OK...try another angle since Ootah is responding.

Has anyone else placed the antenna in the sunroof with JUST the factory tint and does it work OK? I have limo tint there (and have been told that will hinder reception) but if necessary I can cut away the material and put the HD antenna on the bare glass...IF folks can verify the reception works OK there.

 

Don't recommend it - I would rather see the antenna on the windshield.

 

Understand...thanks!

Any word on that new antenna? Would be great if it could integrate with the radio antenna...

 

Waiting for prototype to arrive so we can test and approve for production. This should be happening this week.

 

Been out of pocket last few weeks, sent PM.

Ootah.

 

Thanks! Got it! I see a new mod approaching this weekend! Good timing as my new iPod Nano arrives Thursday!

 

OK, DICE-HD partially installed (HD antenna not installed yet, waiting to see what the new antenna looks like before I start trimming away tint).

However, I'm having serious issues with it. I tried going through other threads but there were way too many pages to weed through so forgive me if these questions have been asked and answered...

First off, when this unit works, it is awesome. Key is, "when it works". About half the time I fire it up and have absolutely no control over the iPod. Can't change tracks, playlists, nothing, from the HU or the MFSW.

So far, I have connected it both before and after starting the car, with the iPod already selected (from previous use) and with the radio selected, neither combo has appeared to make any difference as to the reliability of the unit but still not sure if either of these matter.

Once I fire it up, I select DISC 2 (iPod is the only mode I'm interested in at the moment...one leap in technology at a time) to select playlist browse mode. If it works, pressing the arrows cycles me through the lists as designed (PS...the tip on making the first song a spoken word version of the playlist name was genius...thanks Tom! ). Once I get the playlist I want, I then press DISC 1 so I can select individual songs within the playlist.

However, as described above, sometimes DISC 2 and the arrows have zero effect. Example: Tonight I plug in the iPod and it start playing OK...not what I was listening to as I walked up, but the first song in the last playlist I was listening to when I got out of the car (I suspect it reverted back to the first song because I changed playlists when I got out and put on the ear buds). Tried DISC 2 and the arrows. All I got was a track number displayed on the HU going up or down (based on the button I pushed). So I pressed DISC 1 to change songs. Same thing, only track numbers change, not the music. At some point during this adventure I saw some ID3 tags but in my agitated state I can't recall when. At one point I got PLAYLIST to show in the display. HA. Press an arrow and it should cycle. Didn't. AARRGGHH.

So I pressed DISC 5 and cycled through the DICE sources. Seemed real slow but eventually I would get SEL: IPOD on the display. Still didn't help...never could get control of the iPod. The next time I got in the car... worked fine. Next time...not. Grrr.

Last issue...When I started my car today, I did not have my iPod with me but the DICE/HU was still in iPod mode. I heard a very loud "clicking" that sounded very much like my turn signals were on but they weren't. As soon as I selected a different source, it went away. Is this normal?

Help! Either my unit is goobered up or there is a button push sequence missing somewhere that I must hit by accident so that it only works occasionally. This is driving me nuts!

I'm going to go fire it up now. Bet it works this time just out of spite...

edit: Forgot to mention...I have already done the disconnect/connect battery maneuver and have rebooted the Nano iPod. Nether changed the results. Also note the Nano is very new (2nd Gen) so it should have the latest firmware.

 

Likely, the nano was connected when the iPod was booting up. Also make sure all DIP switches are in the OFF position.

 

Wow, fast response. Thanks Tom.

Never touched the dip switches. Instructions said they were OK as set by the factory. I don't think I can get to them easily now to check.

A follow up. Went back out to the garage and tried again. Same problem. Rebooted the iPod (menu/select simultaneously). After a few button pushes it began to work again.

Is there a particular order of turn on/off and connect/disconnect I should follow?

 

Recheck the DIP switches to verify they are in the OFF position if you should continue to experience issues. Otherwise, the ipod cannot be in the boot process if connected to the DICE or the devices will never complete the proper "handshake" method.

 

It only went in the boot process after I forced it because it wasn't working. I attached it off and then selected it. DICE turns it on. Should work.

 

Tried again this morning. When I got out of the car last night, it was working. This morning, I turned on the car and selected the radio (to get it out of DICE mode). Plugged in the Nano and then reselected the DICE. Nothing worked. Reboot the Nano (yet again) and it worked.

As it is now this is unacceptable. 1500+ songs and becasue of the reboot it starts over every time. Pretty sure the dip switches are correct, at least they weren't touched by me or the installer so they are at whatever setting they shipped with (and the instructions said unless required (and their description of what "required" meant) don't touch them).

 

Can you explain in detail what you are referring to here?

 

I get the DICE to work, play 40 songs or so. It's supposed to pick up where it left off, but since I have to reboot it so often, it always starts at song 1 in playlist 1.

 

Try testing with a different iPod or performing a restore on your nano. Be sure you have a backup of your music before attempting this.

If you would like us to bench test the module, we would be happy to do this for you.

 

I don't have another iPod. Will look into a restore (just bought it, not exactly sure what that does).

As for a bench test, I may take you up on it if I can't get this to work reliably. Thanks.

 

Hey Tom, any word on that new antenna?

 

In production, awaiting for them to arrive. As soon as we get close, we'll bump the thread.

 

Help! I installed the HD/ipod unit back in June. It's been working fine until 2 days ago when I turned my car on, the unit is no longer working. No HD radio signal at all, and the ipod connection isn't working either.

Trouble shooting tips, anyone?

 

I'm still having problems with mine as well. Sometimes when I start the car, the iPod starts back up where it left off. Other times it starts the playlist over at song one. This playlist has over 1000 songs and that get's annoying.

Also, sometimes the fast forward/rewind doesn't work (i.e. holding down the arrow buttons). I can jump top the next song, but I can't rewind. Neither the MFSW or HU buttons will work. I do some fiddling and sometimes they magically work again.

Haven't ried the HD yet, still waiting to see what that new antenna looks like before I start peeling away sunroof tint.

 

How long is the car shut down before the memory is lost? If the iPod goes into Deep Sleep mode or is disconnected, all "bookmarks" are lost.

As for the ffd/rew, reboot the iPod and reconnect - you will gain these back.

 

I have an 05S with a build date of 7/04 and SV #26-04 42. Based on this assumption, this is not text compatible. But is the radio compatible with dice just for HD radio and no text?

 

Forgot to mention that my stock radio does have some texting abilities. It shows stations call signs and such but don't know if that makes a difference.

 

That's the funny part. It doesn't matter. The other day I left the iPod in overnight. When I started the car, it picked up right where it left off. Went to work. Had to run an errand a couple of hours later...iPod/DICE went stupid, had to find where I left off again. Really bugging me...

That also is annoying that I should have to do that...is that normal? Anybody else have that problem?

 

I've had the same problems too w/ my ipod resetting itself like that. I'm also annoyed that half the time, the text display isn't functioning. Last night, I disconnected the battery to get my HD unit working again. But still, the text isn't displaying 100% of the time.

When my display isn't working properly, it only has the letter "M" and will occasionally 'scroll' through the text title, using that 1 single space where the "M" is at.

Should I be worried? Or should I send this unit back for an exchange?