-wifi.html
Just in case that link doesn't work...
http://mp4nation.net/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=68&products_id=483
The big thing I'm looking for is a parts list. Amp, harnesses, etc. And a how-to would be the coolest as far as basic wiring for power and sound.

The xoom
T-Mobile G2 1.42 GHZ

I recommend the Asus eee pad transformer. 98percent the same as motorola xoom and lighter
Sent from my U20i using XDA Premium App

concept after-market product
What appears to be lacking in the market currently is a ready-to-use 2DIN or double-din head unit that is basically a permanent in-dash universal docking system such that you can simply pop in a 5 or 7 inch tablet (or adaptable for say a minimum 4 inch or greater smartphone?) with the head unit's rear interface designed for plugging into the car's power, sound system, and steering wheel controls just like an aftermarket care stereo. Sorta like the currently available units that utilize removable electronic faceplates-- except here the tablet or smartphone itself is the "removable faceplate".

Spepper, I have seen one on Ebay. Looks a bit dodgy but might be good:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/ES666MO-...153004?pt=Car_Audio_Video&hash=item336b841f6c
ES666MO Car DVD/GPS/ANDROIT TABLET

http://ca-fi.com/en/ it's not a removable tablet, but it's an all-in-one Android-powered double-din radio, looks awesome, but it comes at a price because it has all the hardware built-in

stevey500 said:
A software to be written to tell it to go to sleep immediately when "ac" power is removed would be nice, also, that app to tell music/radio to resume on "wake" would be nice.
That way it plays the true car infotainment roll.
A device with USB host would almost be required before I dig into android platform for my infotainment system.
I have a custom built net-top based system built in my truck using a 7" touch screen, automatic power supply from mini-box.com, and a USB controller connected to my steering wheel control buttons. USB host is a must for me!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The wake-up is covered using plug in launcher from the market.
I am checking if it can be used for the sleep portion.

Related

Car dock = Desktop dock; so audio out possible?

