Morsm

Hi all,

I just had a Dension unit installed in my 987 Boxster. A lot of information I used for the selection of the product and the decision to have it installed, and the PCM coded, rather than do the former myself, came from the Rennlist forums. I learned some things in the process that others may benefit from, that I thought I'd give back to the community so others can also make informed choices.

I can't comment on the installation process, since the company navishop.nl in Netherlands did it for me. They did a good job, mounting the Dension behind the PCM and the incluced connection box in the glove compartment. The microphone for the telephone was mounted on the top of the steering column - not very pretty, but their feedback was that the normal position (more or less symmetric between the two speakers, next to the rearview mirror) didn't work well in a convertible. I didn't challenge and now, three weeks on, I hardly see the little eyesore anymore.

My Dension was supplied with firmware version 52 and it had some major flaws. First of all, callers complained of terrible echoes - a consequence, I assume, of the asymmetric microphone placement. Also, navigating through a USB drive using the PCM was practically impossible. On a drive from Amsterdam to Paris, all I could get was either Bob Marley or Vivaldi. Comical, but not for every drive.

The good news is that firmware version 55 addresses these issues. Calling now works ok, roof up or down, even if sound quality is still not as good as with a Bluetooth headset. Bluetooth streaming from my phone (iPhone 5S) also works well.

My main use for the Dension is actually streaming sound and music from an iPad mini that I've mounted just in front of the PCM. I feel that gives me a more advanced navigation/music/etc. system than any in-car system ex factory. I mounted it by temporarily removing the trim below the center air vents (the one with the door lock button) and fitting two small magnets behind it, to which I attach a modified iPad case. When it's off, the dash looks clean, without any ugly mounts showing.

Anyway, back to the Dension - that connects to the iPad mini via a USB cable from the glove box. The unit does not provide enough juice (2A) to charge the iPad from empty and I was told about it up front. Not z big deal, though; as long as the backlight is not at max brightness, it charges the unit slowly. Since it's connected the whole time while in use, practically speaking it's always charged.
The way my Dension was wired, charging stops when I turn the ignition off. No opportunity, while parked, to charge phone/iPod/tablet in the glove box, then, but also peace of mind that the battery doesn't drain.

Anyway, USB is a bit of an Achilles' heel of the Dension. Sometimes, the unit doesn't boot when something's connected to USB. It's happened to me both with the iPad and a USB drive. There's a blue light on the Dension connection box that is normally lit up, but not in that case. The PCM loses connections with all peripherals and complains that 'Navigation and Phone are not available'. This happens about 25-33% of the time. Annoying!

The good news is I've found a workaround. There's a reset button on the Dension connection box that you can push with a pen or paperclip. That reboots the Dension, blue light comes on, etcetera. Sometimes, the PCM is not aware of it and it, too, needs to be rebooted. For reference: press 1, 4 and 8 simultaneously, which works like Ctrl-Alt-Delete. After that - and I've gotten quite good at this as part of my pre-flight routine! - everything works fine.

All in all, the Dension does what I want it to do, but it's not without its idiosyncrasies. If you don't mind the occasional compromise in user-friendliness and some fiddling around, it's a good piece of equipment and I'm happy with it. If you want something trouble-free, or have a partner who also drives the car and expects it, maybe you should stick with the adequate, if more limited, functionality of the PCM.

Rob_G

A really great write up with upfront expectations. I was considering a new headunit but the price with the MOST/HUR unit and the labor just wasn't worth it for me. I think I want to try this and now with expectations at a realistic level, I can go in with my eyes open. Thank you for taking the time to write this up.

nzskater

The boot failure may be BlueTooth being switched on. Try switching it off on your phone and leave the iPad connected, may solve the problem.

Dennis C

Glad you're happy with it. I considered it for my 2008 911 turbo, but I ended up going with the Mobridge M2 Pro system instead. It works very well, but it has a few quirks too...

mObridge

Dennis, there's a new release of software yesterday that will probably clear up the remaining quirks you may have.

cheers,

mObridge

Morsm

Thanks nzskater, I'll give Bluetooth a try. Although, since I'm using it for calls, it'll be a different thing to add to my startup routine. But switching off BT on a phone beats poking a piece of electronics with a ballpoint pen

Dennis C

What do I need to do to update my software?

Thanks,

rukhm

sorry,
sorry sir i have no any idea for this so please i can not help you
thanks
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Lve2xlr8

Anyone try firmware 56? Anything to report?

Thanks