Related
Just installed this last night. All I can say is, slick. I had been using Custom Car Home, which also offers large icons, but Ultra adds street location read out, and speed and direction displays. It also will automatically turn your wifi off, and Bluetooth on when activated, and the reverse, when it turns off. Free 30 day trial, in the market, and $1.99 to purchase the license. Well worth it, imo.
https://market.android.com/details?id=spinninghead.carhome&feature=search_result
CarHome Ultra by TheSpinningHead
spotmark said:
Just installed this last night. All I can say is, slick. I had been using Custom Car Home, which also offers large icons, but Ultra adds street location read out, and speed and direction displays. It also will automatically turn your wifi off, and Bluetooth on when activated, and the reverse, when it turns off. Free 30 day trial, in the market, and $1.99 to purchase the license. Well worth it, imo.
https://market.android.com/details?id=spinninghead.carhome&feature=search_result
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 yep. I've been using this since the early beta release.
it's an easier car dock app for setting up shortcuts and dealing with our weird usb--> 3.5mm audio setup. I do still need to use the stock Samsung/TW Music Player to allow me to redirect the audio through the dock, then launch whatever I really want to listen to - this car dock app makes that easier (and has some nice bells & whistles .
I do wish there was some a simple app that would direct media audio out the [desk|car] dock upon launch. Maybe a voodoo sound option or something...
good find....
The only problem I have with this app, is now my son, who is sitting in the back, constantly reminds me of my speed.
Try Galaxy Dock Sound Redirector by xcaliburhand, available in the market. Works for me like a charm. There are no controls, it just automatically redirects sounds to USB when you insert the phone into the car dock.
I have not tried it with the phone calls, imagine it won't work, but I'm so used to "unplugging" the phone and taking the calls over speaker, so that's not an issue for me.
I don't use a wired connection, in my car. I use the Motorola T505, which plays my music, and calls through the stereo over FM.
another good find!
ddavv said:
Try Galaxy Dock Sound Redirector by xcaliburhand, available in the market. Works for me like a charm. There are no controls, it just automatically redirects sounds to USB when you insert the phone into the car dock.
I have not tried it with the phone calls, imagine it won't work, but I'm so used to "unplugging" the phone and taking the calls over speaker, so that's not an issue for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just installed and headed out to my car to verify function - sounds like just what the proverbial doctor ordered...
Edit: very slick - I plug into the car dock, Car Home Ultra launches and the Galaxy Dock Sound Redirector displays a brief (and silent) pop-up notification that the sound has been redirected to the USB port. Audio from Pandora and TuneIn Radio plays out via the Car Dock simple as that.
When I remove the phone from the dock, audio is reset to normal (with a similar brief pop-up notification). The notification is optional, and activation is selectable for Car and Desk docks.
Thanks!
Thanks for pointing out Galaxy sound redirector! does exactly what I need without forcing me to use the crappy samsung dock app!
I just took a small trip and used the Tablet Talk linked via bluetooth to my Note phone with the Note synced via bluetooth to Ford SYNC. Purchased a Griffin car charger allegedly rated for 2 amps.
The good news. It worked, mostly. The charger does charge but no way in heck it puts out enough to run the tablet - didn't keep up with the battery so I will have to replace it.
Got a call - it showed on the nexus and I talked via SYNC. When I received the call the Copilot paused and Tablet Talk popped up, showing the name of the caller. I hung up the call from the Nexus. Everything worked great except I had no audio out of the Nexus 7. Gonna have to try to troubleshoot this.
I miss my Fusion
Sounds like quite the setup there...
If it's any consolation, in the brief time I've had when playing with Tablet Talk, I don't have audio-out either. I can control whether it goes to speakerphone or answer/hangup, amongst other things, but it's just acting like a remote and and audio sent or received is handled by the phone, rather than the tablet. I'm thinking it's a limitation of the app at this stage and that it may be fully functional in future versions. There was a message that came up when enabling the option to show incoming calls but I can't remember what it said now..
refx said:
If it's any consolation, in the brief time I've had when playing with Tablet Talk, I don't have audio-out either. I can control whether it goes to speakerphone or answer/hangup, amongst other things, but it's just acting like a remote and and audio sent or received is handled by the phone, rather than the tablet. I'm thinking it's a limitation of the app at this stage and that it may be fully functional in future versions. There was a message that came up when enabling the option to show incoming calls but I can't remember what it said now..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply.
It appears at this point that enabling Tablet Talk ALSO cuts audio from Co-pilot. I still haven't had time to really attempt any troubleshooting though; could be some type of setting is wrong or it could be Tablet Talk does need to work on their software. I do like (not in car) the ability to send and receive texts but do wish the interface was a bit different.
