Hi gang, I'm evaluating my options for integrating my iphone into my car. The high end is to go corksport and replace headunit. But, I'm also considering a lower cost option.

I've seen and read about people's AudioLink experience and it seems pretty good. I'm also curious if anyone has used the DICE iPod integration kit. It looks pretty full featured and shows RX-8 & iPhone compatibility.

DICE iPod Integration Kit for RX-8 (http://www.diceelectronics.com/Merchant/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=DETEST01&Product_Code=i-Mazda-R2&Category_Code=DICE_IPOD_MAZDA)

thoughts?

KF

I've been looking into the same thing. rpmstore.com has the audiolink and the Axxess iPod integration. The Axxess one seems cool because it displays text on the dash, but there seemed to be some issues with overheating. Not sure if any of that was resolved.

Also on rpmstore they state that it doesn't work with the iPhone or iPod touch.

I have the iPod touch. Anyone have any ideas how this DICE unit is?

I just got off the phone with the folks selling the DICE kit from this URL:

http://www.mp3carpros.com/product_info.php?products_id=92

Basically, if you have an 04 you need the R1 version of the kit and will not get Text Display. If you have an 05-08, you can get the R2 version which will get you Text Display. The basic requirement is that you'll need a SAT button.

On either kit, there's no limit in the number of playlists/etc. Both work with all iPods including the iPhone and Touch.

One the iPhone you can run the kit 2 ways:

1) Direct mode, iPhone interface remains completely unlocked and you can change tracks with steering wheel/headunit, but not playlists/etc. For that, you'd have to use the iPhone directly. Also, you will not get Text Display regardless of the version of the kit you own.

2) iPod mode, only the iPod interface will be locked out on the phone and you'll be able to manipulate playlists, artist, album, etc. via Headunit/Steering wheel. And you'll have Text Display if your vehicle is capable (ie, you have a SAT button). With the current iPhone firmware, you can even unlock the iPod portion in this mode by holding down the 'home' button on the iPhone, but he said this could sometimes cause some 'funkyness'.

Net, seems like a pretty decent kit with 1 year warranty and free tech support. Not to mention it specfically supports the iPhone/Touch.

KF

I ordered that one yesterday. I do have an 04, so I won't have text, but still will be able to control the IPOD, which is really what I wanted. $144 with free UPS shipping. It did ship that day, already half way here!

Now I need to decide where to mount the Itouch, any suggestions?

I ordered that one yesterday. I do have an 04, so I won't have text, but still will be able to control the IPOD, which is really what I wanted. $144 with free UPS shipping. It did ship that day, already half way here!

Now I need to decide where to mount the Itouch, any suggestions?

Hmm, not sure on mounting ideas, but please post back with results!

thanks for getting that info man.

I wonder if a call will come through your car speakers if you use the iPhone. Any answer on that?

thanks for getting that info man.

I wonder if a call will come through your car speakers if you use the iPhone. Any answer on that?

NP - I didn't specifically ask, but I wouldn't expect it to. I think the ring will come through,but once you answer, I'd expect the call to come through the line out port on the phone (headset port). Of course, I could be completely wrong. If it did come through the speakers, that would be awesome. You could use the built in iPhone mic and essentially have a single solution for iPhone audio and hands free calling.

Thanks
KF

any updates?

I want to know how you control/manipulate the iPod interface. like what button acts as the menu button, and what button acts as the select key, etc.

this solution sounds too good to be true!

i just orderd them this wekend hopfully it will come later this week

i just orderd them this wekend hopfully it will come later this week


please post a review as you get it.

Still waiting for mine, it spent the weekend in salt lake. I really wish UPS shipped over the weekend. Will write it up when I get it.

Still waiting for mine, it spent the weekend in salt lake. I really wish UPS shipped over the weekend. Will write it up when I get it.


f'n ups re-scheduled my delivery of my replacement PIE cable too. Should get it today as well.

Would've been nice to have some tunes on the way to and from the mountains. GRRR.

I'm really interested in this as well. I've been looking for a good solution for a while. I thought the Audiolink sounded the best but the two I tried had too much interference, apparently nobody else has that problem.

I have the Neo-Link now and the audio quality isn't good. Plus it completely looks out my iphone. I want something with good audio quality that doesn't look out the iphone and lets me use the steering controls to change tracks. Can't wait to hear the review.

any updates?

I want to know how you control/manipulate the iPod interface. like what button acts as the menu button, and what button acts as the select key, etc.

this solution sounds too good to be true!

User Manual: http://www.diceelectronics.com/support/files/hondaR3Gen2.pdf

It's for Honda, but linked from Mazda page. So, I expect it's similar.

There's also YouTube videos for BMW's using the kit. Like others, I'm very interestd to see how it behaves on RX-8.

Thanks!
KF

Well I got it today. Installed it. Didn't work. It was charging the Ipod, but didn't find it when I pressed the CD button twice (Dont have the SAT button). Called DICE, they are going to send me a new one. More waiting. This sucks.

UPS Rescheduled mine till the 17 so more waiting for me too

DAMNIT. I can't wait to hear the reviews, I'm still looking for a good solution.

I guess the only review I can give right now is that:
- easy to install once you get the head unit out
- has both ipod and aux in
- seems well made (other than mine didnt work)
- customer service was really good, now that I'm not as pissed

I guess the only review I can give right now is that:
- easy to install once you get the head unit out
- has both ipod and aux in
- seems well made (other than mine didnt work)
- customer service was really good, now that I'm not as pissed

Hey James, can you tell me how long the iPod connection cord is that would run from the iPod to the box? I have one of these on order and want to mount the box behind the dash and run the cable down the tunnel to behind the sliding arm rest. I have ordered a min-din extension if needed but was curious how long that cable is from DICE.

The cable is from the radio to dice unit is long enough for me to mount it under the passanger dash (12-18") for easy access, then about 4 ft to the ipod, just looking at it, it would be long enough to go in the armrest, maybe behind it depending on the routing.

That sounds to be about the same length of the Axxess cable which had more than enough

I just got off the phone with DICE, even though the 2004-2007 RX8 is listed under the R2 kit, which has the ability to do TEXT, the 2004-2005 RX8 will not display text because there is no satellite input.

I've been going back and forth between the DICE and the Axxess because the Axxess displays text, or so it says on therpmstore.com. However I have an iPod touch and it's not compatible. Can anyone verify this is true? It also says it doesn't work with an iPhone as well. Finally can anyone verify that the Axxess will display text in a 2004 RX8?

DeViLbOi I saw your posts in the thread about the Axxess integration. It appeared you had some trouble with yours. Can you tell me if you are having anymore difficulties with overheating or where things stand?

I'm at a cross road between these two.

Last week it was 8F...not a damn thing here can overheat. :P

I just got off the phone with DICE, even though the 2004-2007 RX8 is listed under the R2 kit, which has the ability to do TEXT, the 2004-2005 RX8 will not display text because there is no satellite input.

I've been going back and forth between the DICE and the Axxess because the Axxess displays text, or so it says on therpmstore.com. However I have an iPod touch and it's not compatible. Can anyone verify this is true? It also says it doesn't work with an iPhone as well. Finally can anyone verify that the Axxess will display text in a 2004 RX8?

DeViLbOi I saw your posts in the thread about the Axxess integration. It appeared you had some trouble with yours. Can you tell me if you are having anymore difficulties with overheating or where things stand?

I'm at a cross road between these two.

Correct, if you do not have a SAT button, you have to go with the R1, which does not do text. I believe this is true for both, since you have to use the external changer port, which you only get an "EX 1" displayed.

