# [eas] Official DICE High Definition Radio (w/ iPod support) Q/A thread



## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

We felt the HD DICE kits deserved its own Q/A thread in order to make support easier to find/receive for new HD users.

All questions regarding features, compatibility, installation and bug reports can be submitted to this thread.



*HD Radio is here and so is the HD DICE- HD Radio™ receiver!

* Until now, to receive the digital transmissions, you needed to replace your BMW radio system with an aftermarket HD Radio receiver. The solution is the HD DICE. Enjoy radio quality like you've never heard before without having to replace your factory stereo system! The HD DICE™ is an external HD Radio™ tuner that integrates to the factory car radio the same way as an external SAT radio tuner would. The HD DICE integration allows users to change and select HD Radio stations using the buttons on their existing car radio or using the controls found on the steering wheel.

*How it Connects...

*The interface connects to the vehicle's external device (SAT/CDC) connection port and optional auxiliary device and iPod integration cable is available. BMW-specific connectors are provided to shorten installation time and a small on-glass antenna - optimized for HD Radio reception - is used to receive the digital AM/FM signal.

*What is HD Radio?

*HD Radio is the most outstanding advancement in radio broad-casting since the introduction of FM stereo more than 50 years ago. HD Radio Technology enables AM and FM radio stations to broadcast local programs digitally. You can experience more content, multicast channels, and higher audio quality at any of over 1000 digital transmitting terrestrial radio stations currently on the air! These multicast channels also provide commercial free digital content and since HD RadioTM is subscription free, you do not have to pay any monthly fees to be able to enjoy its quality.

*How does it work?*
Basically, digital radio works the same as conventional radio. There's a signal on one end and a receiver on the other. But there are a few key differences:

- Instead of sending out one analog signal, stations send out a bundled signal both analog and digital. Because it is digital, textual data such as traffic, stock info and song titles can be sent out, as well.
- The digital signal layer is compressed.
- The combined analog and digital signals are transmitted.
- Inevitably, radio signals bounce off objects, causing what is called multipath distortions. This is what causes the static in conventional radio receivers. HD Digital radio receivers are designed to sort through reflected signals, reducing static, hiss, pops and fades.
- Finally, the signals reach their destination. Both broadcasts are *free*, with *no subscription fee*. To hear the digital broadcast, all you need is our HD Radio receiver!

HD Radio includes artist, album and song information in its broadcasts. Future content may include real time traffic information for your area. The best news, HD Radio is *not* a subscription service. You get all this content for *free!*

*Features

*- Digital AM/FM HD Radio receiver
- HD multicast compatible
- Hard-wired interface for the best possible audio quality
- The interface connects to your BMW's CD Changer port
- HD glass mount AM/FM antenna
- iPod connection port, (optional cable required)
- Auxiliary input for additional audio playback devices
- Fully integrated controls from radio and steering wheel
- Intuitive operation with TEXT on OEM radio display
- Preserves OEM look without having to add external display or controller

*What's included?

*HD DICE module with iPod support
BMW-specific wiring harness
HD Glass Mount radio antenna
HD DICE User's Manual
HD Radio station Guide*

Optional Items
* 
iPod Docking Cable
DICE iPod Cradle with Video-out port

*Models Supported:*

1999-2006 e46 3-series, including M3 (not for i-Drive models) 
1997-2003 e39 5-series, including M5
09/1998-2001 e38 7 series
2004-2007 e83 X3
2000-2006 e53 X5
2001-2002 Z3, including M-Roadster/Coupe
2003-2007 Z4, including M-Roadster/Coupe
2000-2003 Z8

*Product Links

european auto source
*http://www.europeanautosource.com

*DICE High Definition Radio w/ iPod Integration
*http://www.europeanautosource.com/product_info.php?cPath=67_69_135_170&products_id=467

*HD Radio Coverage, FAQs
*http://www.hdradio.com

*iPod integration

* How can a good product get better? By integrating the best iPod integration kit available into the HD-receiver as one! Yes, our DICE iPod integration kit is now built into the HD receiver box for the best of both worlds and an unlimited supply of music. Simply plug in your iPod (connector available separately) and have instant iPod control, charging and text display at your fingertips! More information on the DICE iPod kit features can be found on our site.

Feel free to respond with any questions you may have. ​


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

*eas | DICE High Definition Radio w/ iPod support - $40 MIR for limited time only!*

*Give Moms, Dads & Grads the gift of a High Definition Radio receiver...

...and get $40 back when purchased between April 29th-July 3rd. 










**DICE High Definition Radio w/ iPod Integration
*http://www.europeanautosource.com/product_info.php?cPath=67_69_135_170&products_id=467
* 
Downloadable rebate form can be obtained by clicking the button below:

*


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## oceanmaster66 (May 30, 2005)

Tom,
Last week you told me that you were working on alternative solutions for a stealth installation of the HD antenna, and that "We are testing some antennas late this week and will report to the forums our findings".

Do you have anything to report? I'm anxiously waiting to install mine!

Thanks
Mike


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

oceanmaster66 said:


> Tom,
> Last week you told me that you were working on alternative solutions for a stealth installation of the HD antenna, and that "We are testing some antennas late this week and will report to the forums our findings".
> 
> Do you have anything to report? I'm anxiously waiting to install mine!
> ...


Absolutely - we are running some testing as we speak and would like a few more days before we can be 100% sure on reception. We'll keep the thread updated with a full report.


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## oceanmaster66 (May 30, 2005)

Thanks Tom......looking forward to the results.

Regards,
Mike


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## BimmerFr3aK (Feb 8, 2007)

my hd radio antenna sucks for reception even when properly alligned and grounded. stealth solutionwould be great


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## tlgardner (May 3, 2007)

I'm considering this for my 2003 330 conv. A couple of questions: I'm pretty sure I want everything in the trunk since I don't want to be distracted by the ipod or risk forgetting to remove or secure it - can I effectively mount the hd radio antenna in the trunk? Also, I've read the 2 page instruction sheet I found online, but is there a more indepth demo, review, et cetera on the actual operation of the unit in hd radio and ipod mode. My concern is that the interface is too complex or tiresome. Thanks in advance.


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

tlgardner said:


> I'm considering this for my 2003 330 conv. A couple of questions: I'm pretty sure I want everything in the trunk since I don't want to be distracted by the ipod or risk forgetting to remove or secure it - can I effectively mount the hd radio antenna in the trunk? Also, I've read the 2 page instruction sheet I found online, but is there a more indepth demo, review, et cetera on the actual operation of the unit in hd radio and ipod mode. My concern is that the interface is too complex or tiresome. Thanks in advance.


The HD antenna element needs to have an non-obstructed view of the sky in order to receive HD signals, if you want - the antenna can be mounted on the rear glass provided there is no window tint.

Otherwise, bring the HD module up behind the glovebox and place the micro antenna on the upper left hand part of the windshield.


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## oceanmaster66 (May 30, 2005)

Tom,

Any news on the stealth installation of the HD antenna?

Mike


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

oceanmaster66 said:


> Tom,
> 
> Any news on the stealth installation of the HD antenna?
> 
> Mike


Yes, did some testing over the weekend to and from Bimmerfest and very pleased. We will have news this week.


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## RonV (Nov 12, 2003)

Tom --

I just got my kit from you this week. I'd love to avoid an antenna on my windshield, so I'm waiting on your info before installing. I'd take a shot at your instructions this weekend if they're ready.

-Ron


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

RonV said:


> Tom --
> 
> I just got my kit from you this week. I'd love to avoid an antenna on my windshield, so I'm waiting on your info before installing. I'd take a shot at your instructions this weekend if they're ready.
> 
> -Ron


Ran into a snag on testing, but we'll be doing more this weekend.


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## oceanmaster66 (May 30, 2005)

Tom,

Several weeks ago you said that you needed a few more days to test the stealth installation of the HD antenna and that you would keep the thread updated. Do you have any information to pass along??

Mike


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

Not yet - still working on some final issues before we make any announcements.


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## Stryker719 (May 11, 2007)

My kit is coming in the mail today - where do I download instructions on installing it?


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

Stryker719 said:


> My kit is coming in the mail today - where do I download instructions on installing it?


Basic instructions come with the kit - these can be used as well. The only difference is the antenna: http://www.europeanautosource.com/support-center/index.php


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## Stryker719 (May 11, 2007)

This may sound like a stupid question, but where does the DICE component box remain after you've routed the cables via the glovebox? Does it rest in the glovebox itself, or behind it?


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## Stryker719 (May 11, 2007)

Ok, I got the sucker installed and wired beautifully. HD Radio works well.

Two problems though; the audio for both the iPod and HD Radio is ONLY coming from the driver side door of the vehicle. When I switch to normal CD or radio, sound returns to all speakers.

Also, I am unable to change tracks with the steering wheel. When I use the forward or reverse arrows, it changes inputs.

