iPhone 3G - Best solution to play Pandora Radio through stock HU

I've got an '07 RTL w/o Nav and an iPhone 3G. I would like to be able to play music (both the Ipod feature and the Pandora Radio App) from the iPhone 3G through the OEM radio and be able to charge the iPhone 3G. I won't be using XM, so that's not an issue.

Also, I would like to be able to control the music from the iPhone itself (I have a great ProClip mount that is easy to access right by the shift lever), so I don't necessarily need to be able to control the music from the OEM radio and/or the steering wheel.

It sounds like I have several choices:

The PIE Aux input described in this thread.
GROM-IPD2-HON1
USASpec PA15-HON2
Peripheral PXAMG + PGHHD1

Can anyone explain the real differences in the options? Which solution would cover all my needs? As you can tell, I'm a bit confused on which way to go. It sounds like I only need the PIE Aux input, but I'm sure I'm missing something.

Thanks in advance for your expert help!!

i use the isimple (Peripheral PXAMG) with the headphone jack connector for my iphone and it works great!

about your mount: does it interfere with the shifter at all? i got a cheapo mount from best buy and it stuck out too far from the vent and got in the way of the shifter.

i use the isimple (Peripheral PXAMG) with the headphone jack connector for my iphone and it works great!
Can you not just leave it plugged in to the dock connecter and use the AUX1 setting? I was figuring it would work that way but won't be able to confirm until I get my 3GS Friday morning!

I don't know about the 3GS (I'm on the reservation list too!) but my 1st gen iPhone causes some interference with my current setup (Alpine headunit with fullspeed iPod connector), so make sure you have enough cable to keep the phone away from the radio.

Chip H.

I use Pandora on my iphone 3g via the stock Aux plug. It works surprisingly well! I also use a cable that has a microphone on the end and a headphone jack. Since I really hate the headphone/mic that came with the iphone this special cable allows me to plug my fancy headphones directly into the mic cable. Using this cable along with the male to male cable plugged into the Aux jack, I can hear phone conversations over my Ridgeline speakers while the mic picks up my side of the conversation. Kind of a poor boys bluetooth.

qiphlow,

My ProClip mount it great! It is pricey, but you get what you pay for in this case. It allows the placement of the iPhone just perfectly so the the shift lever misses it. I can orient it vertically or horizontally and it is as solid as a rock. That allows you to easily operate the iPhone (while parked;)).

Like BrandonJ mentioned, why don't you use the standard dock connector and select Aux1?? I had heard that that might work.

chiph,

If my iPhone is mounted just between the vent to the right of the shift lever and the stereo HU, will that cause interference?? If the dock connector is used that comes with the PXAMG, will that length of cable prevent the interference??

BruceRTL,

It sounds like you have Navi - you mentioned the "stock Aux plug." I don't have one. What would be the least expensive method to add an Aux plug to my RTL non-Navi???

Thanks for all the replies!!

Happy Flag Day!

slightly off-topic but for those of you who have 1st generation iPhones and are just dying to get a 3G or 3GS here's an outfit who'll buy your old phone for cash (I plan to get a 16GB 3GS and my net "upgrade" price is gonna be less than $90!):

http://www.nextworth.com/product/?id=21408

btw, I too am a dedicated ProClip user and have one in my '07 RTL (pic below) as well as one in the missus' Audi (for her Blackberry). Don't have it connected to my OE head unit as it has no music on it (nope, not a single song) but it does have a ton of very useful apps and a few kill the time games for when I'm stuck in a waiting room, check-in lounge, etc., my favorite of which is Scrabble!

chiph,

If my iPhone is mounted just between the vent to the right of the shift lever and the stereo HU, will that cause interference?? If the dock connector is used that comes with the PXAMG, will that length of cable prevent the interference??


No way to know unless you try it and see. Sorry.

It may be that your phone is far enough away, or it may be that your radio isn't as sensitive as the Alpine is. Or that my iPhone runs on Edge, and not 3G, makes the difference.

Tell you what, I'll try it again in my car this coming weekend, after I pick up the 3GS.

Chip H.