The itouch will work for the DICE, I called to verify that, I did not see where the Axxess one will. That led me to the DICE

I just got the R2 and installed it. It played music when I pressed the SAT button. (mine is 07). But I can't do nothing on the HU and Steering wheel control. The text shows UPDATING. Do I need to set the DIP switch? How is yours working, jamesdherman.

still waiting for my replacement.......:banghead:

For all interested... the DICE Electronics Mazda RX-8 manual... just waiting to save up some $$$ (after tires) to pick one up. I'll be moving from an Mazda OEM iPod adapter to the DICE. Also, You might want to check out what people have said when I posed the question about Axxess iPod adapter (http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=140063).

Bump

Bumping something that is 3 hours old in a forum category with little traffic. WTF?

I just got the R2 and installed it. It played music when I pressed the SAT button. (mine is 07). But I can't do nothing on the HU and Steering wheel control. The text shows UPDATING. Do I need to set the DIP switch? How is yours working, jamesdherman.

How's the sound quality compared to a CD and/or radio? The sound quality with the Neo Link I have isn't very good. Everything sounds flat. I have to turn my iphone onto "loudness" and even then it still kinda sucks.

Mine works fine. The sound quality is the same as CDs, IMO.

mines coming in tom so ill post a review sometime tom if not tom then deff tues

I've had this kit for a while now, almost as soon as the IPhone came to market. I have an 04, so no txt for me-not a deal breaker.
I ran my wire through the center console and into the cup holder, so it can be easily accessible and hidden from prying eyes.
When a call comes through, the music fades away and you're able to answer your call-speakers aren't enabled.
When a text comes through there's a small pause, don't worry it wasn't a bad recording.
You change playlists using the head unit's, "Disc up/down" button. You change tracks using either the head unit's or steering wheel controls.

I've had this kit for a while now, almost as soon as the IPhone came to market. I have an 04, so no txt for me-not a deal breaker.
I ran my wire through the center console and into the cup holder, so it can be easily accessible and hidden from prying eyes.
When a call comes through, the music fades away and you're able to answer your call-speakers aren't enabled.
When a text comes through there's a small pause, don't worry it wasn't a bad recording.
You change playlists using the head unit's, "Disc up/down" button. You change tracks using either the head unit's or steering wheel controls.

Does it sounds as good as the previous poster indicated (CD quality)? And it doesn't look out the iphone? My NeoLink locks out the iphone.

The sound quality is acceptable-cd quality I think is optimistic.
The adapter I had before sounded a bit louder for some reason. I haven't messed around with the DICE adaptor all that much though.
The DICE adaptor locks out the Iphone from the factory, but just found out today that if you press and hold the home button while playing, you're able to use the Iphone interface. Sorry about my reply, I'm typing on the friggin' Iphone.. Haha

well got mine in today, and got it all pluged in and setup, but now my head unit wont turn on??, i can turn on the air but its just blowing hot air, any thoughts as i sit on the phone w tech support

wow that sucks. Did you check your fuses?

I get my replacement tomorrow. Not 100% confident that all will work.

ha ill check them now i hope that is the problem....


*EDIT: Nope not a fuse.

Sounds like you didn't plug the cable all the way back into the headunit. Take apart the dash and reconnect everything.

did that like 5 times cant even tell you how fustrating it is to drive w/o a radio, could i have pulled out a wire from one of the plugs in the back of the head unit?? this could be posible since i pulled it out about 5 times.

Dice kit looks really good on paper. Anyone have any major gripes with the kit? How long does it take to install?

Sorry about the bump earlier. Was just trying to subscribe because i wasn't at my comp. I fail with the search button

It is possible...but you have to pull the head unit for the 6th time to find out. :P My HU comes out barely enough for my big ass hand to get behind it and disconnect the plugs so it is possible that you pulled a cable out of the molex. I would try and hook it up without the HVAC's and make sure the HU works before you plug the rest in. Other possibility is that the face of the HU disconnected from the HU. Take the HU out and pull the face off of the rest and reattach it. See if that fixes it.

that didnt work either, this is shitty now i have to take it to mazda n see wat they can do for me, and i have to pay a 116 dollar diagnostic fee so they can run test on it too see wats wrong

Sorry about your head unit, this is how I ran the wire to the center console. I still have about 22 inches of wire if any one in the back feels like they need to browse playlists.

P.s When I have the iphone interface active (remember, press and hold the "home" button while playing) I'm not able to use the steering wheel or head unit controls.
Someone correct me if there's a fix.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f198/miralamorena/IMG_0130.jpg

Ever Hernandez, how do you control your iPod with the head unit? For my case, I push the SAT button and it read SR1: UPDATING. The music plays but I cant control anything with the HU nor SW control.

The manual that came with my unit says it uses CD changer port, and depending on which disc im at, the control would be different. But I tried to push the CD button twice but got no response.

Wondering if they sent me wrong unit.

I have an 04, so I use the Cd button. I would check out their support page first, http://www.diceelectronics.com/support/index.htm

Once press the Cd button, the car displays EX:1 (track/track time) The first number refers to the playlist you're in. When you change change playlist (Disc up/down) it's possible that the previous song still plays, all I do is hit the search forward button to jump right in the playlist I want.

Then, while the iphone is lock out I can use the HU's seek button or SW's to change tracks and the HU's Disc up/down to change playlists. I think even the search button works, but if you hold it long enough it'll skip to the next track.

Like I said before, you can unlock the iphone by pressing the Home button. The car's controls will then be disabled.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f198/miralamorena/IMG_0133.jpg

OK, I did this install a couple of weeks ago and snapped some pics while I was at it. Here's some info....

I found that you only need to disconnect the two climate-control connectors on the bottom of the head unit to be able to pull the HU out far enough to get your hand in behind for plugging in the DICE connector to the SAT port. No need to pull any audio connectors. BUT, the climate-control connectors are a real PITA to get off.... They're real hard to see, and the release clips are different on each connector and are hard to "feel" to unclip. So, I borrowed one of the wife's makeup mirrors to get a clear view of the connectors. :kiss: Piece of cake once you can see what you're trying to get at.... I also used the mirror to peek behind the HU to see where the SAT port was. I've got big hands so it was a little bit of a challenge to reach back and plug in the DICE connector, but really wasn't a big deal.

http://www.rzrd500.com/hosted/dice_1.jpg

http://www.rzrd500.com/hosted/dice_2.jpg

http://www.rzrd500.com/hosted/dice_3.jpg

I chose to place the DICE adaptor under the HU behind the ash tray. There's a small piece of jute padding in there that makes a nice "bed" for the adaptor to sit on. Provided ipod cable is long enough to reach the cupholders, but I chose to route the cable up over the ashtray and ashtray door, because I wanted to have my ipod up in my sightline where I could see it while driving.

http://www.rzrd500.com/hosted/dice_4.jpg

http://www.rzrd500.com/hosted/dice_5.jpg

The nice thing about the DICE unit is the extra axillary port. Since you are using the SAT port in the HU, having satellite radio would then normally be a no-go. But with the AUX out on the adaptor, you can plug a hand-held SAT-radio into it and have both ipod and SAT radio options (or an MP3 player if you want)... NICE

I plugged-in a male-to-male stereo minijack cable to the DICE unit before sealing it up behind the dash, and then ran this cable out to the cupholders. I filed a small notch in the little plastic cover that goes in that hole you see in the pic for cable pass thru....

http://www.rzrd500.com/hosted/dice_6.jpg

I elected to go with one of those spring-loaded ipod/cell phone holders that clip into one of the heater/air vents. Worked out good (except for the fact they only had white ones... have to fix that later with a black one). As it is I can see the ipod display while driving, altho it's easier to use the HU's controls while driving....
Sound quality is first-rate.... CD quality. But, the key here is to have high-bitrate MP3s for best sound. Overall, a GREAT mod....

http://www.rzrd500.com/hosted/dice_7.jpg

Hurray, my replacement came and it works!

