Seems we are all getting a slightly different response from Dice/Dension. When I called them last Friday they put me on the phone with Zoltan (Dension Tech Support). I explained the two problems I've been having and that it was in MINI. He told me the programmers were still testing the fix and to call back on Monday. When I called back on Monday afternoon Zoltan was non-commital and took my name and number and told me he would call back if he had an answer for DICE problems on MINIs and would send me an advanced replacement first. In any case, I still haven't heard from them.

 

FUEGO, you're getting the same answers as I am. I've been talking to Zoltan every two weeks since March and I keep getting the same general answer "It's still in testing, give me a call back next week". I'm just doing my best sitting tight until everything is truly working correctly with Nav equipted cars. I'm at least not having any ipod lockup issues with my ice-link and it's used every day, so I'm happy about that at least. I'm sure they'll get this sorted eventually.

 

My video ipod was liberated this weekend in NYC so my urgency is even less now! HA

 

Dude, that sucks.

 

Living near Dension here in LA, I just called and made arrangements to go to their office and swap my unit this afternoon.

 

ha, well, I try to take the attitude that it's just a thing. I also lost my prescription Oakley titanium ROmeos, so all in all, it was about a $1000 loss. But who knows man, maybe that was what the Island demanded.

Now, had my sketchbook disappeared, that would be more troubling. Stuff is stuff, but art is irreplacable.

 

As one who has also unwittingly donated many an item to the inhabitants of NYC, I understand. The stuff was not missed... the random bits of personal treasure... those are what infuriated me.

 

PLus, it's sort of foolish, I mean, I'm FROM an urban environment, so I'm not a portable elctronics swinging idiot staggering around Manhattan. Then again, I was staggering around Manhattan at one point in the early morning hour... but I didn't have anything on my person. Who knows.

 

HEY!!! That's cheating!!!

Let us know how the updated unit works!

-Paul!

PS - TRDL, that sucks. But like you said, it's only stuff. And stuff is replaceable!

 

Just got off the phone with Zoltan at Dension - they're shipping a new DICE unit to me today, and when it arrives I'm to pack up the old (buggy, defective) one and send it back. I also just got an email about their RMA policy, but I'm going to disregard it (send your bad unit to us and wait up to 30 days for a replacement) for now. I'll let you guys know when I get my new one....Hopefully the problems are worked out, because I really like the DICE unit when it's working.

 

The word on Zoltan Street is that my replacement brain ships tomorrow... now to get an ipod video to use it with. HAHAHAHA.

Man, I love that name.

 

They upgraded my existing box. Glad to hear they have some new ones to send out.

So far, so good. It took me a half hour to drive home, and a couple more short trips this evening, and it has been fine. Before, I couldn't go very long without it dropping off. They sound confident that the problem is fixed.

 

Good to hear! Please keep us posted if anything funny happens.

Another question though, did you happen to hear a small amount of digital noise coming from the DICE through the speakers before the upgrade? Kinda sounded like a 'dit-dit-dit' noise (with each dit spaced about a half second apart), and it could only be heard if the volume was around 2/3 or higher.

If so (or even if not), do you hear it now? I mentioned this problem to tech support & wrote it on my return memo. Tech support said that that problem was unique (although there's at least one other DICEr in this tread having the same problem) and the unit was defective.

-Paul!

 

Hmmm... I just took a look at the link in the original post.
They now list a DICE model I-BMW-R40 for BMW & MINI
Cooper. Before they only had the I-BMW-T (still listed).
I wonder if this is has the new firmware. The DICE site
still lists I-BMW-T as the model for MINI.

 

Paul, no unusual noises, before or after. I've had the volume up a few times, but don't know if I hit 2/3rds or not. I'll crank it up today and check.

 

UPS just delivered my replacement, it is a I-BMW-T.

 

Appreciate it!

Just got an email from Dension telling me that my replacement is in the mail! Odd, since when I talked to them over the phone, they refused to cross ship. But the DICE unit that I'm returning to them is somewhere in SC at the moment...

Oh well, hopefully this one will be good!

-Paul!

 

Paul, went out at lunch and tested it. I can hear a clicking noise if I pause the iPod, then turn up the volume, or if I switch to the Aux input, but have my satellite receiver turned off, again with the volume turned up. Under normal listening, I don't hear the clicking.

 

Cool. That sounds like what I had, but possibly to a lesser degree. I probably wouldn't have even noticed it if it wasn't mentioned previously in this thread, and that I have a couple of albums that were recorded at a very soft volume. It certainly wasn't a deal breaker.

Thanks!

-Paul!

 

I hear the same thing but way more pronounced if I switch over to the DICE AUX input. I hadn't noticed the clicking sound until I switched over to the AUX input on the DICE. I also have an ignition/alternator whine that becomes more noticeable the higher the RPM goes over 2500 on either the iPod or AUX selection.

I have the OEM Sirius installed and am using the Sirius pass-thru CDC connection. I had the noise/feedback with an iCruze previously but far worse than this although its still not acceptable. When Sirius is selected the sound is crystal clear, but if I switch inputs to the DICE (pass-thru the Sirius tuner) I get the feedback. If I remove the Sirius and connect the CDC cabling directly to the DICE unit the problem goes away. So, it appears that the pass-thru connection induces a ground loop that may require implementation of the Radio Shack Ground loop isolator for the DICE input only. It also may be more noticeable on my car because I ran the cabling along the left side of the car from the Sirius tuner which is where the battery cable etc is. (but I doubt it).

Once I get my replacement unit I'll run thru all of these tests again. I really like the DICE unit and even through it doesn't have the cool display of the iCruze and costs more, it seems more flexible and I like having the tags displayed on the h/u instead of a separate display that just added more clutter to the cockpit.

 

Yup! I have a XM radio, and had the same problem. It sounded horrible connected to the DICE! But I went out and purchased the ground loop isolator from Radio Shack, and it worked wonders!

Helpful hint though, get the item # for the isolator before you actually go to Radio Shack. It should be in the DICE manual. When you go to RS, give them the item # and insist that they check their online store inventory to see if they have any in stock. When I went to purchase one, they were dumbfounded when I asked for the part, and claimed that they didn't have any until they checked their stock, and found one in the back room...

-Paul!

 

Paul! where did you end up splicing yours in? At the BMW/MINI extension cable that attaches to the sat. tuner, or in the DICE cable that attaches between that and the DICE unit?

 

Oops! Sorry, I mis-read your post. I thought that you were going through the AUX adaptor. (You'd think that when I read 'OEM' something would have clicked in my skull... )

Maybe try calling DICE about the problem? Or if the adaptor is from BMW directly, ask them? I would have thought that the adaptor had an in-line isolator like the OEM AUX port.

Once again, I apologize!

-Paul!

 

Thats OK Paul. I talked to Zoltan this afternoon finally and my replacement unit should be on the way. If I still have the noise/feedback he suggested using the RS ground loop isolator and splicing it in just prior to the Dice unit instead of at the Sirius tuner. If the replacement unit and/or the GLI solves the problem I'll be one happy camper

 

MY MINI is at the dealer and I pick it up tommorow. I have been following the DICE unit since it was first announced, and was hoping that issues would have been resolved by now. I will now have to decide if I want to install an Aux input and use it temporarily until they have the bugs worked out of the DICE, or put up with potental hassles of an unproven unit.