***Install aftermarket head unit in MOST car WITHOUT removing factory amp***
11-09-2016, 01:28 PM
#31
Rennlist Member
Ok, took 3 weeks to get my RCA to MOST converter from AliExpress, I picked up a harness from CAI and will be doing a install soon with a single DIN install with a Alpine BT149 unit. I have this same unit in my 4X4 diesel and also the Harley Davidson, it is a great unit and hopefully the converter does the same. I will try to detail the install with pictures and post.
11-25-2016, 08:26 PM
#32
Rennlist Member
Well, finally got my Alpine BT149 head unit, and kept the fiber optic amp, I use the RCA converter and pick up a harness from CAI so that I wouldn't cut into the Porsche harness at all, worse part of the job is hooking the acc. wire to the ignition to retain the radio stays on till key is remove, everything else was plug and play, even the fiber optic connection plugged right into the converter. it sounds even better now, and now have my Pandora back, along with blue tooth for phone calls. This is on a 2004 996 C2, they told me at CAI that it wouldn't work, so I ask if they had tried one ? he said no, but the website says its for 2005-08 P-car with MOST system, now we know it works on the 03 and the 04 996.
11-26-2016, 12:12 PM
#34
Rennlist Member
If your talking about the ACC wire, it goes to the orange wire on the ignition switch, be sure to add a fuse holder with a 5 amp fuse to it close to the ignition switch, this will allow the head unit to stay on till key is removed. If your talking about the Alpine head unit power wire (yellow) there is a live 12 volt wire at the radio connection, I didn't pay attention to that because I used CAI harness plug and play harness they make, bought the kit for 45 dollars which included the antenna adapter also. plus no cutting into the P-car harness.
https://cai-store.com/collections/al...ant=3737574725
https://cai-store.com/collections/al...ant=3737574725
11-26-2016, 03:00 PM
#35
Advanced
I am talking about the B+ wire on the MOST converter. The CAI kit I ordered came with an accessory wire with fuse for the head unit to connect to the ignition switch but my question concerns the MOST unit. I currently have a tranzit blue hooked up to the phone/aux power on the lower stack and I was going to remove and tap in there but the yellow wire was an unexpected extra.
11-26-2016, 04:45 PM
#36
Rennlist Member
I piggyback all 3 wires, ground, power, and acc wires right to the 3 wires between the harness from CAI connector to the Alpine harness connector.
Also remember when you first hook everything up and ready to turn on, set to ignition and then turn it off again for minute and half and then the converter is set to work.
Also remember when you first hook everything up and ready to turn on, set to ignition and then turn it off again for minute and half and then the converter is set to work.
12-02-2016, 12:23 PM
#37
Advanced
Most converter works like a champ. Been listening to music direct from my iPhone all week. Tomorrow I am going to complete the head until install and time permitting iPad mini install.
12-03-2016, 01:47 PM
#38
Racer
12-04-2016, 10:12 PM
#39
Gentlemen years have gone by with NO solution to installing an aftermarket head unit into an 03+ Porsche without the need to remove the factory amp and add all kinds of aftermarket wiring, etc to make it work. Well NO MORE!!! I took a stab at trying this RCA to MOST fiber optic converter and it WORKS. Now you can install an aftermarket head unit into an 03+ 996 and retain the stock amp.
This is HUGE IMO and no one has done it that I know of so far.
I will edit this post as I am going to now remove the ipad and install a double din head unit for testing, as well as provide the link gto purchase the box. It was $127.00 Canadian shipped to me and I had it in 3 days from Hong Kong. I did pay an additional $20 customs.
Porsche 996 rca to most fiber optic converter - YouTube
This is HUGE IMO and no one has done it that I know of so far.
I will edit this post as I am going to now remove the ipad and install a double din head unit for testing, as well as provide the link gto purchase the box. It was $127.00 Canadian shipped to me and I had it in 3 days from Hong Kong. I did pay an additional $20 customs.
Porsche 996 rca to most fiber optic converter - YouTube
Very cool! Do you still get the RDS display (name of song) in the gauge cluster? How's the functionality running off an iPad Mini? Can you still hook-up the TranzitBlu for phone calls?
12-04-2016, 11:21 PM
#40
Racer
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Well, finally got my Alpine BT149 head unit, and kept the fiber optic amp, I use the RCA converter and pick up a harness from CAI so that I wouldn't cut into the Porsche harness at all, worse part of the job is hooking the acc. wire to the ignition to retain the radio stays on till key is remove, everything else was plug and play, even the fiber optic connection plugged right into the converter. it sounds even better now, and now have my Pandora back, along with blue tooth for phone calls. This is on a 2004 996 C2, they told me at CAI that it wouldn't work, so I ask if they had tried one ? he said no, but the website says its for 2005-08 P-car with MOST system, now we know it works on the 03 and the 04 996.
12-05-2016, 03:23 AM
#41
Rennlist Member
Yes, you do lose the fade, it is only thing you lose, the quality of my sounds are so much better, even bass sounds great. that deck has made a difference on all my vehicle's. I never played with the fade before on either of the other head units, you do have the side to side adjustments.
12-05-2016, 10:17 AM
#42
As far as using an Ipad mini you can get the headphone jack to RCA and plug directly into the Optical converter.
Without a head unit going ipad mini only I don't know if there is a way to hookup the tranzit blu hf. Does it support audio pass through ?
One of the things I disliked about running my system off the ipad mini only was the loss of radio.
Looking at the tranzit blu hf manual I suppose you could use the 3.5mm out and then convert to RCA to drive the optical converter. Then connect to the unit with either a phone or use the ipad as bluetooth connection. I don't think it supports 2 bluetooth connections at the same time though so you would be stuck with either the phone or the ipad. To run them both at the same time maybe an RCA switch to swap sources on the fly but it seems overly complicated.
Why not use the ipad with a really inexpensive single din bluetooth head unit. One which would allow the ipad to be connected via aux input, this would also get your radio back AND allow for BT phone connectivity which would override the aux ipad input in the event of a call.
12-17-2016, 09:48 PM
#45
Took the plunge and ordered tonight. My CDR23 is DOA. Thinking about not using a head unit and just run off my iPad mini if I can figure out how to hook up my Tranzit BT unit for hands free. How is the volume when running your iPad without a HU?