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Dynavin Info: Look here first...Part 2..."Version 5"

762K views 2K replies 312 participants last post by  Geo31 
#1 · (Edited)
NEW DYNAVIN...

Dynavin has made a substantial change in their offerings and has released their new "D90-3G platform"....following the past nomenclature I think it will likely end up being referred to as a V5. It is a new set of hardware and a new interface. In light of this it is time to update the Dynavin info thread! Discussion can continue about the V1-V4 units on the old thread:

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=754606

Much of this post will be the same as the other one but I will change the parts that are relevant to the new unit. Scroll down past the install to get to the new info.


Please read EVERYTHING before you ask a question, pretty much everything has been answered at some point and I will do my best to put all the new info this thread.[/B]

Read the Dynavin FAQ: http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=803437


As always the Dynavin forum can be found here:
http://dynavin.freeforums.org
Check it out for tips, tricks, hacks, and info.


Due to this post, my involvement in the Dynavin community, and some scary situations with previous Dynavin dealers I have decided to become a Dynavin dealer. You can now get a Dynavin from me along with all the help and advice you might need.....DYNAVIN SOLUTIONS.... you can email me at jtdist@sbcglobal.net, look for me in the sponsor forum here:

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?p=12273055#post12273055

or click the link in my sig to find out how you can get one for yourself.



INSTALL
I am an installer, not full time, i run a small family business that in part sells auto parts and accessories including mobile electronics. I do the installs, Ive been doing a couple a week for 15 years so Ive done.....a lot..... I am an authorized Pioneer Electronics dealer so most of my experience relevant to the Dynavin is with the AVIC line of Pioneer units. I also have owned two cars with factory nav, a 2006 acura and a 2007 lexus, so understand where I am coming from, Ive used quite a few systems like this.


Here is a look at where things start




And the car:


Regular business HU, no HK, but it doesnt matter, everything here applies to the HK system as well, I had the parrot bluetooth running off the steering wheel buttons and an ipod adapter. Its all coming out.


I also have a 4 channel amp, front two channels running the front speakers and the rear two channels running a sub, the signal was being delivered via the factory amp input wires, cut and spliced onto RCA connectors and fed into an EQ and then into the amp.

The rear speakers are stock and still running off the factory amp although I am not using them and have the fader on the HU faded all the way to the front.



look here to do a system like this, awesome write up on amp install using the factory head unit:

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=245914



So I took everything apart and took a look at what I was in for:




Take note here that the wiring for the HVAC controls just drops down to the new location for the controls, it only has to move a few inches and there is plenty of slack. I have not yet ordered the HVAC control relocation part but the control fits the old part ok, I used a little bit of 3/8" black weatherstrip foam to support it and hold it in place, it wedges in there pretty tight and looks fine, we will see how it works out. Ignore the mess of wires on the right, thats my parrot blutooth kit, its gone now.

This is important, right in the middle of this picture you can see a white plastic arm that moves a black plastic lever in the airbox, some part of the HVAC system, this part ends up directly below the back of the dynavin unit, be careful that you dont get any wires hung up on this or you are asking for big trouble. I will double check it later from the glovebox side


Next I put the GPS receiver right behind the unit on the metal dash frame, right below the vent ducts, it is magnetic and will stick right there, reception here is good.


So then I plugged everything into the factory wiring:



Take note here since everyone seems to mess this part up

The steering wheel control harness connects to the end of this cable............



NOT here...........




Plugged in the dynavin and put it in the dash, other people have been complaining that there isnt much room in there....they are correct. There is a good amount of space on the left side of the unit, thats where my harness and extra wire ended up. All of the AV connections ended up on top of the dynanvin, there is NO space behind or below the unit:


You can see an RCA cable and a "headphone plug" plugged into the aux in jacks for later use if I want to plug in anything to the aux in or you can run a a/v cable and use the video input as well.....more on that later....

I put all the unused plugs in a plastic bag both to protect them and to keep them from accidentally touching the chassis of the dynavin and causing any weird problems.




