Does anyone know if there is something like the Ice Link that would work for a non-Ipod MP3 Player?

 

My problems with the icelink do not occur if I turn off the head unit before I turn off the ignition. If I don't, then I have to reset everything again. I thought I would get text disp.ay as the Dennison web sight stated, but no such luck. Should I ask them to send me a new unit? I hate to take everything apart again. It works fine otherwise unless I don't turn off the head unit before turning off the ignition. I also have another question. If I was to purchase the factory Sirius sattelite accessory, does it plug into the same spot where I plugged in the icelink? So if I have one, I can notuse the other? And if satellite displays text, why doesn't my icelink plus?

 

I have the same problem with having to turn off the radio. Seems like Dension would have figured that out before shipping the product. Whatever.

But I cannot for the life of me figure out how to scroll my playlists. I hit the disc up button to get to disc 6. I press the fast forward button to get the playlist browser but then the problems start. I can only seem to access the first couple or last playlists. Nothing in between. What am I doing wrong.

The thing sounds great, I just wish I could get to what I want to hear.

 

typerr, I have the same problem. I have found that there is a delay from when you hit the buttons on the head unit and what us actually shown on the ipod. Then when I try to access the menu on the ipod it skips. When I finally got a playlist to play, it would not allow me to shuffle. I was able to turn ont he shuffle fromt he menue, but then it went off. The directions prvided by Dennison were of no help. I have emailed them regarding my problems, but I have not had a response yet.

 

just got off the phone with Denison and the tech said the unit will not work with 9.55 and the website is in error. He said that I need to get the firmware upgrade or return the unit.

 

Yes, it appears as if the web site states that the icelink is compatible with firmware version 9.55 and above. So it is an error. The web site also says that it would display text info but it does not and I have firmware version 9.73

 

if the icelink doesn't work with 9.55 then why is it working with mine? Anyway, as for the shuffle problem, here's what I do, when I know I just wann hear a little bit of everything on my iPod I set it to shuffle and play, then I let three seconds of a song roll ( all of this while walking to my car mind you) and then hook it up, presto, it shuffle and moves about. I don't know if anyone's tested this yet, but Dension SAYS, that if you pretty much name playlists 1-5 and hit up to disc 4 then playlist 4 should play. I don't have my PC at the moment it's in for service......damnedable SP2 and Intel. As for the sat radio, yes it plugs into the same port as your iceLINK unless it's taking up the tapde deck/minidisc port, which I doubt. This is what happens when a third party doesn't play around enough with the HU's and try to get the coding right, for oh say three models. They're treating all the flash version of the HU as the same, and that's where it's dicking everyone over, they need to think of each flas as a different piece of hardware. Then write new code for each "model" then we wouldn't get these problems.

Alas, Apple seems to be getting into integrating iPods into cars.....but they have their heads up their asses, look at where they're starting, Mercedes, BMW, Ferrari. It's as if no one without a 6 figure car can afford an iPod, they should've started with Ford, Dodge, Honda (shitload of money in that one make right there) and so on. It would've made them a hell of a lot of money, had those car makers wanted to deal with Apple. This right now if one of a few options. There's the Monster Cable iCruze......that's about 350, I think 250's too much so I'm not paying 350, I'm getting on a rant and a half here and I don't know why, I'm not really angry or trying to stick up for Dension. They've screwed me before, but I will say this, I calmly asked them to take back the icelink and refund my money and they did so, if you wanna dump the icelink they're not gonna argue with you. Hopefully just take down your reason for return and use it as research for the next model.

Now since it took me two and a half hours to drive 12 and half miles (damn snow) I'm going to drink a few beers and relax, and rejoice in the fact that I was using my iceLINK that whole time.

 

I also have to start the shuffle before i hook up the ipod to the icelink. But if I leave the ipod hooked up in the car, it requires me to reset unless I turn off the head unit before turning off the ignition. The the ipod stops and then starts where I stopped when I turn the head unit back on. Its not too bad, but I have to figure out a new place to put the ipod other than the glove compartment so I can see the display. I wanted it in the glove compartment so it would not be seen by thieving eyes. This would not have been a problem if the icelink displayed text in the radio display as stated on the web site. Have any of you tested the RCA inputs on the icelink box? Is it possible to hook up a second device? I guess I may have to try it.

 

Well it looks like I am going to have to return this unit as I can not get it to work in my car. The tech guy even said he needs to take the "works with v9.55" off the website. What I think I will do is wait a bit and then order another one to see if they can get the various bugs straightened out or maybe I just got a bad unit. Glad I can't drive the car anyway right now because of the snow or I would be greatly disappointed.

