iPod IceLink Adapter link....

[garystu1965]

It's on sale here for £140 !!!

http://www.caraudioplus.co.uk/pp/Au...ry_Radios/Mercedes_iPod_Ice_Link_Adapter.html

I will be ordering this and getting someone to fit it or may try myself.

I will post info and pictures when I've done it.

From what I think I understand the Icelink is connected to the back of the head unit. Then the cable can be fed into the glovebox and into the iPod docking crade (which can be attached to the glovebox floor by velcro.

Then the iPod can be mounted/dismounted as needed and the unit will remain charged and fully operational

 

[Shude]

I will post info and pictures when I've done it.

pics before, during and after please!

 

[garystu1965]

The saga continues.....

I ordered the Icelink and the company rang to me to get more detail on the head unit I have in my car.

When I told them it was COMAND 2.0 and it was in a June 2003 model they said they were pretty sure the head unit supported ID3 (MP3 song info). He said that all COMAND units from 2003 would support it (even the CD based ones).

When I then rang the company who installs them they said it would not work in the COMAND. No info would be displayed.

I rang the first company again and they have contact someone at Dension to ask if it indeed does work and whether there are any impending firmware/hardware upgrades that sould enable it to display the ID3 info.

No reply yet so I emailed their support.....

"I have just ordered the Icelink connection so I can connect my Mercedes COMAND 2.0 head unit to my iPod 40Gb.

The COMAND head unit is in my June 2003 Mercedes C-Class and is the CD based system.

The company I ordered the Icelink from seems to think that the head unit will display ID3 information (as it is 2003 unit - fibre optic).

However the company who install them say it will not display the ID3.

Ideally I want to hide the iPod in the glove box so it is not visible and control the songs via the steering wheel controls.

The questions I would like to ask are :-

1. Will my unit display ID3 information ?
2. If no ID3 display then what does it display ? (does it display any information at all such as "Album 5 Track 3" etc ?)
3. If it doesn't display the ID3 info is there a firmware or hardware upgrade that will allow this to happen in the near future.
4. Is there another type of link in the near future that will allow the ID3 display.

It seems a great shame that a unit that is only 16 months old cannot display MP3 information."

 

[Shude]

IIRC the track data can be displayed on the instrument cluster, but NOT on the comand screen. This seems fine to me. You need to check this though!

It seems a great shame that a unit that is only 16 months old cannot display MP3 information."

You're expecting a cd-player with no mp3 functionality at all to display mp3/id3 data. I don't think it has anything to do with the age of the unit/design it was simply never designed for it!

 

[Aswall]

This is what I've been waiting for so that I can ditch the awful itrip, however I thought the radios were Beckers? I've got a horrible feeling that mine might not be compatible, when was the move to Sony? Not surprised at the unit not yet working with Comand, the icelink has been available for BMWs for along time now but the version that will work with the SatNav screen (to be called Screenlink) still hasn't been released

 

[Aswall]

Ah, just checked with Dension and my H/U is compatible but you have to have the iPod on display to see track info so I'm not going to bother as I've only got the car for another 6 months so will probably have got rid of it before they sort this. Bummer

 

[Shude]

This is what I've been waiting for so that I can ditch the awful itrip, however I thought the radios were Beckers? I've got a horrible feeling that mine might not be compatible, when was the move to Sony?

Lots of MBs were shipped with the option code for "no radio" then had Sony headunits fitted at the UK stealerships. This is why Sonys appear to be "standard" on UK models. Newer MBs with non-din-shape headunits will have been made by Becker or someone.

Not surprised at the unit not yet working with Comand, the icelink has been available for BMWs for along time now but the version that will work with the SatNav screen (to be called Screenlink) still hasn't been released

The unit works pretty well with comand from what I read of the description, the only problem being that comand doesn't support cd-text so won't take the data from the mp3/id3. The instrument cluster is more flexible though.

 

[Aswall]

The unit works pretty well with comand from what I read of the description, the only problem being that comand doesn't support cd-text so won't take the data from the mp3/id3. The instrument cluster is more flexible though.

That's what I mean by it not working with it, you still need the iPod for a display. Are you saying that the instrument cluster can be made to display this?

 

[Shude]

Are you saying that the instrument cluster can be made to display this?

I think the Denison website said that it would, after an update to the "software". I don't know if this is the software on their interface or software on the instrument cluster. Either way with steering wheel controls and instrument cluster display it's as good as it gets, the comand screen can carry on showing maps or something!

 

[Satch]

Absent easy or painless fixes for running an iPod into a car stereo, in certain parts of the world it is possible to use things like the Podfreq. Heavens forbid that any evil doer should order one for around $80 and use it in this country, where such transmitting devices really upset the powers that be.

