Develop Bugs

Own headphones handsfree connector

The sub-standard quality of the supplied earphones prompted me to look for a better alternative. The 2.5 to 3.5mm adaptor is a good one but it negates the use of the control console (phone buttons, mic., etc), so I decided to make my own connector which I fitted above the control console. I can now use any 'quality' headphones to listen to music and use the phone handsfree function.
Its pretty easy to do, if you know how to solder, which is not difficult in itself. If anyone wants more detail of what I did or wants me to make a connector for them, let me know.

Yes, what a great job.
i am thinking the same thing, please tell us more information how to do that, and more pictures.
thank you.
cojones said:
The sub-standard quality of the supplied earphones prompted me to look for a better alternative. The 2.5 to 3.5mm adaptor is a good one but it negates the use of the control console (phone buttons, mic., etc), so I decided to make my own connector which I fitted above the control console. I can now use any 'quality' headphones to listen to music and use the phone handsfree function.
Its pretty easy to do, if you know how to solder, which is not difficult in itself. If anyone wants more detail of what I did or wants me to make a connector for them, let me know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Superb!! Way to go, M8!

2.5 to 3.5 adaptor based on std earpiece
Please can you let me know how much, I want to use my sennheiser earphones.
Richard Racer

nice i wanted to make the same but a few things held me back
1 canabalizing the working headset could cause problems if the stereo wiring in the xda headset were poor quality and i could end up having to listen to music in the bus played by the normal speaker on the xda adding to the enjoyment of the rest of the pasangers
2 if the length of the mic and buttons had to be near my mouth the length of rest added headset would be added making me look like a d00d who were a bit too much into rubber and of cause the added lenght could cause music quality loss not that i would notice with the music i listen to

I would like to see the details and more pictures if possible. Thanks.

amaaaaaaaazing!! can you please show us how did you make it? :?:

well i asume he just strip the wires and solver them on to the connector of the female 3.5 minijack connector
not sure what he pictures should show some light on

I've been asked to formally write up the process and include further pictures. I shall be doing this this week and will post it when complete.

I would like to know how to do this also.

Don't waste your time soldering, and cutting, and fixing up your existing wires.
The wire is already available on the market.
I use in in my AUX-INPUT in my car so that the sound comes out the speaker system in my BMW, and the microphone remains enabled. The sound is fantastic. In addition, you can use the wire to listed attach to headphones, (listen to music) while the microphone stays enabled.
Here are the two places you can purchase the cable... (I am in no way affiliated to either).
www.arkon.com : the part number is ADPT04 - and it cost $9.95. You have to call in the order - it's not on their website. (it ended up costing me $13.95 shipping included - to CANADA!\)
www.handheldcanada.com - Same part number... different price (17.95 Canadian PLUS shipping).
Enjoy.

XDA CarKit Wiring

Hola!
I'm trying to work out how to make my own XDA car kit cable. I have the pinout for the XDA - thanks to the XDA Developers Site
- http://wiki.xda-developers.com/wiki/Connectors
I also Have a pinout for the back of my Stereo (Philips CAR 400 From a Vauxhall Astra - '02) thanks to
- http://carradio.hit.bg/philips.htm
I have done some preliminary testing with small cables and connectors that go into a standard phono input on my big stereo in my room and have been successful at making a mini-kit, but am having real trouble working out what the pins on the back of the car stereo do (i.e which is for audio input from the phone)
Labels are as follows:
PHILIPS CAR400
01 - SVD
02 - SAC
03 - SCL
04 - Tel. Mute
05 - TIS
06 - Batt. +
07 - MRQ
08 - Power Antenna
09 - DDL
10 - Lights
11 - ACC ( 12 v + )
12 - GND
13 - SDA
The only one that make any sense is Tel. Mute (Anyone any idea what voltage I have to put accross this to get the system to mute)
If anyone knows what the rest of the pins stand for your help would be much appreciated.
Many thanks,
Will

You put the mute to earth to mute the stereo - normally it's floating.

1 down
Good good, one down, 12 to go.