I amazed I'm the first one to notice this, so I'm probably not. I took apart my car dock and found the PCB inside is almost identical to the desktop dock (see photos). The upshot here is that I would strongly guess that you could easily solder on parts to either one and add things like:
- An audio out jack to the car dock (!)
- Volume up/down switches to the desktop dock
- Speakers (small ones!) to the desktop dock
- An external mic to the desktop dock
Most of that doesn't seem so great, but adding an audio jack to the car dock would be fantastic.
Pictures 1 & 2 are the desktop dock, 3 & 4 are the car dock.
Notice the unused pads on the car dock PCB (pic #4) for a headphone jack at bottom left.
Notice the pads for the speakers in pic #2 (desktop dock) at the top.
Also in in pic #2 you can see where the volume rocker would connect at bottom left and mic at bottom center.
Finally the tiny circle near my thumb in pic #4 looks to be a micro antenna jack, hard to tell for sure.
JB
That's incredibly lame of google to not put the audio out when it's the same pcb.
James Bell said:
I amazed I'm the first one to notice this, so I'm probably not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good find.
Along a vaguely similar vain, I suggested over here a method of using a Desk Dock as Car AUX input. It has certain benefits over non OEM accessories that do similar. I am in the process if fitting a USB power supply to my car. Once that is done I will fit the Desk Dock semi permanent out of site as a BT AUX in feed.
Of course getting an AUX jack in the Car Dock would be much better.
next thing would be prying off the metal cover and see if they have the same circuitry inside. Then if yes all you have to do is solder a 3.5 female jack on it and voila'...
fan or heatsink?
cool beans!
i wonder if you could install a copper backing plate connected to a heatsink (like ones you can buy for ram) instead of the plastic piece to help with the high heat issues some are having...hmm...
seems like there's enough room
Dude, love how you tore the desktop dock apart on your desk and the car dock in your car.
Since the pcb's are the same size, couldn't you swap them out, cut a hole in the case and then you'd have audio out on the car dock?
=D
@muncheese
Yah I think so. Problem is it'd recognize it as the desktop dock...errr and you'd lose the speakers and volume rocker from the car dock.
My motivation to solder on an old headphone jack is low - my '01 325 doesn't have an aux in to plug into it! Maybe I'll do it anyway if I can find the right jack.
@SPAS79
I started to pry off the metal top but ran out of time to fool with it. I want to look up the chips and see if any of their outputs can be used to trigger the mute line on my stereo.
Well the speaker wouldnt matter since it'll be going through the car audio system, same for the volume, just control the car stereo volume. =)
I took off the metal cover on the desktop dock, picture below.
There's a daughtercard called an NF2301. Made by nFore and (poorly) described here:
http://www.nforetek.com/products.htm
Adding an Aux out on the Car Dock will place it on the Dock itself.
Ideally for neatness, it would be on the base near the suction cup. I suppose you could run a short cable along the chrome arm and situate the jack on the base near the USB outlet.
Chrome arm should be hollow as it already has power running through it. Might be enough room to run a small cable through it.
This is very exciting
Keep us updated on what happens with you!
Bump!
this is fantastic news. I actually have an audio socket left over from my desk dock audio switch project. If someone wants to buy me another car dock or can prove that soldering on a jack will work then i'd be willing to rip it apart and do what google SHOULD have done in the first place!
I cant wait for some chinese company to make this for the nexus:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.19747
I have one currently that I used with my iphone and while it felt cheap.. It did everything:
held my iphone in place in the car
charged and did audio out with single sync cable
audio out can be routed either to the 3.5mm aux line AND the built in FM transmitter
remote (which stopped working after 1 week)
Mostly I like the fact that it mounted/charged/audio-out my iphone all at once with 1 cable and was only $12 shipped.. I would love something similar for my nexus
If all the talk about the 2.2 update enabling the FM transmitter is true. It would explain why the car dock has no audio out.
And if Google keeps the Nexus One updates on the same track it should be arriving next Tuesday.
First Tuesday of every month has had a blog update and the second of update of each month has been on or around the last Wednesday.
sweltzin said:
If all the talk about the 2.2 update enabling the FM transmitter is true. It would explain why the car dock has no audio out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have seen no talk of enabling an FM TRANSMITTER. Just rumours of them enabling an FM receiver, which would be no solution for the car dock.
Even if it did have an FM transmitter, I would prefer the audio out on the dock. Less hassle, better sound.
logger said:
I have seen no talk of enabling an FM TRANSMITTER. Just rumours of them enabling an FM receiver, which would be no solution for the car dock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's both.
muncheese said:
It's both.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats a fairly vague comment.
Yeah the radio is a transceiver. Thats fairly obvious. It is after all a cellphone.
But are you saying Google will be activating the FM transmitter in such a way as it will transmit audio to a car FM radio? Or are you just saying the FM radio fitted to the phone is a transceiver.

[Q] Bluetooth-> Car Aux Device (A2DP)