I have the R1, since I have a 2004 without SAT button, so not text. But I plugged it in, pressed CD twice and it worked. Pretty good quality as far as I can tell so far. The screen just says EX (again, no sat button). All in all, happy so far.

Routed mine similar to Ever Hernandez, into the cup holder area, made a little notch on the bottom of that little plug for the wire.

Did a cd comparison with the ipod, sounded the same to me.

The advantage I've noticed so far, no skipping on my crappy midwest roads.

Works with both my nano and touch.

Personally, Im more of a fan of the back compartment.

http://devilboi.crackmonkey.us/e107_plugins/coppermine_menu/albums/userpics/Random%20Photoz/2007-07-24%20RX8%20iPod%20Install/normal_IMG_3229.JPG (http://devilboi.crackmonkey.us/e107_plugins/coppermine_menu/albums/userpics/Random%20Photoz/2007-07-24%20RX8%20iPod%20Install/IMG_3229.JPG)

Personally, Im more of a fan of the back compartment.

http://devilboi.crackmonkey.us/e107_plugins/coppermine_menu/albums/userpics/Random%20Photoz/2007-07-24%20RX8%20iPod%20Install/normal_IMG_3229.JPG (http://devilboi.crackmonkey.us/e107_plugins/coppermine_menu/albums/userpics/Random%20Photoz/2007-07-24%20RX8%20iPod%20Install/IMG_3229.JPG)

Curious - are there two wires connecting the iPod plug to the Axxess box? Or is that a separate wire for an aux?

yeah, it was a toss up for me. I liked the routing to the back compartment, but I usually keep that closed, and with the touch I wanted to be able to see it, mess with it, etc. I was actually considering running it up to the sunglasses compartment overhead.

hey rztom

do you have a label on the bottom side of your dice unit that indicates the module version (see my pictures)? I have my unit installed yet the HU and SW controls are not working. Instead of displaying "SR1:Playlist" like yours, mine displayed "SR1: UPDATING" and none of the button works. Just wanna make sure I have the right one......

Also what is your DIP switch configuration? Thanks!

shinji_lee - I don't recall if I had a label on mine like yours, and since it is now buried in my center stack in the car I can't verify that.... but it is definitely an "R2" version.

Sounds like you've got your dip switches set wrong. When I first put mine in my display showed same thing as yours, so I checked the dip switches and found I had them set backwards...:icon_no2:

You have to set them to "SAT" and "DICE mode" respectively. On the "car config" switches (left ones), both must be set to "on" - switches in the down position. This puts the adapter in SAT mode.

For the right, "ipod config" switches, set both of these to "off" - switches in the up position. This sets the adapter to "Dice mode" so that both the ipod and radio controls are active, and your display will read correctly.

Hopefully once you get your dip switches set up correctly you'll be OK.

Curious - are there two wires connecting the iPod plug to the Axxess box? Or is that a separate wire for an aux?

Axxess has two wires for some reason...I have no idea why. Both ends of the cable have a single connector.

Just ordered mine. The waiting begins....

shinji_lee - I don't recall if I had a label on mine like yours, and since it is now buried in my center stack in the car I can't verify that.... but it is definitely an "R2" version.

Sounds like you've got your dip switches set wrong. When I first put mine in my display showed same thing as yours, so I checked the dip switches and found I had them set backwards...:icon_no2:

You have to set them to "SAT" and "DICE mode" respectively. On the "car config" switches (left ones), both must be set to "on" - switches in the down position. This puts the adapter in SAT mode.

For the right, "ipod config" switches, set both of these to "off" - switches in the up position. This sets the adapter to "Dice mode" so that both the ipod and radio controls are active, and your display will read correctly.

Hopefully once you get your dip switches set up correctly you'll be OK.

So can you give us a quick shake down as to how this works?

How is the playlist access? Can you search your entire collection from the steering wheel? Is there text display?

How do you like it? Any complaints?

It turned out to be a bad unit I got from ebay. Requested for exchange, hopefully it works this time.

Had something interesting happen yesterday. My Ipod Nano was pluged in and just quit working. The ipod itself. Completly dead. Don't know if it's because of the DICE, or just died on its own. The touch still works, but I'm afraid to use it to much.

Can someone tell me if the Dice kit will work with a vehicle with the factory 6 CD changer? I had thought that the 6 CD changer was standard on a 2004, but I guess it's not. Thanks.

Can anyone with an 05 or later (with the R2 kit) explain how the Text display looks or take pictures?

James, you shouldn't be concerned about using your ipod daily. I use my ipod and iphone everyday and on long trips, no problems.
The ipod itself must've been defective.

Rich, sounds like you're gonna have to make a choice between cds and mp3s, as the Dice adapter plugs right in the cd changer port on the car.
That's was no problem for me.

Killerfish, I think the display would be much like the old school 1 din radios, since there's not much dot per inch count on the car display.
So in my mind, you'll see the song title pop, then scroll through, just my thought

If I disconnect the factory cd changer and plug in the Dice adapter, will I still be able to use the CD player (just one disc)? Or is the whole CD player all one unit with the CD changer? I haven't had a chance to remove the radio, so I wasn't sure how they configured these systems.

If the cd player in your dash is a 6-disc player then you can have both. If you have a single disc player in the dash and a 6-disc in the trunk then you will have to give up the 6-disc in the trunk for the DICE adapter.

So can you give us a quick shake down as to how this works?
OK, here goes.... :)

"How is the playlist access?"
Playlist access is fine.... you can toggle thru playlists either with the ipod clickwheel or the radio controls. Once you get used to which radio controls do what, I find it easier to use the radio than the ipod clickwheel to navigate the ipod while driving.

"Can you search your entire collection from the steering wheel?"
No. Steering wheel volume controls work as expected, but the since the DICE unit is using the SAT radio port, the steering wheel seek buttons function as if in radio mode - they work to toggle between radio presets, which in this case do nothing. Dice recommends you program the radio presets to trigger a function in the adapter, such as playlist, album, chapter, and to toggle between ipod and AUX sources. I haven't tried to do this yet, so don't know how well it may or may not work.

"Is there text display?"
So far the only text display I've been able to get it to do is to display the currently chosen function, ie: "PLAYLIST," "ALBUM," "TRACK" etc., like what you see in the pic I posted in a previous post. Dice's user guide says you can also toggle text to display the currently playing artist/album and song name, but I haven't had any success yet in getting my display to do that. Don't know if I'm just not doing it right, or if that's a shortcoming in the RX-8 version of the DICE module. Doesn't bother me that much as I can still view all that info right from the ipod display - in color....

"How do you like it?"
So far so good - it sure beats feeding CD after CD into the player, and since I haven't yet brought myself to pony up for satellite radio, this is keeping me very happy. I mean, how can you complain when you have literally hundreds of songs available for listening with just the push button or two. Actually, most of the time I just set the ipod to shuffle play and let 'er rip. And it is really nice to be able to control the ipod from either the radio or from the ipod itself.

"Any complaints?"
Well, one thing that kind of bugged me was that some of the radio controls don't do what the instruction sheet provided with the DICE unit said they would, so some "self-learning" trial-and-error is required. And like I said, I still haven't figured out the whole text display thing.