Now I've read your question.
Answer is probably none of them. All the mute does is silence the audio (and pause the CD on some radios) - the assumption is either that you have a remote speaker for the phone or you use some commercial adapter like Autoleads to intercept the output to the car speakers via a relay. Autoleads sell a huge range of car/stereo specific leads that all provide a "generic" phone interface for Nokia phones. There are also a number of patch leads that enable you to plug specific car kits to the Nokia interface (which is just Battery, switched +, ground and mute with a 3.5mm jack for mono audio. Most knowledgeable guy for this stuff is Terry White on http://www.siocommunications.co.uk/ (he'll sell you the appropriate leads or make up what you need).
Note that the Autoleads solution (which mutes the stereo and uses relays to swich the audio from the phone to front speakers) renders the stereo automute unnecessary, but it is nice to pause the CD anyway and usually you get a front panel indication of phone call which is useful.
I note that the Philips connector also has an audio L/R/Gnd input. This is probably for an aux source like an MP3 player (eg XDA) but of course this needs to be selected on the radio and will also be muted when the mute pin goes to ground.
Hope that helps

I guess the other pins are things like CANBus, D2B wakeup etc. a bit like Siemens/Bosch

Last one. The Autolead you need is 06-078B - £47 + pp from Terry.
http://www.siocommunications.co.uk/06-078B.html

Phew!
That's a mighty big cable?
I notice that it has a 'big connector' (I've marked it in yellow on the image I've attached with this post). There is already one of these on the existing setup. This wouldn't mean I have to completely rip out all of the existing wiring would it?
Also, the jack (Red on the image) looks like a mono jack, I assume this is the bit that plugs into the phone or which I can adapt to plug into the phone?
Seems a bit expensive too, is it really necessary? Can I just forget the auto mute feature and have the phone output go through the 'MP3 In' inputs? That way I can listen to the music on the XDA through the car stereo as well as any sat-nav stuff I decide to install later on.
The main aim of my question is to try to develop a cheap solution to an XDA-Car audio interface. Do none of the connections on the back of my stereo allow me to wire in some sort of auxiliary input?

Yes it is big but it does the job and you can usually find room.
The connector(s) go in line with the ISO and stereo specific plugs, so routing all the power and speaker outputs via the relay module. You don't rip anything out, or need to break into existing wiring, so you reduce risk of problems or warranty issues - it really is the lowest hassle solution.
Yes the red plug is the phone audio input and is designed for Nokia kits.
Expensive? Not really, considering you avoid any hassles and can remove the kit after with no changes or damage to the car wiring. Replacing connectors and fixing car wiring can be expensive.
Yes you could go into the Philips cnnector from the XDA, but you would have to manually select Aux in on the radio, and it wouldn't mute anything. If you were listening to the car radio you'd need to answer the phone and also switch to aux in on the radio to hear anything. Sounds a mess to me!

OK
Ok, so assuming I use the new connector to wire in the phone and have it working through a seperate speaker, how do I connect the MP3 Outputs of the XDA into the stereo. I have no problem using a seperate speaker for the voice on the XDA but I really want to play the XDA music through the Car's built in speakers.
I understand I'll have to come up with some way of getting the sound from the XDA to the speaker AND the car stereo but I don't mind that, It's just something I'll have to worry about.
Most car stereos I've seen have a seperate set of Phono Sockets for auxiliary inputs but this philips doesn't. What do the pins on the back actually stand for in english? (Laymans terms please because I don't understand the long names but I will be able to fathom how to use them if you tell me what they actually do, long names might be ok too cos I can always look on Google to find out what the various bits do.)

Actually I screwed up - looking again at that wierd Bulgarian* site the CAR 400 looks like it has the 26 pin connector and the phone lead would be Autolead 06-053B.
http://www.siocommunications.co.uk/06-053B.html
Also it looks as though the CAR400 does NOT support Aux in - sorry about that - although you could try putting signals onto pins 9 and 10 (using 3 as Ground) and see what happens (that's what the CAR660 uses). No warranty actual or implied!!
* This guy is promoting software to crack EEPROM codes on car radios and to clock cars with digital instrument clusters. Not sure I'd be so keen to build a close relationship there mate!!

