E211 NTG1 - USB/SD Card Player or Wiring Adapter to fit Aftermarket Head Unit?

[E55BOF]

The car is an '03 S211 with COMAND and phone cradle (though the phone handset is long gone). What I want to do is play music from either an SD card or a USB stick. Bluetooth would be nice, but I can get that through a Viseeo adapter for the phone cradle at a cost of about £150-200 (off eBay; they do come up occasionally); I'm not bothered enough to pay that much.

Fitting an NTG2.5 head unit is possible, but ££££, and that's too much just to be able to play music, and AFAIK there's no way of installing anything else to do the job at a sensible cost. I'm thinking of installing a Chinese COMAND-lookalike head unit which will give me all I want, and more besides, to replace the existing head unit. What I'd rather not do, though, is butcher the wiring connections to the existing COMAND head unit, then find that the 'Shenzhen Special' unit either doesn't work properly, despite the seller's assurances, or doesn't last long and I need to return it.

Does anybody know whether a wiring adapter is available which will plug straight into the COMAND loom, then I can butcher the wiring connections to that adapter to my heart's content, but still refit the original COMAND head unit if necessary?

 

[poormansporsche]

If you have a cd changer you could always buy one of those from cd emulator boxes from the likes of Grom and they do Bluetooth as well. No MP3 text though.

I've got one of those 20 quid FM transmitter usb players / Bluetooth units in the van. £hite but substantially better than they used to be. Quite funky with the screens.

I seem to remember some of the old style CE Chinese units at the bottom of the immense listings you could pay extra to get a Bose lead and other stuff to supposedly work with command all described in fractured English one of which may do the job for you. I was going to do the same with my HK unit but in the end just ended up buying a pioneer unit and amp and ripped the whole lot out. Cost substantially more than 200 quid though !!!

 

[DSM10000]

Viseo is only designed for transmitting 'phone signal not music, if there is an Aux input in the glove box then you can fit a Bluetooth receiver and stream music that way.

 

[E55BOF]

Yes, I know. I don't need or want to stream music, just play it off an SD card or USB stick.

I think there will be an aux input jack socket in the glove box, because the COMAND has an Aux input available on the screen, but I've never seen any comments other than critical about using that to play from an iPod or similar.

 

[clk320x]

Yes, I know. I don't need or want to stream music, just play it off an SD card or USB stick.

I think there will be an aux input jack socket in the glove box, because the COMAND has an Aux input available on the screen, but I've never seen any comments other than critical about using that to play from an iPod or similar.

Is this of any use Dennis? I have dropped the price.

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Mercedes HPF Bluetooth Adaptor B67880000 (4th Generation) with box & manual with pin code. In excellent condition, and comes with original box and manual as photographed. The required pin code is written inside the manual. The price is £219 inc delivery via next day fully insured postage (I...

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[clubadria]

The car is an '03 S211 with COMAND and phone cradle (though the phone handset is long gone). What I want to do is play music from either an SD card or a USB stick. Bluetooth would be nice, but I can get that through a Viseeo adapter for the phone cradle at a cost of about £150-200 (off eBay; they do come up occasionally); I'm not bothered enough to pay that much.

Fitting an NTG2.5 head unit is possible, but ££££, and that's too much just to be able to play music, and AFAIK there's no way of installing anything else to do the job at a sensible cost. I'm thinking of installing a Chinese COMAND-lookalike head unit which will give me all I want, and more besides, to replace the existing head unit. What I'd rather not do, though, is butcher the wiring connections to the existing COMAND head unit, then find that the 'Shenzhen Special' unit either doesn't work properly, despite the seller's assurances, or doesn't last long and I need to return it.

Does anybody know whether a wiring adapter is available which will plug straight into the COMAND loom, then I can butcher the wiring connections to that adapter to my heart's content, but still refit the original COMAND head unit if necessary?

Hello I think I may have what you are looking for, It was removed from my ntg2.0 by Comandonline but it has no fibre optic cables i will post a picture ASAP.
Its a Denison Gateway 500. Please let me know if it's of any use.

 

[E55BOF]

The Bluetooth puck won't fit my car, I'm afraid. I would need a Viseeo unit, but it's not a priority.

