USA-Spec PA12-BMW beats Dice Silverline

Originally Posted by sna77

I discovered this (and posted about it) with regards to the Dice and the Sirius slave cable. It you are slaving a Sirius or Changer off the Dice, its easy to swap pins 2 and 3 on the factory slave cable... That clears up the noise issue with that too...

Does anyone have the link to that DIY? It may fix the issue with the DICE locking up my K-bus and producing noise when it did work.

Awesome Steve!

Originally Posted by sna77

Not if he wanted to keep his changer or Sirius...

Didn't think keeping the changer was an option with either interface as it uses the changer connector.

Originally Posted by Arsevader

Didn't think keeping the changer was an option with either interface as it uses the changer connector.

Yes, you are correct. the iPod interface consumes the CD changer interface whether the trunk or the radio connection method is used.

I know sna77 know that. He has quite a bit of debug experience with the various interfaces, so I assume it was just a slip.

I'm interested in this USA spec but there are 2 versions... what is the DSP-style radio?

Originally Posted by soulchild

I'm interested in this USA spec but there are 2 versions... what is the DSP-style radio?

If you have a DSP radio in your car, then you will need the DSP version of the PA12-BMW

I just have the standard Business CD radio so I installed the standard version.

All of the different manufactures make a dsp specific version. I don't know much about it.

USA-Spec FTW i had it for over a year now with no problems. I'm able to use all steering wheel controls, radio controls and navigate through the ipod touch with no problems.

Originally Posted by E46Moonlight

USA-Spec FTW i had it for over a year now with no problems. I'm able to use all steering wheel controls, radio controls and navigate through the ipod touch with no problems.

I have had my PA12-BMW in since April. Ditto, I love it.

What is FTW?

Originally Posted by steve.325i

I have had my PA12-BMW in since April. Ditto, I love it.

What is FTW?

For the win.

Originally Posted by soulchild

I'm interested in this USA spec but there are 2 versions... what is the DSP-style radio?

Originally Posted by steve.325i

If you have a DSP radio in your car, then you will need the DSP version of the PA12-BMW

I just have the standard Business CD radio so I installed the standard version.

DSP = Digital Sound Processing. An option on the 5 & 7. Never on any e46 3, so no need to worry about it...

Thanks sna77.

Just wandering if we have INSTALLATION GUIDE using the trunk or head unit....

Originally Posted by jong325ci

Just wandering if we have INSTALLATION GUIDE using the trunk or head unit....

No they don't have an installation guide, but you can follow the same procedure as the Dice install.



What I have learned with USA-Spec is that you never really have to touch the iPod at all. Honestly, the complete install can remain in the trunk. There is absolutely no need to route anything inside the passenger compartment.

I just stumbled on to this. This is awesome !!!

In 99-00 year 3 Series, operation of the DICE kit requires two button presses for each operation (ex. Press "Next" twice, "Artist" twice, etc..).

Do you know if the USA Spec has this issue with 99-00 head units?

EDIT:
I read the manual and the USA Spec has the same issue as DICE for the older head units ("rectangular shape faceplate"). You go to "single press mode" by disabling the text display.

EDIT2:
The newer units that have been shipping for about a year do not have this issue. They fixed the double-press issue for the older HU!

Originally Posted by steve.325i

I know what you mean. Hit the wrong button with the Dice & you have just lost your spot in your play list.

The USA-Spec remembers the last played position in all four playlists ... even when you remove the iPod for reprogramming.

That actually may have just sold me.

1. I don't need 50 playlists and I definately do not have a max of 4 playlist on my iPod BUT I do like how SPEC handles the 4 Playlists via the ease of scrolling thru long playlist and bookmarking the spot in each playlist.
I won't enjoy having 50 playlists in my Head Unit via the DICE and having to scroll thru to find my last spot on the list.

2. I'm a simple guy that like to have my lists set and once the iPod is plugged in and ready to go all I want to do is press PLAY and possible FFD and RWD.

3. I don't have a habit of indexing thru playlists while I'm driving. I like to have it set up already.

4. Sound quality with complete lack of audio hissing is important to me as I listen to podcasts and lectures in-car and would hate to have that old school tape recorder background hiss all the time.

That said, I would most likely use my iPod/Car connection for listening to my lectures and podcasts which usually have hour long blocks of sound file and it seems the SPEC robs me the ability to rwd and fwd inside the sound file as it is playing. I would hate to miss a sentence or joke and have no way of rwd back to the last minute in the podcast.

But Steve told me, as he should've made clear in his videos, that whiles it may be a CON, and a big fcuking CON at that, the SPEC allows you to press 6 and access the file on your iPod. Which for me may not be good as I have the forever-slippery-when-driving iPod Touch to contend with.

The DICE sounds like something that is a passing FAD that everyone will say they had until something came along that was better. So far the SPEC is winning out for my money. AND you are telling me IT COST LESS....it's a done deal dot com mates!

So where is the best place to buy one of these? I had a Dice Silverline and it never worked right, the thing just frustrated me every time I used it.

Originally Posted by MJRMatt330

wait so does anyone have the DIY for switching pin2 and pin3 in the trunk interface of the DICE in order to stop the dit-dit-dit sound that is so very annoying?

Towards the bottom:
http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=689846

Just open this cable... On the side facing up in your photo, take a pocket screwdriver and push the plastic connector over the top of the tab that is visible near the white with tan wire (you can see this tab in your photo). You can then pull the wiring with internal plastic connector from the outer locking shell.



Detail:

Originally Posted by Wreckless

+1 also, does this "pin swap" work if you don't have Sirius? Or is it only for the applications where Sirius is being used?

Yes... but you'd have to swap the pins on the CD changers connection to the Dice.

Originally Posted by Arsevader

Didn't think keeping the changer was an option with either interface as it uses the changer connector.

Originally Posted by steve.325i

Yes, you are correct. the iPod interface consumes the CD changer interface whether the trunk or the radio connection method is used.

I know sna77 know that. He has quite a bit of debug experience with the various interfaces, so I assume it was just a slip.

Oops... I meant just Sirius, not CD changer.

You can keep the CD changer and Sirius, or Sirius and Dice, but not Dice and CD changer...