I want to listen to music in my car via bluetooth A2DP. My car's stereo system only has AUX in. So, I am looking for a device to pair with my phone and plug into the aux port for my car's stereo. I don't really care about hands free calling. That'd be a plus, but not necessary.
I've been doing some research and found two that look reasonable.
BlackBerry Remote Stereo Bluetooth Gateway (would require yet another charger)
Kensington LiquidAUX Bluetooth Car Kit
Does anyone here have any experience with these or any recommendations?
If I were you, I would get something like this:
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...10551&langId=-1&productId=8198552921665801276
The reason being that it gets pretty good reviews and you would be able to also use it outside of the car if you wanted to.
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Ericsson...1DCM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1288590977&sr=8-1
I am probably going to buy this thing soon, as I have been eying it for a few days now.
If you don't want to charge there are plenty of wire in kits. Check out parrot. They might have a kit that fit s what you want.
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I bought a LiquidAUX and would advise staying away from it unless you like sub par sound quality. The volume is about 75% compared to being plugged directly into my aux port and the quality is like streaming a low quality radio station. For calls I would say it gets the job done "acceptably" but music requires much better fidelity than you'll get from it.
I use the LiquidAUX. I use it to listen to podcasts and have no problem with the sound quality. I did have to buy a ground loop noise filter.
I have the blackberry stero gateway and I use it in my living room, it works fantastic for music.
Just as a follow-up to my original post, I ended up deciding on Satechi Bluetooth Hands-free Car Stereo Fm Transmitter for iPhone 4, 3Gs & 3G and Bluetooth Stereo A2DP supported Devices (available on amazon).
The Satechi device works great! It pairs with the phone quickly and the sound quality is great. This device is exactly what I was looking for. It plugs into the cigarette lighter and has AUX out which I plugged into the stereo in my car. I was a bit worried about noise from the car's engine, but that wasn't a problem. The volume is very slightly lower than plugging the phone directly into the AUX in on my car's stereo. Realistically, that may just be my ears playing tricks on me. It also has a USB port which puts out 5V @ 1000mA for charging USB devices (my Epic).
I didn't use the FM transmitter or the call feature since the only thing I really wanted was the A2DP to AUX.
davidb_ said:
I want to listen to music in my car via bluetooth A2DP. My car's stereo system only has AUX in. So, I am looking for a device to pair with my phone and plug into the aux port for my car's stereo. I don't really care about hands free calling. That'd be a plus, but not necessary.
I've been doing some research and found two that look reasonable.
BlackBerry Remote Stereo Bluetooth Gateway (would require yet another charger)
Kensington LiquidAUX Bluetooth Car Kit
Does anyone here have any experience with these or any recommendations?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What kind of car? I know GM and several others have aftermarket adapters that plug into the factory harness that allow the addition of A2DP in an almost factory style addon.
done12many2 said:
What kind of car? I know GM and several others have aftermarket adapters that plug into the factory harness that allow the addition of A2DP in an almost factory style addon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Subaru. I'm actually planning on switching out the factory stereo for a carputer-type thing in the spring. This is just hold me out until nicer weather.
davidb_, why are you opposed to using the Aux port? Seems like a simpler yet more robust solution.
http://www.scosche.com/products/productID/1919
I was just about to post something about that Scosche one. After doing a bit of searching, it seems to be rated fairly well. I'm considering buying one for my wife's car, so if anyone has any experience with it, I'm curious to hear about some more first hand experience.
I have now used both the Kensington LiquidAUX and the Scosche BTAXS motorMOUTH II and I am wishing there was something that had the best of both. Here are my thoughts on both:
Kensington LiquidAUX
I really like the overall feature set of this solution. The remote is handy to skip past ads in podcasts and to jump back a few seconds when the navigation interrupts what I'm listening to. I also like that it is powered.
What I didn't like is that I had to get a ground loop noise filter (although once I did, the sound was perfect.) Also, there were some connection issues if I was listening with the car off and then started the car due to the interruption of power to the device. The phone never seemed to reconnect in that situation. I would have to turn off the LiquidAUX and turn it back on and wait for it to reconnect. I liked that it has an extra USB port so I could charge the phone if it was low on juice without a separate power adapter but it only charges at 500 mA so really it just kept the phone from dying without really adding extra charge during the drive. The one huge drawback to the LiquidAUX was that people found it difficult to hear me during calls. I usually had to switch the call to speakerphone to have any success. I think the location of the microphone (due to the location of my power port) was the cause of this issue. This is what led me to purchase the Scosche BTAXS.​
Scosche BTAXS
There were several things that impressed me with the Scosche BTAXS. I loved the fact that there was no mess of cables. The position of the microphone was much better because it was up at the AUX port of the head unit so I never had any complaints on calls. The sound was great and since it wasn't drawing power from the car I no longer needed the noise filter. Also, Scosche provided many great accessories in the box that other companies might have sold separately.
What I don't like about the Scosche BTAXS is the terrible battery life. I drive about 40 min to work. I cannot use the Scosche BTAXS on both my drive to and from work and leave it in the car overnight and expect it to work the next day. If I drive around on my lunch break, it may not last all day, even when I turn it off when not in use. Scosche does provide a charging cable and car adapter so I can power it during use but that takes away the coolness of not having any cables. It also introduces a little bit of ground loop noise. If I was to run it through the filter I would not be able to position the microphone where I would get the best call quality.​
In conclusion, neither of these devices is perfect. The call quality issue of the LiquidAUX is a big drawback that I wish there was a way to overcome. Since there isn’t, I will most likely stick with the Scosche and just make sure I recharge it whenever I am not in the car.
I got this from Buy.com for $20 a few months back. Hopefully you'll find a good deal like that again.
http://www.amazon.com/Kensington-Li..._1_1?s=wireless&ie=UTF8&qid=1293177894&sr=1-1
Any update on products for this. I am looking to do this in my 09 jetta through the Aux in, and none of the solutions seem that stellar. Just wanted to see if anyone had found something recently that works great.
I keep looking for a simple BT solution that can give me the best of both worlds. I'm surprised there is no simple BT receiver that can sit behind the dash plugged in to power and aux with a mic out and corded dual mic I can route myself. Liquidaux and motormouth II come close yet miss the mark. A quality mic on the kensington would make for a perfect setup. A remote mic on the motormouth II would be great. Makes zero sense at this stage of the game.
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nice thing
http://www.belkin.com/au/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=530115

