AcuraX2

Does anyone have one yet or know if they are even out yet? I have found several retailers online who lists them but no one who has them. I have seen prices from $49-$129. Seems like a huge difference in price. Anyone have any info?

KN_TL

iTrader: (3)

It's not shipping yet. No one seems to know what the status is on this.

AcuraX2

I found one place taking preorders but they have no eta. Probably going to be like the Backseat TV that was suppose to be out last summer and keeps getting pushed farther and farther out. Q2 2008 is the latest on it. I would assume the HON-SC1 is going to keep getting pushed back as well.

jay427

I'm so upset with my Stiletto that whenever this is available, I'm jumping on it and will then use my Stiletto mount to hold a new ipod someday....I've got it all planned out but need to wait for this unit to become available!!! Also, if Sirius and XM ever merge, a new unit would need to be purcahsed to get both types of stations, so I'm not sure what to do...

Reach

I agree, the HON-SC1 would be great to have, but I would advise to hold off on ordering / pre-ordering until we can get some retailers to have a stock of them and some initial reviews. Buying this sight unseen seems like a bad idea to me.

AcuraX2

Just a quick note to all. It appears the HON-SC1 came out this week. As soon as I can get my hands on one, I will be the trying it out site unseen, hehe. I just talked with Dogstar and they are taking care of preorders and it will be a couple of weeks before they can get me one at $49. I am going to be looking elsewhere but will have to pay more to get one right away. To be continued...

I'm Batman

The HONSC1 is in stock and available at most Sirius retailers. But the problem is it needs the Sirius SCC1 tuner to make it complete and those are out of stock.

AcuraX2

I actually have a tuner already. I ordered the HON-SC1 from Crutchfield. Should be here tomorrow. I will let everyone know how it goes.

Reach

sweet, i'll look forward to an update!

jasjas311

Ordered my HON-SC1 and SCC1 from tss-radio.com. They sell the two of them as a package. Definitely recommend them... and its in my RDX and running.

Jason

AcuraX2

Is it working good for you??

jasjas311

Here are my notes that I posted elsewhere:

I installed the HON-SC1 and SCC1 on Tuesday. I'm pretty thrilled to be listening to Howard through my Acura ELS radio... but here are a few notes to consider:

1. The technician had a tough time finding the XM transmitter. In the RDX, it is located behind the the glove compartment box (just like in the Honda CRV), not in the back right quaterpanel as it is in the Pilot/MDX.

2. Obviously you sacrifice the XM navtraffic... but for me it wasn't much of a sacrifice. And no, you don't magically get Sirius navtraffic.

3. Presets work... but on the Audio screen the channel names disappear. For example, preset one can be Howard100, but while you're listening to preset one, it won't show the names for presets two-six. Again, not as big a deal.

4. My steering wheel channel changer doesn't navigate from preset channel to preset channel, but instead navigates from channel to channel. I actually like this a little better.

5. Finally... I'm having a bit of difficulty with the channel scan button on the radio. Changing from channel to channel on the radio is not as smooth as it was when XM works.

So there you go. It's not perfect.... but it hasn't screwed anything up major. All in all, I'm happy I went through with it.

AcuraX2

Thanks for the post. My 2006 MDX does not have navi so none of the traffice would be an issue for me. One thing that I am concerned about it that I have the USASpec iPod adapter. It uses the exact same plugs as the HON-SC1. Basically both pieces will have to be daisy-chained together. I sure that will work. I will be devasted as I thought with the HON-SC1, I finally had a solution for 3 inputs in to my factory radio while keeping all the factory controls. I will know tonight.

AcuraX2

Good news and bad news. The good news, it took nothing to install the HON-SC1 in to my MDX. It worked the first time. I have not messed with the functions yet but it works. Now the bad news, for me anyway, I can not use the HON-SC1 with the USA Spec iPod adapter. So I have to use one or the other but not both.

Now does anyone know an iPod charging adapter with an aux. input that does not use the XM plug on the factory radio?

AcuraX2

Another update:

The HON-SC1 does not work when daisy chained to the USA Spec adapter. Well the Sirius works but the USA Spec does not. No matter which unit is first in the chain. I did however, this morning, find a Honda/Acura Y adapter that I ordered. I am hoping it will maybe allow the two devices to work together. It is a single male plug to double female plug y adapter. I am hoping to hook this to the back of the factory radio and then hook the HON-SC1 to one female and the USA Spec to the other. I do not have navi in my MDX so I am hoping to just leave the white factory male plug unhooked.

To be continued....