Can you not just leave it plugged in to the dock connecter and use the AUX1 setting? I was figuring it would work that way but won't be able to confirm until I get my 3GS Friday morning!

I can confirm that setting the iSimple to AUX1 will allow you to play Pandora beautifully through the iPhone!

I have good news and bad news (maybe)

The good news is that the iPhone 3GS does not make any static on my radio, and plays Pandora perfectly as I'm going down the road.

The bad news (for me at least) is that my Alpine head unit does not charge the 3GS, so on long trips I'll need to recharge in the hotel room at night.

Whatever iPod/iPhone solution you go with, make sure it can charge your device via the USB pins on the dock connector. If it charges through the Firewire pins, you'll be out of luck. Apple changed this with the 3G and iPod Touch, it seems. Since I had a 1st gen iPhone until now, I didn't know this about the Alpine. :(

So far as the phone itself -- wow, it's fast. A 50% bump in processor speed (as well as changing to the better ARM Cortex A8 cpu) and the 7.2 Mbps data connection means no more waiting for Google Maps to download tiles. When the TomTom navigation app comes out on the AppStore, there won't be any need to buy a separate GPS unit.

Chip H.

The bad news (for me at least) is that my Alpine head unit does not charge the 3GS, so on long trips I'll need to recharge in the hotel room at night.

Whatever iPod/iPhone solution you go with, make sure it can charge your device via the USB pins on the dock connector. If it charges through the Firewire pins, you'll be out of luck. Apple changed this with the 3G and iPod Touch, it seems. Since I had a 1st gen iPhone until now, I didn't know this about the Alpine. :(
Actually, the Scosche passPORT is a new adapter to make older cables charger the newer devices. There may be others but this is the one I've seen publicized the most.

I am curious about this too and am in similar situation and have same goal. I have an '08 RTL without Nav and want to put the iphone 3G-S on a dock that recharges and pushes music from iTunes and Pandora. Did you get the answer you were looking for?
When I read the posted replies it is still a bit confusing to a non-tech guy like me as to what direction to go. :confused:
If anyone knows the answer to this dilemma would you be willing to post a brief (or at length) step by step? :D

I am curious about this too and am in similar situation and have same goal. I have an '08 RTL without Nav and want to put the iphone 3G-S on a dock that recharges and pushes music from iTunes and Pandora. Did you get the answer you were looking for?
When I read the posted replies it is still a bit confusing to a non-tech guy like me as to what direction to go. :confused:
If anyone knows the answer to this dilemma would you be willing to post a brief (or at length) step by step? :D

So what you want is the iSimple (getting it from Autotoys is the best deal and comes with the iPhone compatible cable). Once the iPhone is plugged in to the iSimple, you can put it in iPod mode to control normal iPod functions with the buttons on the factory deck. If you put it in Aux1 mode, then you control everything from the iPhone/iPod directly where you can then launch and play Pandora (and still charging at the same time).

Can you not just leave it plugged in to the dock connecter and use the AUX1 setting? I was figuring it would work that way but won't be able to confirm until I get my 3GS Friday morning!

i did that, but the cable i got didn't work very well with the iphone 3g (the cable didn't support charging, and the sound kept cutting out), so i switched to the headphone jack. i was too lazy to wait for isimple's new cable to come in the mail, so i just went out and bought a separate charger for the phone. i usually just shuffle the ipod anyway.

So what you want is the iSimple (getting it from Autotoys is the best deal and comes with the iPhone compatible cable). Once the iPhone is plugged in to the iSimple, you can put it in iPod mode to control normal iPod functions with the buttons on the factory deck. If you put it in Aux1 mode, then you control everything from the iPhone/iPod directly where you can then launch and play Pandora (and still charging at the same time).

Thank you for clearing this up. In August of last year I bought iSimple from Best Buy online and took it to the local store and the install guy said that an iPod is the only compatible device and that the iPhone comptability was a misprint. He said he did an install earlier that day and the iPhone did not work at all. I am glad to hear there is a compatible cable now.

Actually, the Scosche passPORT is a new adapter to make older cables charger the newer devices. There may be others but this is the one I've seen publicized the most.

I've also noticed that Griffin now makes one as well called the "Charge Converter".