I upgrading my stock head unit and speakers, but I want to keep the functionality of the dash controls. I want a hard-wired solution, and I dont like Sony, which pretty much leaves me with Alpine as my only option. As for as I know, my only options are to order a deck from europe and lose my AM radio functionality, or attempt to modify a US Alpine unit to accept the 3mm jack from the KCE-865E adapter. Has anyone successfuly performed this modification? If so, are there any pictures or intructions available? Also, does anyone know of a reputable european retailer that I could get a head unit at a resonable price? Thanks for any advice

 

First of all, welcome to the board!

Second of all, I don't know of anyone who has ever "Europeanized" a domestic Alpine. If you really need a hardwired solution for Alpine, ordering a European head unit will be more practical than modifying a US one, IMO.

Thirdly, many of us are using an infrared solution without any problems. If done correctly, you cannot tell the difference between a well done infrared solution and a hardwired solution. I personally have done quite a bit of testing with this, and my final solution works in all conditions, excluding physically covering the IR emitter or receiver. It works with the radio door open or closed, as well as in direct sunlight. Click my sig for information, if you're interested.

 

I have a European deck and the KCE-865E adaptor here in the US. It works great, but I ordered it from England, which isnt all that easy!

The is ONE single DIN Alpine deck in the US that APPEARS to support this. Its the DVA-7996. Its a great deck, but runs about $850 on Ebay.

There are several new Alpine decks that will be available at the end of the month. Since their manuals have not been posted we dont know if they have or dont have the jacks. If they have the jacks they make work with this KCE-865E.

 

the new Alpine/multi controller will be active next week on lucid site.

Signal is beamed to the face of the radio. NO programming NO delays. These are BETTER than the Euro hardwired.

Main issue with people is dash button delays to function with past units, this is the way to go

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by lucid
[B]the new Alpine/multi controller will be active next week on lucid site.

Signal is beamed to the face of the radio.

 

It's listed on the site now, but the details and 'buy' links don't work. I wanna order now!

 

Im confused about what you guys call "delays". Im assuming that the new Lucid alpine adapter will function using IR just as the PAC-SWI does. If so, then why does the Lucid alpine adapter not have delays?

Nevertheless, If it is as good as you guys say it is, then I would definitely buy one before going through the trouble of ordering a deck from Europe. Any word on a price for this new adapter?


Anyone tried the Pioneer steering wheel control adapter? From what Ive read, it functions the same way as this new Lucid adapter is supposed to function, connecting the dash controls directly to some sort of IR unit near the deck.


Thanks for the help, this board is an invaluable resource.

 

dms105,

The PAC-SWI delay is the time it takes the unit to detect a button press. Because the PAC is a universal solution, it looks for all kinds of inputs, not just the varying DC voltage specific to the S2000 dash controls. There's probably some large tolerance in the time it waits for an input to stabilize. When it finally detects some input signal, it then has to access its stored list of inputs that were programmed to determine if its a valid input corresponding to a button press. Only when that is compete does it generate a (learned)waveform to control the deck.

On the other hand, an S2000-specific solution can be dramatically simplified since it doesn't have to support every car under the sun. I don't know the details of the lucid adapter, but I can see why he would have significant advantages on the button detection side.