Jimmy The Saint

Well I finally Installed the Alpine Vehicle Hub to control Sirius Radio through the Factory Nav Screen. It's awesome. It's certainly not the cheapest route to go, but to me, it's certainly the bext. Totally clean. Totally integrated. No big bulky receiver mounted on the dash. And it isn't crappy FM Modulation. I'll post part numbers later but here's what you need:

Alpine Vehicle Hub (Anywhere from $230 to $299)
Sirius Radio Tuner (around $70)
3rd Party Aux Input Connector (unfortuanly the most expensive part around $300)

The install was done by Safe and Sound in Manassas VA http://www.safeandsound.com - they did an incredible job. This is not an install you can do yourself unless you are an experience installer.

The way it works is the vehicle hub gets mounted in the trunk. The Sirius Tuner is mounted bneath the driver seat and and AUX input is run from the Vehicle to the Nav Screen. Then Two switches are installed - they installed them in the center console - to switch between the Navigation Screen and The sirius Screen. And the otehr Switch to Switch between audio sources. So What that means is - you don't lose any functionality whatsoever. So you can still use your Navigation while listening to Sirius. Oh and the siriud antenna is mounted on teh roof in front of the sunroof.

Also the Vehicle Hub allows for other sources, so I can hook up an Ipod or a DVD player and control it the same way. Now for the pics: (Clickable Thumbnails) (Yeah I know I need to clean my interior...)

Splash Screen


Here is a full shot with the screen on.



You get 3 Bands or presets for Sirius

Band 1


Band 2


Band 3


The remote controls the functions, it not touchscreen for Sirius controls.


Another Full Shot


Here are the 2 switches that control my input sources.


Actual Alpine Vehicle Hub unit in teh trunk


Screen


Some Night shots






In the end I'm really glad I waited to do it this way, and it was worth it.

You probably want to know what it costs - well it certainly would be cheaper if you can find a place that will let you buy teh parts and bring them. But I didn't do that. I stopped doing performance mods when I got rid of my Audi's and I plan to drive the TL til the wheels fall off so this will pretty much be the only mod I do.

So it will cost you with parts and install between 700 and 1000 bucks depending on where you go. It's pricey, but worth it to me. Especially since I plan on adding an Ipod down the road which I can mount i the center console out of view and control though teh screen.

kcblack02tl-s

damn thats looks nice especially with the night shot and it still looks stock
hmm im gotta really check safeandsouund out

BIG_KOUT

def. way cooler than the 49 dollar unit. Theres really no where to put one of those in our cars and make it look clean. Nice work with the alpine. Only question is, whats the diff. between what you did, and this http://alpine-usa.com/en/products/pr...&lang=en&tab=F ???

ArN 2000 TL

So wait...can you control your sirius unit with the touch screen controls or the control buttons on the side or only the remote?

fsttyms1

Sweet.

Jimmy The Saint

Only with the remote

Jimmy The Saint

That's the new Vehicle HUB, a few hundred dollars more and has that orb thing I guess.

ArN 2000 TL

oh, ok, thats what i thought. Don't mean to burst the bubble here, but thats nothing crazy. I thought after spending all that money on the hub and 3rd party connector you could at least control it with the touch screen.

Right now I have the Pioneer RGB1 and blitzsafe adapter in place for my ipod and a switch to switch on the tv's and enable the dvd changer so in essence i could just add another switch and feed the video/audio from the Sirius adapter and be in the same boat.

Can I ask why you didnt go that route instead? The blitzsafe adapter is only about $70/80 and the RGB1 is discontinued, but i know you can use an alpine product for like 200 to do the same thing.

None the less i give you credit for being the first to get this done

Jimmy The Saint

I did some research and this was the best way to go in my mind. I wanted both Ipod and Sirius (I don't have my IPOD yet) and this looked like teh best route, because it was so seemless of an integration.