Now to find a car charger that actually works.
If you want to use the phone part of TabletTalk, you must go in and enable it. It will make your tablet act like the phone when incoming calls comes in.
I just talked to dev a short bit ago, and there is a newer version about to be put up on Play Store..
i love that app, along with theming it to change the look and feel of it. it works flawlessly.
Nexus 7 Head-unit Install
Hi all, long time reader, first time poster. I'm working on a Nexus 7 Car Head-unit install, and figured I would post my working through the install, hardware, software, and kinda just help all the tons of people I see out there who have the same idea, but just have no idea how to go about it.
This is ment to be half a tutorial (once everything is done) and half a brainstorming to give me idea's for things I haven't thought of or considered. I'll be coming back and updating this OP with pictures, and the build as it gets worked on.
Goals of the Install
I want to be able to run my entire car off the Nexus. I have already set up wifi tethering from my S3 to get internet into the Nexus, and thus open up a realm of possibilities. Necessary features are Nav, and Music. I rarely call from my car, but in car calling would be a nice feature to have as well. I also go out to the track ever now and again, and adding car stats (boost, RPM logging, acceleration, mapping) would be great. The biggest reason to do the install is that one the hardware is configured, you literally have a ultimately customizable setup that will take years to outdate.
The Hardware
1 x 2003 Subaru WRX
1 x Nexus 7
1 x Samsung Galaxy S3 (T-Mobile)
1 x MRX-V60 - Alpine 5-Channel Subwoofer Amplifier
1 x 7 Channel Equalizer
lots of hacked wiring
The Software
This is where I would love some feedback on on what I may be missing, better solutions to what I have suggested, and just some general awesome idea's!
Music:
Pandora, Play Music, DI.fm, Soundcloud, Radio.com
In Car Phone/Text:
Talkatak, Google Voice
OBDII Support: (Future Project)
Right now this is not a nessiacty as the hardware to do this could get very tricky. However I know I can read from the OBDII port with a bluetooth OBDII dongel and an app like Torque Lite. However I do own a tatrix cable, and am considering if it would be possible to go from the USB to the tablet, and find an app/write one what allows for the tablet to control the car in real time.
Nav:
Google Navigation, Local
Track Apps:
aLapHD
The Two Builds
There are two ways to go about this. The first would be the simple and easy way which is to hack together a charger wired to the power source of the car, and use that to keep the tablet charged. Then run a 3.5mm audio into the amp, and have sound run from there. There are a few issues with that. 1. There will be no volume control, as the Tablet's buttons will be part of the center console. I suppose I can run a controller to the amp, that will let me adjust volume. 2. This will not allow for the possibility of adding OBDII support.
The second option is to purchase a micro USB dock that does audio out. Hack it apart, and run the audio to the amp, and the power to the power. This would be necessary if I want to do a full USB ODBII connection (I believe, please tell me if I'm wrong), and would be much "cleaner" when it comes time to take the tablet out of the car for any reason (hardwire sync, parking in the "ghetto").
What I need Help with
Have any idea's. Tried something similar and have some tips. Have suggestions for apps, hardware configurations I haven't listed, or just generally want to say "sick man". Please let me know. I would love to have some people who are also interested in doing this join in on my build, and we can work together to eliminate any issues to make tablet installs easier. I will be coming back and updating this OP throughout the entire process so please look for updates!
Thanks All!
(reserved for pics)
Check out a half-DIN equalizer or crossover to solve your volume, fading, equalizing concerns... can't post a link because this is first post!
I'd like do do this in the future... I hope someone comes out with a custom set of apps that make this really cool and easy... maybe even a custom ROM.
Basically what I'd want out of this is:
Auto-on with power. Auto off after 10 minutes of no power. FM radio tuner. Maybe the ability to connect a rear-view camera (wifi?). Bluetooth OBDII would be good enough for me.
I'd also appreciate the ability to connect to at least one camera and use it as a DVR, but I think that it would probably be beyond feasibility with the Nexus 7...
What I really want to see is the ability for the Nexus to be a full Bluetooth head unit. I want it to pair with my phone for both internet (already do this, works great) and have it act as a headset essentially. This is the part that appears to not exist anywhere. The ability for the Android Tablet to act as a hands free device. I mean if a car stereo can fully integrate with your phone read your address book, start and answer calls hands free, stream music, everything from your phone then why the heck not the tablet! Someone needs to write the BT stack that can handle that. Apparently it doesn't exist for android. It exists for Windows, but not Android. That is just wrong. Are there any car stereo head units running Android as their OS? If so can someone dump their rom so we can see what all it can do for a project like this?
I really want this!
