No longer at my Comand?

[w44nty]

Pioneer Avic? Do you remember what you paid & did you have it fitted?

It was in the car when I bought it this year,the previous owner had it fitted,I believe he said it cost around £800 to buy.

It also has the the reversing camera as well.

 

[consort]

I have just purchased the Winlink retro spectective unit for my R230. It looks great, but I do not have a clue on the wiring as they do not give give instructions. I have always hated my Comand unit as it is rubbish. Anyone on here fited one? As any help would be great.

On a slightly different note. Just noticed today that my rear wheel arches on my R 230 2002 low mileage 50k are as rusty as hell!

 

[television]

I have just purchased the Winlink retro spectective unit for my R230. It looks great, but I do not have a clue on the wiring as they do not give give instructions. I have always hated my Comand unit as it is rubbish. Anyone on here fited one? As any help would be great.

On a slightly different note. Just noticed today that my rear wheel arches on my R 230 2002 low mileage 50k are as rusty as hell!

For the arches
http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=79737

 

[Mic]

Photograph? Nooooo video it .... ..lets see how intuitive you found it..

Intuitive my arse......anyway being male and as a last resort I printed off the instruction manual so that I had paper copy to hand in the car where I needed it. The instructions come on disc......the mean whatsits.......and I do not have personal brain power nor capacity to commit more than two words together at any one time.

It has not taken me this long......this is belated feed back.

My main difficulty was finding how to get the ''young lady'' to speak loud enough when telling me what to do next in order that I could hear her when the SL is at full chatter with the roof down......now sorted.
I have now got the Alpine set up exactly as I want it and it is FANTASTIC......downloads-uploads are done via an SD card for both the latest mapping and for the fixed camera data base......different programmes.
My preferred setting is their ''normal'' 3D view......it is possible to have 3D set at a higher or a lower elevation view or of course 2D.
When a destination is set in the top left the next ''event'' is shown graphically as well as ''Katie'' telling me what to do......bottom left I have ETA, above that the time remaining to reach the next destination and above that the distance.
I have chosen to have the speed limit displayed without audio.
I have chosen to have a bar on the right which simply shows graphically on a slider how far into the journey the current position is.
I have chosen to have the camera graphics show the approach to a camera which shows where the camera is; the distance to the camera and the speed limit where the camera is.....on approaching the camera there is a repeating audio ''bong'' which is loud enough when approaching above the speed limit and softer when safely below the speed limit.
It is possible to have settings for all kinds of upcoming ''potential hazards'' but I have elected not to use these.....cameras only so far as I am concerned.



I know the pictures are poor but I think they serve the purpose......bright sun light and the roof down did not help.

Suffice to say I am absolutely chuffed to bits and pleased to be rid of that annoying Comand and be rid of the need for a separate camera data base device cluttering up my cockpit.

Mic

 

[cleverdicky]

I've had the pioneer avic for well over a year and I love it. It's fully modded, no nag screens and doesnt need the car to be parked up with handbrake on to operate.
I can take and view pictures and videos from my camera on it, as well as play any movie file, or music file AND tv when I get a signal.

The thing I love most is the single multi-function custom knob. yes its touchscreen and has working steering buttons, but a knob makes life so simple.
Mine is an f900bt

 

[Simplestu]

Sorry to be late to respond but after my 2000 Comand died - satnav disk stuck in headunit & loss of most functions I replaced it with a pioneer system-
large touchscreen
Garmin europe 2012 sat nav
handsfree phone
single cd, sd card, ipod connector
radio
sold the old 6 cd disc changer for £50
total fixed and fitted and working £900.
some good equipment out there but will be about the £1000 mark.
rgds.

 

[Mic]

Update

After the Italians had condescended to return to work after the August break and Mark of Oxford Car Audio had managed to have an exchange of communications with them it transpired that they had not developed a black box to configure the Alpine to the steering wheel buttons on an SL in any event. Italians do not buy a lot of SLs apparently......I do not know who Mark uses in Italy.
Mark had promised me that my steering wheel buttons would be fully functional following the installation of the Alpine so he set about finding out who could supply the necessary black box......the black box was fitted yesterday and I now have the appropriate functionality on three of my buttons and further more despite my not ordering the ''telephone function'' when specifying the car when new I am assured that the steering wheel button will now work the telephone once activated by a STAR diagnostic computer.....now that is magic.
The company who supplied the black box are very familiar with the SL and have worked closely, amongst other things, with McLaren and in particular the SLR.
Below is an exchange of emails between me and Mark the content of which some of you may find interesting or even to be of interest.

On 23/10/2012 03:53, Mic wrote:

Mark



If you tell me what you can about the ‘’black box’’ you have just fitted to my car I will Post on the owners Forum.



Mic





Michael J. Bennett



4 Beckley Court, Beckley, Oxford, OX3 9UB

Tel: 01865 351388 ● Fax: 01865 351809 ● Mob: 07802 752259



Hello Mic,

The solution we managed to find was made by "Incartech", it is called an MB19UNI. Recommended retail is £99 plus fitting.
Its a brilliant solution which we will definitely be using again in the future.


--
Best regards

Oxford Car Audio Team.

Oxford Car Audio
Oxford Performance Works Ltd
8 Cherwell Drive Marston
Oxfordshire
OX3 0LY

Tel: +44 (0) 1865 769911
Email: shop@oxfordcaraudio.co.uk
Website: www.oxfordcaraudio.co.uk
Website: www.lemtech.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/oxfordcaraudio


Just in case any of you were in any doubt I recommend Mark and his team at Oxford Car Audio. I think I am right in saying that they offer distance selling with support in addition to a full workshop fitting service.

