I just picked up an AVIC F700BT for $420 on amazon.com. This is a pretty sick deal so if your looking into getting one hurry. I have a few questions before Saturdays install.

1) Has anyone had any luck with the bluetooth mic? Where have you placed it? Is the stock mic legit or should I upgrade?

2) Where have people placed the GPS antenna? Has anyone tried an under dash spot?

3) If I get the cable, will the mini jack in the front be able to handle and xbox (IE carry audio and video)? Bottom line is that I am hooking up my iPod video to the back with the $50 wire and I want a free AV port. If the mini jack is not suitable, has anyone ran an extension to their glove box to put the RCA connection in there so that they can swap?

4) Do I need to hook up the reverse wire if I do not plan on getting a reverse cam.

5) The E-brake work around... is it BS that you have to ground it to a different place than the main ground?

I have scoured this forum and the AVIC411 form (awesome site) and have not found any specific answers to these questions. I will try to take pix during the install and post a guide but I make no guarantees because I may end up getting pissed and driving the mile up the road to best buy.

Thanks for everyone who contributes, and thanks to Riverside for the hook up on the double din.

 

1 - I've seen people place it on the driver side sun visor and have had no problems there.

2 - I would think if placed on the forward passenger side front dash would yield no problems. This is where I plan on placing mine.

5 - I've heard that grounding it to the parking brake then using the memory card to hack into the avic and change the video speed control to '256' eliminates the video lockout. This is what I am going to try once I get mine installed.

 

MRM335,

I installed a F90 in my G sedan a month or two ago, and I can help out with some of these questions at least.

1. I am using the stock mic that came with it and I placed it (the clip that is) under the roof liner rightabove the rear view mirror. Very discreet in that location I thought and just ran the wire along the headliner to the A-pillar and down the door jamb to under the dash. Remember to speak clearly when using the VR system and don't freak if it doesn't get EVERY request correct. In my opinion, it works extremely well. When I use it for my phone calls, I am heard very well and hear the other party great.

2. I had both the GPS antenna as well as the XM one to deal with. I placed one on the dash next to the VIN plate and the other over on the passenger side in roughly the same place. Both give me great reception. Placing it under the dash seemed like a huge hassle to me, and with the size of the antennas and me being a 40+ dad and not a club-hopper looking to impress the skirts, I was fine with it.

3. The Pioneer mini-jack on the front of the unit needs (as far as I'm aware) a certain type of cable to utilize the correct orientation of both sound and video. You might try others, but I purchased the Pioneer one that the owner's manual specifies, and it works fine.

4. Nope. No camera, no worries.

5. I grounded mine to the same location and haven't had an ounce of trouble. I am able to both program navigation destinations as well as watch videos while driving.

One last thing. I had purchased both the JDM kit as well as the Metra, and the Metra kit fit the size of these Pioneers units PERFECTLY. The JDM kit's fitment was pretty lousy. You will need to configure some sort of trim pieces to hide the unsightly gaps that you will have. I know everyone pisses and moans about the buttons on the Metra kit, but for me anyway, they look a lot less feeble than the gaps the JDM kit had. Different units might be sized slightly differently, but for the AVIC line, the Metra fit was made for it.

Good luck. I did a ton of research here and at AVIC411 as well,and the install went very well. Good luck on yours!

Cheers,
Kev

 

Thanks guys!

I held the unit up to the JDM double din and def saw the gaps you were talking about. Has anyone figured out a trim piece for this? Thanks again for the help guys!