I have had mine in the dash for a couple weeks now, streaming Bluetooth to the radio which I relocated, also using NFC sticker to turn on WiFi, bluetooth , set audio volume, screen brightness and start playing music. Tasker to put unit into car mode, its sick! I'll be following, really interested to see what you come up with. My car is N 06 altima and the Nexus 7 fits almost like a glove where factory stereo use to be.
Nexus 7 in altima
sneakk said:
I have had mine in the dash for a couple weeks now, streaming Bluetooth to the radio which I relocated, also using NFC sticker to turn on WiFi, bluetooth , set audio volume, screen brightness and start playing music. Tasker to put unit into car mode, its sick! I'll be following, really interested to see what you come up with. My car is N 06 altima and the Nexus 7 fits almost like a glove where factory stereo use to be.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi!
Can you upload a picture of your install? I own a altima and I am looking to install the Nexus 7 on my dash as well. And also, did your factory stereo have bluetooth? If not, what are you streaming bluetooth to?
Thanks
Just gonna subscribe as I thought of doing something similar
Sent from my LG-E739 using Tapatalk 2
Look into this thread
http://www.mp3car.com/worklogs/152658-nexus-7-android-in-a-2001-audi-s4.html
here's a video also
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdLi9wCFZ7M
timskyline86 said:
Look into this thread
http://www.mp3car.com/worklogs/152658-nexus-7-android-in-a-2001-audi-s4.html
here's a video also
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdLi9wCFZ7M
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If anyone can post on his site, tell him to connect two middle pins in usb plug, then it will start charging from the lighter socket.
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using Tapatalk 2
Does anyone know of a micro USB dock/cable that then splits to power, usb, and audio? I know of one's that will do 2 of the three, but nothing that does all three. Maybe just a USB and power one, and run the audio straight out of the 3.5mm on the N7.
Amp was ordered, and will be here next week. Prelimanary fitment pics coming soon...
Hello, I'm considering permanently mounting a nexus 7 in my car. It seems like the perfect in car device.
With this in mind I have updated my CarHome Ultra app to better accommodate the Nexus 7 screen. I will be posting a new video soon showing it running on the 7.
I've looked at doing this as well, I've always been prevented by the issue of the FM radio. I use the car a lot in places where I get no or poor connection via the phone, but the radio works fine, so loosing it would not be an option as I use the FM radio quite alot.
I've been trying to figure out away to control an FM radio via the Nexus so if anyone out there has any info it would be greatly appreciated.
Jonnym
Jonnym said:
I've looked at doing this as well, I've always been prevented by the issue of the FM radio. I use the car a lot in places where I get no or poor connection via the phone, but the radio works fine, so loosing it would not be an option as I use the FM radio quite alot.
I've been trying to figure out away to control an FM radio via the Nexus so if anyone out there has any info it would be greatly appreciated.
Jonnym
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Load a hand full of mp3s on the device. Then use Tasker to switch to switch to your favorite music player when reception is bad
Sent from my LG-E379 running ICSyndicate 2.0
I am actually currently doing a very similar project with a Nexus 7 and my Nissan 350z
I am planning on installing the Nexus 7 inside my dash (to replace sat nav dash)
HOWEVER
what about routing the power button on the tablet? Because If you cant access the power button the tablet will only get power when the car is on and if you dont use the car for a day or two the tablets battery would go flat and next time you turn on the car the tablet would go into charging mode (screen with charging battery only) and not boot up into android jelly bean.
Theres 2 potential solutions:
1. Open the tablet and wire the power button to a custom one, however on opening it I have found the button is actually a physical push press button and cannot be wired.
2. There is potential to change a file on the android system to tell the tablet to boot up when a charger is plugged in, check these threads:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1187631
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1815131
Any updates from the OP?
Here's my install. Kept the factory radio intact, if not using the nexus, everything looks totally stock.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1847452
regalpimpin said:
Here's my install. Kept the factory radio intact, if not using the nexus, everything looks totally stock.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1847452
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What OBD ll connector are you using?
tallyforeman said:
What OBD ll connector are you using?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
xitech xr7 purchased off amazon over a year ago.
http://www.amazon.com/XiTech-ELM327...TF8&qid=1347466620&sr=1-3&keywords=xitech+xr7
Never had any problems with it.
Despite working in the car industry and loving gadgets and mod-ing...I haven't really seen what people are up to these days in terms of car mods. The Nexus 7 makes so much sense and looks great!
Hey all
Just to add to the discusion;
Radio/DAB
Frontier silicon are the only company that I can find that do an app that can control an external radio and stream it's signal to the tablet as opposed to picking up the signal over the cellular network.