I'm not really aware of a betetr way to do exactly what I did, not sure what teh RGB1 is ....anyway I'm happy, have no regrets.

snowman81

So when you hook up your IPOD you'll be able to control it through the nav screen? And do I understand you right when you say that you have control of everything at once. So Basically you can switch the mode on your nav screen from nav to sirius just like you would switch you radio from fm to cd? Does that make any sense?

AZN.M3NACE

damn.. nice set up...

ArN 2000 TL

No, he cannot control it through the nav screen from my understanding. And yes, I too have full control of both systems (actually 3). I can program my trip in navi, watch a dvd and/or listen to ipod and the nav voice will come over my speakers.

snowman81

So all the controls are still done through the IPOD. Do you know if the steering wheel controls work for the IPOD? And also why are there 2 different switches. Can anyone explain how those work? Thanks for all the info.

ArN 2000 TL

There seems to be 2 different switches because you need to switch video as well as audio.

snowman81

Ahh..it all makes sense now. Thanks for the info.

jfeger

I think what he has done, that your current setup can't do, is control a Sirius tuner and get that output of the Sirius tuner on the Nav screen. The Vehicle Hub provides the interface to the Sirius receiver. The RGB-1 and his $300 dollar adapter are doing the same thing, from what I can tell. Granted the RGB-1 isnt $300 bucks, but thats about he going price these days for similar Vid-to-RGB adapters. He also has the option of adding XM and iPod interfaces later, also with the display being on the Nav screen. Sure its costly, but it does provide a bit more functionality than most other setups.

snowman81

I wonder what the display would look like for the IPOD on the Nav screen. That would be better to look at than the clock with the stars in the background. And to have the option to add satellite radio and dvd...it just might be worth getting rid of my blitzsafe adapter.

Jimmy The Saint

No you can control the IPOD with teh remote and it is displayed on the NAv screen, just like the Sirius.

Here is a link to a pdf file which shows all teh fucntionality and has a screen shot.

Click for PDF File

Jimmy The Saint

If you mean via the touch screen the you are correct, but the IPOD interface and what is playing will show up on the screen and can be controled via the remote. Not sure your setup does that

ArN 2000 TL

My setup doesn't do that, but not because it can't because i dont have it setup like that. My ipod is mounted in my belkin arm right next to the navi screen for easy access to take it in/out of the car with me. To add a remote to my setup would be pointless.

I understand what you did and what features you have, but it seems as if that alpine hub is not being utilized to even half its potential. Not talking down of it, just speaking my mind

I might be adding the video output functionality of the ipod to my setup when i get the video ipod. That way i get video on the ipod, navi screen and rear tv's. But thats not gonna be till the summer since NY weather right now...uhh....sucks!!!!

Jimmy The Saint

I hear ya man. My thoughts were 1) I wanted Sirius Radio and had no interest ion mounting a headunit receiver on my dash 2) I want to integrate my Ipod down teh road and I don't want that stuck on my dash either. Also Alpone will have bluetooth phone integration this year as well so I could hook that up to if I wanted. So that's why I went this way. Now I control everyting via the remote and it is all displayed on the Nav screen for me. Exactly what I wanted.

Danoli

can you still control the volume from the steering wheel controls? when you want to switch back to navi you just flip the switches in your center console? damn sweet yet another reason Im sorry I didnt get the Navi model

BIG_KOUT

I wish there was a clean place to inconspicuously mount one of the $49 dollar radar detector size Sirius units in our car. I'm not keeping my TL for long enough to make one of these Alpine units worth it to me. Our cabin is layed out perfectly with no room for a clean external Sirius unit. Fcuk. lol

Jimmy The Saint

Yes and Yes. The top switch changes between video sources (Nav and Sirius) and the botom swithc goes between audio sources (Sirius and Radio/CD)

Jimmy The Saint

Exactly - the only thing I could suggest is a Sirius S50 with an install similar to this: S50 in a BMW M5

Also here is a decent install for those non-navi people Clarion HU

This link is the whole reason I didn't want a big Headunit - this looks lke crap

Ugly Ugly Ugly