No Fear
Thanks anyway, I've got a few exams to sit this coming week so no chance to fiddle for a bit but I'll post back again once I work out how it goes. Looks like I'll have to find some sort of seperate amp and patch it in somewhere to output to the car speakers.
No connection between me and the Bulgarian bloke, just found the site on google as a means of showing you the pinout on the back of the CAR 400.
I'm assuming Pins 9 and 10 CDR and CDL stand for CD - Left and CD - Right respectively?
One last quickie before I go, can I source ISO connectors (Just the plastic bits) from anywhere so I can maybe make a patch through cable? I'd need a male and a female one.
i.e.
CAR STEREO (FEMALE ISO) ---> Wiring (MALE ISO)
becomes
CAR STEREO (FEMALE ISO) ---> NEW MALE ISO --------> MY STUFF ---------> NEW FEMALE ISO ---> Wiring (MALE ISO)
Cheers for the help, I'll have a mess about over the next few weeks and post back with my results in case anyone's interested.

Just a note to say I've found some ISO Connectors. You can get them from maplin.
http://www.maplin.co.uk
codes
QK25C (headunit end) @ £4.99
MZ76H (car end) @ £6.99
Anyone finds them a bit cheaper let me know...

Another quick note. I've found a small amplifier from Maplin (Code N67AW) 40W 6-16V. (MONO ONLY)
The instructions say it is a 'bridge type' amplifier and that the speaker connections should therefore not be to ground (As in a car).
The setup works fine on my test rig at home, but I was wondering, will I just get lots of noise if I connect it up in the car, or will I blow everything up?
So far my plan is to make a patch through cable that amplifies the XDA signal direct to the car speakers and has some form of automatic switch to detect if audio is coming through the XDA. If it is, then it mutes the signal from the car stereo and patches the XDA through.
Any suggetsions?

Audio Jack

I can't use a headset (neither with Tomtom nor with the media player) because the output is warped.
If I use the regular headset then there is no sound at all.
I had a spare headset, so I took it apart and soldered the wires from the jack directly to the headphones. This is what happens:
The first few moments of the output are sometimes cut off. The left channel is almost OK and quite loud. The right channel clicks loudly and is muted, it isn't even half as loud as the left channel.
(Nothing like this happens if you playback the audio via the phone's speaker.)
Is this because of the ROM ( I upgraded tp WinMo 6.5)? I need the audio output for Tomtom and I'll probably solder both headphones to the left channel, but this is an inelegant and dissatisfyinfg solution.
Dirk

probably the best way to find out, whether the rom is responsible is to upgrade to anothr one, i thought i read you are using build 21159? try 21202 then, it is much better and faster anyway. but actually, that is just a general advise, since your problem doesn't sound like a rom problem at all.
it sounds more like a hardware issue, which is likely to occur with these old devices, buttons tend to fail and the sockets, too
EDIT: Please don't double post

Thanks for the reply.
I just followed your advice and upgraded to 201202. Let's see what it does to the audio.
But one question: The headphoes I use look like those which came with a T-Mobile SDA (in fact, they are pretty much the same). Should they work with the Blue Angel? What about the issue where people cannot use their headsets because there is no sound when the plug is pushed in the whole way. I had that too, bu is this a hardware issue?
Dirk

the layout of the ba plug is (from the tip towards the cable): mic, left, right, ground.
that is the standard layout for 4-poled 2.5mm plugs and sockets, i don't know about the sda, but maybe that one uses a special layout.
we had another thread on that, to be found here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=492144
anyways, i had a problem, when using a cheap 3-poled adaptor, because it had the layout: left, right, ground, meaning i only had little sound, and it was the left channel, just coming out of the right ear plug, so that only worked, when pulling it out a little bit. maybe this is a similar thing.
hope this can help you a little, though i think it is not the solution, yet
greetz,
Chef_Tony

Thanks again. Now I soldered the cables to the pins according to what you said. And I flashed the 201202 ROM. But the problem didn't change. I still have these problems:
The first part of the output is cut off most times.
Only the left channel is put through, if at all.
The right channel just clicks loudly.
Edit: I start to believe that there are two factors overlaying eachother. The right channel seems to be dead and I had the wrong headset. After de- and re-soldering the headset it works, minus the right channel. Seems like I have to live with that.
Regards,
Dirk

i am sorry to here that. apparently it is a hardware issue, maybe the following things could help you:
- if you happen to have an electronics store nearby, maybe you could buy a new 2.5mm socket, and assemble it yourself, following these instructions: http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=DIS_BA_PICS (you could at least open it up and give it a look)
- since software faults are out of the picture now, maybe you could use bluetooth audio output, i don't know if you sat nav software offers bt headset profile or a2dp, but wmp at least does.
- 3rd option is looking for spare parts or broken devices on ebay
- 4th and most unlikely version: disassemble the device as shown in idea #1 and split the regular speaker input, you could derive at least another mono stream and put that to an external speaker to here it in the car, but i wouldn't ever do that, though it would probably work, where's the improvement, just a silly idea

