martyuk
Well-Known Member
I don't have one of the ones with the Nav cutout, no 
I do have a spare one with the cubby box though if you want... I will probably even be coming down past London at some point in the next week or so for work if it's any help..
I do have 2 old ones now with Nav units already installed
Out of interest... what Nav unit did you go for? If you need any tips/pointers etc then drop me a message, as I've done it 3 times now
I managed to get some Piano Black trim, so decided to take the opportunity to upgrade the system again to a newer, faster, octa-core unit..
It is somewhat all singing/dancing... some of the features are:
FM Radio,
Navigation
DAB+ Radio
DVR Dash Camera
3G dongle with data-only SIM for live traffic
Inbuilt wifi (can connect to external networks, but also be used as in-vehicle hotspot)
Steering Wheel Control integration (programmable - no adapter needed)
Bluetooth calling...
The finished result;
Interested to see your install!
I do have a spare one with the cubby box though if you want... I will probably even be coming down past London at some point in the next week or so for work if it's any help..I do have 2 old ones now with Nav units already installed
Out of interest... what Nav unit did you go for? If you need any tips/pointers etc then drop me a message, as I've done it 3 times now
I managed to get some Piano Black trim, so decided to take the opportunity to upgrade the system again to a newer, faster, octa-core unit..
It is somewhat all singing/dancing... some of the features are:
FM Radio,
Navigation
DAB+ Radio
DVR Dash Camera
3G dongle with data-only SIM for live traffic
Inbuilt wifi (can connect to external networks, but also be used as in-vehicle hotspot)
Steering Wheel Control integration (programmable - no adapter needed)
Bluetooth calling...
The finished result;
Interested to see your install!
myfirstl322
Well-Known Member
Maybe it's just the camera angle but that handbrake lever looks decidedly pleased to see someone.
(Bypassing the wood euphanism)
(Bypassing the wood euphanism)
I managed to get some Piano Black trim, so decided to take the opportunity to upgrade the system again to a newer, faster, octa-core unit..
It is somewhat all singing/dancing... some of the features are:
FM Radio,
Navigation
DAB+ Radio
DVR Dash Camera
3G dongle with data-only SIM for live traffic
Inbuilt wifi (can connect to external networks, but also be used as in-vehicle hotspot)
Steering Wheel Control integration (programmable - no adapter needed)
Bluetooth calling...!
Cannot see where my tapes fit?!
kapilamuni
Active Member
What brand/model is this unit?
How complicated to install?
How complicated to install?
No CD or tape? What's the point. It was bad enough losing my 8-track.
martyuk
Well-Known Member
Maybe it's just the camera angle but that handbrake lever looks decidedly pleased to see someone.
(Bypassing the wood euphanism)
Haha, yes, angle of the photo... but my RR is usually pleased to see me... usually because it's either a) going to get driven, or b) have some money spent on it...
I used an Xtrons unit - TB706APL from memory - it was about £240 on eBay and then promptly got pulled to bits and things added to it etc to make it a bit more stable. I went for this unit as it is one of a family of 'PX5' units from various manufacturers, and i found prior to purchase that there was a LOT of support for them from external developers etc - far more than the reseller (as Xtrons basically just brand and sell them, don't actually make them)
Install... it's not a simple 'plug and play' install - cutting is required for the dash to make it fit - if like me, your unit is a full-size double-DIN unit, then it needs to be cut down and mounted in the dash (mine just reaches with the ribbon cables from the board to the screen), as there isn't the depth up top to just mount the whole unit, as the heater box is in the way.
If you've got IDC cables then happy days.... mine were just the flat ribbons in the connectors (like in the top/left of your picture) which meant on this one I wasn't able to extend them yet - as I'd need to get some longer ones sourced.
Just looked at the unit you've linked to... looks like it will do the business, and should be a piece of cake to install with very little other modification to the unit, unlike mine! In fact, If I'd seen one of those units before I bought mine (there seems to be new versions out every other week from various places/suppliers etc) then I probably would have gone with one of those units instead, as the IDC cable to the screen will make such a difference to the install... though on this one, if I remove the cubby box below the screen, I can actually get to the unit, and even fully remove it without removing the fascia, which is better than the last one!
Definitely interested to see the result! Android 6.0 seems to run pretty well on mine, so you shouldn't be disappointed with that!
Marty
New Android stereo received today. I booted it on the bench using a spare battery, and it seems to be pretty good. Fast UI, and apps like Waze download & run well. I was surprised just how small the electronics are.
Not sure if I will need an LCD extension or not yet. Screen connector seems to be some kind of 50-pin Micro-IDC, which I've not seen before.
Next job will be to find a spare centre dash, and start cutting !!!
Not sure if I will need an LCD extension or not yet. Screen connector seems to be some kind of 50-pin Micro-IDC, which I've not seen before.
Next job will be to find a spare centre dash, and start cutting !!!
Ruby Range
Well-Known Member
Not a different language at all. There bl***y wizards !! anyone who understands something that you cannot see cannot smell and gives you one hell of a belt without warning should be put in the local stocks burnt and then put on a dunking stool. Now is that blue one live or neutral !!
martyuk
Well-Known Member
I've not seen one of those connectors before either, but if you are doing the same idea as me and putting a cubby box in where the old stereo was, then the cable length though be fine.
Whilst mine use the flat, thin ribbon cables, which are more annoying than a nice connector like you have.. there's enough space for me to disconnect/connect them in situ with just the cubby removed.
Your actual control box looks shorter than mine too (mine's full DIN depth) and to get mine in, I used a shallow cubby, rather than a deeper one. With the deeper one in place, I couldn't get the rest of the control box to sit nicely and all the associated wiring to fit easily!
