[SCMedic]

1150 shipped to Charleston, SC if it's unopened...

[couchflambeau]

Got my ddx812 today.... which will be mated to a KGA-510 nav so it'll be identical in operation to the 8120.

stupid shop sold me the wrong ipod interface... needed the USB one. Irks me since I'll probably have to either ship it back or drive 60 miles out of my way. That's why I hate depending on salespeople, they never know their product.

The new 08's require a new Directed SC-C1 for Sirius. You also have to use a Kenwood CA-SR20V adapter for the goofy plug on the back of the deck. Great, now my old sirius tuner is junk....

Still have high hopes for the unit...

[SCMedic]

Originally Posted by couchflambeau

Got my ddx812 today.... which will be mated to a KGA-510 nav so it'll be identical in operation to the 8120.

stupid shop sold me the wrong ipod interface... needed the USB one. Irks me since I'll probably have to either ship it back or drive 60 miles out of my way. That's why I hate depending on salespeople, they never know their product.

The new 08's require a new Directed SC-C1 for Sirius. You also have to use a Kenwood CA-SR20V adapter for the goofy plug on the back of the deck. Great, now my old sirius tuner is junk....

Still have high hopes for the unit...

I purchased the 8120 from Vantage that was listed earlier in this thread...

What do I need for the steering controls to work? Should I removed the stock SAT antenna in the upper rt corner of the windshield when I install or just leave it? He's sending me the SIR-KEN1 SAT unit with it, so I may or may not install that...

Also, anyone know which wires to splice together on the Kenwoods to make the video work?

[couchflambeau]

The stock antenna is for NAV or Sat Radio? If it's sat radio is it an XM or sirius?

The reason I ask is if it's a Sirius antenna, it looks nice, and your soldering skills are good you may be able to use it. I don't like external wires/magnet mount crap so I used a Mercedes Benz Factory sirius antenna and adapted the cable to plug to an aftermarket tuner. The antenna was painted JBP to match my paint and it's permanently mounted on the trunklid (since sirius wasnt exactly a factory option for 04's...). Anyhow, what I'm saying is if the factory antenna matches the factory cosmetics and is recieving the same signal, you might be able to utilize it. Just don't try to use an XM antenna for Sirius... different frequency. I did a write up on how to adapt an factory style sirius antenna to a aftermarket sirius tuner... maybe that'll explain it better.

I'm not sure if the SIR-KEN1 will work... contact kenwood tech support at 1-800-KENWOOD and ask. Or Directed (who makes the Sirius Tuner). My understanding is you are supposed to use the two parts I mentioned, but it might work if you use a KCA-SR50. Ask em....

As for the steering controls....

PIE Precision Interface Electronics Online Store - Steering Wheel Control Interfaces

Contact PIE...
PIE Precision Interface Electronics Online Store

Peripheral Electronics (DEI) also makes steering control interfaces....

Peripheral Electronics

go to the drop down and select steering wheel control interfaces.

I'd either contact a peripheral dealer or the manufacturer to find out exactly what you need.

[SCMedic]

Very cool! Thanks. It's factory Sirius... I'm debating whether or not to even pay for Sirius.. I just don't want to install 2 antenna's.. Do I have to install a special GPS antenna too when I install the unit? Where's the best place to put it?

[couchflambeau]

Originally Posted by SCMedic

Also, anyone know which wires to splice together on the Kenwoods to make the video work?

Kenwood is very simple... the light green wire just needs to be grounded for the video to work. Of course I have to say that you shouldn't do this since it's unsafe to watch DVD's while in a moving vehicle....

Never content to just keep it simple, I used a three pole switch. In position 1 it acts just as it's supposed to... you need to pull the ebrake for the video to work. In position 2, the parking light sense wire shunts to ground so you can use the video functions all the time....

[couchflambeau]

Originally Posted by SCMedic

Very cool! Thanks. It's factory Sirius... I'm debating whether or not to even pay for Sirius.. I just don't want to install 2 antenna's.. Do I have to install a special GPS antenna too when I install the unit? Where's the best place to put it?

Absolutely... GPS and Sat radio operate on different frequencies... the antennas aren't compatible. I located my GPS antenna on the rear package shelf. GPS is a lot less finicky about signal than sat radio, so you can get away with locating the antenna inside the vehicle a lot easier than you can w/ Sat radio. It's always recommended to mount the sat radio antenna outside the vehicle if possible.

[SCMedic]

Awesome! Can I splice the ebrake wire to the radio ground and call it a day? I'd like to skip the switch.

[couchflambeau]

Originally Posted by SCMedic

Awesome! Can I splice the ebrake wire to the radio ground and call it a day? I'd like to skip the switch.

Fine... take the easy way out....

[SCMedic]

lol... I plan to. What do you think of the Kenwood I got.. .Seems like it has all the bells and whistles and Vantage gave me a fair deal...

[couchflambeau]

All I can tell you is what I've mentioned earlier... the deck is still sitting in the box next to my computer... I haven't had the chance to install it yet.

I've used the Garmin software before... and it works great. The DDX8017 that this is replacing is pretty similar to the 812 but I haven't had the opportunty to play with it yet.... so I can't really give an opinion yet....

[SCMedic]

Whoops..I missed that previous post...

<-----Slooow on saturdays...

[unrequited]

0_o It's on sale at 6th Ave. online for $700 which I believe gives you the full 2-year warranty intact...

Kenwood DDX812 In-Dash Entertainment System with Built-in Bluetooth(KENDDX812) and other affordable In Dash DVD Players at 6ave.com.

[couchflambeau]

If that 2 year warranty is important to you I suggest you contact that dealer and have them send you that in writing. When you're buying something like this at significantly less than retail, I'd be wary.

I'd also verify that whatever you're buying has a "certified upgrade" sticker on it. That should verify that it has the GUI software update.

[unrequited]

Originally Posted by from their FAQ page

Why is it important to buy from an authorized dealer?
Sixth Avenue Electronics is an authorized dealer for everything we sell. This is extremely important for you as a consumer, because buying from an authorized dealer is the only way to ensure your manufacturer’s warranty will always be honored. You also get the peace of mind that comes from knowing that all of our products come directly from the manufacturers. As an authorized dealer, our salespeople receive extensive training on all of the products we sell.

Are all of the products offered on your site brand new, and do they all come with full USA warranties?
Yes, every item on our website is brand new unless it is clearly specified otherwise. All of our products carry full manufacturers’ warranties because we are authorized dealers for everything we sell.

Good idea about the "certified upgrade" but I don't know what you're talking about, can you elaborate please?