I have a 2004 BMW 330xi, Harman Kardon sound system, Business CD (no CD changer). The problem with the audio persists whether HK is turned on or off.
My iPod is a brand new video one w/ 30gb and the latest firmware installed.


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

Stryker719 said:


> This may sound like a stupid question, but where does the DICE component box remain after you've routed the cables via the glovebox? Does it rest in the glovebox itself, or behind it?


There is room to hide the HD DICE unit behind the glovebox. The only thing exposed would be the iPod cable


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

Stryker719 said:


> Ok, I got the sucker installed and wired beautifully. HD Radio works well.
> 
> Two problems though; the audio for both the iPod and HD Radio is ONLY coming from the driver side door of the vehicle. When I switch to normal CD or radio, sound returns to all speakers.
> 
> ...


Double-check the wires to make sure nothing was pulled out or cut during the install process. If you continue to have problems, contact me directly and I'll make arrangements to have the kit replaced under warranty.


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## MightyY (May 21, 2007)

I just installed the HD Dice in my 04 325Ci convertible. I ran the unit to my glovebox (tried like heck to find a place for it behind the glovebox, but couldn't fit it anywhere, so it's living in the glovebox right now). I mashed together the two instructions on the EAS website for the convertible and coupe installs. I'm really bad at this kinda thing, but with the step-by-step pictured instructions, it went it pretty good. The unit sounds great playing my iPod. I haven't set up the HD antenna yet cause I was too lazy.

Overall, it's a great product. It took me a while to make sense of the controls (and still have trouble trying to get it to switch playlists consistently), but I love how it scrolls the song title/artist during playback.

The only issue I had during the install was getting the HD Dice to work properly the first time. Pulling the battery cables fixed that. Haven't had any issues since.


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## ufokillerz (Apr 18, 2007)

Hey tom, how is the antenna going?


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

ufokillerz said:


> Hey tom, how is the antenna going?


Antenna has been working great, we were able to test most of the weekend with good results. hopefully, we can make an announcement soon as we get things a bit caught up.


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## link01 (Sep 5, 2006)

Tom,
I installed my Dice that I purchased from you over the weekend and everything looks good. Ipod works just as it should (buttons take quite some getting used to though). The HD radio is awesome (only when it doesn't fade out). The guides you have for installation are really great by the way.

The only complaint I have is with the HD reception. Admittedly I don't have another HD radio to test but it can get real annoying that it drops in and out more often than I would like. I don't know if that's cause of the way I hooked up the antenna or the HD signal sucks (I'm in Philadelphia area). I have the Dice unit underneath the drivers front seat and the antenna sticking to the top left front winshield and the reception wire running vertically down the side of the windshield. I grounded the antenna to the screw of the driver sunvisor. Basically I followed the included the instructions but did the left instead of the right side. 

I'm waiting to hear on this "stealth antenna" if that may improve the reception. Can you offer a special deal to your customers who purchased a unit from you to get this element if it works better?


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

link01 said:


> Tom,
> I installed my Dice that I purchased from you over the weekend and everything looks good. Ipod works just as it should (buttons take quite some getting used to though). The HD radio is awesome (only when it doesn't fade out). The guides you have for installation are really great by the way.
> 
> The only complaint I have is with the HD reception. Admittedly I don't have another HD radio to test but it can get real annoying that it drops in and out more often than I would like. I don't know if that's cause of the way I hooked up the antenna or the HD signal sucks (I'm in Philadelphia area). I have the Dice unit underneath the drivers front seat and the antenna sticking to the top left front winshield and the reception wire running vertically down the side of the windshield. I grounded the antenna to the screw of the driver sunvisor. Basically I followed the included the instructions but did the left instead of the right side.
> ...


Yes - it will be targeted at existing HD DICE users as well. We should have release info shortly and will update the thread as soon as we get caught up.


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## ufokillerz (Apr 18, 2007)

hey tom, its been quite a few days, any good news for us that want a stealth install?


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

ufokillerz said:


> hey tom, its been quite a few days, any good news for us that want a stealth install?


Completing final design as we speak. Patience, grasshopper.


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## ufokillerz (Apr 18, 2007)

any updates tom? throw something good at us about the progress!


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

Completing final design this week before being sent off for manufacturing. We'll give an update as soon as we have an ETA, your existing HD antenna can be used int he meantime.


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## ufokillerz (Apr 18, 2007)

Hi Tom, was wondering how this was going, Thanks!!


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

ufokillerz said:


> Hi Tom, was wondering how this was going, Thanks!!


Working on it, we'll notify the thread as soon as we are ready to offer them on the site.


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## Jonmicah (Jun 4, 2007)

*HD radio stations not saving*

Hey Guys,

After installing my Dice unit, finding a buzz, and sending it in for replacement (Tom thanks for your help on this), I finally got my DICE working properly. At least I thought so at first until I tried to save some HD stations to presets. According to the instructions, there should be 20 am and 20 FM HD radio presets. I press and hold the TRACK/FFW button. The display shows "SAVE M9" but when I try to select the memory location as soon as I press a FWD or BKWD button it takes me back to CD 2-1 on the screen and does not save. When I press 4 to cycle through the presets it takes me up through random numbers from 4-1 to 4-24 to 4-95 most of which don't have a station coming through. Any one have any advice? Is this another faulty unit? Also, Tom if you read this, the last time I sent the DICE back I sent it in the original retail packaging. When I got it back I received it in a plain cardboard box. I would like to fill out the $40 rebate that is available but it requires the original UPC which is on the box that I sent back but never got returned. How could I go about getting the rebate or another UPC. Thanks for your help.


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

Jonmicah said:


> Hey Guys,
> 
> After installing my Dice unit, finding a buzz, and sending it in for replacement (Tom thanks for your help on this), I finally got my DICE working properly. At least I thought so at first until I tried to save some HD stations to presets. According to the instructions, there should be 20 am and 20 FM HD radio presets. I press and hold the TRACK/FFW button. The display shows "SAVE M9" but when I try to select the memory location as soon as I press a FWD or BKWD button it takes me back to CD 2-1 on the screen and does not save. When I press 4 to cycle through the presets it takes me up through random numbers from 4-1 to 4-24 to 4-95 most of which don't have a station coming through. Any one have any advice? Is this another faulty unit? Also, Tom if you read this, the last time I sent the DICE back I sent it in the original retail packaging. When I got it back I received it in a plain cardboard box. I would like to fill out the $40 rebate that is available but it requires the original UPC which is on the box that I sent back but never got returned. How could I go about getting the rebate or another UPC. Thanks for your help.


Please contact me directly by email with your full name - you are on limited time (July 31st) to mail in your information.


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## tdawg183 (Mar 20, 2006)

Tom, I already emailed you about this but I had a quick question. On an e39 WITHOUT fold down seats, how do I go about getting the wire through and into the cabin? I'm sure I could figure something out but I'm looking for advice mostly. Thanks again!


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

tdawg183 said:


> Tom, I already emailed you about this but I had a quick question. On an e39 WITHOUT fold down seats, how do I go about getting the wire through and into the cabin? I'm sure I could figure something out but I'm looking for advice mostly. Thanks again!


The rear seat will need to be removed to access the pass-through grommet for the wiring. Email me directly and I can provide pictures on how to do this.


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## oceanmaster66 (May 30, 2005)

Tom,
Any news on the stealth antenna??


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

oceanmaster66 said:


> Tom,
> Any news on the stealth antenna??


Coming soon, we'll update the forums as soon as we have them available for sale.


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## dfitler (Jul 30, 2007)

Hi all, this is my first post here as a new BMW 330CiC owner and new DICE HD Radio owner and thought I'd throw out a couple of hints to help folks who are installing their system.

Before I do, I'll say this: I am impressed with the sound of HD, particularly AM HD. My only complaint there is the lack of AM stations that have made the move - I'm guessing it has to do with the cost.

So, on with the hints:

First, the kit doesn't include any real instructions for installing the DICE HD unit. In fact, there really aren't any instructions specific to this unit. You're supposed to use the IPod adapter installation instructions. The problem I found was that pretty much everything from DICE refers to the BMW coupe. What I found was that you need to use some of the information from each of the two tutorials on the IPod Integration from the EAS knowledgebase. The one for the convertible got me from the trunk to the back seat, then the one for the coupe got me from the back seat to the glove box.

One comment: It's been said many times here, but forget pulling the fuses. Pull the negative lead from the battery.

At the point of actually putting the DICE box behind the glovebox, it's not clear what should be done, precisely, since the cabling is different, the actual device is different and the antenna is something that has to be considered. I installed mine on edge with the cables (other than the antenna) coming from the right side top as you look at the interface box in it's final resting place.

