Group Buy / EOI new generation DNS head units (RNS-510 alternative)

[moda]

Ok so my unit arrived and I installed it.

I've started a spreadsheet here of bugs i've found:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ameax9FdclusdGZTWG05V0cxeGpGUWNIamdJdDBTeGc&usp=sharing

I encourage EVERYONE to add bugs they've found to the spreadsheet. It'll help Audiosources identify and fix the bugs faster, so we can just get on and use the unit.

Thoughts so far:

Radio reception is better than my chinese RNS510 copy. Not 100%, but pretty good. AM reception actually works.
iPod controls have some bugs in it, but the way I use it (let iPhone control playback, rather than unit), it's fine.
iPod playback is significantly better than my chinese RNS copy.
General usage is quick and snappy.
Screen is nice and bright.
BT call quality is good on my end, on other end has a slight reverb
BT streaming music quality is ok, has a bit of a crackle to it.
GPS locked on quickly, and iGo works as before, much quicker though.
AC controls need some work.
General menus need some work.
MFD information needs some work.

Found the dead radio bug you guys were talking about. If you turn the key to Acc, let the unit power on, THEN start the engine, radio module fails. Turn unit on and off fixes it. If you start the car straight away radio works as normal. This is repeatable.

Backlight works as normal. Max brightness, switching on headlights dims it.

One issue that I did find, that I have no idea how it happened, or why, is that twice, the unit stopped getting CANBUS data. No display on the MFD, no AC/Door popup, no information in car information, no change in backlight to headlights. On engine stop and key pull, the unit stayed powered on. Forcing the unit to shutdown turned it off, but the lights stayed on. Only way I found to fix it was to pull the canbus wiring forcing a reset.

On that, in the secret menu, what are yours set to in canbus version and car type? Mine is CAN-V and VW, but I swear when I first turned it on it was set to 'OFF' car type.

Also, it looks like mine is running a slightly newer version of the software (20131113).

So far it's about as usable as my old unit, just a lot faster, and sound quality is significantly better.

[moda]

Also, where is the factory reset button? Just for future usage.

Second question, how exactly should I connect up the reverse camera? Bit confused, the instructions make little sense.

Back of the unit has:
Video In
Reverse
BBattery
Ground

Camera Has:
Yellow Connector -> Long cable with Yellow connectors on either end, but then a short red wires coming out of each connector and then ending in bare wire (???)
Red Connector -> Long cable, one end red connector, one end bare red and black wires.

So it's obvious that the yellow connector is video in, but what are the short red wires? and then what does the bare red/black wires coming out of the red connector get connected to? Black is obviously ground, but what do the red wires go to?

It shouldn't be this hard, but apparently it is haha.

Edit: Nevermind, worked it out... All I need is the yellow... red wire on the unit side connects to reverse, and isn't connected to anything on the camera side. That's all I need, right? Will test it out tomorrow and see how it goes.

[Darks RS]

Sorry man but I got a refund no problems from Sandy.

He was polite and even offered to honour the reduced price at a later stage if I wanted to purchase one.

Just my 2 cents

Well, no one has really come and out and said it, so let me.

What a monumental BALLS UP this whole event has been.

I had a really bad experience with Sandy after I decided I wasn't prepared to wait any longer for the units to be shipped.

In my experience, he will try a sneaky trick or try to force you to keep the faulty units.

He was like an ambulance chasing lawyer, trying to force me to either accept the unit or take a $100 loss because I didn't want to continue.

Sandy seems like the kinda guy that when everything is going his way, everything is fine and nice and polite.

Once I said I didn't want to continue in the group buy he tried to lock me in and was short and sharp with me like he was a lawyer. I really didn't appreciate it, if I was able to post his emails to me on here no one would trust him.

My advice to those in North America is to immediately remove the DNS from the car, put them into the original packaging and send them back.

To the Aussies, I suggest refusing delivery and sending them back to the sender without the freight company leaving them with you.

By all means, when the hardware works for 12 months a year and not not 9 months a year and all the bugs are fixed look at if again.

But do you really want to be stuck with a hand soldered pre production unit that fails every cold morning?

Is it all really worth the risk of all the money we paid for a premium unit?

It's not a premium unit if it doesn't work!!!!!!!!

If it was $280 and didn't work on cold mornings I would say "what do you expect"

But we all paid big money for these units, and a promised software update is unlikely to fix hardware issues.

If there is a scratch or dust on it I'm sure some loophole will be found by Sandy not to give you a refund.

That's what he tried with me, I think he will try it with you.

I was lucky, some poor person took my spot or I would still be out of pocket.

I sent three emails requesting a refund including my $100 deposit and I was refused three times.

No apologies from old Sandy when some poor bugger took my spot, just short sharp snippy emails to me with no customer focus. To me he was rude.

It's a replica product manufactured in China sold by a native Chinese speaking guy from his house that isn't registered for GST.

The safest thing to do is to send it back and get a refund.

When the products been tested in cold weather and actually works, by all means consider buying another one.

Why the hell are you guys beta testers for the hardware.

Do I trust him to conduct a raffle for the free unit without another forum member from Brisbane there to oversee the draw? Not on your life.