Just rcvd my TranzIt USB car kit.

So I wanted an inline audio option for my 2004 Isuzu Axiom. I hate FM modulators, especially due to how I love road trips, always running into some nosey radio station trying to annex my music. I don't have a tape player, so those nifty contraptions are out. And if you saw how Isuzu decided to combine a radio, a/c and onboard computer (of sorts) then you would understand how complicated it would be to simply replace the radio (hell, I would lose the ability to change through different suspension presets among other things). Yeah, it is possible, but is it worth it, meh.
Well, w/me joining Google music beta, I have finally decided to do something about it w/this purchase.
For those that don't know, the TranzIt offers a direct, inline connection to your stereo by hooking it up inline through the antenna in. It also adds a 5volt charging station via USB, which, if I understand correctly, is the correct voltage for charging mobile phones and such as opposed to the voltage used by car chargers.
I also got a 1 meter long micro USB cable at no charge due to some special.
Obviously, it's not connected just yet, but I should be able to install it this weekend. After which, I'll update this post w/install pics, a review of both installation and actual usage. Once I get home, I'll edit a link into this post, but again, I can't verify whether it's worth it yet.
So, here are some pics still in the box...
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ok thats a inline fm modulator with a usb charging port the modulator will cut off the antennas connection to the radio while on and you will still have to tune it to a certain frequency to use it. but that is deffinatly a better option then using the regular fm modulators.
Xargon321 said:
ok thats a inline fm modulator with a usb charging port the modulator will cut off the antennas connection to the radio while on and you will still have to tune it to a certain frequency to use it. but that is deffinatly a better option then using the regular fm modulators.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, but the operative statement "will cut off the connection to the" antenna feed, is what makes me so happy. My options are limited, and if I want to keep the installation at least fairly simple, than that drops my options even more.
I plan on placing the USB and audio in ports in an unused and available spot on the radio itself (basically next to my sport suspension preset and winter TOD preset) they have a couple of other areas that look like they were meant for other options and could look stock. Then I want to mount the power switch to on the dash or maybe in the center console next to the CD changer. The cord is more than long enough and it would be less conspicuous. I want it to look as OEM as possible. And looking over the contents of the box, it shouldn't be difficult to make it look like it belongs. I've done much more complicated NOS switches.
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How much does this options run???
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I use the car charger to charge my G2x and I use the old tape player adapter for CD players and plug it in to the headphone port on the phone. Works awesome!
tidewaterns said:
I use the car charger to charge my G2x and I use the old tape player adapter for CD players and plug it in to the headphone port on the phone. Works awesome!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I LOVE those tape player adapters! The sound was great, but my stock radio doesn't have a cassette player. But you're right, that is an awesome combo.
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tidewaterns said:
I use the car charger to charge my G2x and I use the old tape player adapter for CD players and plug it in to the headphone port on the phone. Works awesome!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's my hook-up also. With PowerAmp, those Bose speakers in my Maxima are getting a work-out.
Well, it only took me almost 20 days, but today I decided to brave the 100+ degree heat and connect it up in my Axiom.
It turned out to be an easy set up, well, as far as connecting it up. I connected the power to the leads connecting to my cigarette lighter, although, when I go back in to place the connections in my console [or maybe in my ashtray, just some cuts to allow the wires] I think I'll directly connect it to the ignition.
Now for the review. F'N AWESOME! I'm running CM that comes preinstalled w/DSPManager, so I'm given a full gambit of audio options. Even w/o that, it still comes out crisp and works well w/my oem stereo and the options available through it.
It gives a 5 volt charge, which is the correct voltage as opposed to most car chargers that don't have the ability to drop down the voltage.
My only real issue is the fact the USB connection is for pwr only and I have to use a 3.5 audio connector to play the music. So I have 2 lines running from my phone to 2 separate jacks... I won't say it's a small issue either. I'm big on as few cables and as neat as possible, so this is a thorn in my side. I also understand though, that it's not as simple as just changing the wire or the USB port, so the possibility I'll ever find an aftermarket connector that offeres all in one isn't going to happen.
Overall, considering how much simpler this is than getting a new stereo, then customizing my console [the Axiom combines the A/C controls, GPS, damn near everything into the head unit] this was a much better option for me and I'm glad I got it.
best bet would be to hook into the accessory wire on your ignition. that way it only runs when your car is on.
is the cig lighter powered all the time? if it is you can hook a relay in between the cig lighter and car kit and use the accessory wire as a signal wire to tell the relay to turn on the power.
Xargon321 said:
best bet would be to hook into the accessory wire on your ignition. that way it only runs when your car is on.
is the cig lighter powered all the time? if it is you can hook a relay in between the cig lighter and car kit and use the accessory wire as a signal wire to tell the relay to turn on the power.
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Click to collapse
Yeah, that's the plan, the ignition at least. The only reason I connected it through my cig lighter was to get it done fast. I don't have the USB or audio port set where I want it either. I wanted an idea on how I liked it prior to putting any real time into it, especially cutting for the ports.
Several days into it now and I love it more than before. Decided I'm going to modify my ashtray to house the ports and the power switch. That way it'll stay incognito for the most part [since the available pop out tabs on the head unit aren't large enough to house the USB port for a more OEM look] and the light that activates at night, when opened, will be great as far as not fumbling around for the connections. Won't be this weekend, but once I get some time, I'm finishing this project up, my interior looks GHE-TTO and I don't like it.

