I guess it depends where you live. The great thing about XM is that they also transmit from radio repeaters near large cities. That's why most XM receivers show a "Satellite Signal Strength" and a "Terrestrial Signal Strength". I don't lose signal even in tunnels in Pittsburgh. Sirius does not offer this at all.

jjh1234

 

1. I have no problems with comfortably using the controller while it's tucked in the cup holder...it's not all the wat down in the cup holder...there is about a half inch of space between the lid of the cup holder and the controller...so i don't have to dig my hand down in the cup holder to reach it...I just pulled it out just so you guys can see what i used (Belkin TuneDock) to prop the controller up.

2. see pic for close-up of wire.

3. The Controller works just like the ipod...I have no complaints as of yet...but I'll be posting as soon as i do have some.

4. I do have Active XM so i do use the X3 Selector...if i was going to add another external aux device i'd use the X3.

 

I have a 2005 NON-NAV...you have the parts list correct.

1. Sound is great while the music is playing...when it's not playing music (i.e paused) there is a slight hissing sound but only if i have the volume higher than 20.

2. I thought about that spot as well...It might work if ther is nothing under that panel...since you would have to Drill holes to mount it there....the glue pads don't work that well. I actually got the idea of the cup holder from another Member on the acurazine forums.

https://acurazine.com/forums/ramblings-12/pot-reclassification-starts-britain-today-129018/

It's a Thread dedicated to the HK Drive+Play...with much more info

3. No pics of the X3 Brain location...The wire wasn't long enough to mount the switch in the armrest and the brain behind the glovebox.

4. Beltsville, Maryland (Near University of Maryland just outside of Washington, DC) he is the Senior Installer.

 

So Cali - when we say "hardwired", we mean using the line out connection from the Sirius receiver directly connected via RCA cables to an Auxilliary Input jack that is available either (a) directly on the OEM radio head unit, or (b) via an aftermarket aux-in module that adds one or more inputs to your existing radio. Our TL's must go with option (b). Some newer cars are shipping with option (a) given the popularity of MP3 devices and such. For my next car, native aux-in will be a very important feature on my shopping list.

You can see what I (and others) have done to add 3 aux-in jacks to the TL here:
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...25#post1379225

By connecting the Sirius receiver, MP3 player, etc via RCA cables to an aux-in device, you get *much* higher audio quality than by using an FM modulator to transmit the signal. To most ears, the difference is "night and day". To my ears, the quality of FM modulation is unacceptable, as are cassette adapters. Direct connection is the way to go.

 

What ended up happening on this? Even on my DIY aux-in I get some XM bleed which is really confusing to me.

b

 

Questions for people that have the blitzsafe and PIE. I have the PIE power connected to the front accessory outlet fuse, which I assumed was the switched 12+ volts power. Now for the Blitzsafe I need to plug in the same wire as well as a constant power. I am not to car savy, even though I did this installation myself, but I cant find the 2 fuses I should use. I thought I had two good ones but the ipod stays charger when the car is off. I know it should for another 20 minutes but I am talking about it never stop charging. Basically I was wondering what 2 fuses could I use? The wiring harness is well hidden and tucked away so I dont want to remove everything just to get into there. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

For anyone that has this setup and a working XM subscription, can you try the following:

Put XM on a working station
Switch PIE to MP3 player
Turn off the MP3 player
Turn the volume on the head unit to about 25 or 30

Do you hear XM?

b

 

Does your DIY solution involve a relay?

 

I can hear it but it needs to be at almost max. Even then it is very very faint. You really have to pay attention to hear it.

 

No relay. For now I'm just changing the RCA wires by hand.

 

I'm really just wondering why it happens.

 

Thanks to everyone for the info. I have just ordered the X3 and the Honda adapter from myradiostore.com, and should have it in hand to isntall this weekend. Can anyone tell me if connecting an ipod to the X3 via its headphone jack results in a different quality than using an option such as the Blitzsafe? I am planning on just using the headphone output for the time being, but I was wondering if I'm going to experience a degraded quality. My guess is no, but thought it would be worth asking...

 

I had a defective X-3 unit on my first install and this was very noticable. I got a replacement part and now My volume has to be up over 30 for me to hear anything (and it is still very faint at full volume - can't make out any words or anything).

