USASpec IPod Adapter Installed

[joshdctsv]

Overall, I'd give the unit a 5 out of 10. When it comes to actually playing my music through the car system, it does that very well. Installation was not too difficult other than the Vs shortcom It could execute much better on controls.

$200 (shipped) from iCarKits. Part # PA11-VET

This unit doesnt connect to the radio at all. Its only connection is to the xm reciever, thus your wiring is simply from behind the driver's side back seat to below the driver's seat. From there you have a simple cable running from the adapter to your iPod, which I keep in the center console.

Sound quality is excellent, so no concerns there.

However, I'm not thrilled with the controls, at least initially. As with the other solutions there are two options which are controlled with switches on the adapter (not too difficult to switch since ours is under the driver's seat) : playlist mode and direct mode. For the first time last night, though, I discovered that only playlist mode actually displays artist and track title info. I've not seen that statement anywhere online, but its highlighted in their manual. I haven't actually used direct mode yet, so I have not confirmed this.

There is a "shuffle" within the playlist mode, and that's really all I needed to have. There is no way, though, to choose an artist or album unless you use direct mode.

Install notes:
I used what's on Reed's cadillacfaq.com as a guide, skipping past the radio connection piece. The unit's instructions are designed for the vette and generally worthless, other than telling me that the CTS and SRX installation requires special skills (nice).

Back seat needed to be removed so that the back itself could be pulled forward just enough to unhook the rear deck. Note, the back's bar is sharp and took several nice chunks of skin off the back of my hand as I tried to hold it forward while lifting the deck. There are 4 plugs holding the deck in (I believe the FAQ just mentioned two), two on the front edges and two just above them on the top side. The top side ones require a bit of force to pull out. You also have to bend the deck a little to get around the seatbelt guides on either side. I never fully took it off, just lifted it 6-8 inches up in the front so that I could reach the wiring harness on the xm receiver.

Most of my time was spent putting the sail panels back on. There's no easy way to guide the screws back into their holes (which you cant see). Trial and error. Also, since the plastic broke (of course) while taking them off, I had to use several increasingly smaller, stacked washers to get the screws to hold onto the panel again.

[vseries]

So unless you create a playlist you cannot just scroll through your songs through the radio controls??? (i dont use playlists) I was leaning more towards the Neo but they seem the same http://www.neocaraudio.com/advanced_...icle_year=2004

[joshdctsv]

Actually, I dont have any playlists yet, myself. Lacking any, it will just grab all of your songs into a single "playlist". In my case, that's like 3700 songs, so you cant very well scroll through them! It does allow you to move forward and backwards through the playlist in incriments of 1 and 10, for what thats worth.

One thing I have liked about the control, though, is that as you have it on shuffle and come across a song that you want to hear the next on the album, you can exit shuffle and when the song is done it will then start going through your playlist in order (which in my case are in album order) from that point. I havent figured out how to do that on my actual iPod.

I looked at Neo, but those videos on their site scared me away. If you're going to do something that poorly, don't do it at all!

[gotmeacaddy]

so your saying that this will not hook to my radio at all? The instructions from usa specs suck. i hope this was worth the 200 bucks i spent on it. Can you scroll through the ipod options through the radio system?

[gotmeacaddy]

also, i have CTS not a cts-v. I am assuming this does not mattter for the stereo unit.

[joshdctsv]

I have no idea if the CTS is different, but mine does not attach to the radio at all. Just the XM reciever on the back deck. The radio does not show any Ipod options, but you do use your radio buttons to control playlists and move fwd and bkwd between songs.

[RockinV]

Quick question...does this adaptor (and others like it) only work with an IPod MP3 player? (I currently have a Sandisk Sansa Mp3 Player)…

If these type adaptors only work with IPods then I am thinking that I have two choices:
Either
Buy an IPod and an adaptor like the one USASpec makes ($$$)
Or
Go with an Aux Input Adaptor like the one PAC Audio makes (No mp3 controls on the radio… I am assuming)

Any info or experiences appreciated

[joshdctsv]

This (and many like it) includes Aux audio input, so with the right cable you could certainly make yours work. However, you'd lose the ability to control tracks/playlists from the radio.

