Suncoast just caught my attention with an ad for a GTA PCM Upgrade to my 991.1. Much has already been said in these forums about Joy Auto, NM, and MR12 (I think I got those names right). But I have not seen much about the GTA PCM Upgrade.
What are your opinions of the GTA option?
Thanks, Mark.

 

I saw that too and it looks like they have put together a good solution. I watched the video on the GTA site and it all seems super.

Maybe a downside = audio goes through AUX instead of natively through the system (is natively the right word, I don't know). Mr12volt uses MOST (not Aux but has a big box you hide in the console...) I've got the Burmester and would want the music to still sound great.

Price point seems fair too. Suncoast a reputable vendor. Seems good with the one minor downside about the aux sound. Which maybe isn't a downside... would love to hear from folks who have it in their 991 !

 

I still am a fan of native PCM 4 upgrade in the 991. I did it in mine, and PCM 4 itself it just an overall upgrade, let alone it as carplay. Native Porsche part too.

 

I've heard it can be done and read about itt, but have never seen a good how to or video on the install. Or a play by play of what the downsides might be (or any loss or gain of function ? Any info?

 

Take a look at the video here. Daryl was very helpful:


Downsides is you lose the maps in the gage cluster, and it requires programing with a piwis, so defintely take a bit higher skill

 

The GTA is most likely a rebrand of the same internal board used by JoyeAuto etc. Nothing wrong with that at all if that's your thing, but it's unlikely GTA offers anything new.

The PCM 4 option looks very cool and hats off to all the pioneers who got it working.

The other option is to replace the PCM entirely which lots of us have done. Lots of info and support here including installation guides etc

https://rennlist.com/forums/991/1045...l#post19669948

 

Gta is a rebrand of isudar which can be found unbranded on aliexpress for about $175...

Mr12Volt is the only solution on the market that retains your factory fiber optic system. Please reach out to me and I'll go over the details of all the different kits as I've installed and un-installed practically all of them.

 

A lot of good information above…

Recently, I installed the GTA Carkits board in my Sirius/Bose PCM 3.1 head unit in my 991.1, wanting to retain the factory look. The installation process is very straightforward, even with the extra Sirius board not typically shown in the installation videos. One thing to remember is to move the fiber optic plug from the original harness to the GTA harness block that attaches to the PCM. Don’t let anyone tell you this requires professional installation—if you've ever built your own PC or even just upgraded a hard drive/SSD, you got this.

Your satisfaction with the functionality of this kit will depend on your expectations. My older iPhone 15 connects wirelessly to the GTA very quickly—by the time I’ve started the car and driven out of the garage, it's connected. The touch screen is reasonably responsive, though some swipes may occasionally open an app by mistake. The screen resolution is perfectly fine, even for my older eyes in a 911. Once you're in an app like Waze, it functions normally. You can make and receive phone calls as expected, and the multifunction steering wheel buttons for calls and volume work as before. However, when running Waze, you won’t receive audio turn-by-turn messages. You can fix this by setting the media to Aux, but that disables other audio. Podcasts and YouTube play normally while using Waze. If you have a backup camera and sensors, the PCM will automatically switch to that screen when reverse is selected, but you'll need to switch back to CarPlay manually if desired.

There are some audio issues with Waze, and the GTA system is clearly a separate one with partial integration into the existing system. If your main goal is to add CarPlay to your stock PCM 3.1 without needing more*, this is a solid solution that's easily reversible.

* The GTA kit does provide for two additional camera inputs. My car has the reverse camera, and, as such, I have not experimented with these available inputs.

Regarding @Roman ACS ’s comments above, I’m not sure what he means. As far as I know, I’m still using the fiber optic cables from my PCM 3.1, and the tuner/radio sounds the same to me. I’ve listened to a few podcasts but haven’t tested iTunes, CDs, or direct phone connections yet, as I didn’t use those features before installing the GTA.

​​​​​​​If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask.

Hank

 

​​​​​​​Your GTA car kits uses a converter to convert the signal that was coming over fiber to analog so it can pass through the aux channel. Then it gets converted back to digital. The mr12volt kit never converts anything, which is why it can play lossless audio.

 

Thanks for explaining, @Roman ACS .

Just to clarify, does the signal conversion impact only the audio coming from CarPlay, or does it affect everything, including the radio and other media sources? I haven't noticed a difference with regular radio or podcasts, but I'd appreciate your insight on where the loss in quality is most noticeable.

Thanks again!

Hank

 

It's in anything related to CarPlay / android auto

 

I've got a 991.1 with PCM 3.1. I'm primarily interested in adding a backup camera while retaining all the cluster displays (map, nav, etc.). What is the best solution for that?

 

No kit will play maps in the cluster. Only your factory Navi can do that. In my personal vehicle I leave Navi maps up while the android auto plays on the pcm.

The mr12volt kit I offer has the ability to do rear, from, and side cameras.
​​​​​​

 

@Barshfield This thread focuses on the GTA add-in board, so your question might get more visibility in a dedicated thread or one of the existing discussions that cover this topic. In short, you have two main options: 1) an add-in board that supports what you're looking for (most do), or 2) replacing the PCM head unit with one of the Android-based units that offer the functionality you need.

Hank