dodgeboy

Thank you very much for your detailed reply!

I guess what was confusing me is the difference between the XM map you posted, and the Sirius map here:

http://www.sirius.com/wo/i/traffic_weat ... troit.html

Wouldn't it stand to reason that XM and Sirius would get their traffic information from the same place, and send out the same data? The sirius map basically has flow information for all of the roads, and the XM map only has it for the main arteries around Detroit.

I really appreciate all of your info. It looks like I'm stuck with the limited coverage in the car.

Dave

I've had my Z2 for 3-4 years now (basically since its release). Since I first got it, the roads covered with traffic information has not changed. There are tons of roads in my (Detroit) area that are now traffic enabled, but this receiver only shows portions of large highways with coverage. Is this a limitation of the receiver, XM tuner, or XM NavTraffic itself? I have Sirius (Mygig) in my truck, and it has probably 10-20x the amount of coverage in Michigan. And it seems like roads get added (or extended) every few months. Since XM and Sirius are the same parent company, I'd assume that the coverage would be the same.

If it matters, the coverage did not change before/after the Z3 software upgrade. I expected that might have an affect on the coverage. Disappointingly, it did not.

Thanks in advance,

Dave

EDIT: I should clarify that "poor coverage" should mean not many roads are covered, not that I have a reception issue with the XM antenna.

Am I the only one that's disappointed to see that all of the new units appear to be based on the software from the F-Series? I will be amazed if they iron out the bugs, and the slowness of that interface before all of the new units are released. They have a LONG way to go with the F-Series, to make it anywhere near as usable as my old Z2.

I will also miss the XM NavTraffic on my Z2... MSN Direct is just not nearly as comprehensive as XM NavTraffic. Why does it seem that everyone is dropping XM NavTraffic?

The screens look very good, and the bootup time of the Z series seems good. The other units don't look like much of an improvement, though.

Dave

I sensed some demand for a forum for the DNX units, so I created one here: http://www.kenwoodforums.com

 

AWESOME, thank you, I will be linking my vids and referencing this new forum as well.

Thanks! I look forward to having a place to call 'home' for the DNX units...

I sensed some demand for a forum for the DNX units, so I created one here: http://www.kenwoodforums.com

I'm not trying to detract from avic411 at all--this site is amazing, and will always continue to be the leader for avic information. But I've seen several posts about the lack of a forum for the kenwoods, so I thought I'd throw one up. It's pretty basic for now, but as the user base grows, I'll customize it more.

As an aside, I still haven't received my DNX9140, but I will post a review on here when I get it.

Dave

Thanks for posting the vids... They are very helpful in making a decision on the unit.

I've gotta say I'm pretty disappointed in the voice command. I don't really see the point of having voice command if you still have to look at the screen to direct the unit (line1, line3, etc.). It's especially disappointing that it doesn't understand name/number inputs for addresses. Even my old Z2 does this (and does it well).

Is there any way around the track skipping lag? Can you disable the album art, or find any other workaround? That is a pretty big issue for me, and reeks of a forced early release.

I guess what has the potential to set this unit apart from the F-Series is Kenwood's support. If they jump on the track skipping delay issue (and the GPS firmware update message issue), I will be impressed. I sincerely hope they do not drag their feet and release a half-assed fix like Pioneer did for the F-Series.

A couple of general questions, if you don't mind:

Have you noticed any menu lag at all?

I assume this unit can use XM or Sirius Traffic instead of MSN Direct?

It's hard to see the screen in the vid, but is there any way to skip a track while viewing the map screen (without using the steering wheel buttons)?

Thanks in advance for your help. I really appreciate the videos and the information.

Dave

Just picked up my unit today. Had a chance to play with it in the store and it is AWESOME. The voice recognition works very well. I will be posting a detailed review as soon as I get it installed and will also be posting videos as well. Stay tuned.

Are you going to post that stuff in this thread, or in a new thread? (just so I know where to watch)...

Thanks,

Dave

I wont ever buy something the week it comes out again. I would like to get that new Kenwood, but I learned my lesson with the F-series, let some other suckers try it out first.

Good point. but at least the nav part will be solid (Garmin)...

Thanks for the tip!! I was going to order one this weekend, and you just saved me $400!

I can't wait to get this unit...

Im about to give up on mine too. Im looking at the JVC units, bigger screen, faster start up, and a more current map preloaded.