If you can swing the cost, I'd probably go the Ipod route for controls alone. Even though these arent great on the USASpec (cant sort or search, etc) I do use the track forward/back A LOT and I wouldnt want to be trying to reach for my MP3 player all of the time to do it.

[terryk]

Since this connects to the XM box, I assume the XM radio will still work, right?

If so, how does it switch between iPod and XM?

If not, dang....

[joshdctsv]

Originally Posted by terryk

Since this connects to the XM box, I assume the XM radio will still work, right?

If so, how does it switch between iPod and XM?

If not, dang....

XM still works. IIRC, it takes up the first of the two XM banks. Ie, you can have 6 XM presets instead of the 12 you have now.

FWIW, with this and the one on my current car, I NEVER listen to XM (or Sirius) because IPod quality is so much better.

[RockinV]

My “USASpec PA11-VETT” IPod adapter is installed and works great. I connected into the harness right at the XM receiver on the back deck…ran the cable under the carpet to the driver’s seat and put the USASpec box there. It is only visible if the seat is moved all the way forward and the seat clears it fine with no contact. I ran the Ipod connector and the aux input RCAs to the center console (but I converted the aux RCAs to a 1/8” mini plug to be able to plug in any MP3 player) and installed them in the back wall of the cubby.

XM 1 is selected with the Band button for Ipod play and XM still works fine on XM 2
One note though: After hooking the USASpec harness into the car XM harness the other end of the “Y” has to be hooked up to the XM module (or SIR-GM1 if that is what you have) other wise you won’t even have the option to select XM on the Nav unit.

I have Pics of the USAspec box under my driver’s seat (next to my dirty vent) and the connections in my cubby. Here:

Sirius SIR-GM1 Discussion

[terryk]

I installed a PA11-VET in my SRX and the radio won't display artist or title. Is there a trick to that? Pressing INFO doesn't do it.

I have 5 play lists (GM1-GM5) set up and I can access everything but no titles or artist show up.

As said above, it's bad enough you can't navigate easily to a song, but only seeing the tracks as "play list 1 - track 1 to infinity" isn't very useful at all. If you add on song it will throw everything off so if your favorite song was T00205 it won't be after you add songs. Nice.

Right now I am using it in direct mode and just control it via iPod.

Having the songs displayed would be some help.

Any thoughts?

TK

[joshdctsv]

Originally Posted by terryk

I installed a PA11-VET in my SRX and the radio won't display artist or title. Is there a trick to that? Pressing INFO doesn't do it.

I have 5 play lists (GM1-GM5) set up and I can access everything but no titles or artist show up.

As said above, it's bad enough you can't navigate easily to a song, but only seeing the tracks as "play list 1 - track 1 to infinity" isn't very useful at all. If you add on song it will throw everything off so if your favorite song was T00205 it won't be after you add songs. Nice.

Right now I am using it in direct mode and just control it via iPod.

Having the songs displayed would be some help.

Any thoughts?

TK

I think that's a limitation of direct mode. Try the other

[terryk]

Direct mode won't show anything (as they point out) - only Play List mode.

I had to go into the display configuration and add in the Clock + Info symbol to one of the buttons. Now when I press it, the info shows up. I am hoping I can configure the main display to show that all of the time but I got a bad feeling about it.

Unless it will show the title/artist all of the time or at least while you are changing tracks, the displaying of the title and artist feature is pretty worthless.

More work....

The sound quality and speed of changing tracks is good. When you change presets via F5, it takes it about a second or so to actually switch the iPod even though the display shows the change immediately when you press the button. You gotta be patient and not get a case of jerky finger.

Edit: Unless there is a way to change it, the display will always timeout and go back to the clock. Dang.

[Mystical_Ice]

is there any solution out there that will
a) display artist/track information on the screen
AND
b) allow me to use the ipod OR nav controls to change tracks?