After all the frustration I have with the Neo Prolink PODMAZV1 (a rebrand for the DICE), Neo finally confirmed that only PODMAZR2V1 would work with 07 RX-8 :banghead: . The PODMAZV1 only works for Mazda upto 06. And since I got this new from ebay, Im not able to return but to sell it back. If you have 06 or earlier Rx-8 and need this, let me know PM or email.

Shinji_lee...I would put that in the Parts for Sale section. Im sure you will sell it quickly from there.

After all the frustration I have with the Neo Prolink PODMAZV1 (a rebrand for the DICE), Neo finally confirmed that only PODMAZR2V1 would work with 07 RX-8 :banghead: . The PODMAZV1 only works for Mazda upto 06. And since I got this new from ebay, Im not able to return but to sell it back. If you have 06 or earlier Rx-8 and need this, let me know PM or email.

i'm interested in learning about this rebrand! link! :)

Thanks, DeViLbOi. I post it on sale section. Here is the link.
http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=141377

im new here and im deciding to purchase the DICE thingi ....so here comes the question ...hope u guys could help me ....

i have a 2004 rx8
1) i dont have a SAT button ...so would it still work ?
2) if i use the DICE , would my cd player still work ? coz i saw some confusion on cd players on previous posts and i have no idea what is it about .
3) im using an iphone ...would u get static when using it ?
4) and lastly ....im kinda stupid at installing stuff ...so would it be hard to install it ?

1) Yes...just get the R1 version
2) Yes...it would only cause a problem if you had installed an external 6 disc changer.
3) Static? No...it is a direct connection
4) It takes about an hour and as long as you can follow pictures of what screws to remove you will be fine.

When the ipod is hooked up, can you still select songs to play directly from the ipod? For example: If I'm playing track #1 on the ipod and want to jump to track #88, can I scroll down to track #88 and hit play on the ipod?

^^ Yes...

hey luv4eternity

Let me know if you are interested in the one I post for sale. I got the one thats for 06 or earlier, but I have an 07 so I need to get rid of it and get the right one. As for the installation, just like DeViLbOi said, it just "plug n play" kind of thing. The most difficult part is to remove the radio. Recommend you to look at these links.

http://www.whatsmyip.org/ipodrx8/

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=138491&highlight=Removing+the+center+dash+for+Nav

Plus some pictures for your reference.

im new here and im deciding to purchase the DICE thingi ....so here comes the question ...hope u guys could help me ....

i have a 2004 rx8
1) i dont have a SAT button ...so would it still work ?
2) if i use the DICE , would my cd player still work ? coz i saw some confusion on cd players on previous posts and i have no idea what is it about .
3) im using an iphone ...would u get static when using it ?
4) and lastly ....im kinda stupid at installing stuff ...so would it be hard to install it ?

The answer to all your ?'s was on page 2...

Finally received and installed my DICE unit today. All went well - with all of the various instructions available through these forums, it would be pretty hard to screw up.

I used a mini-din extension cable to provide enough of the DICE box to iPod cable that I could mount it in the secret storage compartment with a good 3 feet of cord left for easy access to people in the front or back seats. I fed an aux line down to the back of the ashtray for a Sirius Starmate 4 that I will be fitting in there and ran the sat antenna from the back parcel shelf with the wire hidden all down the door sill of the passenger side and then up into the dash behind the glove box and down to the ashtray. I a detached the lighter unit and just plugged it in loose behind the ashtray to plug the sat car adapter into. I'll take photos of that part once I get mine cut and fitted.

Works as promised, though it is slow to reverse selections (stepping back through tracks) - moving forward through them is faster. Sound through either the iPod or the satellite radio is clear and loud - CD quality if the sampling rate is good. I had a USASpec iPod unit in the '01 Maxima SE-AE I owned before the RX-8 and the DICE sounds pretty much the same as that one did and I never had any complaints.

I mounted the DICE box between the glovebox and the head unit, sitting vertically and zip-tied to a metal brace. It's fairly easy to get at by just dropping the glove box (which requires no tools at all).

I managed to plug the DICE wire harness in without completely removing the stereo by unlugging the HVAC wires and then tilting the unit forward enough that I could get my hand just back in there. By reaching in through the glove box opening with my other hand and using a small mirror, I could plug the cable in easily. The mirror was also very handy for unplugging the HVAC cables by holding it beneath the headunit and using a tiny screwdriver to push in the retention clip.

The satellite radio antenna gets full reception inside the car sitting on the parcel shelf, which is where I had it in my Maxima as well.

I'll add photos once I have the ashtray modded up completely.

I just installed the kit but I cannot browse through my music using the touch screen. I can browse through my pictures but once i click on music or movies the touch screen just says Accessory Attach. I have a 32gb touch. The steering wheel and dash work prefectly. Anyone have a similar problem?

Try holding the Home button when you're in the "Accessory Attached" until it goes back to the Home Screen.

It works on my iphone, guess it should work for your ipod.

P. S. Once you enable the ipod interface, you'll lose the car controls.

From the home screen, it brings me back to Accessory Attached when i touch the music icon. I want to mount the Ipod, but if i can't browse on the touch i'm just going to relocate the wires to the cup holders.

Wargoose - did you get the text display to function as it should?:dunno:

When I hit the trigger to display text on the radio display, all I get is a random number displayed. Subsequent pushes of the Text/Tune button do nothing....

I called Dice tech support and got a less-than-knowledgeable techie on the phone who told me maybe it was my docking cable that had come loose from the adapter, causing the problem. Seeing as my ipod initializes just fine everytime I plug it in, I doubt that is the issue. I think I got a bad/failing module.

What's your experience? :scratchhe

Wargoose - did you get the text display to function as it should?:dunno:

When I hit the trigger to display text on the radio display, all I get is a random number displayed. Subsequent pushes of the Text/Tune button do nothing....

I called Dice tech support and got a less-than-knowledgeable techie on the phone who told me maybe it was my docking cable that had come loose from the adapter, causing the problem. Seeing as my ipod initializes just fine everytime I plug it in, I doubt that is the issue. I think I got a bad/failing module.

What's your experience? :scratchhe

I have an '04 with no SAT button - as such I had to order the R1 version of the DICE unit. To get text support you need the newer radios with that button and the R2 version of the DICE unit. Ergo, no text for me...

I have an '04 with no SAT button
Sorry... duh - should've been my first question - R1 or R2 unit :doh:

Two issues I am noticing are an alternator whine when using the aux input, which is likely from me using the lighter socket to plug the Sirius radio power adapter into. I will be running a new tap directly from the fuse panel that I can properly ground, which should get rid of that noise.

The second issue I've not yet figured out. There is at times what seems to be a feedback sound through the stereo when using the iPod. It goes up and down with the volume and at first I thought it might be hard drive feedback from my 5th generation video iPod. However I borrowed a friend's new nano, which is solid state, and the noise is still there. I even played the same track on both units and the noise was there with both. When the iPod is played through the aux input (headphone jack), the noise is not present.

I don't know how best to describe the noise, it's almost a cross between static and something mechanical sounding.

I'll take the dash apart again this weekend and start moving cable around and such to see if I can figure out the source or if it's just a faulty unit. Other than that noise, it sounds flawless, so I hope to get rid of the bug.

I don't know how best to describe the noise, it's almost a cross between static and something mechanical sounding.


I don't mean to hijack this thread since I am actually following this and considering switching from an AudioLink to the Dice R2, however I am having similar issues with my iPod video on an AudioLink. It sounds like noise from the internals of the iPod itself is leaking into the audio (mechanical sounds, and some sort of slight squealing noise). I can silence this interference by changing the volume on the touchwheel, but the moment i remove my finger (not sure if it'd have to wait for the backlight to fade first), the noise returns. At other times, i'd get an interesting clicking noise as if the HDD was seeking to something. Unfortunately I have yet to try another iPod to see whether it is a fault of the adapter or the iPod. Any ideas on what this might be from?