Shoved the dynavin in...took a couple tries to get all the wires out of the way and everything where I wanted it. Put the vents back in, and put 2 screws back in to hold everything where it belongs, here you might want to make sure everything is exactly where you want it before you tighten up the screws, the dyanvin fits very well but there is a little wiggle room and I wanted to make sure my gaps were even all the way around.

Now back to that plastic arm and lever....I had my glove compartment out to remove my old bluetooth kit so I stuck my head in there to verify that nothing was binding up the lever and arm. There was a wire back there in this pic, a little too close, I moved it.



I ran the mic, ipod cable, and aux in to where they belonged, you can put them wherever you want, in my case i put the plugs in my euro tray and the mic above the rearview mirror in the factory location. Ran the RCA cable to the trunk, I ran the rca so I could do a little experimenting using the "speaker outputs" vs.the rca outputs.





back in one piece:







INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
The V5 has the same fit, cosmetics, buttons, knobs etc... as the V4 and thats a very good thing, it looks OEM and overall has a quality look and feel to it.

Plugged it in and fired it up, just like the older units the V5 turns on very fast, only a couple seconds and its up and running, MUCH MUCH MUCH faster to start up than the pioneer units that I install regularly and also much faster than my oem NAVs in my acura and lexus.

Unlike with my previous dynavin install, this one was noise free as the Dynavins now come with Line Output Converters to eliminate the past unwanted noise issues, and there is now no unwanted noise in the system. The line level RCAs work great, as far as I can tell with just my ears the dynavin will go to max volume on the RCA outputs clean. This gave my system significantly more available volume than I had with the BMW headunit. Subjectively I would say it is 30%+ louder without any audible distortion. If you are running the factory amp and speakers you should expect similar or slightly better than stock sound quality.

The new interface is completely different, it has mostly orange, white and black displays that match the oem display color and style well.








Overall the audio portion works pretty good, the settings are logical and well laid out although basic, bass, trebel, fader, balance. These controls can be accessed via the settings menu but are also accessible by pressing the volume button....old school....NICE!










RADIO

The Radio works as expected, reception seems fine and the interface is a little more intuative than it used to be. Presets are set and used on the touch screen and you can save stations by frequency or by the name. RDS data displays station,song,artist,etc...






DVD/CD/ETC...

Also works as expected, it will play mp3 data discs with the same interface as the USB.

Picture quality is similar to the older units (and that is good!)






BLUETOOTH
Bluetooth paired to my iphone 3GS no problem and the blutooth audio works very good, both audio and phone connect VERY fast, only a couple seconds to connect.

The bluetooth audio streaming feature does not get enough attention on the dynavin, I think it is the units best feature! With the V5 the audio quality is now good enough to use for music as well as talk! The play/pause button worked with the bluetooth audio, so I can be listening to a podcast with my iphone in my pocket, leave the car, come back and press play and pick up right where I left off. Very nice. I also stream sirius to my iphone using the sirius app or "pocket tunes" app. Works as a nice alternative to sat radio.



The phone book still doesnt work well with the iphone, the contacts do not transfer but you can access your recent dialed and received calls. Your results may vary depending on the phone. Ive had mixed results with calls, just like on the older dynavins I had the best results by using the built in mic and disconnecting the external mic.....I would suggest you experiment a bit as your results may vary.


IPOD
The ipod interface is a work in progress, while it looks very good and displays all the right info, it takes a few too many button presses to access the required controls and I find it to be a bit too "fiddly" to use while driving. For instance, in order to go "back" you have to access a menu while it should just be a static button on the screen. I have been in touch with dynavin about this however and they are working on updating the firmware to make the interface more user friendly possibly even incorporating the steering wheel buttons into the interface. These changes will be firmware update-able so no worries for you current buyers. Its still way easier to use than a DICE or similar unit, its just that it could be MUCH better with just a couple small tweaks. (you can turn off the annoying beep)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wtUWpFI1jc

HOWEVER I did find that using the supplied remote control makes using the ipod interface a pleasure, with hard buttons for every function its a near perfect ipod interface.....now if dynavin can just mimic the remotes features with the on screen display or the buttons/knobs it will be fantastic!