Reach

Yes, AcuraX2, please post if that works. If so, thats a PIE cable that can be ordered for like $20, so a very nice solution for those that want everything.

jay427

Arg....I really want one, but don't really want to use up one of my 4 transfers of my lifetime subscription.....so many decisions....

AcuraX2

Ok, a little bit of progress today. I unhooked everything and hooked the HON-SC1 to the back of the head unit. I then hooked my USA Spec to the HON-SC1. First time I turned the car on, both units work. Push XM button and you get Sirius, push CD button and I can get iPod or DVD player audio (using buttons 5 and 6). Turn the car off, let it sit for a while, turn it back on and Sirius stills works but, the USA Spec does not. I unplugged the USA Spec cable from the unit itself, with the car running, plugged it back in and the USA Spec starts working again. I could duplicate this every time I turn the car off and back on, no matter how long I wait to turn the car off. Now, I get them both working and turn the car off while in CD mode for the USA Spec. Turn it back on and the USA Spec still works. Switch to XM for Sirius and turn the car off and back on and the USA Spec does not work.

So:

HON-SC1 is working perfectly. All buttons work allowing me to use presets, skip categorys, channel to channel, things like that.

USA Spec works sometimes. Once it works, all 3 sources work great. However, if I do not want to unplug and plug the USA Spec in every time, I have to leave the head unit in CD mode when I turn the car off.

At least that is what I have found so far. I ordered a y bus cable that I am hoping might help with the USA spec issue.

I am really close to having 3 sources play thru the factory radio and be able to switch and control them from the head unit.

To be continued....

John Durbin

In order to have two devices like our HONSC1 and the iPod adapter you mentioned operating on the same data bus, one of them has to "arbitrate" the other, i.e. control the flow of data so only one is talking at a given time. Otherwise the data flow is unpredictable & generally not much works.

Y- or T-harnesses when used in a serial bus cannot make that work if the data & audio lines are simply connected in parallel. One of the two devices would have to have a port to connect the second device to, and in this case neither does (ours does not at any rate, if the other device does it clearly is not working properly). We've considered adding iPod functionality to the HONSC1 but it would have pushed the cost higher than $99 and we were committed to keeping the cost to convert subscribers to Sirius as low as possible.

You may however be able to use an iPod adapter that is connected to the CD changer bus instead of the SAT bus. It wouldn't give you as complete UI as is capable on the SAT bus, but you should be able to use both adapters seamlessly together.

John Durbin
Directed Electronics

AcuraX2

That is understood John. But, why would it work at all then? I mean if I unplug and plug the USA Spec iPod adapter in while the car is running, both your adapter and the USA Spec adapter will function perfectly, at the same time and on the same bus. What you are describing just does not seem to be the way my setup is reacting. Once I get the USA Spec "powered on" (for lack of a better term) both adapters function together. I suppose the Y cable may not change that but, it seems there may be a work around. Just need to find it.

PhiSigBrotha

acurax2, have u received the y-adapter yet? in your last post about the USAspec sometimes working i wasnt sure if that was with the y-adapter or not. im assuming u havent used the adapter since the post was only a day after u said u ordered it.


:fro:

AcuraX2

Not yet PhiSigBrotha. I am hoping it will be here this week. I actually got the two units to work together plugging them together or "daisy chaining" them.

John Durbin

I assume the results mean that the way you are introducing the units on the bus is ok initially but there's a communication failure that takes place when you restart the system, that causes the iPod adapter to stop responding. The timing & overlap that occurs when you connect manually with the system already powered is probably not identical to what happens when you power the radio normally & it checks the bus for other devices.

I'm a little surprised that the two are able to share a common audio path, but if the USA Spec device is pass-through based, that also would be possible & explain how you're able to get any functions to work at the same time. Their devices were originally intended to plug into a CD bus & pass through the changer functions & audio with the changer & adapter being assigned different device #'s on the bus. We designed the HONSC1 (and TOYSC1) as replacements for the only device that is typically connected on the SAT bus in these vehicles, an XM tuner. Given the XM tuner is supposed to be disconnected to install our module, we did not have any requirement to build in multiple device operation.

I'm still a bit puzzled that the iPod adapter responds to CD button vs. XM or XM/AUX when it's plugged into the SAT bus. I'm assuming that means the radio treats the two bus connections the same internally & the outboard device's response determines whether it is treated as a tuner or a changer/iPod adapter.

Are you able to try the iPod adapter plugged into the CD bus?

John

AcuraX2

John,

The USA Spec iPod and aux. input adapter works off the same white 14 pin connector as the HON-SC1 and pretty much all the aux. input devices I have seen for my MDX. And yes, the USA Spec works off the CD button and can be set up to use the disc numbers to call up playlists on the iPod.