That unit does look pretty nice. I like the look of the interface, too. Unfortunately, it looks like it only does the FM/RDS traffic information. I'm not sure if that information is less detailed/accurate than the XM stuff on my Z2, or if the F series implementation is just less detailed/accurate. Either way, the information my F900 shows is almost useless, as compared to the very detailed information that my Z2 shows me (actual speed of highway in each direction, exact location and nature of accident/construction). The F series doesn't even consistently define what side of the highway the incident is on. It just shows the highway as red, and has a plethora of useless yellow icons going the length of the red area of the highway. It would be helpful to hear from someone who has another brand unit that also has the FM/RDS traffic information and see how it is.

Dave

eclipse or alpine FTW, personally i would just get another Z-series, if you dont, then you will always want what the other unit does better when your in the car that doesnt have it. plus you dont have to learn two different systems

Agree, but I almost exclusively listen to my ipod in my truck (the vehicle that currently has the F900BT). I'd find it very difficult to use the iPod on a daily basis with the speed of the controls on the Z2/Z3. If I listened to one playlist all the time, it would be fine. Unfortunately, I jump around from artist to artist a lot. That's very difficult to do on the Z2. Why the heck haven't they released a Z4 with a fast ipod interface?!

The one thing that bothers me about Kenwoods is the Garming GPS integration. One very simple thing that I would really like to have is a consistent location for the clock on the screen, regardless of what mode the unit is in. The F900 failed miserably at this, and the Kenwoods do too, because of the Garmin GPS. Hopefully the newer units integrate better... Thanks for the press release. The unit sounds impressive!

Dude, I totally hear you. I had the F90BT and switched to that from the D3. WHAT A MISTAKE!!! Best thing going for it is the VR. I sold mine and went back factory. Cost me a pretty penny to do factory nav, sat, iPod & BT, but it works and it kicks the sh*t out of the F series and integrates so well! Pioneer has lost a lot of my respect by releasing that unit into the wild KNOWING it was not ready for prime time! Kenwood has a new unit coming out in the summer that has everything the F series does and more... I would wait a bit until that is released and check that out!

Thanks for the tip on the Kenwood. I may wait it out, since I won't be driving my truck as much in the summer.

Giving up already eh?? LOL - I kinda feel ya on that. My F900BT did not even work correctly right out of the box! Thanks to this site it has been working fine ever since I cursed at it and said I was gonna replace it with a D3 or something lol. No issues since then...

 

Sometimes I kinda regret selling my flip out N3 - it was sooo much faster but then this has so much more cool stuff built in...

I've had it since the week it was released. I'm actually surprised I've put up with it for as long as I have, considering how frustrating it can be to use at times. I really do like all of the customization, but...

I'm sad to say that I'm looking to replace my F900BT. I've been driving my summer car (AVIC-Z2 equipped) the last couple weeks since the weather warmed up, and it has made the shortcomings of the F900 all too apparent. I'm tired of the overall sluggishness, incessant ramblings of the NAV voice, and the poor traffic data from MS. I will miss the hackable customization, the screen, and many other things about the unit, but it has to go.

So my question is, what should I move to? Ideally I'd like a Z2/Z3 with the ipod controls of the F900BT. Since that doesn't exist, I'm going to have to make a compromise of some sort. I really like the speed and menus in my Z2, but the Ipod controls are ridiculously slow. Is there another unit from another manufacturer with similar Ipod controls to the F900, but with a better overall interface? The Eclipse AVN726 looks good on paper, but I haven't used it in person. I will not buy another unit without using it in person, after the F900BT.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Dave

-My boot time is 30-40 seconds, which is typical.

-I like the fact that the "system startup" message does not appear if you are on the iPod screen.

-The button response for most things is largely improved, but some of the OK screens are still a bit slow.

-Changing between the map and av screen is much faster.

-The dreaded gas stations all over the map are now gone!

-Blue boxes are gone, but route/destination info box still shows up even when no route is selected.

-Zoom scale is still useless.

-Clock is still too small/hard to see on the map screen.

-Moving the map around (zooming/panning) is marginally faster.

-The static sound when pressing buttons isn't nearly as annoying as I thought it would be based on what others have said. I think it's a lot worse if you have your unit run through an amp. I am powering my speakers directly from the head unit, so the fixed output volume of the static is probably a lot lower than it would be if I had an amp.