App:
Their page
http://www.frontier-silicon.com/products/software/DOK_App.html
Play store
http://tinyurl.com/d24gwm4
Module:
http://www.frontier-silicon.com/products/modules/briefs/Venice6_PB.pdf
now the problem with this is, aside from building the module in somewhere' the audio out as it feeds out of the module, but I was thinking I could use some form of y split cables near to my amps 'in'.
Media storage and playback
As far as storage for everything video/audio atc and a player to match I was thinking of useing xmbc
http://xbmc.org/
andriod port;
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1813089
and pairing this with a WiFi DLNA HDD that I would wire in remoted off (say in the boot)
GPS
For improved gps I was going to use an external bluetooth gps reciver then allow mock locations on the tablet, there are also a few apps that help with this.
This app seems to have good support and a nice help page.
App:http://tinyurl.com/a9s7gvo
An example of a external GPS receiver
http://tinyurl.com/a339vu7
Hands Free
The only work round I seem to have found atm though far from perfect is this
http://www.scosche.com/consumer-tech/product/1919
it allows you to to 'cut in' the audio stream, but (can't fins the tread now will keep looking) the guy who was playing round with this was having audio issues.
not an idea solution but workable.
before my mind starts melting again;
How I plan to implement the tablet is to use tasker to wake the tablet when power is supplied then shut of down after, if I disable all kinds of connectivity when tablet shuts down then reactivates when it wakes up everything should run smoothly. Power will be cut because I'll wire in the ignition live, like you do in a stereo anyway, an this shouldn't put a drain on my battery to much, an if the dash build is good it shouldn't be too much of an issue extracting the tablet to hard boot anyway.
Volume and Audio
Volume and audio quality is another issue that needs to be addressed.
http://tinyurl.com/d2zbbnf
Seems like an ok work round.
Another way would be to install a direct in-line volume control as suggested in other threads, and put in an external DAC or hardwired EQ.
On a side note I came across this........ http://www.crutchfield.com/p_773AIRDAC/NuForce-Air-DAC-Receiver.html?tp=59282 ........ although you need to use their plug in senders but I'm sure this can be worked round with the knowledge on this forum, an would provide a very nice solution. then again there are quite a few bluetooth devices around. this probably wouldn't allow for in-line controls though.
well thats it for now, hope this helps push this forward to a working system
ben
nice build thread containing alot of theses ideas;
http://www.mp3car.com/worklogs/152658-nexus-7-android-in-a-2001-audi-s4.html
Greetings,
I'm new to modding but not Android. I have had android phones for since the Droid X was new. I had rooted it on froyo, but lost root with the GB OTA and didn't bother to go further. The Droid X has been retired, though I have thought of playing around with it, just because it's sitting in a drawer. Recently as my Droid 4 (my upgrade from Droid X) ages, I was motivated to get back into it and try some custom ROMs. Just by lurking and reading this and similar forums i was able to successfully Root, Safestrap, and flash to CM 10.1 stable, then on to 10.2 and 11 nightlies... Also i was able to Unlock BL, set up custom recovery, and flashed CM 11 to my Nexus 10 all without asking a single question! All is great, I love Cyanogenmod, but... The ONE thing I miss from stock is the car dock app for the official Motorola vehicle dock. Obviously that is long gone unless I want to SBF (I don't), but I am looking for a replacement app.
And here is where I am stumped... For my Droid 4, I have tried many of the dock apps on the play store (including CarHomeUltra, which I see everyone recommend) but have not found something that does what I want. I have not found an app that can launch simply by being placed in the dock, this was a nice feature of the stock Moto app. Also, the original app routed phone audio through the usb connection, where a special cable split off to an aux out plug and a standard usb charger. Since i do not have bluetooth in my car, only Aux in (which I hacked into my stock radio), I am looking for an app that can route the audio through USB correctly. Since this is so device/accessory specific, I have a feeling that such an app probably does not exist? I guess I am wondering if the Motorola Vehicle mode APK is available so I can sideload it... For now I am using bluetooth headphones in the car, but that is not ideal especially when I have passengers. As a workaround, I have also looked at Bluetooth to Aux out adapters, but if I can get free software to fix the issue, that would be preferable.
So, long question short, for those running custom ROMs on Droid 4, what are you using for a car dock?