Additional information; my AudioLink has a Y-splitter to a 3.5mm minijack that is currently not plugged into anything (I have electrical-taped the end). I plan to plug it into my carPC once I get it back up again. Could this noise be fixed by proper grounding somehow?

A question I have about the Dice adapter: Can it run with the iPod AND aux input simultaneously without degradation? My AudioLink will pass sound from both channels at the same time, but the gain gets severely reduced, and i could swear it sounds worse in general.

Try disconnecting your Y Adapter and see if your noise level drops...it should.

Personally, Im more of a fan of the back compartment.

http://devilboi.crackmonkey.us/e107_plugins/coppermine_menu/albums/userpics/Random%20Photoz/2007-07-24%20RX8%20iPod%20Install/normal_IMG_3229.JPG (http://devilboi.crackmonkey.us/e107_plugins/coppermine_menu/albums/userpics/Random%20Photoz/2007-07-24%20RX8%20iPod%20Install/IMG_3229.JPG)

Nice, I like this... I didn't even know that porthole was there until i lifted up the felt mat. I'm going through the front side currently, but want to do this instead; Is the Dice iPod dock cable long enough to do this?

How much of a re-route does it take to get there, DeViLbOi? DIY on this? :uhh:

Try disconnecting your Y Adapter and see if your noise level drops...it should.

Unfortunately, the Y-adapter and the dock cable are all one piece :(

I don't mean to hijack this thread since I am actually following this and considering switching from an AudioLink to the Dice R2, however I am having similar issues with my iPod video on an AudioLink. It sounds like noise from the internals of the iPod itself is leaking into the audio (mechanical sounds, and some sort of slight squealing noise). I can silence this interference by changing the volume on the touchwheel, but the moment i remove my finger (not sure if it'd have to wait for the backlight to fade first), the noise returns. At other times, i'd get an interesting clicking noise as if the HDD was seeking to something. Unfortunately I have yet to try another iPod to see whether it is a fault of the adapter or the iPod. Any ideas on what this might be from?

Additional information; my AudioLink has a Y-splitter to a 3.5mm minijack that is currently not plugged into anything (I have electrical-taped the end). I plan to plug it into my carPC once I get it back up again. Could this noise be fixed by proper grounding somehow?

A question I have about the Dice adapter: Can it run with the iPod AND aux input simultaneously without degradation? My AudioLink will pass sound from both channels at the same time, but the gain gets severely reduced, and i could swear it sounds worse in general.

One of the key reasons I decided against the Audiolink was due to the aux and iPod cords being tied together and the fact that you need to shut down one or the other to prevent them from bleeding over one another. With the DICE and most that have a separate aux plug, you switch between them via the headunit and you can leave both sources powered on without interference.

I've done some more experimenting - I received a second DICE unit and swapped it all out completely and played around with locations, cables, etc. No matter what, there is some kind of electronic noise coming through. In fact, it's even there on CD's, so it's got something to do with the head unit. If you put in a CD with a very quiet passage and max the volume, you can hear a steady pulse sound that seems to be matched with the track counter, like it's "beeping" in time with it (it's not an actual beep, but just a tonal pulse).

Once I switch to the iPod, the noise is louder still, along with some small interference noise - again this is really most notable above 30 on the volume. Not sure if this is something that would be present with anything hooked up to the external CD changer plug since I am thinking it's tied to the counter somehow.

Can anyone try a very quiet CD (possibly even blank) and crank the stereo to the max and see if they can hear any kind of steady pulse sound (it's quieter on the CD than the DICE).

Just curious...

FWIW, I only get the noise sensation from the iPod; CDs are no problem. Have you gone back and taken the DICE unit out of the equation entirely instead of swapping to see if you get the noise from CDs playing?

I think I will be making that switch to a DICE unit.

With the Axxess box my volume doesn't go above 10. Can't test for you...sorry.

FWIW, I only get the noise sensation from the iPod; CDs are no problem. Have you gone back and taken the DICE unit out of the equation entirely instead of swapping to see if you get the noise from CDs playing?

I think I will be making that switch to a DICE unit.

Yes, I completely unhooked it all to start from scratch and then swapped out both DICE boxes, hook up cables, iPod cables, etc. It's not like the noise is horribly loud, but with quiet music I can definitely notice it.

OK... for those with the R2 version of the DICE module, I got the text display thing figured out. Turns out it was just my lack of knowledge of all the functions associated with the various buttons/knobs on the 8's head unit. My problem started with trying to follow the user manual that came with the DICE unit. The instructions show, and are based on, the head unit from a Mazda3 (my wife drives a Mazda3 so I recognized the radio shown in the user guide...). So I was gettin' no love when I'd try and press/turn the same knobs/buttons on the 8 as those shown in the guide. So, I did the unthinkable.... I opened and read the section on the audio controls in my RX-8 owner's manual (who ever does that... :Wconfused )

Turns out the 8's HU has a separate button for toggling the display functions, where on the Mazda3 that function is part of the station-tune knob, which incorporates several other functions as well - including text scroll, where on the 8 that is, again, another separate knob (see my pic from the 8's owner's manual of the HU).

http://rzrd500.com/hosted/owners_manual.jpg

Once I got clear on that, the text display from the DICE worked as it should. See pics below.

http://rzrd500.com/hosted/text_display-1.jpg

Repeated presses of the DISP button will toggle the display between playlist/artist/song, and turning the TEXT knob will scroll the display to the right. Auto-scroll would've been nice, but I guess you can't have everything.

http://rzrd500.com/hosted/text_display-2.jpg
http://rzrd500.com/hosted/text_display-3.jpg

The display has a 3-4 sec. "hold" then it defaults back to displaying the currently selected ipod function (TRACK, PLAYLIST, SOURCE, etc). Anyway, hope this helps other DICE version R2 users who are as frustrated as I was in getting the proper text display... ;)

Hey rztom, how do you have your DIP switches set? Also, did you have any luck using the radio presets?

I've got an 2007 with HU F/W 9.82 and a DICE R2.

Thanks

Hey SSF8 - welcome to the forum... :)

You have to set the DIP switches to "SAT" and "DICE mode" respectively. On the "car config" switches (left ones), both must be set to "on" - switches in the down position. This puts the adapter in SAT mode.

For the right, "ipod config" switches, set both of these to "off" - switches in the up position. This sets the adapter to "Dice mode" so that both the ipod and radio controls are active, and your display will read correctly.

No, I have yet to set my radio presets... but I'm going to - especially the one for toggling between ipod and aux inputs. Will make it much easier....

Well here is one for you. I installed a R1 into my 04 and connected a I-pod video and it worked great. It showed "EX 1 1 1'30"" on the display which indicates the track and track time. Then I switched to a Nano and now the display says "EX 1 66 1'30"" What I have figured out is that when I hit track up the 66 goes to 67, but my track does not go up. My display does not match the I-pod time anymore and I cannot reset the module. Actually the volume increases when I hit the track up button. The radio controls also stopped working except for the FFW and RWD buttons. I can't get the thing to operate right anymore no matter what I-pod I plug in. Does anyone have a clue about this? I'm calling DICE Monday.


Well it looks like the problem was all me. I was so excited about the new gadget I played with all the buttons on my radio to figure everything out. Well apparently I got it stuck in AUX mode. The great tech support from DICE walked me through getting it back to the Ipod mode. Everything works great.