Where can I a find Multimedia Car adapter?

So I'm in the planning stages to dash mount a Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus (still haven't bought the tablet yet), and wanted to know where I could find an accessory similar to the Galaxy Tab Multimedia Dock. My goal is to have one connection that will give me both power and audio out to my stereo. The desktop dock can accomplish this for me, but its very bulky and wont be easy to fit in my dash. I could take the dock apart and make it work, but would prefer not to waste 35 dollars like that.
So far the only other item I found that may work is this RCA Composite Cable with USB, but it says only for the original and some of the reviews mention the cable not having the usb attachment as pictured.
Does anyone else have any suggestions?
Finally found it on Amazon after a few days of looking. 30 Pin to USB Charging and 3.5mm Audio Out
Just ordered it and will post pics of my finished car installation and let anyone else who's interested know if it works or not.
isolated_epidemic said:
Finally found it on Amazon after a few days of looking. 30 Pin to USB Charging and 3.5mm Audio Out
Just ordered it and will post pics of my finished car installation and let anyone else who's interested know if it works or not.
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Let us know how you make out with this. I'd be curious to see if it's compatible with the 6210.
Both of the cables I listed work great. The only issue I have noticed is that at when the stereo is turned up you can hear interference from the power cable. When the music is playing you can't hear it at all.
As I mentioned, here is a picture of the final product. It's hinged on the bottom and clips into place with the standard mounting hardware. FYI it's inside a 2000 Nissan Xterra XE. The volume knob is where the second lighter adapter was. I just hooked in an inline volume knob to adjust the output from the tablet to the stereo. I replaced the included knob with one I ripped off an old stereo. You can barely see that I also installed an auxiliary input jack that somehow miraculously reduces the volume of the tablet when another device is hooked in. All of the "guts are stored inside the dash where all of the other wires are located. If anyone is interested I can post more pictures.
Thanks for the follow up. The final product looks very good. Nice work!
Nice install. Thanks for sharing.
Man, that cable would have come in useful when i was still direct-connecting my tablet. I'll have to keep that in mind.
Put a PAC SN1 inline with your audio to reduce your ground loop interference - that's what i used when i was direct connecting the audio.
Also have this set up on my dash, but I've jumped to the 7.7 and gave the 7 Plus to my wife. I actually prefer to use bluetooth to connect the audio because i can use the car's steering control to control advance/reverse of media.
I'm putting up pics soon of my setup in the 7.7 forum.
rEVOLVE said:
Man, that cable would have come in useful when i was still direct-connecting my tablet. I'll have to keep that in mind.
Put a PAC SN1 inline with your audio to reduce your ground loop interference - that's what i used when i was direct connecting the audio.
Also have this set up on my dash, but I've jumped to the 7.7 and gave the 7 Plus to my wife. I actually prefer to use bluetooth to connect the audio because i can use the car's steering control to control advance/reverse of media.
I'm putting up pics soon of my setup in the 7.7 forum.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the heads up. I was prepared to live with the interference because I didn't know I had a choice. I found a PAC SNI-1 ground loop noise isolator for 14 bucks on eBay. Can't wait to install it and get back to clear audio.
On a side note; after about a month with this tablet in my car, I have to say I'm in love. With the power plugged in and screen on while charging activated, the tablet turns on when I start the car, just like any stereo would. Also when I take it out at night it makes my car look already-broken-into and deters the motherlovin thieves that have been breaking into neighborhood cars.
By the way, does anyone know how to remove the annoying 100% charged sound? It can get especially irritating when I have plenty of stops to make and the tablet loses a percent and gains it back everytime I turn the car off and on again.