Ah... the antenna... <sigh>. I really hate to say it, but this is the weakest link in the Dice HD. I'm hopeful that the new 'stealth' antenna is better. As bad as it looks, the installation is even worse. Anyway, I recommend that you install the antenna BEFORE you close up the glove box over the Dice box. This is because the cable is quite a bit longer than needed and it'll let you hide the extra behind the glove box.

Also, if yours is like mine, the adhesive on the antenna element will just pretty much fall off when you try to take the antenna out of it's little round shipping container. Be prepared to put it somewhere clean and lint free (not on the floor of the car, like mine wound up...) and handle it carefully so it doesn't get stuck to itself.

I found that if you use the positioning template as they suggest in the instructions, you wind up not being able to get the antenna interface module up that high because the cable comes out the top of the interface and hits the plastic trim across the top of the windshield. Also, I noticed that the documentation says that you shouldn't put the element on the tinted part of the windshield so you will have to move the interface module down just a bit on the windshield.

Once it was installed, everything seemed to work pretty well - the interface to the system isn't real intuitive, but once you get it worked out, it's not too bad. The sound is very good, but...

After about 30 minutes of use, all of a sudden, the sound all went to the right channel for every mode - IPod, Aux or HD Radio. Regular CD and FM/AM were fine. I tried turning the radio on and off - shutting off the ignition and such. Pulling the power from the car battery and re-installing was the only way to fix it. I'm hoping this won't be something I have to do regularly as I hate unloading the trunk. Maybe there's a way to build some kind of reset switch for the system...

One other odd thing that happens. If I am listening to anything through the DICE, and turn off the radio, the display is still being updated from the DICE unit. So even though it's turned off, you'll still see the station information being updated on the radio display. This leads me to believe that the DICE unit is not being turned off when the radio is turned off.

Next are the presets. Holy crap, these are awful to set. In fact, I've spent a half hour trying to get one set and got... just one set, and it's not real 'sticky'. I've followed the instructions on the information sheet over and over but can't seem to get it to work right. Maybe someone can tell me what the trick is. I press the 'M' button, then press and hold the right arrow button. About 50% of the time, I'll see the indication that I can set a memory location, and the sound will drop in volume. No matter what I do at this point, the process seems to get cancelled and we're back to square one. The one time it sort of worked, I was able to set memory position 1, but when I tried to duplicate the process for another channel, it didn't work. I gave up for now. Maybe it requires a bit of scotch to lubricate the process... Hmmm - nope. That didn't do it... but I care a little less for now...

The last thing is that the information sheet that comes with the DICE HD says that if you tune an FM channel that has an HD version, that the system will automatically switch to the HD version after a few seconds. Um... no, it doesn't. Or if it does, I haven't figured out how to make it automatically do it (yeah, I know that doesn't make any sense). If someone can explain that to me, I'd appreciate it!!!

Anyway, I think I'm going to like this thing, if it doesn't turn into a daily job of rebooting my car! I'll post an update soon...

Thanks to EAS for the very speedy shipment and to Tom for answering my questions so patiently.

Doug Fitler
Detroit, Mi.


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## dfitler (Jul 30, 2007)

A little bit of an update... 

The problem I mentioned in my previous post about losing the left channel after a short period of time is a continuous problem. Here's the description:

After a varying amount of time of use in any of the Dice modes (HD radio, IPod or Aux) the left channel will stop working, leaving audio coming from only the right channel. Changing modes does not fix the problem. Normal radio and CD work just fine. Two things seem to temporarily fix the problem: disconnecting the battery in the car or shutting the car off for a while. The longer the car is turned off, the longer before the Dice unit fails. It has taken up to 45 minutes to fail if the car has been off all night, and as little as 10 minutes if the car was off for 20 or 30 minutes.

If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. I'm assuming the Dice box itself is defective (seems like maybe it's a heat related problem to me).

Doug Fitler


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## link01 (Sep 5, 2006)

I installed my Dice HD system a few months ago, and while I still do encounter problems once in a thile, I'm quite pleased with it. Having HD radio and an Ipod hookup outweights the small issues I get every once in a while. But since dfitler above outlined his problems, I figure I would throw mine out.


The most frequent problem I have is the HD signal going in and out. I don't know if the issue is because the station I tune into are crap, the signal is blocked by trees or the position of my antenna. I hope that this would be fixed with the stealth antenna.
I can't figure out how to fast forward, rewind songs on the Ipod. On the dice manual it says to press "M" then use the < or > buttons, but I can't get that to work.
Storing stations on the Dice are a pain, retrieving stations are even more painful. HD gives you tons of additional stations, so why do I have to start at the first station preset and cycle through each one. I have 10 presets right now....I don't ever get to past 7 cause I lose patience. 
Every once in a while the Dice "hangs" on me. All the buttons I press do nothing. I have to switch modes on the console to get control back. (even once it didn't come back until I restarted my car.)

I think those are my main gripes, but as I said before...even with those complains, I still like my Dice HD unit.


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

On MY02+ you simply need to press the >> button for FFD. Pre 02 requires the [m] button is pressed first.


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## tdawg183 (Mar 20, 2006)

Maybe somebody can help me out with this one but on mine, if the signal isn't coming in strong (even non-HD) it doesn't really come in at all (ie. WAY too much static) and I'm better off listening to normal FM. Also I have never experienced:



link01 said:


> tons of additional stations


I get a TOTAL (HD & non-HD) of 10 stations coming through on the DICE and virtually no AM stations. I'm not really complaining here because I'm very satisfied with the quality of the sound but maybe I'm doing something wrong here. I was just under the impression that this would completely replace my tuner on the MID. If I stuck strictly to the DICE for my radio then I would have about a 1/4th the possible stations than if i went with the factory radio.

On another note, why is it that we can't tap the HD antenna into the same signal as the factory antenna? All this would require would be running the little wire we tape to the window right into the antenna on the windshield from the factory. Any input?


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

tdawg183 said:


> Maybe somebody can help me out with this one but on mine, if the signal isn't coming in strong (even non-HD) it doesn't really come in at all (ie. WAY too much static) and I'm better off listening to normal FM. Also I have never experienced:
> 
> I get a TOTAL (HD & non-HD) of 10 stations coming through on the DICE and virtually no AM stations. I'm not really complaining here because I'm very satisfied with the quality of the sound but maybe I'm doing something wrong here. I was just under the impression that this would completely replace my tuner on the MID. If I stuck strictly to the DICE for my radio then I would have about a 1/4th the possible stations than if i went with the factory radio.
> 
> On another note, why is it that we can't tap the HD antenna into the same signal as the factory antenna? All this would require would be running the little wire we tape to the window right into the antenna on the windshield from the factory. Any input?


There is voltage coming from the HD DICE, do not do this as you may damage the DICE, the antenna amp ($200+), radio ($600+) or all three.

There could be one of 2 things happening - either the antenna element does not have a clear view of the sky, or the fastening screw does not have a "bite" on strip. Try giving it an additional 1/2 turn to make sure it is snug.

Also verify the ground strap is connected on the HD DICE antenna.


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## tdawg183 (Mar 20, 2006)

Thanks, i'll check that out this afternoon.


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## link01 (Sep 5, 2006)

tom @ eas said:


> On MY02+ you simply need to press the >> button for FFD. Pre 02 requires the [m] button is pressed first.


I just tried this and it doesn't work for me (I have a '04). On my display it shows >>, but the song just plays as normal. No fast forwarding, I hold the button down for more than 5 seconds and still nothing.


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## tdawg183 (Mar 20, 2006)

For my '97 528i:

Don't hold the >> button down! Just press the M and then press the >> (don't hold). You should have to wait a second and then the M1-M20 will show. Now press the M again just to make sure it does not appear on the MID (you want it unselected now) and then use << or >> to select the memory location. Once selected you need to press the M again and then press the >> button (don't hold it) just as you did to get the memory locations to come up the first time. Once that's done I just waited a couple of seconds (10 to be sure) and the stations were set.


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

link01 said:


> I just tried this and it doesn't work for me (I have a '04). On my display it shows >>, but the song just plays as normal. No fast forwarding, I hold the button down for more than 5 seconds and still nothing.


Likely the battery was not disconnected when the initial install was performed. Reboot the iPod also for safe measure:

1. Disconnect iPod from cable
2. Remove battery cables, negative first
3. Touch battery cable terminals together (away from battery) for +5 seconds, a small spark is normal as this is stored power draining from the system.
4. Allow cables to remain disconnected for about 5-7 minutes
5. Reconnect battery cables onto battery, negative last.
6. Reboot iPod by pressing on MENU and CENTER buttons for +5 seconds and then reconnecting to the DICE cable after the reboot process is completed.

Let me know if these steps correct the problem


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## tdawg183 (Mar 20, 2006)

tom @ eas said:


> There could be one of 2 things happening - either the antenna element does not have a clear view of the sky, or the fastening screw does not have a "bite" on strip. Try giving it an additional 1/2 turn to make sure it is snug.


