Chat about RNS510 installation into T5.2

[Sunny43.5]

Just had a look that is the same style unit that's the upgrade model has , This one looks the same as the Zenec but has more features for less than a 5th of the price but no fitting included ES1029AU 7" HD CAR DVD Player GPS DVB T Ipod Wifi 3G VW Skoda Passat Seat | eBay Cameras are around $30

[jamwin]

Watched a youtube vid of this being taken out...very straightforward. Camera sounds a bit more involved though! Thanks for your help. I'm leaning toward the group buy, mainly because I'm an Android user and it sounds like a nice setup.

[Sunny43.5]

Keep us up to date with your progress , its always interesting to see how each individual faces a challenge .

[jamwin]

Still waiting to see if the Group Buy will materialise, while looking around at options...my van is manufactured in feb 2010, so I think that means it is pre-facelift which apparently changes my options? It also doesn't have bluetooth fitted. I could actually get away without the reversing camera, although I'd like to have it - bluetooth and navi would do it. Is there any problem with mine being T5.1 instead of 5.2?

[Sunny43.5]

I don't like to sound like a party pooper but after looking back through this thread I read that these ANS are also made in China please correct me If I am wrong , if you go onto Alibaba its a China trade portal there are dozens of companies selling the same units from either camp and they all look the same with similar functions and features . And yes I will admit with no reservations that some are "cheap" but if you do some research you will find some of the units with well known brand components inside . I have found from my personal experience that yes there are Australian suppliers but they are also selling the same products locally that come from the same factories in China , they obviously buy in bulk and then have their own retail price . I am not supporting any company here but anyone can make up their mind on what to buy . I would dearly love to buy a media unit from one of the major companies like Pioneer or Kenwood but the price they charge is outrageous considering that most of even their products are made in an Asian country . I recently fitted a head unit for a friend and it was a Phillips single din unit with most of the functions of the Chinese but what was a killer was to add the Sat nav was over $320 and what did he get for the money as an add on , a GPS antennae worth $20 and the mapping on a micro SD card and it had the exact same mapping that my Chinese unit came with standard and that cost only $400 complete with maps antennae etc . If the Chinese can make these units with all these functions why not the majors where the quality would be better but with a more realistic price rather than the $3000 price tag some have .I found this one recently Witson In Car Dvd Player For Volkswagen Golf B5 - Buy In Car Dvd Player For Volkswagen Golf B5,In Car Dvd Player For Volkswagen Golf B5,In Car Dvd Player For Volkswagen Golf B5 Product on Alibaba.com

[Sunny43.5]

H'mm if you are an AM fan then there would be no point buying a Chinese one , I don't listen to radio whilst driving most announcers annoy the crap out of me but I digress our Chinese units have next to no AM reception and we are only 30 kms out of central Brisbane . FM is not much better . I have over the years tried some off shelf boosters but they are no good that last unit I fitted to my wife's T5.2 I purchased a powered roof mount aerial from a Nissan Xtrail it made a difference but not that it would satisfy some others . There is just something about the factory radio's and the built in VW antennae once you separate them whatever you put back unless its a VW one just don't play . I did ask an car Audio place for some info as they do a few installs in different model VW's their suggestion was that there is a wire in the loom at the back of the head unit if you use a test light and connect one end to twelve volt and then probe the wires apparently when you hit the right one the radio reception will suddenly spring to life , I tried but it did not work for me so went with the roof mount .Ryda Car Audio - Aerpro AP199 Nissan X-Trail 2001-Up($66.25)

[Sunny43.5]

No problem buddy needed to make sure I did not sway you into a Chinese one , it does seem to be an issue with VW radios that are replaced so a better OEM one should fit the bill . Because some T5's use diversity antennae getting a radio to work correctly can be a problem .It would seem that VW have made their radios unique to their own system and obviously aftermarket ones could not always be compatible . Lets face it it would be pretty hard to make aftermarket radios that would work only for one specific model car the cost would be unprofitable . I was reading some stuff on the net this afternoon and there were some statements that made sense , apparently the old extension type metal antennae were the best for reception because as we all know AM has been around since man started to drive cars almost , FM only became popular here in Australia in the early 70's and in Europe they use several different bands of frequencies . Now the Americans are moving towards HD Digital and Satellite so we are only just starting to go Digital god knows what century we catch up with the rest of the world . So in Europe where our cars are made they have gone to these diversity systems and glass mounts as AM is slowly disappearing from the main stream , these aerial's now are just not as good as the old metal ones by a mile plus the fact that in Europe the FM band is absolutely swamped with stations . I know when we were there as far back as 1984 in some countries there were no restrictions on FM so any one could set up a transmitter on his roof and transmit a signal . I know some head units are now coming out with DAB here but very limited and most AM stations are also transmitting on the Digital band as well , but again the proliferation of digital is almost limited exclusively to the metro areas around Australia so if you are outside the city forget it .

[kordo]

Ok so I've just ordered a RNS510 with bluetooth module, multimedia adapter and RVC (aftermarket RVC goes through the adapter).

So my questions are:
- where does the RNS510 GPS antenna sit?
- where do you route the bluetooth microphone and unit?
- are there any issues in setting up/coding the bluetooth?
- is it best to route the reverse camera wiring through the roof lining or floor lining?
- is it possible to wire in a second set of speakers from the RNS510 and where in the harness are these speaker wires?

Thanks in advance

[Sunny43.5]

I cannot answer all your questions so her e goes GPS antennae can go anywhere with clear sight to the sky , in my T5 I have it underneath the tray above the radio it lifts out and mine is in there . Or you could mount it to the windscreen centre top using a sealant type glue or some two way tape 3M . If the microphone connects to the back of the head unit you will need to route the wire across to the end of the dash and then up the pillar trim , you can remove the end cap of the dash and use something flexible to get the wire from the side to the radio . Coding no idea as I said in earlier posts all our Chinese units just plug in and work no coding .The reverse camera wires I ran through the roof trim area less chance of them being squashed . I am also not sure if the factory plug has facility for second set of speakers it would depend on what spec your van is Is yours a Transporter or 4 motion or one of the more upmarket ones ? if a base Transporter then I doubt there would be any wires in the harness you may have to run some to your extra speakers . Again our head units have RCA outputs and we then use two amplifiers to drive our aftermarket speakers . Hope this helps , someone else may be able to shed more light on the coding issue . Last bit if you are wiring up the camera you will need to feed the wires through the roof to tailgate grommets so when you get to that point have some silicone spray it will make getting the extra wires through much easier .

[kordo]

Thanks mate.

It's a transporter crew, so it has the back seats and the factory foam/vinyl flooring. If it doesnt have wiring for aditional speakers I may hide a small amplifier if I think she needs it. Any issues in replacing the speakers in the doors and what size are they?

And yes I'm expecting the grommets to be a PITA. I've got lots of silicone spray and generally use a zip tie to help get it through.

Now I just need an answer on the coding etc