At normal listening levels, I can't hear this even in a quiet garage with my ear up to the speakers.

 

I use four devices with the iPod interface. The primary difference between the headphone jack and the interface is convenience. The Blitzsafe, Drive+Play, and others will charge the iPod and have full volume output for play. If you plan on charging it elsewhere, and don't mind turning your volume up for the car, and down for your ears (if you remember), you'll be fine.

I have had problems with distortion with the Belkin charger, when running the tape adapter through the Belkin charger. It takes a fair amount of tuning to ensure you get good output without distortion. Everything else I use is trouble-free.

 

The sound that goes to the headphone jack gets routed through the volume circuitry of your iPod. Line-out outputs bypass the volume circuitry, meaning that the sound is a bit cleaner. Obviously, you can no longer control volume on the device - and would use the volume on your TL's head unit. Audiophiles would recommend the line-out jack whenever possible, but most of us are not audiophiles and may not notice the difference on our stock systems. If you do use the headphone jack, it is recommended that you keep the iPod volume somewhere around the 50-75% mark, which will reduce the amount of incremental distortion.

 

Does anyone get static when changing channels when playing XM. It gets worse when the volume is high. The static comes from the driver side tweeter.

 

Almost done. Just have to decide where I'm going to mount the gooseneck for the Ipod.

*I can you tell right now, if you plan on doing the install yourself either:
1. Take off silver trim that outlines the center console
2a. Remove the upper vent, then unscrew (4 screws) and pull out radio to reach XM plug

or
2b. Unscrew 4 screws to allow the whole armrest to move back. Then remove driver's side console panel (the one along your right leg....3 screws) to get to that XM plug.


Getting to that plug is a biiiiatch! I didn't have the appropriate pull-tool to take out that upper vent and was worried about ruining the dash doing it, so I decided to do option 2b instead.

Should have it done thursday during the day sometime. Will post pics later.

 

I have the equipment sitting in a box. I got a quote from a stereo shop of 250 to install...without the ipod stuff.
I dont think so.
Anyway I am going to do myself...I cant imagine how anyone can get to that plug unless they are a dwarf. Which 4 screws do you need to take out? Where are they located? Do you still have to take off the silver trim(which I REALLY dont want to do--no tool for it)

 

I paid $70-75 to Circuit City. It took them 4 hours, but they did a good job. They said they warranty the install if they sticky pad comes free (I had asked them to drill the dash to make sure it didn't come off). They also said it covers removal of the unit when I'm finished with it. I did buy the HK from Circuit City, but bought the P.I.E. X3 from Logjam.

 

I was wondering if anyone has any advice as far as running wires from behind the head unit to the center console. I'm planning to mount the X3 without removing the head unit, and I plan to run RCA back to my center console, and convert them to fit into my Ipod's headphone jack at that point. Does anyone have any tricks/tips to share about running wire?

Also, down the road, if I want to add the Blitzsafe UII, could I hook it into the RCA cables sitting in my center console, and wire it into the cigarette lighter power outlet in the center console (sorry, I don't know the technical name for that outlet)? Would there be a way to wire the Blitzsafe into a Cigarette style adapter, and simply stick it in that outlet, or would you have to hard-wire it?

 

Removing the trim is really easy. Just use a microfiber cloth and a flat head screwdriver. Slip the cloth on both sides around the flat head blade then pry. Start from the glove box area then work your way up to the vents. There's 2 screws inside the glove box itself at the very bottom, the 2 other screws (sitting just beyond the seat heater buttons). Once you remove these 4 screws, you can slide the whole cup holder/arm-rest assembly back. From here, you just decide whether you want to pull/pry the top ac vent off which you need to do if you want to remove the navi/radio since there's 2 screws that holds the navi screen part down and the vent is covering these 2 screws.......or......

Remove the left console panel (the one that basically rubs against your right leg when you're driving.

IMO, if you can remove the top AC vent, much easier to access the XM plug.

Everything works so far. I'm just still determining where to mount the gooseneck for the Ipod.

A couple hours spent, but $75-$250 saved which will be going to the headers!!