... http://rzrd500.com/hosted/text_display-1.jpg ...Ha ha ha ... Foghat! Reminds me of high school and that was a long time ago. Fool for the City. :lol:

^... yeah, I'm a classic rock guy - takes you back huh? "I just wanna make, luv to youuuuu...":ylsuper:

Gotta love mega-gig ipods.... and the ability to play them in your 8.... :)

Yes, I completely unhooked it all to start from scratch and then swapped out both DICE boxes, hook up cables, iPod cables, etc. It's not like the noise is horribly loud, but with quiet music I can definitely notice it.

do you have another amp hooked up.
i can hear a pulse thru my speakers from time to time that did not start
until i got an extra amp put in. it may just be a grounding issue..

Well here is one for you. I installed a R1 into my 04 and connected a I-pod video and it worked great. It showed "EX 1 1 1'30"" on the display which indicates the track and track time. Then I switched to a Nano and now the display says "EX 1 66 1'30"" What I have figured out is that when I hit track up the 66 goes to 67, but my track does not go up. My display does not match the I-pod time anymore and I cannot reset the module. Actually the volume increases when I hit the track up button. The radio controls also stopped working except for the FFW and RWD buttons. I can't get the thing to operate right anymore no matter what I-pod I plug in. Does anyone have a clue about this? I'm calling DICE Monday.

http://i23.ebayimg.com/01/i/000/c8/29/d616_3.JPG

Yeah I recommend this unit to solve your problem with the text display. Shoot.... I can't wait to get mine this weekend!

Hello everyone,
I read all the way through the thread and am thinking of getting the DICE kit for my '05 RX8 Shinka. I have the Sirius SAT radio, and 6-disc in-dash changer which came with the Shinka so I'm concerned with all the SAT button re-maps, etc.

I just want a way to pipe the audio directly in, I'm not sure if I entirely care about control of the iPod as I can do that from the iPod itself.

Thanks in advance.

Hello everyone,
I read all the way through the thread and am thinking of getting the DICE kit for my '05 RX8 Shinka. I have the Sirius SAT radio, and 6-disc in-dash changer which came with the Shinka so I'm concerned with all the SAT button re-maps, etc.

I just want a way to pipe the audio directly in, I'm not sure if I entirely care about control of the iPod as I can do that from the iPod itself.

Thanks in advance.

If you have the Sirius Satellite radio option in your vehicle, the DICE unit will not work and allow you to keep the sat radio as they use the same connection port on the rear of the head unit.

Your best option if you want the factory satellite radio is an Axxess adapter. You can get them here: http://www.therpmstore.com/product_info.php?products_id=672. This one attaches to the cassette/MD port on the underside of the radio.

Hey SSF8 - welcome to the forum... :)

You have to set the DIP switches to "SAT" and "DICE mode" respectively. On the "car config" switches (left ones), both must be set to "on" - switches in the down position. This puts the adapter in SAT mode.

For the right, "ipod config" switches, set both of these to "off" - switches in the up position. This sets the adapter to "Dice mode" so that both the ipod and radio controls are active, and your display will read correctly.

No, I have yet to set my radio presets... but I'm going to - especially the one for toggling between ipod and aux inputs. Will make it much easier....


how do you set the radio presets?

Are you sure that the car configurations witches are supposed to be in the ON position (both down)? The manual says to leave them in the OFF (both up) for both CD and SAT configurations?

BTW, I love how easy it was to install the DICE. I have it sitting in the glovebox:)

Don't know what to tell you on the dip switches.... the install guide I got with my unit said if you'll be using the SAT radio port, then dip switches are set as I outlined previously. And it works fine for me that way.

With the DICE the radio presets are for setting up a trigger for a function change. You probably know that the DICE unit uses radio channels 10 thru 69 for its various functions. So you would select, say, channel 10 on the radio (TRACK function on the DICE), then press and hold preset button 1 to record this selection, just like you would if programming a standard radio station. You can then program other preset buttons for the other functions (playlist, album, chapter, source, etc).

I've left it in iPod mode (control the iPod interface through the iPod itself). The frustration from trying to scroll through songs is AGGRAVATING. If you browse to fast, you're taken back to the menu selection tier. There's no fast way to browse through your collection quickly. It's just better to control everything through the iPod itself.

Moreover, I heard this strange beeping noise when the iPod is detached and the volume is in excess of 20+. It's present in really quiet songs as well, again when the volume is high.

To me, the PIE has better sound quality, but I'll take this DICE unit for it's ability to charge, and as it seems to be a true line-out signal (can't change the volume from the iPod itself), and as you're able to use the radio units' back/forward buttons to skip tracks, even in iPod control mode. Plus, the cable length makes the DICE unit install much cleaner (I leave the unit in the glovebox, and I have a wire snaking back to where the head unit is, and routed through the transmission tunnel cover, and into my cup holders, just like everyone else:P

worth $150? Yes.

I've spent that much on a faulty Pie Adapter that sells for $120, and wasted $60 on a DLO FM transmitter.

I should've just bought the Dice in the first place.

to rztom,
I figured out the presets, but they're just not worth fooling with, IMHO.

I figured out the presets, but they're just not worth fooling with, IMHO.
Agreed.... the only one I really use is preset button 5, which I've got programmed to channel 50, that toggles between the ipod port and the AUX port - where I have my portable SAT radio plugged into....

I hooked up my R1 DICE adapter (no text and no SAT) on the weekend, and plugged in my friend's iPhone and Ipod Nano (2nd gen) --everything worked fine (all dip switches set off and I could control the devices from the radio/steering wheel/ipod).

So I get home and plug in my Ipod nano (3rd gen with up-to-date firmware), and it immediately locks out my ipod. It will start playing whatever playlist I had highlighted, but it won't let me change anything from the ipod (steering wheel/radio controls are fine).

Does anyone know how i regain control over the ipod in this setup? It worked for a brief moment when I restarted the car during the day, and I could control both devices. Is there an "Order" to when you plug in the ipod, start the car, turn on the radio (EX) to get it to work?

The Dice is particular frustrating because:

Even if you're using the iPod-only (no-text display, if you're an R2 user), if you were to press the skip back/forward too many times on the head-unit itself, you get to the point where you don't have control of the iPod through the head unit anymore. You have to basically press display and the scan button (on the right side of the head) several times, one after the other, to get back to where you can use the head-unit and iPod.

I've counted how many times it takes for you to be "locked-out" of using the head-unit, and it's about 20 times, before you have to reset the Dice iPod kit using the display and scan up buttons.

It's frustrating. Not a very good product at all.

and another thing:

when you decide to use the text-mode with the R2 version, skipping through song selections too quickly will take you back one-level in the menu hierachy, instead of advancing or skipping back, songs.

There's no fast way to skip to a certain song in a playlist. You press skip, wait 2-3 seconds, then press skip again, other wise, you've booted yourself up one level and have to choose between what you want to browsing from (playlist, artist, album, etc.)

Picture of Dice R2 unit looks exactly the same as Neo Prolink R2? Both even have the same connectors and switches... I never knew that... I wonder if they are exactly the same circuit except the firmware is different.

does the DICE thingy work with the new Ipod Nanos that just came out (4th gen)????

Kind of bringing this thread back from the dead, but I didn't notice anyone citing the headunit firmware issue. Does the DICE kit need to have a certain version of the headunit firmware to function? Thanks in advance!

Kind of bringing this thread back from the dead, but I didn't notice anyone citing the headunit firmware issue. Does the DICE kit need to have a certain version of the headunit firmware to function? Thanks in advance!