TIA
Droid 4 Rooted, Safestrap, triple boot: Stock 4.1.2, CM 10.2 RC, CM 11 Nightly (4.4.2)
Nexus 10 Unlocked, CWM, CM 11 M-1 (4.4.2)
Nexus 7 (2012) Stock 4.4 (kids' tablet)
I too am running into the same problem you are. I have two vehicles setup with cradles I just drop my phone in and play pandora , no hooking into the headphone jack. It sucks none of the kitkat roms or jellybean mods with the exception of myfishbear's eclipse rom can support the dock. I have been running this rom for about the last year and it recognizes when you dock the phone. I have been doing a lot of experiments with copying files such as carhome.apk or carhomegoogle.apk. It seems the APK launches the car cradle program , but there is some other file either a library or another file that detects the dock. I removed all the carcradle apks and dock apks in the eclipse rom to see if it would kill the ability to detect the dock, but when i plug it into the dock it orients the screen to landscape and the audio still plays through USB like it is supposed to. I really would like to transition to 4.4.2 but until someone can figure out the dock situation I am going to be keeping eclipse for a while.
robj749840 said:
It sucks none of the kitkat roms or jellybean mods with the exception of myfishbear's eclipse rom can support the dock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't heard of that ROM, it's JB? How does it compare to CM?
robj749840 said:
I have been doing a lot of experiments with copying files such as carhome.apk or carhomegoogle.apk.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I played around with this too, but didn't really get anywhere. Unless I was reading old news, I think that the carhomegoogle was recently put up on the play store but doesn't support any devices? With all the new google apps hitting the play store, it looks to me like google is trying to fight fragmentation by pulling some system apps out of the OS and make them able to update independently... Maybe carhomegoogle being on the play store hints at an upcoming update? At least that's what I'm hoping for...
Just to close this out and update where I ended up with this. After playing around with ROMs on my manta and maserati and learning some more, I've got it worked out pretty comfortably. Once the power cord portion of the proprietary cable gave up the fight, I broke down and bought a Bluetooth to aux adapter and I can still charge in the dock with a standard cord. I'm not using a car home app at all anymore. Instead I've setup the first home screen to the right as a car home with dialer and hangouts in the (other) dock. I'm finding Waze fun so I just launch from my homescreen. I use the stock clock/weather and the Pandora widget. That really fills all my needs driving. Now my totally custom car home is just a flick away.
As far as rotation... I found two apps on the play store, Ultimate Rotation Control and Rotation Locker with some help from G+ communities. UCR lets me switch between auto and forced auto manually with a widget or in the notification shade. Rotation Locker can force rotation and has a plug in for tasker. I'm close to where I want to be, but I really want global auto and forced rotation automatically triggered when my phone is docked. I don't have the time to invest in learning tasker right now. But I plan on using the Bluetooth and charging triggers to change the setting in these apps or maybe I can find something in frameworks? Either way, I gotta be strict with my time, I'm getting a little obsessed here. If I do figure that out I'll edit this post.
Anyway, maybe that will help somebody some day.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using xda app-developers app
I'm sorry to hear there isn't really a good option for continuing to use my car dock's usb audio feature in any of the ROMs I want to use... Hopefully one day :-/
Going to take a quick look at myfishbear's eclipse rom but I'm not going to expect much :-/
I ordered the Kenwood DDX9902S the other day, should arrived on the 28th and I will install on the weekend.
Going to install in my 2014 Mazda CX-5 Touring with Bose system.
I chose the DDX9902S over the DDX9702S because it's only $50 more and has 2 more bands of EQ and 2 years of warranty vs 1, and some other stuff.
I chose it over the Pioneer AVIC-4100NEX because it can do the screen mirroring and control the Phone from the touchscreen. (Though the damn Nexus 6 doesn't support video out damn it).
It is too bad the Kenwood only has 1 USB input though, and the Pioneer has TWO and also has an SD card slot. Does a USB hub work?
I'll have to do some creative wiring so I can swap out cables for card reader/etc if I want to view movies and such. The Kenwood can playback mkv files, didn't look up if the Pioneer can.
Ordered it from Crutchfield, $749 + $79 for the steering wheel control/wiring harness, free antenna and dash kit. Since it's so new, it's the same price elsewhere on the internet.
The Crutchfield Mastersheet is stupid. It only shows you how to take out factory audio unit and speakers, nothing about wiring at all. If buying stuff is cheaper elsewhere, do it.
Going to wire up my factory rear view camera to the Kenwood, from the Mazda forums, someone detailed how to do it. Got the items today and will get it prepared for next weekend to install by myself. I'll report back, I might also do a YouTube video since this unit is so new and no one has it.
What phone are u currently using???
cerobles1 said:
What phone are u currently using???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nexus 6
nxt said:
it can do the screen mirroring and control the Phone from the touchscreen. (Though the damn Nexus 6 doesn't support video out damn it).
It is too bad the Kenwood only has 1 USB input though, and the Pioneer has TWO and also has an SD card slot. Does a USB hub work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you expect to mirror, instead of running Android Auto ?
Pioneer is limited in what it can do on each port. I think iPhone/iPod goes to port 2 while firmware updates and Android Auto are port 1.