This was the case, apparently I didn't tighten the screw down far enough. I ended up twisting about 1.5 more turns and all the stations come in fine now. Thanks Tom


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

tdawg183 said:


> This was the case, apparently I didn't tighten the screw down far enough. I ended up twisting about 1.5 more turns and all the stations come in fine now. Thanks Tom


:thumbup:


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

sarhane46 said:


> Hi,
> 
> i bought a Dice with HD radio from EAS and its making that clicking noise that people on here have described. Is there any fix for that or what do i need to do?
> i have a
> ...


sarhan,

Where is the HD DICE module located in your BMW? If relocated, does the clicking noise get louder/quieter?


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## sarhane46 (Sep 1, 2007)

*DICE annoying noise problem*

Tom,

right now i just have the unit sitting on my seat and the noise is not there when the key is is ON position. i can hear the music (quality is not as good as i would expect it to be as there is some static maybe?). Then i turn the key on to AC and the clicking noise starts, its annoying to the point where u dont even want to listen to music anymore. So without starting the car i tried putting the Air Conditioning ON and the noise changed to a higher pitch noise. It does the same thing when you start the car and as you drive the noise chages as the RPM changes. The higher the RPM the more high pitch the noise gets. I've tried moving the unit throughout the car as i was doing each one of the steps but that didnt change anything. could it be because i didnt connect the HD antenna?

thanks for your help, 
sarhan


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

sarhane46 said:


> Tom,
> 
> right now i just have the unit sitting on my seat and the noise is not there when the key is is ON position. i can hear the music (quality is not as good as i would expect it to be as there is some static maybe?). Then i turn the key on to AC and the clicking noise starts, its annoying to the point where u dont even want to listen to music anymore. So without starting the car i tried putting the Air Conditioning ON and the noise changed to a higher pitch noise. It does the same thing when you start the car and as you drive the noise chages as the RPM changes. The higher the RPM the more high pitch the noise gets. I've tried moving the unit throughout the car as i was doing each one of the steps but that didnt change anything. could it be because i didnt connect the HD antenna?
> 
> ...


Sarhan,

The HD DICE could be picking up interference from other devices in the vehicle. You can try relocating the wire to see if the noise is diminished or if you cannot find the source of the noise - a ground loop isolator must be used.

Some BMWs are more sensitive to engine noise than others. Here is a link to the version we offer on the website:

*12 Amp Power Noise Filter*
http://www.europeanautosource.com/product_info.php?&products_id=309


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## TimeOut (Jun 21, 2006)

Tom,

Any news on the stealth HD antenna?


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

Not yet - soon. Going a bit of a different route on design last minute.


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## sarhane46 (Sep 1, 2007)

thanks for your help tom!

sarhan


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## aburime1 (Aug 21, 2007)

does this work for A E60


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

aburime1 said:


> does this work for A E60


Only the previous version 5-series (e39), not the e60.


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## jglover (Sep 24, 2005)

Tom, will a dice work with an iphone? I have the dice in my 2000 528i and its running an 8 gig Nano. I was thinking of getting an iphone and then that will be th mp3 player in my car.


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

DICE works with the iPhone.


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## keeverjr (Oct 10, 2006)

*HD antenna*

Any news on the stealth HD antenna?


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

PCB boards arrived a short while ago - we're in the assembly process now. As soon as we're ready - we'll make the announcement on the forums.


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## ufokillerz (Apr 18, 2007)

Hows it going tom? is the long wait finally over?


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

We'll be announcing them just before release in this thread as well as our website.


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## Vonhasch (Apr 19, 2004)

I'm going to get an Ipod 80 gig classic and was looking at the DICE-HD to interface with my 2004 X5 (non-DSP, non-Nav). My question pertains to the the aux port. I purchased the BMW aux input for my Garmin 2730. Does this aux input replace the BMW aux input or do I have to disable it. If I disable the BMW aux input do I have to run my input to the DICE-HD or is it extended by the Ipod cable? Do I need any additional cables to have my Ipod interface with the 2point5 spec.dock? Thanks for your input.


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

Vonhasch said:


> I'm going to get an Ipod 80 gig classic and was looking at the DICE-HD to interface with my 2004 X5 (non-DSP, non-Nav). My question pertains to the the aux port. I purchased the BMW aux input for my Garmin 2730. Does this aux input replace the BMW aux input or do I have to disable it. If I disable the BMW aux input do I have to run my input to the DICE-HD or is it extended by the Ipod cable? Do I need any additional cables to have my Ipod interface with the 2point5 spec.dock? Thanks for your input.


The AUX port in the DICE does not replace the BMW unit - you can use both. We don't recommend the spec docks for a number of reasons - the iPod is perfectly fine in the sunglass holder or glovebox.

Placing the iPod upright in a cradle in a moving car spells disaster on the dock connector after time. Also, this can be a flying projectile if you were involved in an accident.


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## Vonhasch (Apr 19, 2004)

I could understand the safety issue but the Ipod is nothing compared to the Garmin 2730. That thing is a brick hopefully it'll just go out the windshield. Back to the Aux input jack on the DICE-HD, from what I see I would have to run a cable from my Garmin 2730 back to the DICE-HD unit if I no longer wanted to use the BMW input jack, correct?


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

Vonhasch said:


> I could understand the safety issue but the Ipod is nothing compared to the Garmin 2730. That thing is a brick hopefully it'll just go out the windshield. Back to the Aux input jack on the DICE-HD, from what I see I would have to run a cable from my Garmin 2730 back to the DICE-HD unit if I no longer wanted to use the BMW input jack, correct?


Correct.


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## Vonhasch (Apr 19, 2004)

Thanks!


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## TimeOut (Jun 21, 2006)

Tom,

Any news on the stealth HD antenna?


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

Parts are here and we're making a couple of improvements before release - we should be ready to go shortly after SEMA.


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## lsplit (Oct 27, 2007)

Hi, Tom. Will the Dice work for my 1998 M3 sedan? Thanks.


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

lsplit said:


> Hi, Tom. Will the Dice work for my 1998 M3 sedan? Thanks.


You are compatible for the standard DICE, but not HD DICE since your radio is not capable of text display.

If you change to the CD43 radio, you will be compatible for HD DICE:

*BMW - CD43 Business CD Upgrade*
http://www.europeanautosource.com/product_info.php?cPath=67_69_140_344&products_id=1562


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## fun2drive (Nov 16, 2005)

Tom:
To those that are planning to get a CD43 radio, just do it. I replaced my C33 last night as part of my path to getting HD with DICE and the CD43 is clearly superior to my old radio which functioned perfectly.
I am waiting too on the stealth ant for the HD and once I get to see those will be installing the HD Dice and ant.

Tom since I have upgraded to the CD43 I can connect the HD Dice to the back of my new radio can't I?


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

fun2drive said:


> Tom:
> To those that are planning to get a CD43 radio, just do it. I replaced my C33 last night as part of my path to getting HD with DICE and the CD43 is clearly superior to my old radio which functioned perfectly.
> I am waiting too on the stealth ant for the HD and once I get to see those will be installing the HD Dice and ant.
> 
> Tom since I have upgraded to the CD43 I can connect the HD Dice to the back of my new radio can't I?


Yes you can, but we do not openly offer a radio interface HD DICE on the site. Just contact me when you are ready and we'll put together a kit for you.


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## whatheheck (Oct 27, 2007)

*Dice HD Radio*

Hi Tom, I'm Dan.

I am a member of the M5board. I decided to join here so I can learn about the DICE HD Radio, learn the issues it is currently experiencing, and also get info on the latest & greatest fix for it.

Similar to most of the folks here, I am ready to try the HD Radio but I am concerned with the Antenna issue. So I am one of the additional guys here waiting patiently looking for solution to the antenna issue.

Kindly post updates as soon as it is available so I can jump on this upgrade.

Best regards,

Dan


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

whatheheck said:


> Hi Tom, I'm Dan.
> 
> I am a member of the M5board. I decided to join here so I can learn about the DICE HD Radio, learn the issues it is currently experiencing, and also get info on the latest & greatest fix for it.
> 
> ...


Absolutely - the antenna will be able to be added to existing systems when released, so you can install the HD DICE in the meantime to get a feel for the features.


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## mikesautosv (Oct 23, 2007)

OK ,dice is all installed ,got my aux for sirius stilleto ,Ipod integration works nice ,and sounds good ,will play with all this weekend and tweak it.worth every penny for the awsome sound for aux and ipod .HD radio antenna leaves a lot to be desired and reception doesnt seem that good maybe your different antenna will help?


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

mikesautosv said:


> OK ,dice is all installed ,got my aux for sirius stilleto ,Ipod integration works nice ,and sounds good ,will play with all this weekend and tweak it.worth every penny for the awsome sound for aux and ipod .HD radio antenna leaves a lot to be desired and reception doesnt seem that good maybe your different antenna will help?