DIY FM Antenna With 3.5mm Audio Jack

This is not something new and have been shown many times in YouTube. It is interesting to have for any phone with 3.5mm audio jack that can be easily done within a few minutes. I do not use my headset with my phone so this would be a nice hack to have around to listen with your friends on some local radio without consuming your data plan and phone battery.
Find a headset that you do not need. We only want the part with the 3.5mm audio jack. Just trim it down to about 20cm in length and fold it in half and tie a knot at the end. I tied a lasso knot at the end just so I can adjust the length of the receiver later on though it may not help much in reception quality.
Tested several length from 1 meter all the way to 20 centimetres and found not much difference in reception quality for a fact that you will be using your loudspeaker to listen to the FM radio. The same with whether to loop or not to loop the receiver but looping the receiver gives it a cleaner look while maintaining the same reception frequency.
Putting your phone too close to a human body greatly interferes with the FM signal. On the other hand, placing your phone on a metal table may enhance the FM reception.
Perhaps those who have knowledge in electronics can shed some light to optimize this simple hack further.
Have fun...

I didn't know. Works like a charm !! Thank You

Doesn't work for me. When I plug in the trimmed headset cable with the ear pieces cut off, the FM App keeps asking me to plug in a headset. Works OK when I plug in an untrimmed headset and switch to speaker in FM App menu.
Is there a further trick to getting this to work? Are you using the stock FM App?

I had the same problem myself, and it stems from the fact that smartphones will interrogate any headset you plug in to check if it is suitable. There are basic stereo headphones with three contacts on the jack plug (from the tip they are left, right and ground) and should work on any phone regardless. But there are two variants of headset (i.e. those with a microphone) that use four contacts, the difference being whether they connect the mic on the third or fourth contact.
As of 2016 most manufacturers have standardised on one system (left, right, mic then ground), but there are enough older phones and matching headsets out there that use the alternative pinout scheme. For example my old Sony Xperia used L-R-G-M (the same as say Blackberry), necessitating the use of an adapter for certain accessories. My latest Z5 however, has moved to the L-R-M-G pattern, which means I can no longer use my favourite old Sony headset anymore, not even as plain headphones, the Z5 just refused to talk to them.
That explains why a dumb wire might not work with a smartphone, because it is looking for a signal loop on all four (or three) contacts to try and figure out what's been plugged into it. The solution is to short out the wires to fool the phone into thinking there actually is something on the other end. Simply bare all of the wires at the cut end of the cable, burn off the fine lacquer or cotton that is used as an insulation, then twist the wires together to short them all to the ground. Better still, solder them together and cover with a bit of heat-shrink for a proper finish.

Found some pre-made antennas in ebay, you can try searching for 3.5mm antenna. They look pretty decent. I am also looking for compatible antenna, if any, that is compatible for steven303's new headphone jack.
Edit: did some research and found that the 3.5mm steven303 mentioned is called '3.5mm 4 conductor' or 'TRRS antenna 3.5mm', you can try searching for them in ebay or look for similar ones lying around with wires long enough to be loops around to be used as antenna for new phones with the new type of head jack.
I got two item I think can be suitable for this purpose; search with the following keyword in ebay;
1. 3.5mm 1/8'' Male To Male 4-Pole 3 Ring TRRS AV Audio Extension Cable 1.2M/4Feet
2. 4-Pole 3Ring TRRS 3.5mm (1/8'') Male To Female AV Extension Cable 3FT/1M Black

I have an additional issue. I use my phone's fm radio feature with an old pair of headphones for an antenna and listen via blue tooth headphones when I'm running or just working around the house, etc. My problem is that as the phone moves around in my pocket, the movement causes the phone to think the headphones came unplugged for a second and the radio turns off. When that happens I have to take the phone out and turn the radio back on. This happens often enough that it is a pain in the neck.
A separate but related issue. With some old, non functioning headphone cables the phone doesn't think there is anything plugged into it. I am lucky in that my phone gives me the option to "Play anyway through speaker or bluetooth". So even though it thinks there isn't anything plugged into it, I do, and I have good FM reception.
Here is what I want: I want to know what to do to my old headphone wire so that my phone doesn't think there is anything plugged into it when it is, in fact, plugged in. I hope that makes sense!

