[Eug]

http://icelink.densionusa.com/

Sounds interesting, but I dunno how well this works.





General features
Radio/steering wheel control of iPod
iPod music plays through CD changer port
Damage-free cradle mounting options

Brief Overview

Integration: ICE-Link takes the place of your CD Changer and it operates like one.
iPod will be started when CD changer is selected on your head unit, and will be paused when other source is selected.
Track control from radio (and steering wheel controls if present): provided.

[sworthy]

looks cool, I saw a demo at MWSF and it seemed to work well. Control volume, next song, etc on the standard controls.

[Stingrey]

I e-mailed the guys on this site regarding when (if ever) they forsaw any gm versions of this product, no reply as of yet. I managed to hardwire the iPod to my Trans Am (since sold) pics at http://stingrey.com/guitars/ipod power included, and THAT was awesome. I want to do the same thing to the Vette I just got to replace the T/A. Looks like the easiest method (without any input from these guys) will be to get a newer iPod, a remote remote (rf remote) and just hardwire using the similar pac interface that is made for the aux input to replace your changer option. Anyone else have any info about this product though? I am still highly interested in being able to use the stereo to control the pod.

Rey :)

[Langdon]

The control integration is nice but the iPod looks to be just as close as the stereo headunit. Its been well covered that the same set up can be done with any car using one of the Blitzsafe AUX adapters. If you do the number crunching it is actually cheaper to buy the Blitzsafe adapter, Belkin charger, iPod holder, and cables than over the cost of the icelink.

I'm in the process now of finishing the project and it hasn't been all that hard to hook up.

[::maroma::]

Originally posted by Langdon:
The control integration is nice but the iPod looks to be just as close as the stereo headunit. Its been well covered that the same set up can be done with any car using one of the Blitzsafe AUX adapters. If you do the number crunching it is actually cheaper to buy the Blitzsafe adapter, Belkin charger, iPod holder, and cables than over the cost of the icelink.

I'm in the process now of finishing the project and it hasn't been all that hard to hook up.

Do you have a direct link for this? I am trying to get a friend of mine set up with an in car solution. He's got a Land Rover, if that makes any difference.

I set mine up with an adaptor to my CD changer, but not as nice as the original post. It's got some line dropping issues, and I need to ground it. I'd love a solution that will allow me to do what the ice-Link does, as far as controlling through stereo controls, etc.

My ultimate solution would be to have a single piece of hardware that connects to my head unit, and then to the docking port on the bottom of my iPod. This would both play through, and charge. Right now I have one cable for play through running from the back of my car (from the CD changer) to the front, and one for charging. I dislike clutter. So I'm looking for a better solution.

[Langdon]

Well there are about a dozen ways to mount the acutal iPod in the car with different cradles. But as wiring it in:

http://www.logjamelectronics.com/landroveraux.html

Plus

http://images.belkin.com/F8V7058-APL...8V7058-APL.jpg
(50% off through the 30th from Belkin)
OR

http://www.sik.com/imp.php

You'll hear pros and cons for each.
But there is no solution for total iPod control from any head unit (yet) even the icelink can only forward or go back. That really wasn' worth the extra $85 to me (mine total costs were about $115) when the iPod sits just as far as the stereo controls. Read the icelink page the cost start at 150 but go up depending on your car and the cradle may or maynot be what you want anyway.
I will post how I set mine up in a week or so. I have a wedding to go to this weekend so I won't have a chance to finish but by next weekend I should be done

Or just look over this link

[Stingrey]

I guess if it only controls back and forward, that isn't much of an improvement on what I did. I actually ran the hardwired control to my iPod which was stored in the console. I want to do the same thing in the Vette, but I don't have a little inexpensive trim piece to mount the control to. This is how it looked:

iPod remote / antenna switch
iPod in console with power and audio out to stock h/u

That's why I need the remote remote and the aux input. I guess that is better than icelink if you can't even start or stop play from the controls they've got. With me, since the iPod was all I listened to for the most part, it was as simple as starting the car (and I rarely took the iPod out except to upload new songs or at the gym) and hitting play on the remote on the console. No noise is generated from the iPod when it is off, so stereo could be on with no hiss or anything if I dind't feel like listening to tunes. THAT is the way to do it for me, the only ghetto part was the red button on my console to disable the power antenna that came on if the radio was on. The Vette has it in the windshield :) I'll post pics as soon as my project is done, too. I think "tle electronics" is the name of the company I got my parts from for the Firebird, if anyone else has GM car they're trying to get an iPod hardwired into. The power is simple too, if you can ground it so there is no noise.

Rey :)