Yes it will. We're working to get this released soon.


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## cali-ti (Nov 11, 2007)

oh god, i don't know if i can wait any longer! 

is there going to be a price break when bundling the stealth HD antenna with the DICE HD kit?

tia,

eric


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

cali-ti said:


> oh god, i don't know if i can wait any longer!
> 
> is there going to be a price break when bundling the stealth HD antenna with the DICE HD kit?
> 
> ...


Eric,

We should have a package deal when the new pieces are ready.


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## dfitler (Jul 30, 2007)

It's been a while since I put an update out about my experience with the DICE HD Radio. Now that I've had it in and working for a bit, I thought I'd pass along some things that I SHOULD have known, but for some reason, didn't get until after I had used it for a bit.

1. In an earlier post, I said that the dice does not switch between analog and HD. I was wrong about this, but I was also right! the Dice radio appears to have it's own built-in AM and FM receivers. When you are using the built-in car radio, the system will not switch to HD mode. In order to have the Dice radio switch between normal analog FM and the hybrid digital signal (you DID know that's what HD stood for, right???), you have to be listening to the Dice FM (on my BMW, that's option 5 on button 5), tune in a radio station, and if it's in HD and is within HD range, it will automatically switch to HD. Same thing with AM. Select button 5, and option 6, choose an AM station, and if it's available in HD, it will switch. So I was both right and wrong.

2. I FINALLY got the station memory to work and was able to save several stations. This is probably the least friendly part of the Dice, but I really don't see any other way for it to work, so maybe it's the best option. There are some things about the memory that I really don't like. While it's nice having so many memory locations, there is a bit of a problem. If I select a station on the AM side of the DICE, then later go to the FM side, and then turn the car off for a while, then go back, the station I chose on AM will be gone - I'll have to 're-find' it. The problem is that it doesn't go the the first memory location, or for that matter, any memory location. It always goes to the same station, but it's not in my memory list (it's a foriegn language station of some kind). To get to my station, I have to play with the memory positions until I finally get the one I want, which is not a lot of fun, since you have to push the little arrow buttons up or down to get to a memory location. For some reason, from this default position, you can scan down one location and get to the #2 memory location. Then if you scan up one position, you get to the #1 location. Not real intuitive.

3. I haven't had problems with the antenna that comes with the unit - reception has been quite good. The only issues I've had are that it is really awful looking, and installation is screwy - if yours is like mine, you'll find that the backing just falls off the sticky antenna, meaning that it gets all tangled up or falls on the carpet and gets 'fuzzy'. I got it put up SORTA straight, but the bottom inch or so kept peeling up. I got some clear packing tape and cut a small rectangle and taped it over the end that kept peeling. This also took some of the fear out of letting the carwash guys wash the windows inside since they won't accidentally hook that end and pull it loose. I'm REALLY looking forward to the new antenna, although I'm beginning to lose hope. I'm guessing it's being made in China so maybe it's got lead paint on it or something (heheh- sorry, Tom - just had to throw that in).

4. I really like the IPod adapter and it does seem to work pretty well. My biggest complaint is that when I turn off the radio or turn off the car, the IPod continues to play for a while - not exactly sure how long, but long enough that I get tired of waiting for it to stop. It would be nice to be able to leave the IPod in the glove box and have it pick up where it left off when I get in and start the car. One thing that I really miss and would love to have is a 'Pause' button. If I want to pause my ipod, I have to do it manually. Another annoyance is that if I am listening to an audio book, then get out and take the IPod with me and listen to it away from the car, then get back in and reconnect, it takes me back to where it was when I was last in the car. There probably isn't anything that can be done about this - I realize that it (the Dice) doesn't know that I'm listening to a book, and it assumes I want to go back to where I was, but ... it's one of those little things that is irritating.

5. A couple of installation things: If you have a 2001ish 330CI convertible (probably also applies to the 325 and maybe others, but not necessarily), you really have to be careful with the glove box. None of the instructions that I found mention that the glovebox door is connected to a wiring harness, and it's easy to damage those wires if you let the door dangle - you can't remove it all the way as I couldn't find a plug of any kind. I'm sure I missed it somewhere along the way. In fact, when I installed it the second time (defective unit the first - Tom and EAS did a terrific job getting me a new one right away), I found that I didn't even have to remove the swingout box part anyway. Once you remove the screws holding the glove box in, the entire assembly, door and all, will pop out. The wires are still there, but at least you don't have to try to figure out how to put it all back together without crimping one of them when you put the hinges back together!

6. Wish list: I wish it had an option to blend the aux channel over the other channels. In particular, it would be nice to be able to have the option to run GPS audio into the DICE and have it automatically reduce the volume of the other channels if it sees audio on the Aux channel, and then mix the two. Obviously, the mix option would need to be in addition to the normal aux mode since I wouldn't want to give up the option of hooking up another device on it's own. I guess my mental picture of this would be that if you were listening to any other audio channel (IPod, FMHD or AMHD), that it would sense an audio signal on the Aux channel and automatically either blank or reduce the volume of the main channel. If the Aux channel were selected, it would obviously only play the Aux audio. There are a couple of other things: faster display of the memory location when you select a memory. It would be nice if it would remember the last channels you selected on Am and FM.

So, the question is, "Would I buy this thing again knowing what I know now?". The answer is yes. It offers very nice sound quality and a nice, clean installation, and I do love having the IPod connection, although since I live in an area with lots of HD stations, I find I listen to them a lot. I do love the HD2 stations - mostly no commercials and lots of music. The one AM station I listen to here that has HD is incredible - AM is where you really see the sound improvement. It's literally like listening to FM on an AM station.

Hope this helps someone. I hinted at this, but EAS is really good to work with. I recommend them highly. And no, I don't work for them!

Doug


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

dfitler said:


> It's been a while since I put an update out about my experience with the DICE HD Radio. Now that I've had it in and working for a bit, I thought I'd pass along some things that I SHOULD have known, but for some reason, didn't get until after I had used it for a bit.
> 
> 1. In an earlier post, I said that the dice does not switch between analog and HD. I was wrong about this, but I was also right! the Dice radio appears to have it's own built-in AM and FM receivers. When you are using the built-in car radio, the system will not switch to HD mode. In order to have the Dice radio switch between normal analog FM and the hybrid digital signal (you DID know that's what HD stood for, right???), you have to be listening to the Dice FM (on my BMW, that's option 5 on button 5), tune in a radio station, and if it's in HD and is within HD range, it will automatically switch to HD. Same thing with AM. Select button 5, and option 6, choose an AM station, and if it's available in HD, it will switch. So I was both right and wrong.
> 
> ...


Doug,

Thanks for the well-detailed review - your thoughts are well taken and descriptive. I have an idea on your GPS audio you can use, give me a call or email me directly and we'll go over a solution.


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## Royce (Oct 28, 2007)

Hi Tom
wanted to thank you a few days ago helping me understand the HD controls....I think I am getting the knack.....except haven't been able to have the title of the song show on my Harmon Kardon Business radio while they are playing on my ipod.....


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

Royce said:


> Hi Tom
> wanted to thank you a few days ago helping me understand the HD controls....I think I am getting the knack.....except haven't been able to have the title of the song show on my Harmon Kardon Business radio while they are playing on my ipod.....


Odd, disconnect the iPod and perform the following steps:

1. Press CD6
2. Press the << arrow to go to CD 6-99
3. Press CD1
4. Press CD6 again and route to CD 6-01
5. Press CD1 again, text should be set.

Feel free to give me a call while in the car if you should like one-on-one help. :thumbup:


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## Royce (Oct 28, 2007)

Followed your instructions....It worked

Thanks Tom

Len


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

Royce said:


> Followed your instructions....It worked
> 
> Thanks Tom
> 
> Len


Awesome - let me know if you need anything else. :thumbup:


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## cali-ti (Nov 11, 2007)

will we have the stealth HD antenna for christmas?


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

cali-ti said:


> will we have the stealth HD antenna for christmas?


We should - I have some units being put to the test tomorrow. :thumbup:


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## cali-ti (Nov 11, 2007)

tom, sent you email. hopefully email from gmail accounts doesn't go into the spam bin.


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

cali-ti said:


> tom, sent you email. hopefully email from gmail accounts doesn't go into the spam bin.


Got your email, will be replying shortly. :thumbup:


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## tdawg183 (Mar 20, 2006)

Tom, I posted this on the other forum but haven't heard a respons in a while now. I'm having a ton of trouble with my ipod staying firmly connected to the docking cord. It has now reached the point where I can not listen to my ipod using the HD DICE anymore without me keeping constant pressure on the connection. If I let it be I loose sound from the driver's speakers and have this annoying and repetitive clicking sound. The HD radio works fine with great sound but the iPod doesn't. Anything I can do about this?