Noise from my brand new Dasaita PK5 whenever wifi data is flowing...

I installed this unit in wife's 2018 Highlander today. It sounds great if wifi is switched off, or if it's on and no data is flowing. I am using Network Mini to monitor data, and as soon as data is going up/down, the crackling starts.
I've reached out to Dasaita and am awaiting a reply
I have grounded the black wire with the ringlet directly to the frame but it makes no difference. I have NOT grounded the radio chassis yet. Also the noise goes away when the unit isn't crammed into the dash. When all the wires are in close proximity to radio is when it picks up
Anyone seen this issue. Love the radio otherwise...
Video:.
https://youtu.be/NhSzLh7CD_0

Wow - that's REALLY bad... I'm starting to get a little fed up with the interference noises from my Eonon MTCE-WWW unit as well. I don't have any issues when using the internal amp, but if I connect to an external amp with the line-out RCAs, I get interference from USB devices, the LED backlighting on the unit, etc. It's shame becuase I love the idea of an Android unit, but not sure I can deal with the subpar quality issues....
Going to try connecting to my amp via speaker-level outputs next and see if that helps at all.
Do you have a stock or aftermarket amp in your vehicle?

Cracks and noises for me as well with my Belsee BP3 PX5 unit.
For me too the noises seem to fade away when I turn off WiFi.
I upgraded the firmware of the unit with a Cs-x sound mod one (there's an recente one for Dasaita too) and it seem to have reduced the issue
https://forum.xda-developers.com/an...ent/mod-cs-x-mod-mtcd-e-mcu-firmware-t3816042
Maybe you can check this out ?

TheDiB said:
Cracks and noises for me as well with my Belsee BP3 PX5 unit.
For me too the noises seem to fade away when I turn off WiFi.
I upgraded the firmware of the unit with a Cs-x sound mod one (there's an recente one for Dasaita too) and it seem to have reduced the issue
https://forum.xda-developers.com/an...ent/mod-cs-x-mod-mtcd-e-mcu-firmware-t3816042
Maybe you can check this out ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I suppose I could try updates, but I don't hold out much hope given that the problem seems to be related to proximity to the wifi antenna. It did this on the stock rom, as well as the Hal9k variant.
I'll update this thread if I manage to find an improvement.

The alternate sound-patched MCU's didn't make any difference whatsoever on my Eonon MTCE-WWW unit. I tried both the cs-x version and the wazdio verion. Same noise-related issues. You may help "hide" them a little by turning down the pre-amp value, but you can also do that with the stock MCUs, under the Factory Settings "Voice" tab.
To put it simply, I think they just use low-quality components with limited R&D - which is why these units are so inexpensive compared to more premium brands of plug-and-play units like Rosen, Dynavin, etc (they run WinCE though).
If using speaker-level outputs on the Eonon doesn't help in my case, I'll probably be going back to a WInCE unit, just becuase they seem to have much higher-quality audio components (better DAC's, 4V pre-outs, BBE processor, real 9-band EQ, time-delay, etc). I was really looking forward to an Android head-unit, but I'm just not willing to sacrifice sound quality to get the Android interface. Viper4Android helps a LOT in terms of sound-quality, but it can't help with the noise-related issues, which are more of a hardware thing...
Maybe some day they'll get there. I really wish they made low- and high-end versions of these radios - that way people had a choice between low-cost and high-quality.

That's a shame, as there is so much potential. I have a Hizpo PK5 in my (JBL-equipped) Sequoia, and it's completely noise-free. But this Dasaita for the Highlander is just very loud. It seems like it's a shielding issue. As stated previously, if I keep the head unit out with all the cables extended, the sound stops. I'm halfway tempted to buy an SMA wifi antenna with a cable long enough to get the RF signal away from the wires. The sound is exclusive to the left channel (both front and rear).
@TheDiB, missed your prior question. It's a JBL-equipped vehicle.