In theory, anywhere a phone works, a phone plugged into a USB hub should work. But don't underestimate the need to get a quality hub and cables for reliable connections.
I have no idea if the Kenwood supports flash or other USB stuff besides a phone, and at the same time a phone is connected.
mikereidis said:
So you expect to mirror, instead of running Android Auto ?
Pioneer is limited in what it can do on each port. I think iPhone/iPod goes to port 2 while firmware updates and Android Auto are port 1.
In theory, anywhere a phone works, a phone plugged into a USB hub should work. But don't underestimate the need to get a quality hub and cables for reliable connections.
I have no idea if the Kenwood supports flash or other USB stuff besides a phone, and at the same time a phone is connected.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I will use Android Auto but would like to check out the screen mirroring too, for apps that don't support Auto / 'appradio' yet.
I've downloaded the manual and the Kenwood does support movies and music on a USB flash drive, but no mention of hubs or simultaneously connected to phone.
I just installed the DDX9702s over the weekend. It's a pretty good unit, Android Auto works flawlessly with my Sony Z3, and the external GPS makes it super accurate. Kenwood's interface is so freaking ugly though
Android Auto is also incredibly finicky on my wife's OnePlus with CyanogenMod. I flashed to 12.1 nightlies hoping to resolve some of the issues but it's no better.
The iDatalink Maestro was also fun to install, it requires taping some wires on your ODBII port. My tip there is grab a right-angle generic ODBII to Serial cable on Amazon/Ebay for $10 then cut it up and splice it into the iDatalink Meastro harness. That way you can just plug it in rather than t-taping or hard-wiring the maestro cable to your car. You can also re-pin the ODBII port as well, but splicing an extra ODBII cable seemed like the best option if I ever want to go back to stock.
jonowar said:
Android Auto is also incredibly finicky on my wife's OnePlus with CyanogenMod. I flashed to 12.1 nightlies hoping to resolve some of the issues but it's no better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesn't start or what ? Sometimes enabling/disabling USB debugging can help with getting a phone connected.
I saw the news about 1+2 not having NFC. It appears NFC is required to trigger Android Auto over Wifi connections, so that could be an issue for the new 1+2.
mikereidis said:
Doesn't start or what ? Sometimes enabling/disabling USB debugging can help with getting a phone connected.
I saw the news about 1+2 not having NFC. It appears NFC is required to trigger Android Auto over Wifi connections, so that could be an issue for the new 1+2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, it won't start unless I "forget all cars" and go through the acceptance dance again then most of the time it freezes or just shows a blank black screen. I can't believe how much difference the Sony Z3 is, it works flawlessly every time.
jonowar said:
Yea, it won't start unless I "forget all cars" and go through the acceptance dance again then most of the time it freezes or just shows a blank black screen. I can't believe how much difference the Sony Z3 is, it works flawlessly every time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It MIGHT be due to bad USB connections; maybe the USB port isn't tight.
Android Auto tends to freak out if USB isn't a perfect connection.
mikereidis said:
It MIGHT be due to bad USB connections; maybe the USB port isn't tight.
Android Auto tends to freak out if USB isn't a perfect connection.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using the same cable for my Sony though, which means it's the port on the OPO which is only a few months old
I'll give it a shot with the official OPO cable just to make sure.
I guess it's time for USB C.
jonowar said:
I'm using the same cable for my Sony though, which means it's the port on the OPO which is only a few months old
I'll give it a shot with the official OPO cable just to make sure.
I guess it's time for USB C.
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I'm not saying that it IS the port, just that it's a possibility.
I have about 15 test devices and I don't think any ports are bad, even after years of use.
I DO have cheap USB cables that are pretty bad though.
Trying other cables is the best idea I have, besides wiggling the cable a bit to see if Android Auto stops.
mikereidis said:
I'm not saying that it IS the port, just that it's a possibility.
I have about 15 test devices and I don't think any ports are bad, even after years of use.
I DO have cheap USB cables that are pretty bad though.
Trying other cables is the best idea I have, besides wiggling the cable a bit to see if Android Auto stops.
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Hey, you were right! The OPO cable works perfectly! Thanks for the tip.
Have the same unit... Love it, look on the Kenwood website, there is a firmware upgrade for our units
Frankenberrie said:
Have the same unit... Love it, look on the Kenwood website, there is a firmware upgrade for our units
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Awesome! thanks for the heads up, 100mb.