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

tdawg183 said:


> Tom, I posted this on the other forum but haven't heard a respons in a while now. I'm having a ton of trouble with my ipod staying firmly connected to the docking cord. It has now reached the point where I can not listen to my ipod using the HD DICE anymore without me keeping constant pressure on the connection. If I let it be I loose sound from the driver's speakers and have this annoying and repetitive clicking sound. The HD radio works fine with great sound but the iPod doesn't. Anything I can do about this?


Is there any protective covering or case on the ipod that is interfering with the dock connector? Does this happen with another (different) iPod?


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

oceanmaster66 said:


> Tom,
> Last week you told me that you were working on alternative solutions for a stealth installation of the HD antenna, and that "We are testing some antennas late this week and will report to the forums our findings".
> 
> Do you have anything to report? I'm anxiously waiting to install mine!
> ...


Our Stealth Antenna module for the High Definition Radio DICE allows you to receive HD broadcasts *without *the need for an external HD antenna on the windshield.



Easily installed in the trunk or behind your factory radio (depending on configuration), the Stealth Antenna module eliminates the unsightly external HD DICE antenna while offering a boost in antenna strength immediately after installation and 100% retain your OEM look and feel.

For added antenna strength, the existing HD DICE antenna can be retained with the Stealth Antenna kit for even stronger reception. Full instructions included with kit.

Here are images from our own MY02 e46 M3, *with both HD1 & HD2 broadcasts inside our service building with full HD signal strength*:

















HD DICE module must be located near radio tuner in order for the Stealth Antenna to connect properly with the supplied antenna leads. For Navigation-equipped vehicles (radio tuner is located in the trunk), we recommend using an iPod extension cable to allow the iPod to be placed in the cabin area of the vehicle where you choose.

Business CD-equipped BMWs and MINIs should not require an extension cable, but one can be used if a bit more length is desired.

*Extension cable for DICE iPod Dock connector (6 feet)*
http://www.europeanautosource.com/product_info.php?&products_id=878

*Extension cable for DICE iPod Dock connector (10 feet)*
http://www.europeanautosource.com/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=25&products_id=1139

*Models Supported:*
2001-2006 3-series, including M3 (not for e9X applications)
2001-2003 5-series, including M5
2004-2007 X3
2001-2006 X5
2001-2002 Z3, including M-Roadster/Coupe
2003-2007 Z4, including M-Roadster/Coupe
2002-2007 MINI Cooper, Cooper S (not for R56 applications)


*eas - Stealth Antenna kit for DICE High Definition Radio*
http://www.europeanautosource.com/product_info.php?products_id=1566

Installation is simple for the DIY type and should take no longer than 20 minutes. Requires DICE High Definition Radio w/ iPod Integration kit for full HD radio experience.

Units are shipping as of this afternoon. :thumbsup2:


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## whatheheck (Oct 27, 2007)

Finally! The new antenna is here!

Hi Tom, first, I want to apologize to you. I wanted to buy the HD DICE from you but I received it as a present and was purchased from another vendor. Sorry.

HD DICE is installed. Yes, stock antenna is weak so this new antenna should fix the poor reception.

Anyway, I would like to buy the antenna from you, but before I purchase, question please. I have an E39, 2001 M5. I installed my HD DICE in the trunk, my iPod is also installed in the trunk. How difficult would it be to install this new antenna? What else do I need to buy besides the antenna to improve reception?

Also, right now, I am experiencing problems with my iPod. After about 5 songs played, the HD DICE sends out a STOP command. Music stops playing and BMW on board display states STOP. No more music after that. Also, I lose next track control after about 3 songs. Is there a fix? Do I just need to do a system reset by disconnecting the battery leads?

Thanks in advance.

Dan


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

whatheheck said:


> Finally! The new antenna is here!
> 
> Hi Tom, first, I want to apologize to you. I wanted to buy the HD DICE from you but I received it as a present and was purchased from another vendor. Sorry.
> 
> ...


The Stealth Antenna kit would be all that's needed to rid of the antenna on the windshield. 

As per your iPod question - can I get the iPod generation, size and firmware version from you?


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## whatheheck (Oct 27, 2007)

Hi Tom.

New Stealth Antenna: Thanks for the great info. I will now place my order for the new antenna.

iPod: I have the original iPod Video 60GB classic. Firmware ver: 1.2.3.
Again, issues I am experiencing. After about 5 songs played, HD DICE sends out a STOP command. STOP is shown on MID display, then iPod wont play anymore songs.

I reseat the iPod connection. After 5 songs, the same issue. Sometimes it will continue playing to the next song but I lose control of Next Track button. Pressing next track - nothing happens.

Also, today, the song title gets out of sync between what's playing and what actual song playing. Thanks for all the help and for the excellent service!

Dan



tom @ eas said:


> The Stealth Antenna kit would be all that's needed to rid of the antenna on the windshield.
> 
> As per your iPod question - can I get the iPod generation, size and firmware version from you?


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

whatheheck said:


> Hi Tom.
> 
> New Stealth Antenna: Thanks for the great info. I will now place my order for the new antenna.
> 
> ...


Dan,

Let's try reinitializing the DICE kit, here are the steps:

1. Disconnect iPod from cable
2. Remove battery cables, negative first
3. Touch battery cable terminals together (away from battery) for +5 seconds, a small spark is normal as this is stored power draining from the system.
4. Allow cables to remain disconnected for about 5-7 minutes
5. Reconnect battery cables onto battery, negative last.
6. Reboot iPod by pressing on MENU and CENTER buttons for +5 seconds and then reconnecting to the DICE cable after the reboot process is completed.

Let me know if these steps correct the problem


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## Trazadone (Oct 23, 2005)

*Debating between Dice and Dice HD*

Tom,

I've been planning to buy the Dice iPod connector, but have been recently been reading about the HD model. I live about 150 miles south of Salt Lake City, and there are no HD stations around here. I'm still thinking about getting the HD, since you never know when more stations might start broadcasting in HD. However, I'm uncertain about which cables I might need.

I have a 2003 540i, with navigation and a CD changer, no DSP. I'd like to route the iPod wiring back to the center console area. The equipment I need would be:

DICE High Definition Radio w/ iPod Integration (BMW) ($199)
OPTIONAL iPod Docking Cable ($39)
Extension cable for DICE iPod Dock connector (6 feet) ($12)
OR
Extension cable for DICE iPod Dock connector (10 feet) ($18)
Stealth Antenna kit for DICE High Definition Radio ($49)

Are these all the parts I need to use my iPod in my car? 
Why is the iPod Docking Cable Optional? Why would someone choose to not order this?

It appears that if I go all out, I'll be looking at $305 for full iPod capability and full HD capability (when and if it comes to my area.)

If you were me, would you go this way, or just buy the Dice for $145 (plus $18 for the Extension cable)? I'm still trying to convince myself that it's worth another $140 for future HD capability.


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

Trazadone said:


> Tom,
> 
> I've been planning to buy the Dice iPod connector, but have been recently been reading about the HD model. I live about 150 miles south of Salt Lake City, and there are no HD stations around here. I'm still thinking about getting the HD, since you never know when more stations might start broadcasting in HD. However, I'm uncertain about which cables I might need.
> 
> ...


Since you have NAV, your radio tuner is located in the trunk - choice #2 is what you need.

The HD DICE is sold primarily as an HD tuner with iPod support, some non-iPod users would not have a need for the cable, but most people choose the optional upgrade. If you live in a location with HD broadcasts - get the HD DICE as you'll be *much* happier you did later. :thumbup:


----------



## whatheheck (Oct 27, 2007)

*HD DICE Stealth Antenna installed*

Hi Tom.

The stealth antenna arrived today. I installed it but I am not sure if I installed it correctly as the instructions included on the antenna on how the radio tuner looks like differs from what I have on my 2001 M5.

Please see attached photos. Did I hoook it up correctly? It is raining hard here in Seattle so I am unable to take my car out for a drive.

On the stealth antenna module: Red dot on the left, green dot on the right.
The top left cable I unplugged from the radio tuner so I assume this is the car antenna.
The bottom left cable is from the kit, I plugged this cable from the stealth antenna module to the radio tuner (I think this is the radio tuner?)

The top right cable is the DICE antenna module connector.
The bottom left cable is from the kit. I connected the other end to the HD DICE.

The signal appears to be stronger, but not sure inside my garage.

Also, when I move the antenna module around, I can hear the radio station cutting in and out. Thoughts?

Thanks in advance.


----------



## whatheheck (Oct 27, 2007)

Thanks Tom! As always, great customer service from you.

I will send you an eMail now.

All the best,

Dan



tom @ eas said:


> Of course we can - shoot me over a quick email with your full name and I'll make the necessary arrangements on my end.