Yeah, your particular noise is REALLY bad (mine is more of something that you only hear if the music is muted or during really quiet parts of the music - and only in certain cases (but it still bothers me knowing that it's there).
Being that you can stop the noise by pulling the radio out, you may be able to figure out what is causing it. Maybe try disconnecting the AM/FM antenna to see if that has anytihng to do with it - I've read some cases where hte antenna was causing interference. Or just re-routing some of the wiring - or something along those lines.
In my case, the noises are present no matter what - but only if I use the RCA line-level outputs and an extrnal amp. If I use the stock built-in amp, there is no noise whatsoever. So mine seems to be related to the RCA line-level output hardware (shielding related, I'm guessing).
I would experiment some more if you are happy with the radio and sound-quality otherwise.

I'm hoping I hear something helpful back from Dasaita in the coming days. On this particular unit, the wifi antenna comes out about 1/2" above the main ISO plug for the radio. I suppose I could relocate the antenna by running the existing bulkhead SMA fitting through a screw hole elsewhere on the case to provide more distance. I'm not giving up yet The other issue is that it's the wife's car, so my access to it is limited.
I'm not using line-level outputs. The four pairs for the speaker output comes out of that ISO plug, and goes straight to the Toyota harness. Fader control (as well as a bunch of other controls/data) goes through the can bus adapter. But ultimately, those four speaker pair end up at the factory JBL amplifier.
Aside from the noise, the audio quality is equivalent to the stock radio. But, I'm not an audiophile, and I have the opposite of OCD...

So your stock JBL amp actually accepts speaker-level inputs? Usually, amps take line-level inputs. With the Eonon MTCE-WWW units for GM's, if your car has a stock Bose amp, there is a special "Bose adpater" that connects to the same port where you would connect the line-level RCA jacks for aftermarket amps, which is line-level - but instead of having RCA jacks at the other end, it just connects into the main wiring harness, so I guess it sends line-level signals through the speaker wires, to the Bose amp - and then the Bose amp amplifies them (that is just a guess though, based on the fact that the audio is coming from the same port that is used for an external aftermarket amp, which is line-level).
So the wiring harness you use for yours is exactly the same regardless of whether the car has a stock amplifier or not? Or maybe it's not an option on your car and they ALL come with JBL amps? Just trying to understand your setup a little better. Do you have a link to the unit you purcahsed?

jtrosky said:
So your stock JBL amp actually accepts speaker-level inputs? Usually, amps take line-level inputs. With the Eonon MTCE-WWW units for GM's, if your car has a stock Bose amp, there is a special "Bose adpater" that connects to the same port where you would connect the line-level RCA jacks for aftermarket amps, which is line-level - but instead of having RCA jacks at the other end, it just connects into the main wiring harness, so I guess it sends line-level signals through the speaker wires, to the Bose amp - and then the Bose amp amplifies them (that is just a guess though, based on the fact that the audio is coming from the same port that is used for an external aftermarket amp, which is line-level).
So the wiring harness you use for yours is exactly the same regardless of whether the car has a stock amplifier or not? Or maybe it's not an option on your car and they ALL come with JBL amps? Just trying to understand your setup a little better. Do you have a link to the unit you purcahsed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It must, because I'm not using any coax/low-level outputs. In fact, I haven't hooked up most of the pigtail connectors. The ISO harness has about 5 or 6 connectors that are used, and about as many that aren't (presumably for the non-JBL vehicles). I think the Toyota JBL set up is much like the Bose you described. In a previous Tundra, I had to buy an adapter that would convert the two-pair per speaker wires to RCA plugs which I could then use to connect my aftermarket radio (to use the low level outputs). That converter (made by Metra or Scoche, IIRC) also somehow tied into the canbus to power the amp and control the fader.
Ultimately with this PX5, I'm using the purple/green/gray/white speaker level outputs to go directly to the factory harness. No adapter in between. I can only assume the JBL amp is designed to accept this somehow. Both my Sequoia and now this Highlander are set up the same way.

Well, I am happy to report that I was able to resolve the noise by replacing the Dasaita wifi antenna with a full-sized SMA-equipped antenna from an old Asus router. The antenna was a female SMA, so I had to slip a small copper conductor into it so it would interface with the female SMA bulkhead on the radio - but once I did that, ALL the noise disappeared! So either something is wrong with the antenna they provided, or it's simply dumping too much RF right on top of the ISO connector with all the speaker outputs. Whew!