Podfreq

A premium FM transmitter designed specifically for transmitting music from the Apple iPod to an FM tuner in a car, home stereo, or portable radio. Works with any 3G iPod(iPods with the dock connector), 4G iPods and HP iPods. The Podfreq utilizes the iPod's line out signal (instead of the headphone jack) accomplishing superior input level sensitivity and music fidelity. The integrated FireWire and mini USB ports allow the user to sync with iTunes and /or charge the iPod using industry standard cables without removing it from the Podfreq. The user is also able to independently control volume through their FM receiver and headset volume via the iPod. No software or batteries required. Free FireWire car charger included!"

 

[Aswall]

It would indeed be the ideal situation but I canb't find any mention of it on the Dension site. I don't think I'll bother, the more I read the more restrictive it seems to be and I'm sure there will be other, better solutions along soon allowing total control.

I particularly like this bit from the Dension site

Best of all, in playlist mode, the iPod display is used to display artist, album and song data right on your iPod!"

- uh yeah, exactly like it does as standard

 

[Aswall]

Absent easy or painless fixes for running an iPod into a car stereo, in certain parts of the world it is possible to use things like the Podfreq. Heavens forbid that any evil doer should order one for around $80 and use it in this country, where such transmitting devices really upset the powers that be.

Podfreq

A premium FM transmitter designed specifically for transmitting music from the Apple iPod to an FM tuner in a car, home stereo, or portable radio. Works with any 3G iPod(iPods with the dock connector), 4G iPods and HP iPods. The Podfreq utilizes the iPod's line out signal (instead of the headphone jack) accomplishing superior input level sensitivity and music fidelity. The integrated FireWire and mini USB ports allow the user to sync with iTunes and /or charge the iPod using industry standard cables without removing it from the Podfreq. The user is also able to independently control volume through their FM receiver and headset volume via the iPod. No software or batteries required. Free FireWire car charger included!"

That's the whole point, I'm trying to get away from crap stuff like this and get a proper integrated solution that doesn't involve an FM transmitter and having to use my iPod to control everything

 

[garystu1965]

You're expecting a cd-player with no mp3 functionality at all to display mp3/id3 data. I don't think it has anything to do with the age of the unit/design it was simply never designed for it!

That's what I would expect with a link cable that costs £207 !!!!

 

[lil.smartie]

Added to the fact that the iTrip style things are illegal in the uk as it is like having your own pirate radio station! (like they would ever catch you though!)

Kate

 

[garystu1965]

The instrument cluster is more flexible though.

That would do me fine I'm going to send another email to Dension.

Anyone got a piccie of the instrument cluster ?

 

[Maff]

Just to help clear things up:

• This unit WILL work on 2003 cars with CD based COMAND. Any DVD based COMAND systems wont work (jet)
• Where you see 'CD2 Track5' on the COMAND screen and instument cluster will show this for the iPod
• The confusion over CDTEXT is that the software on the Dension unit will be unpdated in a few months time to show playlists, song title etc on the comand screen and insturment cluster, where you currently see 'CD2 Track 5'. No updates are needed to your MB to get this to work
• As the MB systems only have a 6 disk CD Changer, when the CDTEXT software update is released, you will only be able to see song data for the first 6 playlists

Hope this helps!

 

[Satch]

That's the whole point, I'm trying to get away from crap stuff like this and get a proper integrated solution that doesn't involve an FM transmitter and having to use my iPod to control everything

I know. But at the moment it does not seem at all easy to do. Hopefully by the time the next generation of iPod all will be sorted

The one thing to be said for these PodFreq things is that you can at least use them easily in any vehicle with an FM radio. Not wonderful but at least it works.

 

[Maff]

See the URL below for the installation guide and pictures of an install on a CL55: http://forums.mbworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=93278

 

[pammy]

Which is the beauty of the iTrip - if you can get the frequency of course.

Just used mine from home to Newcastle and back again - no probs at all - brill little thing when you look at the cost and that it's totally transportable.

At the end of the day it comes down to how much you want to pay and how mush you're willing to have something hardwired into your car. You makes your choice I guess

 

[A-AvantGarde]

Does the iPod IceLink adapter allow you to use the CD Changer also?

The posts on mbworld.org imply that the iPod replaces your CD Changer (where fitted) and that both can't be controlled simultaneously.

I know a lot of people will say why bother with CD's when you have an iPod but I would like to have the choice of using both (besides I haven't got my iPod yet, still working on it!).

Dension can't say much about the ScreenLink (due to their NDA with Apple). However from what I read on MBworld.org it sounds like ScreenLink will be a 'video display' output to the COMAND screen rather than passing the MP3 ID to COMAND to look like CDText.