Sandy needs to pay the shipping for any faulty units that are sent back, if were getting all technical here, the units are not fit for the purpose for which they are intended, ie they don't work when it's cold. There is a reasonable expectation that when you buy the unit that it works from say zero degrees to say fifty degrees celcuis (say 110F). If the product is not fit for purpose, then the SELLER pays the cost of postage to get it back to them, and a full refund is required. It doesn't matter what the terms and conditions are in China or what Sandy thinks, he is selling products under Australian consumer laws.

He really didn't understand that when he refused my full refund, but if you don't deliver what you promise then the "NO REFUNDS" policy isn't applicable.

Do you really want to be stuck with a $700 paperweight?

Time to send these Frankenstein units back.

I would bet the house that a working hardware and working software unit isn't released in December.

Caveat Emptor.

[Fdandy]

Also, where is the factory reset button? Just for future usage.

Under the menus, there is general, under that I believe is the restore to factory defaults.


Sent from my LG-E975K using Tapatalk

[Mattlock]

Sorry man but I got a refund no problems from Sandy.

He was polite and even offered to honour the reduced price at a later stage if I wanted to purchase one.

Just my 2 cents

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that. He was exactly the same with me, including the future discount.

[wanxu]

Let's wait until Sandy returns. I'm sure they can solve all the issues (I mean even sending new bug-free units, not just software updates). It seems they manually assembled some units to speed up the request...

The problem is that Audiosources told us the unit would be available sooner than it was. It's her fault and Sandy's fault for believing them. You all know how the front people work while the back people are still developing things...

I have experience with another chinese units. I bought a unit early after it was on the market, and some weeks/months later they changed the hardware architecture to solve some bugs and mine became an early pre-release unit with no support. This was with the unit already on the market! They were still making changes to stabilize it. That's why I am not still on the group buy. I know how they work, and it will take time to have full working units.

Those who already have the unit. Can you release some videos? Specially iPod playback! Thanks

[moda]

Under the menus, there is general, under that I believe is the restore to factory defaults.

Sent from my LG-E975K using Tapatalk

Sweet, cheers

Second question, how exactly should I connect up the reverse camera? Bit confused, the instructions make little sense.

Back of the unit has:
Video In
Reverse
BBattery
Ground

Camera Has:
Yellow Connector -> Long cable with Yellow connectors on either end, but then a short red wires coming out of each connector and then ending in bare wire (???)
Red Connector -> Long cable, one end red connector, one end bare red and black wires.

So it's obvious that the yellow connector is video in, but what are the short red wires? and then what does the bare red/black wires coming out of the red connector get connected to? Black is obviously ground, but what do the red wires go to?

It shouldn't be this hard, but apparently it is haha.

Anyone?

Those who already have the unit. Can you release some videos? Specially iPod playback! Thanks

I'll get some videos up tomorrow/sometime this week if I have time. It's fairly basic/buggy at the moment, as described in my spreadsheet above. Either way it shouldn't matter to me, since i'll be controlling it on my phone, rather than via the unit.

[Justjuice]

Hey guys. Anyone else from Sydney not received their unit yet?

After keeping an eye on the thread the last couple days was expecting it to arrive today at latest, took some time off work and no postie slip in my letterbox. Went to the post office just in case and nothing there either. I suppose it'll come tomorrow but shouldnt it have already arrived?

[polski_ogurek]

Hey guys. Anyone else from Sydney not received their unit yet?

After keeping an eye on the thread the last couple days was expecting it to arrive today at latest, took some time off work and no postie slip in my letterbox. Went to the post office just in case and nothing there either. I suppose it'll come tomorrow but shouldnt it have already arrived?

Yea, I just got home(I'm in Adelaide), and mines not here either, how many still waiting??

I'd say its down to auspost/startrack being useless

[Mattlock]

I'd say its down to auspost/startrack being useless

I'd say it is. I've had eBay stuff from other capital cities to BNE take 3-4 days when it should be 2.

There's also the possibility that Sandy's dad didn't get them out until yesterday.

[Muteki]

The postman must have got lost cause I still haven't received mine. Anyone in Melbourne receive theirs yet? Have been following this thread closely but haven't been saying anything at all. Hope all goes well and there is an explanation for all this at the end. I was actually the one who took somebody's place as they were waiting for the dns610 (lucky him)

[moda]

Considering I only got mine today, and it only had to travel 15km, i'd say you're at the mercy of Auspost :p I'd say you guys should be getting it tomorrow...ish.

[its_kel]

I've been reading the latest posts with great interest. As someone who signed up for the early batch I understood that there would be some software issues that could be fixed with a firmware update, the hardware issues are what concerns me.

Its near impossible to unplug the CANBUS each time the unit freezes..etc.

I'm interested to hear what Sandy has to say about these issues.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

[moda]

I've been reading the latest posts with great interest. As someone who signed up for the early batch I understood that there would be some software issues that could be fixed with a firmware update, the hardware issues are what concerns me.

Its near impossible to unplug the CANBUS each time the unit freezes..etc.

I'm interested to hear what Sandy has to say about these issues.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

I'm going to put my CANBUS issues down to me ****ing around with the hidden options. I've started up and shutdown my unit a dozen times since doing a factory reset (a few of those times sat there for 20mins with the engine on, messing with the GPS skins), and it's worked fine since then.

The hidden options are probably hidden for a reason :p

[raymondtrudeau]

Just before I got mine unistalled.. I finished work at 7 pm.. I went to start me car and the battery was almost dead.. I finally got it started...
I know it was not my battery because the curves only 6 months old...
So be careful I think the unit does drain your battery.