Some other pictures of my install, which may/may not help you... You won't have the open case though - as I took the top off mine, and then cut the back plate down to size to fit...
The guts of my unit, again small control board in a big space - so much of it is empty, just to make it a 'double DIN' unit...
I found when loading mine up with things - DVR dash cam, DAB, 3G modem, Bluetooth, Nav app all running, it was getting pretty slow and a bit glitchy. I did all my testing on the bench too, and felt the heat sink for the processor, and it was almost untouchable, so decided to fit a cooling fan to it, and power it from the ignition switched 12V source. It now runs a LOT cooler and without issues. Looking at the specs of yours, it's a quad core, whereas this is an octa-core, at about 1.5ghz - so depending on what heatsinking they've put on the processor, you might be OK - but if it starts getting slow or glitching at all when it's been on and running for awhile, then adding a fan to the heatsink might help. My old one which was octa core was glitching at times on the GPS, but generally only when warm (it kept 'jumping' the location and the app kept 'recalculating route' which got annoying pretty quick!). As I'll probably be reusing the old version in one of my project P38's, I'll probably look at fitting a fan to it and see if it makes a difference.
This is where it gets more interesting... You can see where the unit is sitting on the cubby I've installed - which puts it pretty much behind the bottom of the screen when the fascia is in, and the front of the unit 'tucks' up on the lip of the dash aswell, so it's not rattling around!
This was my 'test fit' install to make sure it all screwed into place, worked etc - this is with the screen/SD card cables connected, and the unit tucked back up on the lip of the dash.
This one was actually taken, so I could reference the wifi reception of the unit from the house (it's got a RP-SMA connector for the 'stub' antenna they supply with it, and I've extended that and fitted a 5db antenna in one of the A pillars for 'better' reception - but even then it isn't that great, but I'm looking at either a 10db antenna or adding a small wifi hotspot at the end of the house where the car parks... though the 3G modem seems to work pretty well. But I digress, this also shows pretty well the cubby box removed, and the unit dropped down - you can see the screen (bigger) and GPS (smaller) ribbon cables. With yours, the mini IDC connector would be right there and able to be plugged in/out, so if you have to get the unit out, then you should be able to do so without removing the whole fascia!
Hope this helps, or is at least interesting
Marty
Whilst mine use the flat, thin ribbon cables, which are more annoying than a nice connector like you have.. there's enough space for me to disconnect/connect them in situ with just the cubby removed.
Your actual control box looks shorter than mine too (mine's full DIN depth) and to get mine in, I used a shallow cubby, rather than a deeper one. With the deeper one in place, I couldn't get the rest of the control box to sit nicely and all the associated wiring to fit easily!
Some other pictures of my install, which may/may not help you... You won't have the open case though - as I took the top off mine, and then cut the back plate down to size to fit...
The guts of my unit, again small control board in a big space - so much of it is empty, just to make it a 'double DIN' unit...
I found when loading mine up with things - DVR dash cam, DAB, 3G modem, Bluetooth, Nav app all running, it was getting pretty slow and a bit glitchy. I did all my testing on the bench too, and felt the heat sink for the processor, and it was almost untouchable, so decided to fit a cooling fan to it, and power it from the ignition switched 12V source. It now runs a LOT cooler and without issues. Looking at the specs of yours, it's a quad core, whereas this is an octa-core, at about 1.5ghz - so depending on what heatsinking they've put on the processor, you might be OK - but if it starts getting slow or glitching at all when it's been on and running for awhile, then adding a fan to the heatsink might help. My old one which was octa core was glitching at times on the GPS, but generally only when warm (it kept 'jumping' the location and the app kept 'recalculating route' which got annoying pretty quick!). As I'll probably be reusing the old version in one of my project P38's, I'll probably look at fitting a fan to it and see if it makes a difference.
This is where it gets more interesting... You can see where the unit is sitting on the cubby I've installed - which puts it pretty much behind the bottom of the screen when the fascia is in, and the front of the unit 'tucks' up on the lip of the dash aswell, so it's not rattling around!
This was my 'test fit' install to make sure it all screwed into place, worked etc - this is with the screen/SD card cables connected, and the unit tucked back up on the lip of the dash.
This one was actually taken, so I could reference the wifi reception of the unit from the house (it's got a RP-SMA connector for the 'stub' antenna they supply with it, and I've extended that and fitted a 5db antenna in one of the A pillars for 'better' reception - but even then it isn't that great, but I'm looking at either a 10db antenna or adding a small wifi hotspot at the end of the house where the car parks... though the 3G modem seems to work pretty well. But I digress, this also shows pretty well the cubby box removed, and the unit dropped down - you can see the screen (bigger) and GPS (smaller) ribbon cables. With yours, the mini IDC connector would be right there and able to be plugged in/out, so if you have to get the unit out, then you should be able to do so without removing the whole fascia!
Hope this helps, or is at least interesting
Marty
martyuk
Well-Known Member
I went with one of these... Xtrons say that you NEED to use one of their branded ones - at nearly twice the price, but this one works just fine.
I fitted it to the windscreen at the bottom on the LHS, in the section of clear glass where the heating elements aren't..
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DAB-Digit...-Android-5-1-6-0-Car-Stereo-354/112435447562?
I fitted it to the windscreen at the bottom on the LHS, in the section of clear glass where the heating elements aren't..
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DAB-Digit...-Android-5-1-6-0-Car-Stereo-354/112435447562?
tomcat59alan
Well-Known Member
Well I've just fitted a new Mullard 6R7G valve to my radio, the reception is so good I can still get Brian Matthews Sounds of the Sixties.