 

My icelink also works with v9.55.

As far as the shuffle feature, if you hit the RNDM button on the HU (I believe it's preset button #4) it will turn on the shuffle on the IPOD and "RNDM" will appear on the HU's display. You will also see the track number on the display change back to 1. However there is a fault (at least with my unit). If you change tracks or fast foward and rewind with the HU or steering wheel controls, shuffle is turned off and normal playback resumes. Can someone else with a working icelink verify this.

Yes this works. You can select up to 5 different playlist using the disc change buttons. Disc 6 is used to access the icelink menu. Maybe it's because I only have v9.55, but whenever I change playlists the IPOD will initially go the next track (only for a spit second) then go to the next playlist.

 

yeah it reverts, so I just set it up liike I stated above and leave it be

 

Can you explain how you scroll through the playlists (other than the first 5). When I switch to the playlist browser and hit the up/down buttons on the wheel, I only get the first and last playlists.

 

Has anyone tried the RCA inputs on the icelink box? Also, any word on text display on the head unit. I can not get a response from Dension.

 

I finally got a reply to my email to Dension. They say it is ok with v9.55

 

To scroll in the playlist browser I use the up/down seek buttons on the HU. The up button moves the cursor down, and the down button moves the cursor up. So when in the browser, hit up to scroll down to the next playlist. Hitting down scrolls through the playlists backwards, so it would go from the first to last playlist. Use Preset button 6 ">>" to select, and button 5 "<<" to go back.

 

I also scroll the playlest browser using the seek buttons on the HU. However, it tends to skip playlists and you have to look at the ipod itself to see what playlist it is on, which is not good while you are driving. So I just set it up as explained by SLAoTkAiN. It would have been helpfule if it displayed text on the HU as advertised.

 

I'm going to try different MP3 tags on my mp3's in a little bit, see if different tag versions force the bar to show the info. I'll post if I get anything to work. Since Monster Cable (price gouging bastards!) did it, maybe dension will make a little seperate lcd display that can be mounted say in the ashtray, screwing those who smoke in their car, which IS blasphemy by the way.

 

SlAoTkAiN, let us know what you find out. I was really hoping for some type of text display without having to squint at the ipod (which is in the glovebox).

 

Thanks Ineedmoney, I got it to work. I have to say that despite the tricky interface, I love the Icelink Plus as the sound is fantastic.

 

I am also satisfied with the sound. I'm beginning to get used to navigating the ipod without a text dispaly. I just have to remember to turn off the head unit before I turn off the ignistion or I have to disconnect the ipod from the icelink set back to shuiffle and plug it back in, then turn on headunit.

 

I got mine connected and working today. I upgraded my old IceLink to the IceLink Plus - figured it would be good to see display (no dice). Otherwise my unit works as described on this thread 1.55 and all. Need to turn off HU before ignition - must get used to that step. Would love to hear if someone has text being displayed.

i read the Mazda manual and it suggests that CD's do not display text but MD input does. Is there a way to get the icelink plus/PIE (my combo) to hook in through the MD input instead of the CD input?

 

Pgershon,

Sine you do not get text on the icelink plus, is there a difference between the old icelink and the new? I am very disapponited in the no text and the fact that I have to turn of the HU before the ignition so I don't have to reset everything. Anyone else have similar experiences?

 

People who have it - how do you like it?

 

I had to return mine because it didn't work. I hope I have better luck with the monster cable version that should be released soon. That has a text display that you can buy that attaches to your dash.

 

Couple of points on further testing:

#1: The lack of text is not Icelink's fault but Mazda's. Icelink connects through the CD port (vie PIE) and Mazda provides text for minidisk and not CD's. I spoke to Dension and there is no way around this.

#2: The ignition issue is real but I believe something Dension can fix once they see it (they said they were testing a Mazda with firmware 9.55 tonight). When you turn your HU off (with ignition running) or switch to tuner, the Icelink puts the iPod in pause mode. When you power back up, it comes back to play mode. For whatever reason, turning off the ignition fails to send the unit to Pause mode and it continues to play. When you then power up the car, the Icelink/iPod toggles from on to pause, insetad of from pause to on. Since there is no pause button, the only fix is to turn off the ignition again - ipod works properly after that.

#3: Upgrade was better than initial Icelink, but not worth the $110 or so i spent.