----------



## cali-ti (Nov 11, 2007)

yeah, i'm in the same situation as dan ("whattheheck"). i'll send you an email now.

thanks tom!


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## whatheheck (Oct 27, 2007)

*HD Stealth Antenna on its way back*

Hi Tom. I will be shipping the HD stealth antenna first thing tomorrow morning back to you. Kindly send the replacement ASAP. Thanks!

Sorry it took a while. I had a difficult time finding the receipt and the install manual.

Again, many thanks.

Dan


----------



## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

Emails received, I'll be responding shortly.


----------



## cali-ti (Nov 11, 2007)

tom @ eas said:


> Emails received, I'll be responding shortly.


haven't received anything yet ... or my spam filter boogered it up.


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

cali-ti said:


> haven't received anything yet ... or my spam filter boogered it up.


Can you resend your email? I'll follow up.


----------



## tdawg183 (Mar 20, 2006)

Tom, I just recieved my stealth antenna compatible with my 97' e39 and have a few questions. 
1) The instructions (and others in this thread) talk about a connection with a red dot and another with a green dot. I do not see either of these with a labeled dot and am unsure of which goes where.
2) I do not have navigation and have mounted my HD Dice in the trunk, not behind the glovebox. With my antenna connection behind the dash, how would you suggest wiring the stealth antenna?
For what it's worth, I currently have the normal HD antenna mounted on the front windshield glass, I did this by splicing into the wire and simply extending it (made sure to isolate the different ones). Would it be possible for me to do the same with the Stealth antenna by running it in series with the normal HD antennaby using the small connectors supplied? Of course the factory antenna would be connected as well. 

Thanks again!


----------



## whatheheck (Oct 27, 2007)

*HD stealth antenna received*

Hi Tom.

Just want to let you know I received the new stealth antenna compatible with my 2001 E39 M5 with the old style antenna connector. Thanks for the prompt shipping.

I will hook it up tomorrow and post updates and feedback here.

As always, thanks for the great customer service.


----------



## whatheheck (Oct 27, 2007)

*Update*

I hooked up the Stealth Antenna today. Connection is now perfect for my 2001 BMW E39 M5 (old style antenna connectors.)

Stealth antenna works like a charm. I now get the HD stations without any problem.

Thanks again Tom for the excellent service and great products!


----------



## tdawg183 (Mar 20, 2006)

whatheheck said:


> I hooked up the Stealth Antenna today. Connection is now perfect for my 2001 BMW E39 M5 (old style antenna connectors.)
> 
> Stealth antenna works like a charm. I now get the HD stations without any problem.
> 
> Thanks again Tom for the excellent service and great products!


Did you hook your stealth antenna in line with the original HD DICE antenna? If so, how did you know which side to connect the small antenna line too?


----------



## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

tdawg183 said:


> Tom, I just recieved my stealth antenna compatible with my 97' e39 and have a few questions.
> 1) The instructions (and others in this thread) talk about a connection with a red dot and another with a green dot. I do not see either of these with a labeled dot and am unsure of which goes where.


Since you have the early antrenna design - there are no dots (which are on opposite sides of the module) since the connections can only go one way. Essentially, there is no wrong way this module can be installed.

2) I do not have navigation and have mounted my HD Dice in the trunk, not behind the glovebox. With my antenna connection behind the dash, how would you suggest wiring the stealth antenna?[/QUOTE]

The radio antenna wire will go into the Stealth Antenna module, then fro mthe module into the radio. The opposite side will have the connectors for the DICE module.



tdawg183 said:


> For what it's worth, I currently have the normal HD antenna mounted on the front windshield glass, I did this by splicing into the wire and simply extending it (made sure to isolate the different ones). Would it be possible for me to do the same with the Stealth antenna by running it in series with the normal HD antennaby using the small connectors supplied? Of course the factory antenna would be connected as well.
> 
> Thanks again!


We simply toss the HD DICE antenna, the module is perfectly fine for reception.


----------



## whatheheck (Oct 27, 2007)

As Tom explained, there is no way to mix up the connection.

Remove the big BMW antenna connector from the radio. Plug that in to the Stealth Antenna. The other big connector sticking out of the Stealth antenna now plugs in to the BMW radio. That's it.

If you want to still use the HD DICE antenna, you can plug it in to the one of the small connectors on the Stealth Antenna.

Hope that makes sense.

Dan



tdawg183 said:


> Did you hook your stealth antenna in line with the original HD DICE antenna? If so, how did you know which side to connect the small antenna line too?


----------



## tdawg183 (Mar 20, 2006)

Gotcha, The small connection was what I was worried about. I was just worried about frying the HD DICE module if I connected the small connections backwords


----------



## wolrah (Dec 28, 2007)

Just an update regarding the whine and clicking I mentioned back on the last page:

I tore apart my trunk yesterday to do some rewiring and discovered that the audio cable was loose. I unplugged and replugged both the audio and power+ibus cables and almost all the whine went away. I still have a little on the aux in when my Sirius receiver is attached, but I think that's coming from the Sirius unit itself. All problems are gone on the iPod side.


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## Parkerton (Apr 11, 2008)

If you use an HD DICE or Silverline, can you choose to control your iPod directly on the iPod and not go through the radio controls/steering wheel if you choose not to?

For those who have bought HD DICE, obviously you thought having HD radio capabilities outweighed having the added benefits of Silverline. Can you confirm? I'm trying to decide between the two. Hopefully Tom will tell me that an HD Silverline is coming out soon and I won't have to decide???


----------



## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

Parkerton said:


> If you use an HD DICE or Silverline, can you choose to control your iPod directly on the iPod and not go through the radio controls/steering wheel if you choose not to?


Depends on the iPod model. The touch, new Classic and 3rd Generation nano lock the iPod's Clickwheel when attached to 3rd party devices, this is an iPod-specific issue - not the DICE. Earlier iPods do not experience this issue on the HD DICE.



Parkerton said:


> For those who have bought HD DICE, obviously you thought having HD radio capabilities outweighed having the added benefits of Silverline. Can you confirm? I'm trying to decide between the two. Hopefully Tom will tell me that an HD Silverline is coming out soon and I won't have to decide???


No ETA on when or if a HD SILVERLINE will be available. It's something that is currently being looked into to see if it can be upgraded with the existing hardware.


----------



## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

krik011 said:


> Hello All,
> 
> I purchased a Dice Silverline kit for my 32 GB iTouch and '05 X3. Everything went VERY easy with the install and couldn't be happier. Now my questions/issues here could be because of my ignorance or just plain not reading something but here I go.
> 
> I am starting to listen to a lot of classical, I can REALLY hear a distracting crackling noise anyone else have this? Sounds almost like the iPod's hard drive accessing... I mean I have the cable coiled up underneath my center console, it's not like it is running through the whole car around other wires.


Where is the DICE module located in your X3?



krik011 said:


> Secondly, when making EQ adjustments the screen keeps kicking over to the current song playing. It seems as though this happens when it starts scrolling the Artist/Song, gets pretty annoying when you try to adjust the Bass or Treble and it keeps bumping you out. Also, does this when accessing my Address book of my phone via Bluetooth.


Due to the nature of how the DICE displays text, text display must be turned off if EQ settings are to be changed. You can turn it back on when your settings are completed.



krik011 said:


> Thirdly, is there anyway to start the iPod playing without starting your playlist on the iPod itself and replugging it in? It works fine as long as you never unplug or use your iPod elsewhere.
> 
> Any help or suggestions to these issues would be GREATLY appreciated.
> 
> Thanks!


The iPod will pick up where it left off if left connected, provided the iPod does not go into hibernation mode. If it is, I would recommend the use of calender reminders to prevent the iPod from doing so.


----------



## krik011 (Apr 16, 2008)

The Dice unit is located under the center console and my Ipod is located in the center console...not far at all.

Also I get the humming when the Ipod isn't plugged in but I am selected on the CD Changer output.

Thanks for the help so far.


----------



## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

krik011 said:


> The Dice unit is located under the center console and my Ipod is located in the center console...not far at all.
> 
> Also I get the humming when the Ipod isn't plugged in but I am selected on the CD Changer output.
> 
> Thanks for the help so far.


The DICE without an iPod connected acts as a giant antenna at high volumes - some noise will be picked up. With an iPod connected, you should not hear any noise.

Do you hear a difference with the iPod's backlight turned on/off?


----------



## krik011 (Apr 16, 2008)

I hit the button on my Ipod to blank the screen and it sounds the same. (iTouch)


----------



## nschmied (May 7, 2008)

*Another stealth antenna question*



whatheheck said:


> As Tom explained, there is no way to mix up the connection.
> 
> Remove the big BMW antenna connector from the radio. Plug that in to the Stealth Antenna. The other big connector sticking out of the Stealth antenna now plugs in to the BMW radio. That's it.
> 
> ...