Mic

 

[Mic]

Update.....Part 2

One of the really nice features of the Comand Unit is that when it is next switched on after the clocks change from GMT-BST-GMT the clock in the car is automatically adjusted accordingly......I no longer have a Comand Unit so it was no surprise to find that my clock did not change from BST-GMT over the night of Saturday 27 October.
Never mind, me thinks, I will just have to do it ''manually'' like I do on my other two cars and all the electric clocks in the house......not the end of the world.
Problem......no means of changing the time......I could choose a 12hrs. clock or a 24hrs. clock via the menu buttons on the s/wheel but not the time.
Speak to Oxford Car Audio about the problem who in turn spoke to Alpine.....no solution there......spoke to Comand online who knew all about the problem and the solution. It seems that using a STAR machine the car has to be told that it is no longer connected to a Comand Unit or Satnav or something along those lines and the time adjustment feature is established in the menu in the same way that it would have existed were the car not supplied with a Comand Unit.
It also transpired that not long ago Oxford Car Audio helped Comand Online out with a particular piece of kit for a customer that they could not get elsewhere for some weeks and I was to become the beneficiary of a reciprocating favour.
So today I popped down to Comand Online who fixed my clock problem and whilst I was there they enabled my s/wheel telephone answering button (see my previous Post).
What an accommodating bunch of chaps, Rob, Richard and Mark.
I now have full s/wheel button functionality, a brilliant Alpine system but I will have to change the clock ''manually'' twice each year.
A big thank you to the guys at both Oxford Car Audio and Comand Online

Mic

 

[television]

I do not know how anyone can drive a car without an auto Summer Winter time adjustment

 

[cleverdicky]

Never mind. Wont have to for much longer. Once the scotch are back on their own side of the wall, we can cut the phone lines to their moaning farmers, and we can then set our clocks for the last time on GMT and leave it there

Nice to hear about your unit. Sounds great.
Would like to see some pics of it installed though

 

[Mic]

Never mind. Wont have to for much longer. Once the scotch are back on their own side of the wall, we can cut the phone lines to their moaning farmers, and we can then set our clocks for the last time on GMT and leave it there

Nice to hear about your unit. Sounds great.
Would like to see some pics of it installed though

Scotch is a drink.....I would like my supply to find its way this side of the wall.

Good plan about the clocks though......go to the beginning of the Thread, Post 29 and 44 for pictures.

Mic

 

[toby1]

Good thread Mic. Ditching my factory COMAND is on the list of things to do. Looks like these Alpine units are the way forward and it's possible to keep some of the steering wheel functionality

 

[Mic]

Four very senior people representing Alpine will be at Oxford Car Audio on Saturday. Two from Japan and one from Germany, heads of product development world wide, in addition to their UK based representative.

I have been invited, and have accepted, to meet with them at 10.30hrs. at Oxford Car Audio in order that they can gain first hand feed back from an ''end user''......me.

If any other ''end user'' would like to attend and offer their constructive feed back you would be made most welcome.......similarly anyone who might have a genuine interest in the Alpine products......space is limited.

Quite a few of you will be in the vicinity for the Christmas gtg.

If anyone is minded to come I think a listing might help to judge numbers:

1. Mic

Mic

 

[w44nty]

I've had the pioneer avic for well over a year and I love it. It's fully modded, no nag screens and doesnt need the car to be parked up with handbrake on to operate.
I can take and view pictures and videos from my camera on it, as well as play any movie file, or music file AND tv when I get a signal.

The thing I love most is the single multi-function custom knob. yes its touchscreen and has working steering buttons, but a knob makes life so simple.
Mine is an f900bt

How do you get TV on yours please

 

[carnut13]

Mic I cant make Saturday but would be very interested to know how they get the phone to work without the car being prewired Do they use bluetooth? I guess your car "extras" spec is the same as mine?

Perhaps you could do a short powerpoint presentation in the conference room at the Holt that evening?

 

[cleverdicky]

How do you get TV on yours please

It has two video inputs (with audio)
I use one for the reversing camera and the other for a separate feed from a separate tuner box. (freeview of course

 

[w44nty]

It has two video inputs (with audio)
I use one for the reversing camera and the other for a separate feed from a separate tuner box. (freeview of course

Can you let me know what tuner box you are using please

 

[cleverdicky]

It was a cheapy of ebay, something like this one. Even has remote control. But looks like they've shot up in price. Pretty sure mine was about 25-30 2yrs ago.

But would recommend anyone to get the best aerial they can.

Perhaps thats something you could ask the experts from Alpine Mic ? Any aerial recommendations that actually work.

 

[w44nty]

Thanks for the info,I shall have a look about now I know what I am looking for
Steve

 

[Mic]

Four very senior people representing Alpine will be at Oxford Car Audio on Saturday. Two from Japan and one from Germany, heads of product development world wide, in addition to their UK based representative.

I have been invited, and have accepted, to meet with them at 10.30hrs. at Oxford Car Audio in order that they can gain first hand feed back from an ''end user''......me.

If any other ''end user'' would like to attend and offer their constructive feed back you would be made most welcome.......similarly anyone who might have a genuine interest in the Alpine products......space is limited.

Quite a few of you will be in the vicinity for the Christmas gtg.

If anyone is minded to come I think a listing might help to judge numbers:

1. Mic

Mic

Bump......if I could have my Thread back just for a couple of days chaps that would be good.

Thank you.

Mic