It says to do a reset after, is that necessary, kenwood has a ton of settings.
nxt, been eagerly waiting for your DDX9902S in depth review. Did I miss it? If so, please point me in the right direction. If not, I'd love to hear your thoughts now that you've been using it for a few months, especially if you've had a chance to compare it to the 4100NEX and from an Android perspective (mirroring vs Auto). Thanks
Frankenberrie said:
Have the same unit... Love it, look on the Kenwood website, there is a firmware upgrade for our units
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senseimike said:
nxt, been eagerly waiting for your DDX9902S in depth review. Did I miss it? If so, please point me in the right direction. If not, I'd love to hear your thoughts now that you've been using it for a few months, especially if you've had a chance to compare it to the 4100NEX and from an Android perspective (mirroring vs Auto). Thanks
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Click to collapse
I wrote a pretty long review on Crutchfield but ran out of space. I ended up not making a video review because... it's not that great.
Just like any head unit, the regular UI for radio/settings/menus/audio/etc is ugly.
Anyways, here's some info going from the HU itself then Android Auto.
The Kenwood only has 1 USB. It charges your phone very very slowly, but it can charge it to 100% if you keep it connected long enough even while using Android Auto. (I do 6-7hour drives every other weekend).
1 USB, so 1 USB device connected and that's it. The Pioneers have a dedicated SD card slot, you can store music on it and leave it in there forever.
Putting about 64GB of music on a USB 3.0 Flash drive, the Kenwood took a very long time to get complete ID3 tags. So I'm forced to listen to Adele when it starts up, or manually choosing another folder before I can shuffle ALL songs.
The Kenwood supports various file formats, it can even play video files! Too bad all the .MKV files I have, no audio is decoded.
Bluetooth audio. Very little lag, steering wheel control to skip tracks almost instantly changes the tracks. My stock HU there was 2-3 second delay. ID3 tags show up properly. I primarily use Google Play Music app. I mostly use Android Auto mode when using to music though.
Bluetooth Phone. Works fine, I have a 2014 Mazda CX-5, I put the microphone where the stock microphone was. People can hear me perfectly. Android Auto voice commands have no issues hearing me either.
I have a Nexus 6 and when it was on 5.x.x, the Bluetooth Phonebook on the headunit would be SCREWED UP. No names, and just a ton of phone numbers. I installed Android 6.0 that was released a few days ago and Contacts information show up perfectly.
The Kenwood's backup camera input works really well. I can turn on the car and as the Kenwood is still booting up, if I put the car in reverse, the backup camera would be displayed! I'm pretty surprised with this and love it. The Kenwood takes a while to boot up.
The Kenwood, like most high end HUs have a TON of audio settings. I'm no car stereo buff so I mostly leave everything at default since I don't know half of what the settings mean. Each audio input has it's own audio setting which is great. My car has the factory Bose system and it sounds even better with the Kenwood.
The Kenwood has built in iHeartRadio/Pandora/Aupeo! "apps" that's supposed to work with your phone. It's junk, I've given up trying to make that work and just do regular Bluetooth Streaming.
Kenwood also has a SmartPhone control mode where if you can get your phone to video output into the Kenwood's HDMI or AV input, you can load the Kenwood App, and control your phone from the Kenwood's touchscreen, so you can use Waze or other apps directly. The app sucks and doesn't get my touches correctly. Don't rely on it, it's not reliable.
So yeah it has 1 HDMI input you can use with your iPhone using video adapter, or Android or whatever else.
It has DVD slot for movies/audio cds, I've never used it.
HD Radio. The radio interface really sucks, but it works. The way to change an HD station from HD1 to HD2 is really dumb and annoying. it has 3 different "seek" modes when you press the >> or << button. Seek1 auto scans to the next station that it can grab. Seek2 is manual seek. Then there's Auto where it changes to your next Preset.
Then there's the CHup and CHdown buttons. So if you're locked into an HD station and you want to change to HD2 you press the CHup or CHdown button, but that only works if you're in Seek2 (or maybe Seek1, I forgot), if you're not, all it does is the same as >> or <<. It makes no sense because CHup and CHdown acts EXACTLY like the >> and << buttons.
I have a ZuneHD with a special car aux box for it, I use it in AV1, works and sounds fine but when I put it into video mode I get a lot of interference. Not sure if it's the Kenwood or my aux box for it.
The Kenwood's video controls suck too. It's just hard to adjust and get proper color/brightness/etc.
At night, it's too bright, and lowering Brightness and "Blackness" levels, it gets hard to see/read the screen. So to make things clearly readable, screen has to be a little bright. There is a way to set holding Menu button and the screen will turn off until you press screen or a button.
OK Android Auto, I won't talk about Android Auto itself, there's many reviews and videos about it. I'll talk about how well it works with the Kenwood.
When it works it's great, but it's a coin toss if it'll work great on this drive, or the next.
Plug in USB cable to the phone and you're prompted to press OK on a warning screen on the Kenwood. The Apps icon turns into Android Auto.