UPDATE: Dynavin has successfully integrated the steering wheel controls into the ipod interface and this functionality will be available in a future firmware update once its been fully tested and any bugs worked out. Here it is being used in my car.....fantastic feature!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOe0vBVzDxM










The old models had an ipod video function....but because of a apple imposed incompatibility it didnt work unless you had a jailbroken iphone or ipod touch. Because of this Dynavin has removed the video function from the ipod interface.

BUT you can use the A/V inputs to run video off your ipod. I used an ipod>A/V plug hooked up to the aux in. You have to control it from the ipod obviously but it works.


USB

The USB function works fine although in some ways not as well as on the older units. The new interface does not seem to have the folder limitations that the old one did but it now only support 2 layers of folders.....so it will only see your album folders and your songs but NOT your artist folders....probably not a big issue for many of you but I like to navigate my music by artist>album>song, three layers, so it doesnt work that great for me. Also the load time is a bit slow.....it takes about 45 seconds to load my 16GB USB. Not a deal breaker but the old dynavins loaded faster (although I still need to play around with the file structure to see if that speeds things up)






I got this plug from pac audio and decided to do a nice flush mounted usb in the eurotray.





sweeeeet




DVB-TV
Dynavin has now moved the TV tuner out of the unit and it will be available as a separate add on option, they did this to simplify production and better serve multiple markets (and probably to keep the price down as well)....different countries use different broadcast standards and in the past Dynavin had to make multiple models for different countries, now all the Dynavin E46 models will be the same and the customer will be able to add whatever tuner is appropriate for their country. I was not able to try one of these as the tuners have not been released yet but from what I understand they will be "hide away" and be controlled by the touch screen. The V5 has a large multi pin "Din" style plug in place to accept these upcoming tuners. Ill update this post when I know more.


3G INTERNET FUNCTION
I dont yet have this working on my unit....or should I say that I am still trying to figure out what kind of data sim card to use and I dont want to get roped into a ridiculous 24 month contract just to test it out....If anyone knows a US carrier that offers a "pay as you go" plan on JUST A SIM CARD with no ridiculous fees let me know and Ill get this thing working!



NEW SCREEN!

Dynavin is now using a matte finish screen, when used in conjunction with the supplied anti glare screen protector the glare problem that has plagued the Dynavin from the beginning is greatly improved. I specifically looked to find a reflection to take this pic, this is not the angle that I have when Im driving!



note that in the area of the screen where the rear window reflection is you can still see the display behind the glare. The screen itself is also brighter.

The new screen combined with my glare fix (see the other dynavin info thread for more info) have made glare issues a thing of the past for me.


NAV/WINDOWS

The Nav/Windows portion of the V5 is unchanged so the following is just copied over from the other thread.

The nav portion is good, the large font thing on the street names is kind of odd but is better on some of the zoom/angle settings. I also find it odd that I cant seem to make it display the direction of travel as "up" in 2D mode. I need to play around with this part some more to see if I can find settings to work a couple of the kinks like that out. Overall I would say that the Nav is on par or better than most of the other OEM or aftermarket ones I have used.

Map screens (iGo 8)




Looking for lunch....POI screen






the igo software is easy to modify and there is a large online community dedicated to customizing and tweaking it. Since the igo nav system is on the micro sd card in the front of they dyanavin it is easy to take out, stick it in your computer and HACK it. Im not going to go into the details here but I googled it and found some skins and some different color schemes, played around with it, and found some some stuff that I really liked, much better looking, cleaner, more adjustable, even easier to use. Here is what the skin I am using now looks like:







the skin you see here is from:
http://www.igo8mods.com/dimka.htm

And the color scemes I found here, I liked the stuff by "Xerses"
http://artwork-igo8.blogspot.com/search/label/scheme

Update: Im now running a customized 800x480 high res version of igo8.3, It looks amazing, it works amazing. It wasnt easy as I am not a computer programmer but i was able to figure it out (with a little help), spend some time here if you want to make it happen:

http://dynavin.freeforums.org

There is also a lot of discussion of this on the other Dynavin info thread in recent weeks.