Very cool! Glad to hear that you got it resolved. So is the antenna now further away from the ISO connector - or is it just becuase it's a different antenna? You may to get an adapter or an antenna with the right connecter for long-term use (instead of using the wrong gender anteanna with a piece of copper wire installed).
Regardless, glad to hear that you figure it out! I wish my noise-related issues were so easy to solve.
Although, I did some brief testing this morning and it seems that using the speaker-level outputs is better than using the line-level outputs on mine (for connecting external amp). The noises are still there, but they aren't as loud when using speaker-level outputs for my external amp (usually, it's the other way around with higher-quality head-units).
These units are so close to being really good - it's a shame they have these noise-relasted issues...

jtrosky said:
Very cool! Glad to hear that you got it resolved. So is the antenna now further away from the ISO connector - or is it just becuase it's a different antenna? You may to get an adapter or an antenna with the right connecter for long-term use (instead of using the wrong gender anteanna with a piece of copper wire installed).
Regardless, glad to hear that you figure it out! I wish my noise-related issues were so easy to solve.
Although, I did some brief testing this morning and it seems that using the speaker-level outputs is better than using the line-level outputs on mine (for connecting external amp). The noises are still there, but they aren't as loud when using speaker-level outputs for my external amp (usually, it's the other way around with higher-quality head-units).
These units are so close to being really good - it's a shame they have these noise-relasted issues...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't move the bulkhead SMA fitting. I would have had to break the factory seal, and I didn't want to jeopardize warranty just yet. The antenna I added is about 4x longer than the stubby they provided, so I suppose it is spreading the RF over a larger area. It has a hinge on it and if I aim it straight back the noise is still present. Bending it 90° away from the harness makes it totally silent - and there is no depreciation in the signal strength.
I have ordered a gender changer and a 3" SMA extension cable from Amazon, but I probably won't install it unless the problem returns. I figure why rock the boat.
Is the noise you're experiencing related to data transmission? Does it stop if you disable the wifi? I'm wondering if wrapping the first few inches of the wiring bundle with copper tape wouldn't provide shielding against induced RF noise.

Ah - I see. Interesting - so just a different antenna resolved your issue. Like you said, I guess it's spreading out the signal enough to avoid causing the interference. I'm sure someone else will find that info very useful in the future!
My noise issues are not realted to wifi. I have interference noises in the following situations:
1. If car is not running and radio LED backlighting is on (cuases a hum through the speakers). Mainly only noticeable when no music is playing (between songs, for example) or when there are very quiet parts of the music.
2. When using my headrest monitors.
3. Anytime the system accesses USB devices. The interference is pretty noticeable when reading/writing USB thumb drives - especially if they have LEDs on them.
4. If I my Eonon USB dashcam is active, it makes a strange intference noise from the speakers. Again, really only noticeable when no music is playing, but...
None of these are huge issues in of themselves, but at the same time, it just bothers me knowing that the interference exists. I've also noticed that the overall sound quality just isn't as good as my previous WinCE-based head-units - (much more expensive units - they have 4v preouts, higher-quality DAC's, etc) - even when using an external amplifier. Never had interference noises with them, so the Android unit is really a downgrade in terms of sound-quality, which is more important to me than having Android, I guess. I was hoping that there woulnd't be much difference in sound quality when using an external amp, but there still is...
At first, I thought the Android head-unit was awesome while testng "on the bench" - until I connected it in-car and used it for a few days, then I started noticing all of the "cons" (warning chimes and turn-signal sounds are horrible, button backlighting doesn't dim with the rest of the interior lights when dimmed, screen isn't as nice or as bright as previous units, super-reflecitive screen, the noise issues mentioned above, no true dual-zone for my headrest monitors, no XM tuner, having to jump through all kind of hoops just to get music to continue playing where it left off when restarting the car, etc). When I add up all of these "cons", I'm just not sure the Android unit is worth it for me. I'll probably be going back to my WinCE head-unit very soon (Dynavin N7 or Rosen GM1010/1210). The WinCE units are not as flexible as the Android units, but the sound quality is more important to me.
I'd *gladly* pay more for a higher-quality Android head-unit, but right now, they just don't seem to exist - which is unfortunate...