Again, when it works, it works. Here's when it doesn't:
On my road trips, I would get into car, search the destination, and start navigation.
About 5 minutes later, Android Auto on the Kenwood would shut off and you're taken back to the main menu and the Apps icon return. Phone's Android Auto app is shutdown. There's no way to relaunch Android Auto without unplugging the USB and plugging it back in. On my last road trip, I did this about 4-5 times, then I decided to start Play Music while navigating, then it worked and had no issues. On my drive home, I started music right away with navigation and it still shutdown every few minutes. Unplugging and plugging back a few more times then it worked with no issues. It's completely random.
On my drive to work and back home, I drive through some low cell signal areas. When my phone looses signal and then catches signal back, Android Auto's screen would BLINK. Navigation wouldn't stop, music wouldn't stop, the screen would just BLINK. It's distracting.
Phone calls go through Bluetooth still, but it works well from the Android Auto screen. I'm sort of impressed how it works.
It's possible to listen to another audio source (HD Radio, CD, etc) while in Android Auto navigation, just press menu button, pick your source, then go back to Android Auto.
Android Auto I believe needs a lot of work. It's still in its infancy and the missing features and odd limitations Google has with it frustrates and confuses me.
Kenwood released a firmware update 9/17/2015.
Changelog is: Changed the specification of Volume function. Improved stability.
I hadn't noticed any improved stability.
That's all for now. Ask your questions and I'll try to answer them.
About Mirroring vs. Android Auto.
My Nexus 6 unfortunately does not support video out. I'm pretty pissed. The new Nexus 6P won't either, damn it Google!
So what I did to test was to hook up a Chromecast to the Kenwood's HDMI input.
Then I would set up my phone to be a hotspot, the Chromecast would connect to it, then I was Cast my Phone's screen to the Chromecast. Totally going in a circle LOL. (This will eat up your cell data FYI).
But it does work and my screen shows up on the Kenwood's screen.
The issue is the Kenwood's SmartPhone Control app like I mentioned in the above post.
It does not sync up properly so my touches on the Kenwood's screen, does not touch the right area of my Phone's screen.
I've never used the Pioneer 4100 so unfortunately I can't compare.
I believe that having TWO USB ports on the Pioneer and a dedicated SD card slot is BIG!
It's so annoying swapping out my Phone with a USB Flash drive.
If I were to do it again, I would probably get the Pioneer because of the TWO USB and SD card slot.
I chose the Kenwood because of the higher audio capability (EQ) and the App Mirroring (which sucks now that I've tried it), also it was cheaper than the comparable Pioneer high end model.
Hello, I ordered a DDX9702S and installed it in my '09 Civic Si. I've got a Nexus 6P and have been experiencing odd audio glitches, and I was wondering if you could test something for me.
When I play music, everything is fine until I get an audible notification or use the Voice Search. After that there is an audible buzzing/frying noise in the tweeters of my stereo when a bassy note hits. Once the noise starts, it doesn't stop until I reboot my head unit. Could you see if you have the same problem? I don't know whether it's Android Auto in general, my Kenwood stereo, or what. I've also reproduced the issue with 2 other Nexus 6P's and a Nexus 5, so I know it's not just my phone or model. I know yours is a different model, but it's worth a try to see if it's just me.
Steps to reproduce:
App to use:
Either Google Play Music All Access or Spotify
Song to use:
Rearrange by Vérité - the beginning of the song is quiet with a bassy beat, making it easy to spot the distortion / static.
Steps:
Turn on the head unit and plug in your phone (I used a Nexus 6P and a Nexus 5)
Once Android Auto is running, go to your music app and play Rearrange by Vérité. I find its easier to play the song if you add it to a playlist titled "1" (without the quotes) first, so it's at the top of your playlists.
You'll notice that the beginning of the song is quiet with a bassy beat. After about 10 seconds, hit the microphone in the top right of the screen to activate the Google Now Voice feature. Once it gives an audible beep, hit the microphone button again to cancel.
Hit back on the screen to start the song over. At this point, on my stereo, every bassy beat is accompanied by a static in the tweeters of my stereo. This happens on every song I play, even the radio, but it's much easier to hear on quiet songs like the one I gave as a suggestion to test with.
The static continues even if you disconnect/reconnect the phone. The only think that stops it is restarting the head unit by turning it off and back on. If you use Google Now again or a notification comes in and makes an audible sound, the static will come back. It seems, to me, that any notifications or audio playback from an Android device will cause the head unit to distort the sound until the head unit is rebooted. If nothing happens to cause the distortion, sound quality is stellar.
Hope you're able to test this, and thanks in advance!
DDX9702S
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA-Developers mobile app