If you want to customize your Navigation experience.....start by looking here: http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=754606&page=42 There are some good links on this page of the thread that will get you going in the right direction:


Check out the size of the fonts (yes I can see them while driving, pic quality here limited due to iphone pic while driving).....800x480.....nice!




And the windows interface, you wont see this stuff unless you go looking for it.




windows media player





Random video of the Dynavin in action

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71P3Jz6Qa_8

In this video Im running iGo Primo for the Nav instead of the stock iGo8...very nice!





a pic of a finished install in a fellow fanatics car, I thought it looked great in his dash!



and a shot in my car





VERDICT:

I gave the old unit a 6/10.....with the improvements to the V5 I give it a 7/10 with potential to be an 8/10 if the ipod and USB interface improves, as it sits now it is a fantastic value, and a very very good, if slightly flawed upgrade.

to be continued...
 
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#953 ·
1. calibrate the screen and reinstall/update the firmware. See the FAQ

2. Its a setting. See the FAQ

3. Im not sure what you are referring to here....need more specifics

4. Same as 1, reinstall/update the firmware

5. This has been discussed at length on multiple forums.
 
#954 ·
Thanks guys, as I said earlier, I just got it Tuesday 12/16/2010. It's the V5 and I'm sure some of it is just a learning process but how can I calibrate the screen if I'm touching the right side of the screen and it's being read all the way on the left side (real life example). I've read through 80% of the Dynavin threads, many hours worth of reading. I'm not the type to throw my money into something if it's not worth it in my mind. This definitely seems worth it and I'm just overwhelmed with the abundance of issues out of the box. I'm sure after a few days of learning more about it, some of these issues will vanish.
 
#957 · (Edited)
let's back it up a bit here, did you remove the factory screen protector film?

now that you have no audio playing whatsoever, only the beep from the unit itself, did you check the volume settings?

Thanks guys, as I said earlier, I just got it Tuesday 12/16/2010. It's the V5 and I'm sure some of it is just a learning process
yea, I was pretty annoyed with it 'out of the box'. Hopefully it'll grow on me.
 
#961 · (Edited)
Ive been in email contact with him.....he had a screen protector on. Took it off, problem solved.

For those of you that havnt seen this discussed before, a screen protector can cause issues if it is not installed perfectly. Sometimes the edge or corner or the protector can come in contact with the bezel around the face and this will produce pressure on the screen and cause the touch screen to act unpredictably. If you are going to use a screen protector you must make sure that there is no contact with the surrounding plastic and even then there is potential for issues as temperature extremes can cause the screen protector to shrink or expand, also putting pressure on the screen in unwanted ways.
 
#965 ·
sweet. so are the other "issues" solved as well? maybe he is so happy now that he is out using it and hasn't been back to post. haha

I do recall that issue now. seems like if people want to use that provided antiglare/protectant film they need to trim it. probably an 1/16" inch around would be perfect and allow for easier install.
 
#964 ·
Searched, but couldn't find an answer. Got my Dynavin thanks to Jeff's awesome service. Thanks Jeff. I want to mount my USB somewhere clean and I was thinking about replacing the cigarette lighter with it. I use that to charge my phone, though. Will the Dynavin charge devices as well? Droid in my case.
 