jtrosky said:
Ah - I see. Interesting - so just a different antenna resolved your issue. Like you said, I guess it's spreading out the signal enough to avoid causing the interference. I'm sure someone else will find that info very useful in the future!
My noise issues are not realted to wifi. I have interference noises in the following situations:
1. If car is not running and radio LED backlighting is on (cuases a hum through the speakers). Mainly only noticeable when no music is playing (between songs, for example) or when there are very quiet parts of the music.
2. When using my headrest monitors.
3. Anytime the system accesses USB devices. The interference is pretty noticeable when reading/writing USB thumb drives - especially if they have LEDs on them.
4. If I my Eonon USB dashcam is active, it makes a strange intference noise from the speakers. Again, really only noticeable when no music is playing, but...
None of these are huge issues in of themselves, but at the same time, it just bothers me knowing that the interference exists. I've also noticed that the overall sound quality just isn't as good as my previous WinCE-based head-units - (much more expensive units - they have 4v preouts, higher-quality DAC's, etc) - even when using an external amplifier. Never had interference noises with them, so the Android unit is really a downgrade in terms of sound-quality, which is more important to me than having Android, I guess. I was hoping that there woulnd't be much difference in sound quality when using an external amp, but there still is...
At first, I thought the Android head-unit was awesome while testng "on the bench" - until I connected it in-car and used it for a few days, then I started noticing all of the "cons" (warning chimes and turn-signal sounds are horrible, button backlighting doesn't dim with the rest of the interior lights when dimmed, screen isn't as nice or as bright as previous units, super-reflecitive screen, the noise issues mentioned above, no true dual-zone for my headrest monitors, no XM tuner, having to jump through all kind of hoops just to get music to continue playing where it left off when restarting the car, etc). When I add up all of these "cons", I'm just not sure the Android unit is worth it for me. I'll probably be going back to my WinCE head-unit very soon (Dynavin N7 or Rosen GM1010/1210). The WinCE units are not as flexible as the Android units, but the sound quality is more important to me.
I'd *gladly* pay more for a higher-quality Android head-unit, but right now, they just don't seem to exist - which is unfortunate...
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Hello, have you found a solution, how you fix noise ?

jtrosky said:
Ah - I see. Interesting - so just a different antenna resolved your issue. Like you said, I guess it's spreading out the signal enough to avoid causing the interference. I'm sure someone else will find that info very useful in the future!
My noise issues are not realted to wifi. I have interference noises in the following situations:
1. If car is not running and radio LED backlighting is on (cuases a hum through the speakers). Mainly only noticeable when no music is playing (between songs, for example) or when there are very quiet parts of the music.
2. When using my headrest monitors.
3. Anytime the system accesses USB devices. The interference is pretty noticeable when reading/writing USB thumb drives - especially if they have LEDs on them.
4. If I my Eonon USB dashcam is active, it makes a strange intference noise from the speakers. Again, really only noticeable when no music is playing, but...
None of these are huge issues in of themselves, but at the same time, it just bothers me knowing that the interference exists. I've also noticed that the overall sound quality just isn't as good as my previous WinCE-based head-units - (much more expensive units - they have 4v preouts, higher-quality DAC's, etc) - even when using an external amplifier. Never had interference noises with them, so the Android unit is really a downgrade in terms of sound-quality, which is more important to me than having Android, I guess. I was hoping that there woulnd't be much difference in sound quality when using an external amp, but there still is...
At first, I thought the Android head-unit was awesome while testng "on the bench" - until I connected it in-car and used it for a few days, then I started noticing all of the "cons" (warning chimes and turn-signal sounds are horrible, button backlighting doesn't dim with the rest of the interior lights when dimmed, screen isn't as nice or as bright as previous units, super-reflecitive screen, the noise issues mentioned above, no true dual-zone for my headrest monitors, no XM tuner, having to jump through all kind of hoops just to get music to continue playing where it left off when restarting the car, etc). When I add up all of these "cons", I'm just not sure the Android unit is worth it for me. I'll probably be going back to my WinCE head-unit very soon (Dynavin N7 or Rosen GM1010/1210). The WinCE units are not as flexible as the Android units, but the sound quality is more important to me.
I'd *gladly* pay more for a higher-quality Android head-unit, but right now, they just don't seem to exist - which is unfortunate...
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I also wanted to hear if you found out the problem .. since I myself have the same...