[NDRidgey]

Happy Friday all!

I am the proud owner of an 06 RTL with nav in immaculate condition. Also new to this forum so sorry if this has been discussed before.

I was set to order the USA Spec adapter to work with my iPhone 4. I was not put off by the $120 or the hours of work tearing dashes apart to install it. What did give me serious pause was the nagging memory of the last time I tore into a dash and put stuff back together- I got rattles. I HATE rattles I decided to try a very inexpensive option first and am more than satisfied with the results.

I ordered a couple of these cables from Monoprice for the whopping price of 83 cents each. For anyone not familiar with Monoprice- they have ridiculously inexpensive products with great customer support for anything AV cable or iPhone/pod/pad related. I bought all my AV cables from them when I made my home theater- a slew of 25' HDMI, DVI and component cables for about a buck a foot. Killer quality stuff for dirt cheap. How much would those have cost at Best Buy?? I also bought iPhone screen protectors for under a buck and iPhone cases for like a buck fitty that are every bit as good as something Verizon would charge you $20 for. But I digress....

I use that 83 cent cable connecting my iPhone to the AUX port on the nav system. I just pull the cable out long enough to let the iPhone rest in the center console tray. No- it does not show the iPhone info on the nav screen- just the boring AUX input screen but I just turn it to map for something better to look at. The unexpected part that I thought was way cool was when a call came in- music turned down and I selected answer on the iPhone- the callers audio was automatically sent through the stereo and I was talking over the voice command microphone, cool... Maybe all of you knew that already, but it was unexpected coolness for me.

So I'm certainly not discounting or dissing anyone who goes the USA Spec route. But I just cringed at the thought of a rattling dash and wanted to keep it simple. Hope this helps someone.

Have a great day! Cheers!

 

[gandk06]

I did the same thing a couple weeks ago. Had my phone plugged into the aux input to listen to music, phone rang, and had the conversation through speakers. I did not know that the mic was being used for my voice, though. I thought I still needed to talk through the phone but was just holding it a farther from my mouth seeing I did not need the earpiece.

 

[klossfam]

Happy Friday all!

I am the proud owner of an 06 RTL with nav in immaculate condition. Also new to this forum so sorry if this has been discussed before.

I was set to order the USA Spec adapter to work with my iPhone 4. I was not put off by the $120 or the hours of work tearing dashes apart to install it. What did give me serious pause was the nagging memory of the last time I tore into a dash and put stuff back together- I got rattles. I HATE rattles I decided to try a very inexpensive option first and am more than satisfied with the results.

I ordered a couple of these cables from Monoprice for the whopping price of 83 cents each. For anyone not familiar with Monoprice- they have ridiculously inexpensive products with great customer support for anything AV cable or iPhone/pod/pad related. I bought all my AV cables from them when I made my home theater- a slew of 25' HDMI, DVI and component cables for about a buck a foot. Killer quality stuff for dirt cheap. How much would those have cost at Best Buy?? I also bought iPhone screen protectors for under a buck and iPhone cases for like a buck fitty that are every bit as good as something Verizon would charge you $20 for. But I digress....

I use that 83 cent cable connecting my iPhone to the AUX port on the nav system. I just pull the cable out long enough to let the iPhone rest in the center console tray. No- it does not show the iPhone info on the nav screen- just the boring AUX input screen but I just turn it to map for something better to look at. The unexpected part that I thought was way cool was when a call came in- music turned down and I selected answer on the iPhone- the callers audio was automatically sent through the stereo and I was talking over the voice command microphone, cool... Maybe all of you knew that already, but it was unexpected coolness for me.

So I'm certainly not discounting or dissing anyone who goes the USA Spec route. But I just cringed at the thought of a rattling dash and wanted to keep it simple. Hope this helps someone.

Have a great day! Cheers!