#967 ·
Ok guys, all caught up with the reading and I see that Jeff kept you guys updated with my dilemna. 1st and foremeost - thank you for all your help guys, especially you, Jeff for replying so quickly. You turned my frown upside down. Stupid anti-glare protector caused all the touch screen response issues and once removed, problem solved. Didn't find out the exact reason for my complete loss of sound but I guess something got pinched in the back because resetting didn't work, unplugging for over 1/2 hour didn't work, but once I completely removed the unit, checked connections (which seemed fine) and put it back in, I'm all good in the sound area too. The issue with speakers going out in the front when touching the screen during NAV mode - I can live with that (now that I see how that works). Not too often that I would have to touch the screen anyway. Steering wheel controls work fine with every mode now - once again, could have been a pinched wire or something. As for the difference in volume between modes - nothing new to me but I 'm used to the radio as being the lowest. Once again, I can live with that. I have a few more things to hook up and I'll share a pic or two of my setup. I was going to buy the relocation kit because I'm just picky like that, but after putting it all together and seeing how it looks - it's really not necessary. I'm not just saying that because I don't want to take it apart either. In fact, my setup requires me to take it apart at least one more time.
 
#970 ·
The Radio Functions have been keeping me thinking the last few days. Ive had a lot of problems with reception and scan/search functions, due to the settings on the radio. I think I finally found some useful information that explains the functions better than the manual. Compliments of Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Data_System

AF
Alternative Frequencies This allows a receiver to re-tune to a different frequency providing the same station when the first signal becomes too weak (e.g. when moving out of range). This is often utilized in car stereo systems. DYNAVIN: I dont see how it can hurt to have this ON. Ive noticed some cities have simultaneous radio transmission on different freqs.

PTY
Programme Type. This coding of up to 31 pre-defined programme types ***8211; e.g. (in Europe): PTY1 News, PTY6 Drama, PTY11 Rock music, ***8211; allows users to find similar programming by genre. PTY31 seems to be reserved for emergency announcements in the event of natural disasters or other major calamities. DYNAVIN: Cycle through the music types until you get a blank to receive ALL stations, essentially turning this function OFF. I dont think all stations in the USA utilize this function so the Dynavin will skip the station.

TA
Traffic Announcement, The receiver can often be set to pay special attention to this flag and e.g. stop the tape/pause the CD or retune to receive a Traffic bulletin. The TP flag is used to allow the user to find only those stations that regularly broadcast traffic bulletins whereas the TA flag is used to stop the tape or raise the volume during a traffic bulletin. DYNAVIN: I dont think this function works in the USA. Leave OFF.

Hopefully will help some out there.
 
#979 ·
The Radio Functions have been keeping me thinking the last few days. Ive had a lot of problems with reception and scan/search functions, due to the settings on the radio. I think I finally found some useful information that explains the functions better than the manual. Compliments of Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Data_System
Flybot,

Thanks for this info.
I too have been wondering exactly how to work the radio. Seems like it's been mostly by trial and error.

Does anyone know of a way to quickly tune to a station, i.e. I'm on 93.7 but want to get to 106.9? If I press the > button, it stops at every station along the way. There doesn't seem to be a "press and hold" option for skipping through all that. Is there?

Thanks,
John
 
#972 ·
I put my usb/ipod/aux iphone connect all in the mini tray behind the cup holders. and then other usb goes to the glove box. All connections are very hidden when the center arm rest is down, which it always is most of the time.
 
#974 ·
Luckily it was only a pinched wire and not one where the metal behind the unit cut thru the insulation. Short the wrong wire and it's fried. One must be very carefull with the wiring thats behind there when installing. I ended up covering the edges behind the unit with electrical tape for added protection and to prevent any possibility of rubbing against the metal edges.
 
#978 ·
Good idea with the tape - I'll keep that in mind when I have to pull it back out for my next project. I'm usually very good when doing installations and extra careful when it comes to doing my own because I'm anal (don't start the jokes :facepalm: ). I was sure I was all clear with the wiring the first time. Well, I'm really positive this time.
 
#975 ·
^^^ good call, its a good idea to get a visual on all of the wiring before you button everything up.
 
#976 ·
Ok I think someone wanted to know how my firmware upgrade, including the DVB-T (TV) tuner went....all good, just follow the instructions in the firmware upgrade thread on the Dynavin forum...to the letter...

So the digital TV tuner here in Aus works fine although I haven't yet fully sussed all the options....but I guess that is old news.

