rkanaga
12-09-2007, 09:16 PM
Apologies if you all know about this already, but as I'm pretty pleased with myself I thought that I would post details of my iPOD installation. After much head scratching I worked out how to get the iPOD to play via a hardwired connection (no FM modulators) and also work with the Smartenna device which stops the ariel going up when you are playing CD's (or the iPOD that is) whilst also having the iPOD in the cabin not the boot.
You need the following:
1) Dension ICE Link plus adaptor (the generic Alpine M bus version) - about £100
2) ACU-ALP cable (to swap over the deliberate cross wiring of the head unit CD port designed to force you to buy a Honda OEM CH changer rather than a much cheaper generic Alpine one!) - £10 from peripheral electronics (UK distributor http://www.fryersales.com/)
3) Smartenna (from Dali)
4) a male and female in line 7 pin DIN connector (note these must be the Alpine format with 6 pins round the outside and one in the middle - NOT the ones with 8 in a ring as sold by Maplin.) (I got mine from CPC Farnell order code CN00759, part no PREH 71506-080 8 PIN DIN SOCKET £2.09, and order code CN00753, part no PREH 71430-080 8 PIN DIN PLUG £2.48)
http://cpc.farnell.com/jsp/Cable,+Wire+&+Connectors/DIN/PREH/71506-080/displayProduct.jsp?sku=CN00759&_requestid=36437
http://cpc.farnell.com/jsp/Cable,+Wire+&+Connectors/DIN/PREH/71430-080/displayProduct.jsp?sku=CN00753&_requestid=36571
What you do is the following
1st cut the cable between the smartenna unit and its in line connector (the black male to female one that normally sits in line in the boot between the trunk extension cable and the CD changer). Solder the smartenna unit end to a male DIN and the other end to the female DIN (it matters not which pins you use as long as they match obviously!)
Install the Smartenna as detailed in the instruction leaflet (10 mins max)
Take the dash apart (not hard, and the dire warnings about damaging the trim on NSX Prime seem a bit over the top IMHO)
Unpug the factory CD cable from the back of the head unit.
Plug the Smartenna in line connector into the back of the head unit.
Then plug the ACU-ALP into this.
Then plug the Dension into the ACU-ALP.
This is the clever bit, using the OEM CD extension cable to feed the signal back to the boot in order to control the Smartenna! - Plug the female DIN that you soldered onto the Smartenna in line connector into the now free CD extension cable running to the boot (remember you have already connected the other end of this cable to the Smartenna).
You can either mount the Dension cradle on the console somewhere or hide it in the centre box. I made a mount with a small piece of right angle steel that was lying around and fixed it to the inside of the centre console to the left of the ash tray, so that it can be removed without leaving any marks. The iPOD now sits just to the left of the centre console in line with the radio. The console trim does slide back with this bracket in place although it is a tight fit so be careful not to force it and crack the plastic.
And that's it!
You can now play your iPOD through the OEM stereo with very good quality sound, and the ariel will only go up if you switch to the radio.
(Note if you are happy to have the iPOD in the boot and control it via play lists you can simply buy the Dension, the Smartenna and the ACU-ALP and plug it all in the boot in approx 5 mins, but it does mean that the iPOD is out of reach if you want to access it while driving.)
regards
Robin
You need the following:
1) Dension ICE Link plus adaptor (the generic Alpine M bus version) - about £100
2) ACU-ALP cable (to swap over the deliberate cross wiring of the head unit CD port designed to force you to buy a Honda OEM CH changer rather than a much cheaper generic Alpine one!) - £10 from peripheral electronics (UK distributor http://www.fryersales.com/)
3) Smartenna (from Dali)
4) a male and female in line 7 pin DIN connector (note these must be the Alpine format with 6 pins round the outside and one in the middle - NOT the ones with 8 in a ring as sold by Maplin.) (I got mine from CPC Farnell order code CN00759, part no PREH 71506-080 8 PIN DIN SOCKET £2.09, and order code CN00753, part no PREH 71430-080 8 PIN DIN PLUG £2.48)
http://cpc.farnell.com/jsp/Cable,+Wire+&+Connectors/DIN/PREH/71506-080/displayProduct.jsp?sku=CN00759&_requestid=36437
http://cpc.farnell.com/jsp/Cable,+Wire+&+Connectors/DIN/PREH/71430-080/displayProduct.jsp?sku=CN00753&_requestid=36571
What you do is the following
1st cut the cable between the smartenna unit and its in line connector (the black male to female one that normally sits in line in the boot between the trunk extension cable and the CD changer). Solder the smartenna unit end to a male DIN and the other end to the female DIN (it matters not which pins you use as long as they match obviously!)
Install the Smartenna as detailed in the instruction leaflet (10 mins max)
Take the dash apart (not hard, and the dire warnings about damaging the trim on NSX Prime seem a bit over the top IMHO)
Unpug the factory CD cable from the back of the head unit.
Plug the Smartenna in line connector into the back of the head unit.
Then plug the ACU-ALP into this.
Then plug the Dension into the ACU-ALP.
This is the clever bit, using the OEM CD extension cable to feed the signal back to the boot in order to control the Smartenna! - Plug the female DIN that you soldered onto the Smartenna in line connector into the now free CD extension cable running to the boot (remember you have already connected the other end of this cable to the Smartenna).
You can either mount the Dension cradle on the console somewhere or hide it in the centre box. I made a mount with a small piece of right angle steel that was lying around and fixed it to the inside of the centre console to the left of the ash tray, so that it can be removed without leaving any marks. The iPOD now sits just to the left of the centre console in line with the radio. The console trim does slide back with this bracket in place although it is a tight fit so be careful not to force it and crack the plastic.
And that's it!
You can now play your iPOD through the OEM stereo with very good quality sound, and the ariel will only go up if you switch to the radio.
(Note if you are happy to have the iPOD in the boot and control it via play lists you can simply buy the Dension, the Smartenna and the ACU-ALP and plug it all in the boot in approx 5 mins, but it does mean that the iPOD is out of reach if you want to access it while driving.)
regards
Robin