I'd agree that it an inexpensive solution but the functionally of a using a mini stereo cable with the aux port is limited...vs having a secure iPod/iPhone connection that also charges the device...In case it helps anyway with the rattle worries, I've always used a zip tie/existing wire harness approach with the iPod adapters I've installed. They touch nothing that could cause a rattle and hence no issues...See post below with pics:

http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43005&page=2

 

[laserguy]

I have not tried this cable yet when a phone call comes in, my bet is it will not affect the phone call and you can use your blue tooth ear piece or wired ear piece while connected.

http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42978

Just the fact this other cable delivers better cleaner sound and you can charge your phone with a 12 v USB connector makes it a better choice for me. I'm curious if it will do the same thing and you can listen to your calls on the car speakers. I bet it does.

 

[crimsonaudio]

USA Spec user here, zero rattles in the dash after I've torn it apart at least a dozen times. Glad you found solution, but I can't understand the 'rattle fear' as there are zero rattles here...

And honestly, it doesn't take hours to get behind the RL dash - literally takes about two minutes.

 

[speedlever]

crimsonaudio,

You should post a short video showing the process of taking the dash apart. Pictures may be worth a thousand words, but videos are the next best thing to being there.

 

[NDRidgey]

I have not tried this cable yet when a phone call comes in, my bet is it will not affect the phone call and you can use your blue tooth ear piece or wired ear piece while connected.

http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42978

Just the fact this other cable delivers better cleaner sound and you can charge your phone with a 12 v USB connector makes it a better choice for me. I'm curious if it will do the same thing and you can listen to your calls on the car speakers. I bet it does.

Good catch on that cable... better yet. :act006:

 

[crimsonaudio]

crimsonaudio,

You should post a short video showing the process of taking the dash apart. Pictures may be worth a thousand words, but videos are the next best thing to being there.

Not a bad idea, I'll see if I can do that this weekend.

It's like removing the door panels - it seems daunting until you do it and see just how amazingly simple it is.

 

[NDRidgey]

USA Spec user here, zero rattles in the dash after I've torn it apart at least a dozen times. Glad you found solution, but I can't understand the 'rattle fear' as there are zero rattles here...

And honestly, it doesn't take hours to get behind the RL dash - literally takes about two minutes.

Good to know.. you obviously have had better luck with this than I have in the past :act024:

 

[laserguy]

Yes!
I love mono price for their prices and quality cables, I bought other cables before, too bad they do not make a cable for apple like that one from China.

2 minutes to take the front part of the dash is not impossible for the ones that did it before, for first timers 10 is fair and more than enough time.

Unplugging the freaking connectors is the issue, since you need to pinch the center and pull them out and they are short and hard to work with there are like 8 or 10 of them, sometimes they appear they will not come off and you need to get a bit rough with them.
These videos have way too much talk, it may confuse first time DIY people.

The good thing is no knobs, dials or switches need to be removed, just detach unplug connectors and it is all off.

 

[NDRidgey]

Didn't realize the dash thing was that quick and simple. I was thinking in terms of the one I watched or read- don't remember whether it was a video or photos with explanations, where the guy routed the cable down the dash under the tray and up into the center console. He had to disassemble about half the interior and it looked like it would take hours.

Thanks for clearing that up....

 

[laserguy]

Didn't realize the dash thing was that quick and simple. I was thinking in terms of the one I watched or read- don't remember whether it was a video or photos with explanations, where the guy routed the cable down the dash under the tray and up into the center console. He had to disassemble about half the interior and it looked like it would take hours.

Thanks for clearing that up....

Yeah, I remember that one, he ran the cable through the middle and removed the whole middle console just for to have the ipod cable there, way too much time and hassle just for that. If you read the thread klossfam posted.

The ipod controller just goes behind the HU, (6 screws #2 philips needed) plastic locking tie wraps around the bundle factory wiring behind the HU plenty of room for a little box like that, then from there just unsnap the glove box (no tools needed for that) to have room to look and run the cable there. Cable can stay inside the glove box with no drilling holes no pinching or nothing if you tie it at the right points. Even if you want the cable out of the glove box, no pinching at all when closed. Very easy in fact my ipod cable is long enough to place the ipod on the cup holder.