Luckily I don't own an iPod or an i...anything.... so will have to rely on USB for my musical fix (or at a stretch the CD/DVD player)...and for that just bought a 32GBfor me, a 4GB for the missus and a 16GB for the son...even though he does have an iPod.

I've booked the car in for a once over at an indi service centre...they do Audi, Merc and BMWs so I can't wait to show them the 'Vin....

..and for those that don't smoke, the cigarette lighter socket, suitably reamed, fits the USB flushmount reasonably well..with a little trimming of the USB.

Which reminds me, what is the round structure moulded into the removable part of the ashtray supposed to be used for...maybe that could be utilised for the line in cable mount....if you never want to remove the ashtray!

A C...
 
#982 ·
Ummm so the winCE hack does what exactly? I've run a USB extension from the Navi/GPS port (currently exits in glovebox). But I guess everyones done that. Do I need to do this hack to allow MP3s etc to be played over USB via the navi side? I just bought a 32G USB stick for all my stuff but if its gonna take several minutes to register each time.....?:thumbdwn:

Haven't played with the navi stuff much yet but gather there is a media player in there somewhere.
 
#985 · (Edited)
Here's how I set up my aux headphone and 2 USB's. The open and closed look included. I know that some guys don't want to have cables running across but this is the best setup for me. Doesn't interfere with anything and I don't smoke so I don't need the ashtray. I keep my change in the rear ashtray anyway. Looks like a clean install to me. The cover is all beat to sh!t but that's how I bought the car :tsk: . I still have the glovebox out and I'm still running cables for other things. It was freezing outside so I cranked the heat :evil: . The wire coming out from the left side is the power for my Sirius dock. I plan on hardwiring that as well.
 

Attachments

#988 ·
My Install

So first, I don't think it can be said enough, Jeff is AWESOME!

I've actually had it installed and have been using it for about a couple weeks now. I was waiting for my backup camera and an extra USB cable to complete the install.

As nice as the Dynavin is, it's still quite disappointing. It has so much potential, and could be so much better. Especially the bluetooth interface for the phone, it's by far the worst I've seen. The iPod interface isn't that usable, and doesn't keep the iPod charged unless you use it regularly. These are my main gripes, there are a few other little things but I'm sure they've been covered in this thread.

I think in the age of Apple and Android, I expect a much cleaner, better and more intuitive interface, especially since most of the factory installed OEM units these days are quite good.

Anyway, Here are the pics:










ci


I took this opportunity to hardwire an extra cigarette power adapter with USB charging built in into the glove box. And as you can see I wired the iPod interface into the glove box.



Thanks Jeff, and thanks to everyone on this forum, it made this install way easier than it could've been.
 
#989 ·
tasi,

I use the audio/video cable for the ipod connection through the aux. input. I couldn't stand the ipod interface either. But at least with the audio/video cable and jailbroken iphone, I can see the album art and I just use my phone to control the music. this is the first time I have ever used bluetooth to play music as well, so I am not sure what other units have to make them better.
 
#992 ·
The camera I got came with an wire integrated into the RCA cable, so used the integrated wire to tap the yellow/blue wire in the trunk (for the reverse signal) and since the RCA cable was run from the trunk to the dynavin, I just connected the integrated wire to the green dynavin wire.

If you don't have it integrated, I guess one way would be to run an extra wire from the trunk? Maybe there's a better place to tap it near the front?
 
#995 · (Edited)
I highly recommend selling that camera for the round style one.I have the round one and its much nicer. I think its $70 with shipping most of the time, and it has a signal wire that travels with the video cable the length needed to go from the trunk to dash. The $30 camera you have is not nearly as nice. I actually have one of them myself which I did not use. Only downside to both of them is the led lights are weak compared my other led license plate light. The one you pictured also does not come with a trigger wire.


And I highly recommend not connecting to the fuse box because it is completely not necessary!!!
 
#999 ·
Agreed, it's comparing apples to oranges really, I don't understand why someone would buy something like this without knowing what to expect and then whinging about it after they buy it.
Do your research first and if you don't like what you see then don't buy it.
 
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