9.55 and above.

Anyone using this set up with an ipod touch? Just set mine up on Saturday. Everything works perfect EXCEPT it won't charge the iPod. When I turn it on, my ipod gives me an error that says "Charging is not compatible with this accessory" or some BS. An Rx-8 is a pretty expensive iPod accessory.

I'm not that distraught about it but it would be nice if it would charge it, like it's supposed to.

Anyone using this set up with an ipod touch? Just set mine up on Saturday. Everything works perfect EXCEPT it won't charge the iPod. When I turn it on, my ipod gives me an error that says "Charging is not compatible with this accessory" or some BS. An Rx-8 is a pretty expensive iPod accessory.


On their website, they have a note about newer iPods needing a 5v cable for charging. The old cables were 12v apparently. If you have a 120gb classic, 2nd gen touch, iPhone 3G, or 4th gen nano... you will need that cable in order to charge your iPod, or at least thats what i gather from their website.

Anywho, I plan on buying the r2 soon. A lot of changes for me though, my old car (civic) used iPod controls and it was a 5th gen iPod. Just bought my RX-8 and a 2nd Gen iPod touch and will plan on using the dash/steering controls because using the touch display everytime I need to change something seems downright dangerous. Like.. Worse than trying to text and drive IMO. (either that or I am just not used to it yet)

Edit: wait a second, you're from harford county? holy shit thats crazy. didn't even notice.

On their website, they have a note about newer iPods needing a 5v cable for charging. The old cables were 12v apparently. If you have a 120gb classic, 2nd gen touch, iPhone 3G, or 4th gen nano... you will need that cable in order to charge your iPod, or at least thats what i gather from their website.

Anywho, I plan on buying the r2 soon. A lot of changes for me though, my old car (civic) used iPod controls and it was a 5th gen iPod. Just bought my RX-8 and a 2nd Gen iPod touch and will plan on using the dash/steering controls because using the touch display everytime I need to change something seems downright dangerous. Like.. Worse than trying to text and drive IMO. (either that or I am just not used to it yet)

Edit: wait a second, you're from harford county? holy shit thats crazy. didn't even notice.


I would suggest that you NOT buy a DICE kit. My warranty expired after a year, and that was that. One dead Dice unit.

I'm using a PIE kit again, this time with a genuine Alpine-3.5mm cable, vis a vis the junk cable PIE sells. All is well.

On their website, they have a note about newer iPods needing a 5v cable for charging. The old cables were 12v apparently. If you have a 120gb classic, 2nd gen touch, iPhone 3G, or 4th gen nano... you will need that cable in order to charge your iPod, or at least thats what i gather from their website.

Bah.



Edit: wait a second, you're from harford county? holy shit thats crazy. didn't even notice.

Jarrettsville. I've probably seen you many, many times. I see blue 8's all over the place.

Bah.





Jarrettsville. I've probably seen you many, many times. I see blue 8's all over the place.

LOL! I grew up in Jarrettsville off of Twin Lakes Drive! I live in Columbia now. I graduated John Carroll in '96! What a small world!

I'm currently selling my Neo Link adapter (in the F/S section). It worked just fine and I had no problems with it. I just don't drive much now since I work from home and can use the cash. When I start driving more I'll want another unit so I'm considering the DICE R2 since I have an 07 GT with Sat connection. I tried the Audiolink last year, which I liked except it had some major feedback/whining. I sent it back and got a second unit but the same thing happened, so I went with the NEO. The music quality wasn't nearly as good IMO, but it was very stable and worked well. The text display is a nice feature, but I just wish there was a solution that allowed for iPhone and steering wheel access with good quality sound. It seems like the Dice unit allows for one or the other but not both with the iPhone...

LOL! I grew up in Jarrettsville off of Twin Lakes Drive! I live in Columbia now. I graduated John Carroll in '96! What a small world!



I know! We've had this conversation before :) Didn't you live in Frederick for a while?

I see blue 8's all over the place.

I don't see 8's around Harford County hardly at all; never seen another blue one around. Maybe I'm just out at odd times of the day, what with work and all..

..and to keep on topic, I installed my DICE unit and it works great. I am not a fan of the radio controls/display, so i just use it in iPod mode. Love it, don't even have to hit play when i first get in the car anymore. The only thing I see of minor concern is that I think it charges my iPod even when the car is off. Whatever... it beats the FM transmitter thingy by a mile.:)

I don't see 8's around Harford County hardly at all; never seen another blue one around. Maybe I'm just out at odd times of the day, what with work and all..

..and to keep on topic, I installed my DICE unit and it works great. I am not a fan of the radio controls/display, so i just use it in iPod mode. Love it, don't even have to hit play when i first get in the car anymore. The only thing I see of minor concern is that I think it charges my iPod even when the car is off. Whatever... it beats the FM transmitter thingy by a mile.:)

Man it took admin ages to approve my account!

Anyway i've been reading and reading and reading deciding what to do RE my ipod. I reckon this DICE one is the way forward but here's my problem:
I dont know what radio i have (and therefore what connection i need). I have the Bose 6disc in dash radio that came with the car, but no sat button.

file:///C:/Users/Linda/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpgfile:///C:/Users/Linda/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.jpghttp://us.autos1.yimg.com/img.autos.yahoo.com/ag/mazda_rx8_sport_2008_dashboard_12_346x270.jpg

That's the one (well i think it is based on the tape/md button).

So if i install the Dice, will that mean no CD or do i have a spare port?


Also - where did you route your cable to ipod??

Well, I've given up on the fact that it won't charge it. I also control it by the ipod itself. Now I'm trying to figure out a set up so it's easily accessible and not just sitting on my lap. I got a windshield mount for it, but it's looking pretty recockulous.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y207/lpr0923/ipod1.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y207/lpr0923/ipod2.jpg

I notice on your first photo the "tape/MD" button - does that mean you've the 6cd radio? And more importantly does your CD still work now you've the DICE installed?

I'm considering bringing the cable out near the cigarette lighter and leave it resting in the cup holder so i (or a passenger) can pick it up and control it.

Man it took admin ages to approve my account!

Anyway i've been reading and reading and reading deciding what to do RE my ipod. I reckon this DICE one is the way forward but here's my problem:
I dont know what radio i have (and therefore what connection i need). I have the Bose 6disc in dash radio that came with the car, but no sat button.

file:///C:/Users/Linda/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpgfile:///C:/Users/Linda/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.jpghttp://us.autos1.yimg.com/img.autos.yahoo.com/ag/mazda_rx8_sport_2008_dashboard_12_346x270.jpg

That's the one (well i think it is based on the tape/md button).

So if i install the Dice, will that mean no CD or do i have a spare port?


Also - where did you route your cable to ipod??


You have the same head unit I do (which is on the 2004 model - no factory SAT radio option). The DICE unit will plug into the rear of your deck, where an external CD changer would normally be added. This does not affect the in-dash CD changer that came with your unit. You will press the CD button to cycle between the internal changer (shown as CD) and the iPod (shown as EX). If you purchase a mini-din extension cable, you'll have a bit more freedom on where you place your iPod. I ran mine up the centre console to the hidden storage under the arm rest. With the cable extension, you'll have plenty of slack to pick the unit up and hold it comfortably in front of you while seated.

You have the same head unit I do (which is on the 2004 model - no factory SAT radio option). The DICE unit will plug into the rear of your deck, where an external CD changer would normally be added. This does not affect the in-dash CD changer that came with your unit. You will press the CD button to cycle between the internal changer (shown as CD) and the iPod (shown as EX). If you purchase a mini-din extension cable, you'll have a bit more freedom on where you place your iPod. I ran mine up the centre console to the hidden storage under the arm rest. With the cable extension, you'll have plenty of slack to pick the unit up and hold it comfortably in front of you while seated.