-iPod VR catalogging is faster (and is enabled by default after upgrade)

-iPod hasn't locked up or lost connection since upgrade (it's still early, yet)

If your Nitro has a factory amp (and you are using it) the Metra harness is the better choice. The PAC only has two preamp connections, which causes you to loose the ability to fade. Not a big deal to most people, but if you want to be able to have the people in the back seat watching a DVD while you listen to the radio up front you're SOL. The Metra has 4 preamps, so you won't have that issue.

 

I'm using the Metra CHTO-01 in my '06 Magnum w/Boston Acoustic factory amp.

I have a base model nitro that doesn't have an amp, so that wasn't a concern for me (head unit is driving speakers directly). That's very good info, though! I have a 300C SRT8 with the Kicker System (and an AVIC-Z2). I'm currently unable to fade with it, as I am using a PAC unit in that vehicle as well. I'll have to look into the Metras and see if it's worth an upgrade down the road. I did the 300 almost 2 years ago, so I don't think the Metra unit with fading capability was available at that time.

Thanks,

Dave

Sorry I can't help with the harness (I used a PAC Audio harness in my '08 Nitro). I'm very interested in seeing pics of the fit/finish when you are done. There's a gap at the top and bottom of my unit, because my Metra mounting kit doesn't follow the contour of the radio bezel. Hopefully yours fits better. Please take some close up pics when you finish.

Your harness looks similar to the PAC unit I installed. You should be able to just concentrate on one wire at a time, and get it wired up without an issue.

Dave

Since removing the boxes completely initally the way Stephanie first showed us and now going back to my original data.zip and removing the boxes when not navigating I've noticed a few things.

 

When I'm in 3D mode and I start navigating, if my next turn is far away, it goes to 2D mode (which I like) but half the time the arrow is located towards the bottom of the screen the way it is in 3D mode and not the center of the screen! If I then hit the button to go to 2D mode (while in 3D mode but in 2D view) the arrow goes back to the center of the screen. Any ideas on why this is happening?

I experienced the same behavior this morning in the middle of a route.

Also, my 3D mode does not consistently display the arrow box, and my 2D mode did display it briefly today. Strange.

Dave

and from the words of HiFiSi, USE THE SEARCH BUTTON...

I think we need some sticky threads for tutorials. I've been screwing around with this thing for a while, and it's even tough for me to find things sometimes. The search isn't that effective when people reference what they've done to their unit in their sig. For instance, if you modified it to get rid of the boxes and put "no boxes" in your sig, every post by that user comes up in a search. I agree that people should search, but I often do and can't find what I'm looking for... even when I know it's here somewhere.

Dave

Hey Dave-

 

A few people posted that they didn't get the arrows in 2D mode even with the factory software. I noticed that too, but based on those posts, I didn't worry about it.

 

Sounds like that's a bug, so let fix it for you real quick and I'll let you know when it's done.

I didn't get arrows consistently before the update, but it was always there afterward. I also didn't get the box before the update (I can't remember if others did).

Either way, it's not a big deal. It would be great if it worked, but having the boxes gone is much more important (to me).

Thanks again!

Dave

This worked perfectly for me!! Thank you so much! This had been driving me crazy since day 1 with this unit.

Dave

This worked about 95% on my system. The only issue I have is that I no longer get the arrow box when in a route in 2D mode. I used to get this box in 2D or 3D mode, and now it only works in 3D mode. I still get the street name box at the top. Any ideas? Obviously I could revert back to the original, but I like it much better without the boxes there in no-route mode.

Thanks!!!

Dave

As far as I can tell, mine don't even shut off during the same boot if I go in and change the MSN Direct POIs like you suggested. It drives me nuts, because the map is pretty much useless. It's nice when I drive up north where there is no MSN direct, and no gas station icons.

I noticed that your display looks quite a bit different than my 900... Your clock is easier to read, you have a traffic button, and your MPH is shown on the screen. Are these all configurable and I just haven't found them in the menu? Or is yours modified somehow? (feel free to PM a response so as to not hi-jack the thread.)

[EDIT] Apparently there has been quite a bit of progress in the hacks section since I last checked. No need to answer the above questions. Thanks... [/EDIT]

Dave

-Still cannot disable gas stations on nav map, even when all gas stations are disabled in "Manage POI" menu.

-I would like to add to the statment above that the time to destination, next turn, and eta box also be removed when there is no route.

-Clock on map screen should have a background--it's nearly impossible to read when objects on the map are behind it. Better yet, keep it in the upper left corner in a box, like all of the other screens on the interface.