Clubadria, I'm trying to find out whether a Dension will work with my NTG1. Could you tell me exactly what model it is, please?

 

[clubadria]

All it says is Denison Gateway 500 it came out of my GL with NTG2.0 .

 

[E55BOF]

Thank you for that. Do you know whether it added Bluetooth phone to your car, or just assorted extra music inputs?

 

[E55BOF]

I'm definitely inclined towards a Dension, I think. Shenzhen Special head units seem to sell for about £180, and there are several places in Hungary selling brand-new Dension 500s, with Bluetooth phone as well as USB inputs, for about £100 more. I'd retain the COMAND satnav, which I know well and am quite content with, the OE wiring would need no butchering, there would be no worries about quality and reliability with Dension kit, and in the unlikely event that it did have to be returned, there'd be no PITA messing about sending it back to China.

 

[andy27168]

Hi
Doesn't the Denison unit mimic the CD Changer in the MOST fibre optic loop on the NTG1 set up, so therefore you have to lose the changer.
I looked at this unit myself but didn't want to loose the changer.

 

[E55BOF]

The single FOT for the MOST bus 500 does, but they now do a twin FOT so the changer can be retained. The model numbers appear to be GW52MO1 for the single, and GW52MO2 for the twin.

 

[andy27168]

Ahh ok I think I read about this, switching between the two you have switch the ignition on/off?

 

[Alfie]

Yes the Dension will work on your NTG 1 system.

 

[andy27168]

Been following this thread, and I am seriously thinking about this unit, specially with as you can get the DAB bolt on adapter as well.

 

[E55BOF]

Ahh ok I think I read about this, switching between the two you have switch the ignition on/off?

Haven't got that far yet, but I probably will. Had I but known it, the Shenzhen Special was a non-starter, really, because either I'd have to run cabling from the head unit to the rear of the car, where the tuner and amp are, or hard wire the speakers individually. No thanks; too complicated for me. I can't be ar5ed...

The only thing I don't know, is exactly what menu the Dension will display on the NTG1 head unit when playing music from the USB. If as a minimum it will name the individual folders (each containing a ripped CD), as in Rolling Stones, Grieg, Last of the Mohicans, Elgar, The Jazz Singer, and so on, that's fine; if not, I may just get the (duff) single CD player on the NTG 1 sorted and play everything from CD as I am now.

 

[E55BOF]

I may yet buy a Dension, but in the meantime, I've bought this: Bluetooth A2DP USB AUX adapter for Mercedes Benz NTG 1 2 COMAND APS Audio 20 50 | eBay

All it needs added is a USB or SD card extension cable, and I have my music, and Bluetooth 'phone too, in the car, and all for the cost of a used Viseeo unit. I can live without a CD player. It looks to be an absolute doddle to fit; I'd be happy to do it without the instructions if I had to, I think. It's as cheap as chips, and if it turns out not to be cheerful, there's always the Dension option anyway.

Comand Online will supply and fit a factory refurbished NTG2.5 for £1500, which is the Rolls-Royce option, but as the car wouldn't be worth much more than that as an insurance loss ( ) I'll try the cheaper solutions first. I'll let you know how I get on.

 

[andy27168]

Hi
That looks almost identical to the Dension single FOTC unit.
After this thread I bought the Dension unit and the DAB Unit and I must say it works flawlessly and I thought the DAB would suffer from reception issues as I only fitted a windscreen aerial but so far has been perfect

 

[E55BOF]

It does, doesn't it? Made in China - couldn't be a clone, could it ? For that price, it's worth a try...

 

[Ninjacj]

Hello I think I may have what you are looking for, It was removed from my ntg2.0 by Comandonline but it has no fibre optic cables i will post a picture ASAP.
Its a Denison Gateway 500. Please let me know if it's of any use.

Sorry to hijack this thread but unable to PM you, are you still selling this, and how much, and just wondering the reason for removing it?

I'm quite happy being old school with my CD's, but the phone function is tempting. I have a Viseeoo which works well itself, but my car seems to regularly do the "NO PHONE" trick that I've read about, and getting bored of unplugging and resetting the Nokia module now. (its not the batteries before anyone says, both are new. I have a slight suspicion it may be linked to using the trickle charger but I've not pinpointed it, and it seems a fairly common random occurrence from what I have read?)