Hi everyone,

I've recently bought and installed an F700BT (Europe version), and I've managed to get everything setup and working with my iPhone 3G.

However, I have a few questions about the unit, as it seems to have been customised by the previous owner.

If anybody could point me in the right directions for links I'd be very grateful. I've tried finding the answers via search but couldn't really find what I wanted. Here we go:

1. The previous owner appears to have changed some of the sound effects. For this reason, the satnav barks like a dog when I exceed the speed limit (seriously )...I'm assuming that isn't the standard behaviour!

Also, the voice command menu doesn't come up when I press the volume dial. It just beeps but does nothing.

Having read a few posts on here, I'm wondering if I can reload the unit with the original version of the software to return it to standard. Don't know if there's a place I can download the OEM image?

2. As per the above, I found the following link avic f900_700 ver_3.000300 **EU** download **EU**, which claims to update both the Windows CE version, the Pioneer firmware, and maps to the latest versions.

Is this true, and will it work for any AVIC F700BT unit?

The reason I ask is that I saw an article on the Pioneer site stating that the units without the later tuner enhancement can't progress to version 3.0.

3. If I can't update the standard software, can I just update the maps on their own, and if so, is there somewhere I can download it without having to pay some ridiculous fee?

4. I've read about this test mode you can force the unit into so it allows access to the (apparently) underlying Windows CE OS. Do I need to install anything to do this, or does the SD card effectively act as a boot disc? If so, what do I need to download to do this?

Sorry for all the questions, but most of the posts I've read seem to assume a little prior knowledge, and so far I have very little

If anybody can answer any of these questions, would be highly appreciated

Many thanks,

G

Well I have to say this is a quiet forum!

Having spent forever researching this, and one phonecall to Pioneer later I worked out that the CNSD-100FM is actually the purchasable software update for 2009 maps.

I also learnt from Pioneer customer service that the unit barks like a dog in the OEM software (WEIRD!), found I could boot to win CE using the testmode software, and managed to update my firmware and maps, thanks to a handy post I found in the forum elsewhere.

I intend to try applying the pioneer update for the 3.0 firmware tomorrow.

One question though - when I backed up my unit before upgrading the flash drive, I found an ezrider folder in here, and I've seen this mentioned elsewhere, as if it's some sort of hack you can run on your unit to bypass or add functions?

Would anyone care to comment on this, or am I just going to be left to figure this out for myself too?

Well I have to say this is a quiet forum!

Having spent forever researching this, and one phonecall to Pioneer later I worked out that the CNSD-100FM is actually the purchasable software update for 2009 maps.

I also learnt from Pioneer customer service that the unit barks like a dog in the OEM software (WEIRD!), found I could boot to win CE using the testmode software, and managed to update my firmware and maps, thanks to a handy post I found in the forum elsewhere.

 

I intend to try applying the pioneer update for the 3.0 firmware tomorrow.

One question though - when I backed up my unit before upgrading the flash drive, I found an ezrider folder in here, and I've seen this mentioned elsewhere, as if it's some sort of hack you can run on your unit to bypass or add functions?

Would anyone care to comment on this, or am I just going to be left to figure this out for myself too?

Well, all of your questions have been discussed here at length, which is why people were't replying, most likely.

EzRider is the name Pioneer gave to their custom build of the iGO navigation software the unit uses (as has also been discussed here ). You need a hacked copy of EzRider if you want to load your own map, poi or building files into the unit.

Thanks! Nice to know someone else is on here.

Was I searching the wrong forum?

Some of this stuff doesn't appear in the general section.

Am I generally better off searching the hacks forum?

Cheers

You want to search all 3 sub-forums on the F series, also remember that the F700BT, F90BT, and F900BT are all almost identical with the 700 lacking DVD playback and MSN traffic, and the f90 having higher preamp outputs.

Pretty much any hack or question will apply to all 3 units.