 

Well, thanks again to everyone who provided the great tips on doing this install. I got the PIE X3 installed this weekend, and everything went off without a hitch, with the exception of a couple of broken clips on my dash section under the steering wheel, but it clipped back in without me being able to tell they were missing. The sound is great, even through the headphone jack, and I didn't get any XM bleeding at full volume. I mounted the source selector just above where my right leg rests against the center console. I just dremmeled a rectangle and used the flush mounting bracket, and it looks great (except for a nick I made with the dremmel ).

Now for my next trick... I want to install the UII from Blitzsafe. I found a thing at Radio Shack that I would like to use if possible... It's basically a cigarette lighter type charger that has no cord coming out of it. You can hard wire a device to it for power, and I was trying to figure out whether the UII would work with that setup. I'm not worried about not having the secondary charge function work (where it charges for 20 minutes after the car shuts off). If that wouldn't work, can anyone give me advice as to where to tap into power for the UII? I currently have the RCA cables from the X3 run to my center console (thank God for that removable bottom). Can I tap into the cigarette lighter charger in the center console? Are there other power wires under the center console? Any help would be appreciated.

 

I purchased the item below for my iPod, which duplicates the device's line out. (I use it for hooking my iPod up to an external amp when using headphones.) It's a cheap way to get the sound benefits of using the line out rather than the standard headphone jack. I imagine you could use it if you're not using the Blitzsafe adapter (although you'd still need power).

http://www.sendstation.com/us/produc...ineout-fw.html

Hope this helps

 

Thanks for the tip. I'm actually debating now as to whether I should just leave my ipod as-is (with audio coming out of the headphone jack). I'm getting fantastic sound out of the headphone jack currently, and on some of my quieter songs, I'm able to turn the volume up to 90-95% and so I don't have to crank my head unit, and it still doesn't distort. The louder songs I have will distort if over 75-80% volume, but I like having the ability to change it. I know that my dock connecting Itrip didn't put music out at a very high level. I'm worried that if I go with a dock connecting output through the X3, I'll have to turn my head unit up higher to get decent sound. That, or I'll have to get a booster of some kind...

 

- picture of 12 volt adapter I mounted in side console panel with goose neck mounted and right angle mini jack-to-RCA Y cable attached to the goose neck output.


- front shot. keep in mind I can move the ipod mounted on the goose neck to other locations.


- side distant shot


- nice flush/goes with the flow shot


- rear passenger distant shot


- everything stored away. Have extra 12 volt outlet if needed


* PIE switcher and controller mounted underneath steering wheel. Actual Switcher was mounted in the black console that covers the driver's foot well. Used a dremel then mounted switcher. Can't remember who did this with their install, but thanks for posting pics and for the idea!

 

Ed,

Nice install. I like that heavy duty 12v outlet. Where did you get it?

My only concern would be your right knee. Do you have any clearance problems. What if you are in an accident. It seems that your adapter is blocking the knee bolster meant for crash protection. Maybe it's just the angle of the photos. Enjoy.

jjh1234

 

Hey JJ, thanks. The outlet I purchased at Walmart for like 10 bucks. They advertise it as a bedliner outlet for trucks. It's nice because it's threaded with a locking piece that get's threaded from the back so it's really sturdy.

As for the knee, since I'm about 5'9" my knee has about a 2 inch clearance based on where I normally have my seat positioned. For taller people, definitely would be a concern. Either way, hopefully the defensive driving I picked up while riding motorcycles will help me avoid a frontal collision just in case!

The sound is great with the PIE and the goose neck. Goose neck has 2 audible levels that you can switch from. I chose the loudest setting and it sounds great. The bleed from XM at high levels with iPod off is barely noticeable. Shouldn't be a concern for future buyers. Plus I get to see the ipod screen, and get the iPod charged at the same time.

Pretty good setup IMO for the amount of money spent, less gadgets cluttering the cabin, I keep my 2 cup holders which I use alot, get a flush look with the middle console, can keep my console doors closed, and can save the room inside my armrest compartment for my spare change sandwich bag, plus extra 12 volt socket if ever needed (I have it wired parallel to the outlet in the armrest) that is easy to access.