New MTCD unit, have some issues...

So I just got an MTCD head unit (JY-UL-135). My first Android head unit and so far I'm massively underwhelmed and need guidance to fix a few potential issues. I try to keep my car as stock-looking as possible, so I REALLY don't want switches and knobs all over my interior to do things any other head unit would...
So, issue 1.) The power antenna on my car comes up whenever the head unit is on, even when I'm not using the radio. I almost never use the radio and I don't want my antenna up all the time. Any way to fix this without a switch or disconnecting it entirely?
2.) Bluetooth... I'm not heart broken about losing clear bluetooth audio streaming, (something my cheaper alpine unit had no problem with...) and i use a wired mic, but if this thing can't connect to basic blutooth tech, i may return it. 90% of the reason i got this thing was for a bluetooth garage remote, obd2 reader, bluetooth tire pressure sensors, and a bluetooth arduino board for another project. If this really can't do things even my phone can, it's junk. Those accessories will be delivered next week so i'll find out then but it seems like they shipped this unit with broken bluetooth and still haven't fixed it. Help?
3.) Steering wheel controls. So i understand that without xposed, android head units can only use steering wheel controls for the stock apps. And xposed doesn't work on MTCD units yet...
It's also the slowest android i've seen since my old, old. OLD droid x but that may not be that big a deal over time. So can anyone point me in the right direction for these issues? Also does anyone make a better unit than these?
I returned my mtcd unit because of wifi and bluetooth issues. The antenna issue you have is probably because you hooked up to remote blue line instead of antenna blue line.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930AZ using Tapatalk
supersilko said:
I returned my mtcd unit because of wifi and bluetooth issues. The antenna issue you have is probably because you hooked up to remote blue line instead of antenna blue line.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930AZ using Tapatalk
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Hmm, i might have... but what did you replace the MTCD unit with, an MTCB?
EDIT: I have a crazy idea to keep my nice single din alpine unit connected to my sound system and mount it in my glove box, then connect the android unit to its aux in. Then put the steering wheel controls on a 3.5mm switch box between both units. I'd use the alpine for audio processing, bluetooth music, and hands free calls, then the android for android apps + backup camera and thumbstick music. Am I insane or would this be a good compromise? My phone would also control all the bluetooth peripherals I mentioned. I also plan on getting a dedicated second battery for the audio equipment (already have 2 amps plus a capacitor) so that might be more critical afterwards.
I'm back to stock stereo. Gonna look around for a good unit that is coming later.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930AZ using Tapatalk
I just got a Joying unit for a Jeep this weekend.
#1 - can't help, Jeep antenna stays up all the time
#2 - I only use Bluetooth for phone calls or playing audio, works fine in both scenarios. One odd caveat is that if I am on a phone call the audio seems only to come out of the front passenger speaker. I use the included external mic and people say I sound fine
#3 - My steering wheel controls half work. Volume and mute work all the time, same for Bluetooth phone. The controls to change the track only work on stock apps like Music, A2DP, DVD, etc, meaning it does not work on Google Play Music or Pandora. Volume steering wheel controls work fine with Pandora and Google Play Music
I have the Same Unit.. I have it on the bench as I was getting ready to installing in place of my Newsmy. I tested the remote lines tonight.
Power antenna, shows 12v once power is applied.. stays at 12v until Accessory power is removed.
Amp Remote works as it should, it I power off the radio from the knob. the 12v amp remote turns off.. Ant stays on.. ALL THE TIME. This unit is no better than my Newsmy. I have had it too long now to return it. Guess I will sell it for something simple. I am going to miss the back up camera, but I need something that fully works as I have full power mast antenna..