Liiiikke this (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2004-2006-MAZDA-RX8-DIRECT-iPOD-iPHONE-INPUT-AUX_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742Q2em153Q2el1262 QQcategoryZ38636QQihZ005QQitemZ150251727803QQtcZph oto)??

Cheers, nice succinct answer btw. Much happier i'm not just gonna be tearing the ass out my car now only to find it didnt work!

Liiiikke this (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2004-2006-MAZDA-RX8-DIRECT-iPOD-iPHONE-INPUT-AUX_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742Q2em153Q2el1262 QQcategoryZ38636QQihZ005QQitemZ150251727803QQtcZph oto)??

Cheers, nice succinct answer btw. Much happier i'm not just gonna be tearing the ass out my car now only to find it didnt work!


Yup - just like that. Remember to check that your head unit has the correct firmware version (9.55+) as outlined on that ebay listing. When you go to install it, you don't need to remove the deck completely from the dash - remove the glove box and reach in behind and you should be able to make the connection by feel with the deck pulled almost all the way out - that will save you having to remove all of the plug-ins at the back. You will, however, still have to remove the HVAC plug-ins at the base of the unit, as they're too short to permit much movement. A small mirror comes in very handy when it comes to plugging those back in.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y207/lpr0923/ipod2.jpg
This is almost IDENTICAL to the setup i have... Even down to the iPod touch/iPhone (i have a 32gb ipod touch 2nd gen).

However, I mounted mine to the left of the car's display and a little lower. I have a window suction cup with a bendy arm thing ($30 @ bestbuy). This allowes me to hide the wires a little better too. However, it will be useless when I have people who want to browse my iPod and it wont reach them... Screw 'em! My car, my music! lol

I don't know how much extra length you have with your windshield mount, but I know if i had like 1 or 2 more inches my iPod would be in an ideal position. Ah whatev, Im getting used to it (just set this up earlier this week). I just can't have my touch sliding around the car, its far too expensive of a piece of technology to have it sliding around. My old 30gb 5th gen video got all messed up from my last car where it just sat in a tray in my center console. Still works fine, just scratched to hell.

This is almost IDENTICAL to the setup i have... Even down to the iPod touch/iPhone (i have a 32gb ipod touch 2nd gen).

However, I mounted mine to the left of the car's display and a little lower. I have a window suction cup with a bendy arm thing ($30 @ bestbuy). This allowes me to hide the wires a little better too. However, it will be useless when I have people who want to browse my iPod and it wont reach them... Screw 'em! My car, my music! lol

I don't know how much extra length you have with your windshield mount, but I know if i had like 1 or 2 more inches my iPod would be in an ideal position. Ah whatev, Im getting used to it (just set this up earlier this week). I just can't have my touch sliding around the car, its far too expensive of a piece of technology to have it sliding around. My old 30gb 5th gen video got all messed up from my last car where it just sat in a tray in my center console. Still works fine, just scratched to hell.


No doubt we have the same suction cup bendy arm thing. Can you take a picture so I can see how you have it set up? I don't think I used all the little plastic extensions that came with mine so if you need an extra to make yours longer I'll check and see and you can have it.

My wire comes out from under the center console on the passenger side. It's pretty long but it's tucked up under the glovebox so no one gets their leg/arm/whatever stuck and pulls it out.

I like the way it's set up, it just rattles so much while I'm driving it kind of makes me want to throw up. :)

and the only good thing I can say is that at least the charging with the 5V adapter works on my itouch. The head unit controls work nothing like the manual as others in this thread have already pointed out. Thanks to them I've discovered how to view the various text fields (Channel Number, DICE, MAZDA, Album*Artist, Song Name) using the Display button, but I haven't figured out pretty much anything else.

How do you...

1) Select the Mode (Track, Playlist, Artist, Album, Source, Version/Text Settings)
2) Browse selections within a Mode
3) Select the Version/Text Mode (Software Version, Short Scroll, Long Static) ?

Thanks in advance for anyone who can post answers.

How do you...

1) Select the Mode (Track, Playlist, Artist, Album, Source, Version/Text Settings)
2) Browse selections within a Mode
3) Select the Version/Text Mode (Software Version, Short Scroll, Long Static) ?

Thanks in advance for anyone who can post answers.

I could not figure this out, and I think i flipped one of the dip switches at the wrong time, so I got fed up with the dash/steering controls and just use ipod mode now. I used ipod controls since 2005 with my honda civic, so its just what I am used to.

and lpr... I can get some pics up Monday. I have to work tomorrow (freddies in bel air), and it's a big game (Ravens/Steelers for those of you not in my area wondering). Its a pretty clean setup I think. I would love to get a little more length on my bendy arm thing to allow me to lower the suction cup on the window, its mildly annoying.

Well my dice arrived in the post, i dont understand the instructions though. There are two sets of switches, but the diagrams only show one set for each setting.


If i want the simple mode so that i control the ipod with its own interface as the control, do i have all 4 switches (both sets) down, or just car ones up, and the ipod ones down?

Can anyone tell me if DICE R1 will work with my 2004 RX8 with 9.53 firmware?
Thanks

Well my dice arrived in the post, i dont understand the instructions though. There are two sets of switches, but the diagrams only show one set for each setting.


If i want the simple mode so that i control the ipod with its own interface as the control, do i have all 4 switches (both sets) down, or just car ones up, and the ipod ones down?

Car: Up (OFF)
ipod: Down (ON)

FYI

If you have an IPOD touch and you hit bumps on the road too hard. The touch will skip the track. A video game type of noise will sound and the song will change. I thought it was the Dice but i tried hitting my itouch a few times and every time i hit it or shake it, the song skipped. To fix this problem, go to Settings -> music and turn "shake to shuffle" off.

i also remember someone saying they had this problem but don't remember where the thread is. well that's your solution.

Hello. I am new to the forum and I just recently purchased a 2009 R3. This is a great forum!

Has anyone tried the Dice kit with a 2009 non-nav head unit? It is not listed on their compatibility list. Since the Mazda iPod kit does not fully support the iPhone, I have been looking for a 3rd party kit that supports the '09 units, but I have not found a solution. If anyone has a good idea about how to find a kit for the '09 RX-8s, I would be up for trying it.

Hi all, Just got my RX8, 06 with no SAT button. love the car never want to get out of it. iam looking to get a Dice ipod kit, but not sure, how do i find out what firmware my stero uses? i hav no sat button so i guess the R1 ipod kit is the one to go for. i liv in Ireland and anywere i look on line they say with work on RX8 04-06, with fireware 9.55+, but they dont say if its a R1 or R2 dice kit. please help

We just installed the DICE R2 in my 06 RX-8 with Bose factory radio. We have tried in vain to figure out how in the world to do the things quoted here, but had no luck. Can anyone with this system give me a clue, since this post was never answered in the thread?

Thanks in advance!

and the only good thing I can say is that at least the charging with the 5V adapter works on my itouch. The head unit controls work nothing like the manual as others in this thread have already pointed out. Thanks to them I've discovered how to view the various text fields (Channel Number, DICE, MAZDA, Album*Artist, Song Name) using the Display button, but I haven't figured out pretty much anything else.

How do you...

1) Select the Mode (Track, Playlist, Artist, Album, Source, Version/Text Settings)
2) Browse selections within a Mode
3) Select the Version/Text Mode (Software Version, Short Scroll, Long Static) ?

Thanks in advance for anyone who can post answers.