 

I have this solution and it works great!! No integration with the Navi LCD, but sound is fantastic.

 

I have to make a correction to a previous statement. When I tested for XM bleed-through, I was in my garage. I mostly get XM reception while in the garage, but sometimes I do not. I noticed yesterday while I was outdoors (sitting idle) that I could hear a tiny bit of bleed-through, and it dawned on me that I wasn't receiving a signal when I tested it in the garage. The bleed-through isn't that loud; I couldn't hear it at all while driving, with the sound cranked to max.

 

Working on this myself now, I've removed the trim, moved back the center console, and removed the two screws that were covered by the trim that attach the left console panel. But there seems to be one more screw that's holding the left console panel in place, under the dash, next to the air temperature sensor (I think that's what it is). It doesn't look like you can get to that screw without removing the entire lower dash panel, the part that wraps around the steering column and has the VSA and side mirror control cluster. For those of you who have done this, did you have to pull that whole lower panel off too? And if so, how do you do it, it looks like it's stuck on there pretty tight.

Thanks in advance!

 

ezray, you do have to remove the driver's dashboard lower cover. you have to remove a total of 4 screws (2 of them are pointy) in order to remove the left console panel. If you look from the ground (looking at the lower cover), you will see one clip (plastic screw). Remove that one first. Then disconnect the temperature sensor (green plug) and air hose. Then gently pull out the bottom of the dashboard lower cover to detach the clips. After you've removed the lower cover, you will see 2 more screws.

 

that worked! thanks to you guys, my PIE X3 setup is now working perfectly... so nice to be able to ditch the tape adapter finally!

 

Just thougth I'd post this product I found that I'll be installing this weekend. http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=4063231

It's a charger for the Ipod that also has an amplified audio output via 3.5mm. I currently am using the headphone jack on my ipod, so this option works well. I was avoiding using the Blitzsafe UII, because 1. it had to be hard-wired, and 2. it didn't amplify the signal, and some of my music isn't particularly loud. I thought I'd post this link for anyone looking for a non-hard-wired option to charge/play their ipod through an aux-input.

 

Had the PIE and Blitzsafe installed this weekend by a local car audio shop (labor was $195 with RCAs running to passenger carpet for future AUX add-ons) and absolutely LOVE it. I'm using the Pro-clip mount others have used (see jjh's posts) and it's incredibly convenient (although I have to be careful about changing songs etc while driving). Thanks to all of you for contributing to an excellent and very informative thread!

 

Hi everyone!

I just wanted to thank you all for your help! I just installed my Logjam X3 unit and it works GREAT! Volume on the AUX jacks is the same as xm... and I also have XM bleed in when the ipod is unplugged and the volume is turned up. But when the ipod is running you can't hear it. So it's all good. I haven't made up my mind yet where im going to put the switch but I think I'm going to put it where special-ed put his 12 volt adapter. I think I'm going to install the UII from Blitzsafe next!

 

I don't know if this helps, but I mounted mine relatively close to where I think you are talking about. Ignore the ugly shiny spot; that's where I nicked the finish. I just used a sharpie to make it blacker, and it was wet, so it shines in the picture. Looks ok in real life, though. Ok, I can't figure out how to post a picture here... If you'd like to see it, let me know how to post it, or give me your e-mail address, and I'll send it to you.

 

Did everyone purchase from Logjam, or did anybody use the ebay link that was posted up earlier. I'm just afraid of getting a defective unit and then not being able to get it replaced.

 

Another question:

What wire are people tapping to give the unit power and what did you use to tap it? I saw some self tapping wire adapters that seemed easy enough.

 

I actually ordered mine from http://www.xmfanstore.com/ It is $79.98 including the harness/adapter (you choose the one you need from a drop down menu), and then shipping was only around $6. Logjam was $90 plus shipping, and I think this deal is even better than the guy on eBay. I got it in a few days and it shipped straight form P.I.E. You should have no problems exchanging a defective unit from them. Now all I have to do is get around to installing yet. Hope this helps

 

Definetly was thinking of the Blitzsafe adapter since the X3 doesn't need to hit any power lines, but I still am wondering what lines people are using and how they are tapping them?