TallgeeseIV said:
So I just got an MTCD head unit (JY-UL-135). My first Android head unit and so far I'm massively underwhelmed and need guidance to fix a few potential issues. I try to keep my car as stock-looking as possible, so I REALLY don't want switches and knobs all over my interior to do things any other head unit would...
So, issue 1.) The power antenna on my car comes up whenever the head unit is on, even when I'm not using the radio. I almost never use the radio and I don't want my antenna up all the time. Any way to fix this without a switch or disconnecting it entirely?
2.) Bluetooth... I'm not heart broken about losing clear bluetooth audio streaming, (something my cheaper alpine unit had no problem with...) and i use a wired mic, but if this thing can't connect to basic blutooth tech, i may return it. 90% of the reason i got this thing was for a bluetooth garage remote, obd2 reader, bluetooth tire pressure sensors, and a bluetooth arduino board for another project. If this really can't do things even my phone can, it's junk. Those accessories will be delivered next week so i'll find out then but it seems like they shipped this unit with broken bluetooth and still haven't fixed it. Help?
3.) Steering wheel controls. So i understand that without xposed, android head units can only use steering wheel controls for the stock apps. And xposed doesn't work on MTCD units yet...
It's also the slowest android i've seen since my old, old. OLD droid x but that may not be that big a deal over time. So can anyone point me in the right direction for these issues? Also does anyone make a better unit than these?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
JY-UL124 here
+1 to Bluetooth issues. SuperSU completely broke bluetooth forcing me to reflash to get any functionality back.
I'm really bummed they basically lock you into joining only a phone and an ODB device and that's it. Nothing else can be paired with the unit. This is a little hokey and really devalues the whole system in my opinion.
Bluetooth has pretty poor sound quality through the unit too but it may not be bluetooth specifically causing the issue. I drive an FJ cruiser so cabin sound proofing isn't great to begin with. To compete with road noise I have to blast the stereo and the highs come up fuzzy in the process. When I'm stopped or idleing it seems that most of my issue goes away and the sound isn't half bad provided I'm playing from a sound file physically on my phone and not streaming. I need to tear into it again later to install the front camera and fog lights so when I do that I'll add in some capacitors and a torrid to try to clean up power to the unit to see if that helps.
If I'm right, the bluetooth is functional so far as taking the signal and turning it into meaningful audio. It's a digital technology so either the data gets there or it doesn't. I haven't dug too much into the spec but I assume I should be hearing whatever I hear at idle at any speed. Anyhow, once that is turned into an analog signal for delivery to the speakers (and the functional parts in between) that's where you can introduce sound degradation. So this is a function of the amp, or the fact that my hookup wires or so long, or something. I have also noticed that shortly after "bluetoothing" a short sound like a delivery notice the amp stays on for a short second or so and you can hear the interference with some digital rf. (like the sound you get when you put a cell phone too close to computer speakers) It's faint but it is there along with some static. There is no way that bare speaker wire could pick up digital rf and make it sound that loud, so that means somehow rf is leaking into the circuitry before the amp.
I'm praying I'm right and it's leaking in through power somewhere cause that's an easy fix. If it's not then it's something with the board design and there's rf leaking from the circuitry and making it into the audio signal inside the unit. That has a low probability of being fixable.

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