for all you that have iPods in their car via SNHOND3 i have a few questions. I just got a 20BG iPod and just ordered a SNHOND3 and im wondering about the other parts that i could use for the install. specifically the iPod car charger, and the ICElink. for those of you w/o the car charger, do you find yourself low on battery often? and is the ICElink something that you wish you had bought (if you havent already) or is it really necessary? i guess im just wondering if its worth it to spend more money on this install for the car charger and ICElink. thanks for any and all replies

 

i use the belkin auto kit and did the install myself. i wouldnt mind having the icelink and might still purchase it at some point. the snhond3 was nice at the time but i would have bought the icelink if it were available when i did my install.

i still catch myself trying to change the songs via the steering wheel... oops.

 

LOL, your post pretty much sums up what I would have said. Like you, I might go to the ICELink one of these days. Being able to change tracks on the iPod with the steering wheel controls would be pretty convenient. I wonder who the first one to get the ICELink on their TSX will be. I'm dying to read a review.

 

oh damn, i thought you had to add the ICElink to the SNHOND3... silly me. but i guess its good to be able to plug in any other audio device via RCAs, instead of just being limted to the iPod. thanx for the replies. maybe ill just wait and see if the ICElink is worth the buy to replace the SNHOND3. thanx for the help guys.

 

also, a bit off topic... as i purchased my iPod at circuit city the salesperson told me about the city plan advantage 2 year warranty for 54 something dollars. At first i figured 54 was a lot for 2 year warranty. then he told me that iPods have a battery life of 18 months, by which time Apples manufacturers warranty has run out and itd cost 255 dollars to replace. heres a video i found while researching this... http://www.ipodsdirtysecret.com/ . anyone experience any problems yet. i still have 30 days to decide if i want the insurance from CC.

 

I've heard that too... but $255? Here is the battery and the tool to replace it for $31.99!
http://eshop.macsales.com/Catalog_Pa...le=1Template=1

Extended warranties are almost always a bad investment. If the salesperson doesn't sell enough of them at CC, he gets fired. Sometimes at the end of the month you can get a sales person to throw one in to pad their numbers.

But unfortunately, because BB and CC and those guys rely on the profits for extended warranties so much, electronics manufacturers are actually offering shorter warranties! CD players came with 1 year when they were introduced, but DVD players get 90 days from Sony. Why? Because their reseller channel wants it that way.

 

ugh. think about it... do you really think apple could engineer a battery that craps out after 18 months? do you think they would really WANT to do that? ipodsdirtysecret was made by a guy who had his battery die out of warranty before apple had a replacement battery program. applecare for the ipod is 59 bucks and covers you for a second year including battery. the battery replacement program is $99 which gets you a new/refurbished ipod and not just the battery. all the plastics and the battery are new. you can buy applecare for the ipod within the one year warranty. dont believe everything you read on the internet.

 

so who is going to buy the icelink first?? =)

 

Does it work with navigation? and Is the ICElink all I need? If so, I'll be first

 

good question... i imagine you would have to split off just like the snhond3 did... hmm which means someone will need to come up with soldering instructions for the icelink... uh oh....

 

if you go the route of the ice-link you will will need the snhond3 too...If you buy the TSX package from denison it comes with a snhond3 and a ice-link that connects to the sony changer port on the snhond3. So if you already bought the snhond3 you didnt waste your money. I dont have an ice-link, but have read plenty about them and with the belkin auto kit pausing my ipod when I shut the car off, that is one more reason I dont need the ice-link.....yet.

 

hmm so then where would that other 'hangy' end go that i soldered onto the snhond3.. that honda audio harness? so basically im almost looking at $400 to listen to my ipod through my stereo!

snhond3 = $100
audio harness = $20 ? i forget what i paid
belkin auto kit = $35
icelink for ipod mini = $225

yikes!

 

are you talking about the piece for the nav that you soldered?

 

yeah... the piece i had to go to honda to buy that i soldered onto the snhond3 to keep the touch screen working

 

this should be what you need:

snhond3 = $100
icelink for ipod (I11_Sony kit) = $159
audio harness = $20 (for nav)

so the belkin is a wasted purchase because the icelink will charge....oh and a GLI is usually needed too so add $15, so $295 nav/$275 no nav.

check this thread for a little more info:
http://www.acura-tsx.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3898

 

Someone on this thread:
http://www.clubtsx.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=5912
claims to have just intsalled one.

Personally, I'd like to build a Sony Unilink (SNHOND3) -> IR converter so that the steering wheel +/- will send IR commands to my XM Commander to change the channel.

 

That's awesome. So we have one confirmed case of it working fine in a TSX. Hmm...I'm very tempted to get one now.

 

You should read this before you believe those two punks from NY.

http://ipodbatteryfaq.com/

 

yeah, i wasnt taking it as fact, just taking it into consideration. so i guess i have nothing to worry about, at least for now. thanx for the replies on that... hopefully ill get my SNHOND3 tomorrow!

 

spectacular!

 

oh nice... thanks! i forgot that i did buy the gli from radio shack after i had that annoying hum in the background. i would much have rather kept my monster cable though... hmph.

 

I found this while searching for info on the IceLink. I think this may have to be a weekend project.

Someone's TSX IceLink install

And the thread about it.

 

Argh, I was going to call Dension today to ask about ordering the Icelink without the SNHOND3 since I already have one. I gotta call them about that tomorrow.

 

hey sturm... please let me know what you find out... let them know that most of us tsx'ers with ipods already have the snhond3 and would DEFINITELY buy the unit if it were $90 cheaper!

 

If you already have a SNHOND3, I think you may only need the iceLink 1.1 Unilink for Sony which on their site is $159. Don't take my word for it as I don't have either the SNHOND3 or iceLink yet. I would just give them a call. Keep us informed!