I finally got around to installing my new DD unit this W/E.

Took me about 4 1/2 hours total, about an hour of that re-wiring and programming the Steering Wheel interface. Hardest part was pulling off the clock finisher piece!

Then I found that the light wouldn't go off on my 'Defrost' button! I ended up wasting more time taking the thing apart again yesterday thinking that the Nissan BCM couldn;t figure out the new HVAC control and needed the OEM System re-attached!

After reconnecting it, and it still not working, I looked carefully at the HVAC harness plug and found a bent pin! After straightening it and re-plugging, it was finally working!

Here are a few pics of what the dash looks like after you rip everything apart. Not pretty!

 

Here're 2 pics of the System installed, centered and Driver's view. The Aux cable runs up into the center cubby to plug into my Garmin, and the USB runs up next to the cubby to the right of the console where I can plug in a USB Thumb drive and place it in the cubby. I was originally going to run it into the center arm rest, but I thought this was better for now. Still undecided.

 

I found a great place for the Bluetooth microphone! It's nicely hidden from view and in an ideal place near my head and well integrated into the interior of the car. In fact, you don't even notice it unless you really look.

I removed the Card holder, and dremel'd a nice mating socket for the mic to sit in, so it doesn't even need to be glued or taped inside!

 

Holy fudge, that thing's huge! Why not just get a regular touchscreen double din?

 

Just a regular Double Din size.

Didn't need nor want a DVD screen or Nav unit. This one's got great features and I-pod / MP3 integration and an interesting look which is what I was looking for.

 

Isn't the mic multidirectional? Others have found that a flush mount of the multidirectional mic results in a muddled voice and poor sound quality on the receiving end. Has anyone noticed that when you talk to them.

Those who have found this out had to jut their mic out a little more from their mount.

Love the HU though.....

doc

 

No idea!

I'm waiting for my Cell contract to expire on my non-BT phone in August to connect. I may try to connect a buddy's BT in the interim.

I thought I'd do the mic cleanly for now. It fits nicely into a Dremel'd 'socket' that's about 1/16" deep, so should be sealed okay from the sounds in the headliner. I can always try some sound insulation in there as well to see if it makes a difference. If necessary, I'll mount it poking through or on the surface somehow.

 

this is where I saw this issue with a flush mount of a multidirectional mic...
https://g35driver.com/forums/showthr...=mic+bluetooth


doc

 

Thanks for the link. Looks like others already had the great idea about where to mount the mic!

I'm going to try it the way it is first. I think that I can put some insulating material around the body of the mic to isolate it from some of the ambient sound if it's an issue. I'm not crazy about it sticking out like that.

Maybe even a clear 'focus tube' mounted on the surface might make it a bit more directional if it still is a problem.

I'll see when I try it out and will let you know.

 

looks very nice great install

 

Looks great Gord!

How do you like it so far?

 

I have the 7000BT (single DIN) in my Camaro and I like the looks but I think the controls are pretty tough. I still haven't figured out how to set the clock (only second radio I haven't figured out on my own) or radio presets (first!). Gotta get unlazy and look at the manual sometime.


Good work though.

 

Yeah, I had this problem with mine and had to move it. It kinda sucked cause the mic fits great into the stock bluetooth mic holder in the headliner, but people couldn't hear me clearly at all with the mic there.

 

The best place for the mic in my car has been the visor, though it is unfortunately ugly.

 

After living with this deck for the past week or so, a few impressions.

-Sound stage is better than the Bose and because you can tailor the EQ for each source and probably as Pioneer is known for good sounding decks, the sound is noticeably better.

-This is not a deck that you can operate easily without reading at least some of the User Manual! As dandragon said above, it's even difficult to figure out how to set the clock! Lots of fun just stumbling around and experimenting however.

-Despite the popularity of Blue lighting, I find it harder to read. Wearing polarized glasses makes it even more difficult. And even my 13 yo daughter finds the display more 'glaring' and hard for her to read. I wish they had an option to colour change the display to match the rest of the dash or to user preferences. I also find the 'dimmer' setting still too bright at night. Option to black-out display is good however and I'd probably do this on night-time highway trips.

-Radio presets take a few extra presses and **** twists to access. Looks cleaner though without the dedicated preset buttons of standard decks. I wish the deck would have the option of displaying the Call Letters or name of the station, even if you have to manually program them in. This is one thing I liked about the OEM Bose with the PTY display

-MP3 integration and file/song navigation are very well done. I love the ability to load my MP3s onto a USB thumb drive. I don't have an I-pod, but I've heard on other reviews that the I-pod integration is very good.

-The 3 line display is great. Continuous scrolling option.

-I like the direct (aux) input that I can now plug directly into my Garmin NUVI for Nav and MP3 playback.

-The finish of this thing (glossy black) will likely show dust and fingerprints readily, so I'll probably have to dust/clean more.

-The PAC-SWIPS steering wheel interface reacts a little bit slower doing volume than stock, however I guess this is to be expected. Works fine however, and I programmed the Mode/Power buttons to do Pre-set Up/Down.

-The supplied remote control is cool, but something I could do without. Is there actually a practical use for these things other than to let the rear passengers control the music?

-Still not sure how well the BT works as I don't yet have a BT phone. The ability to connect HD Radio is a plus to those that would like it.

All in all, I highly recommend this deck if you want a Double Din setup without a DVD or Nav screen.