I also have my Dice HD unit in the trunk. Just received the dual diversity antenna (had to do an exchange as I received the wrong one.. ), but there were no connection cables included with the module. Am I to assume that you do not have to connect one of the small connectors on the antenna module to the antenna input on the HD Dice unit?


----------



## tdawg183 (Mar 20, 2006)

Tom, my HD radio is acting up. The HD stations sound fine but, for the non HD stations, I do not get all of the stations that the factory radio picks up and I the main ones that I do have intermittant fuzzyness to them. Any suggestions? I already tightened the screw to the window mount HD antenna... I am running it along with the stealth.


----------



## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

nschmied said:


> I also have my Dice HD unit in the trunk. Just received the dual diversity antenna (had to do an exchange as I received the wrong one.. ), but there were no connection cables included with the module. Am I to assume that you do not have to connect one of the small connectors on the antenna module to the antenna input on the HD Dice unit?


You should have received 1 cable with the antenna. This will connect the antenna to the HD DICE module. The BMW-antenna side connections are part of the Stealth Antenna Module.


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## whatheheck (Oct 27, 2007)

That is correct!

The cables for stock BMW antenna connections are already hooked up to the stealth antenna. Just connect them.

One cable that came with the stealth antenna hooks up to the HD Radio antenna input.



tom @ eas said:


> You should have received 1 cable with the antenna. This will connect the antenna to the HD DICE module. The BMW-antenna side connections are part of the Stealth Antenna Module.


----------



## nschmied (May 7, 2008)

EAS is sending me the missing cable. Be aware that the longest length cable available is only 4 ft. This means I will have to relocate the Dice HD from the trunk to the front of the vehicle so I can connect the stealth antenna to the HD unit. Thanks for the replies.


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## dfitler (Jul 30, 2007)

Tom,

I purchased the Stealth antenna adapter a while back (the newer one with the integrated older style cable connectors), and haven't been able to install it. What I'm having difficulty with is the length of the cables that are permanently attached to the stealth module (about 1 1/2 to 2 inches long). With these short little cables, how do you install this module without damaging it? There's no way I can see to get my hands back there to guide the module into a spot where it is not going to be crushed by the radio. Is there a trick to getting it in the right spot so that you can slide the radio in all the way?

I have a 2001 330Ci Convertible with the older model business CD.

Thanks.


----------



## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

dfitler said:


> Tom,
> 
> I purchased the Stealth antenna adapter a while back (the newer one with the integrated older style cable connectors), and haven't been able to install it. What I'm having difficulty with is the length of the cables that are permanently attached to the stealth module (about 1 1/2 to 2 inches long). With these short little cables, how do you install this module without damaging it? There's no way I can see to get my hands back there to guide the module into a spot where it is not going to be crushed by the radio. Is there a trick to getting it in the right spot so that you can slide the radio in all the way?
> 
> ...


There should be no problems with the SAM and reinstalling your radio, we have installed countless times here in house before.


----------



## whatheheck (Oct 27, 2007)

*6th Generation 80GB iPod Video*

Hi Tom. Wanting to upgrade, I purchased today a new 6th Generation 80gb iPod video.

Much to my surprise and my fault for not researching this first, Apple changed the connector interface on this new 6th generation iPod video!!!!

I tried plugging the DICE to Ipod connector today and they dont mate!

I checked your EAS website and I dont see an iPod to DICE cable available for this new 6th generation iPod video. Is there a cable coming out soon? Help!

Dan


----------



## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

whatheheck said:


> Hi Tom. Wanting to upgrade, I purchased today a new 6th Generation 80gb iPod video.
> 
> Much to my surprise and my fault for not researching this first, Apple changed the connector interface on this new 6th generation iPod video!!!!
> 
> ...


The dock connector has not changed since the 3rd Generation iPod, your Classic iPod is compatible.


----------



## whatheheck (Oct 27, 2007)

Hi Tom.

I *confirm *that Apple changed their connector on their 6th Generation iPod video they now call "classic".

This one: http://www.amazon.com/Apple-iPod-classic-Black-Generation/dp/B000JLKIHA

I tried and tried to mate the DICE to iPod connector on this latest model and they wont mate.

The new connector is smaller than their 5th generation video ipod.

If you have someone around you that has a 6th generation iPod video Classic - I urge you try it and kindly let me know if I am mistaken. Thanks!

Dan



tom @ eas said:


> The dock connector has not changed since the 3rd Generation iPod, your Classic iPod is compatible.


----------



## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

whatheheck said:


> Hi Tom.
> 
> I *confirm *that Apple changed their connector on their 6th Generation iPod video they now call "classic".
> 
> ...


As indicated earlier, the dock connector design/shape has not changed since the 3rd Generation iPod.

We have every version of iPod since the beginning (16 iPods in house, including a 160GB Classic), have extensive experience in the field and are involved in the "Made for iPod" program - there is no compatibility issues with the Classic. You are doing something wrong on your end, possibly the connector is upside down?

The only iPods that are not compatible with the DICE are the 1/2ndGeneration iPods (circa 2001) and the Shuffle, which do not have a dock connector at all.


----------



## tdawg183 (Mar 20, 2006)

tdawg183 said:


> Tom, my HD radio is acting up. The HD stations sound fine but, for the non HD stations, I do not get all of the stations that the factory radio picks up and I the main ones that I do have intermittant fuzzyness to them. Any suggestions? I already tightened the screw to the window mount HD antenna... I am running it along with the stealth.


Tom, I quote myself from earlier as its been a long time since this has been posted. I would like to add that I now have my HD DICE unit mounted behind the glovebox where it was in the trunk (but the problem was there too). How much of a problem, if at all, would have been caused by splicing and extending the antenna (Stealth & HD) wires where I had them running from the trunk to the HU? I did take extra care to not let the two wire cores touch in my splicing and soldering. Can I purchase a new wire from the Stealth Antenna to the HD DICE?

Also, I've been meaning to ask you if 
1) Will I notice any difference running the stealth antenna alone compared to the stealth and the window unit?
2) Will I notice any difference in iPod operation if I switched from the business casette to the businesse cd in my e39.

Thanks again Tom.


----------



## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

tdawg183 said:


> Tom, I quote myself from earlier as its been a long time since this has been posted. I would like to add that I now have my HD DICE unit mounted behind the glovebox where it was in the trunk (but the problem was there too). How much of a problem, if at all, would have been caused by splicing and extending the antenna (Stealth & HD) wires where I had them running from the trunk to the HU? I did take extra care to not let the two wire cores touch in my splicing and soldering. Can I purchase a new wire from the Stealth Antenna to the HD DICE?
> 
> Also, I've been meaning to ask you if
> 1) Will I notice any difference running the stealth antenna alone compared to the stealth and the window unit?
> ...


I wouldn't recommend splicing on the coaxial side - it simply isn't needed.

1) You will notice a dramatic difference in reception (both AM & FM) between the DICE-supplied and Stealth Antenna Module (SAM). We simply toss the HD DICE antennas away after the SAM is installed. 
2) In relation to HD DICE operation mode, no. However the Business CDs do seem to have have a higher quality audio output than Business Cassette units.


----------



## tdawg183 (Mar 20, 2006)

tom @ eas said:


> I wouldn't recommend splicing on the coaxial side - it simply isn't needed.
> 
> 1) You will notice a dramatic difference in reception (both AM & FM) between the DICE-supplied and Stealth Antenna Module (SAM). We simply toss the HD DICE antennas away after the SAM is installed.
> 2) In relation to HD DICE operation mode, no. However the Business CDs do seem to have have a higher quality audio output than Business Cassette units.


Only reason I spliced was to extend the reach of the ANTENNA (Window & SAM) wire from the trunk (where HD DICE module was located) to the front glass antenna. The HD DICE module is now behind the glove box and the long spliced wire is wound up back there with it.

My question is could this be causing my lack of reception? If not, then what is my problem because I get little to no stations through the HD DICE when compared to the normal radio. I need to get this fixed. Do you have any recommended solutions?


----------



## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

tdawg183 said:


> Only reason I spliced was to extend the reach of the ANTENNA (Window & SAM) wire from the trunk (where HD DICE module was located) to the front glass antenna. The HD DICE module is now behind the glove box and the long spliced wire is wound up back there with it.
> 
> My question is could this be causing my lack of reception? If not, then what is my problem because I get little to no stations through the HD DICE when compared to the normal radio. I need to get this fixed. Do you have any recommended solutions?


The HD DICE antenna is weak compared to the SAM - you won't be using the included antenna once the SAM is integrated.


----------



## whatheheck (Oct 27, 2007)

Just want to say that I get much better reception using both SAM Antenna and stock HD Dice Antenna.


----------



## tdawg183 (Mar 20, 2006)

tom @ eas said:


> The HD DICE antenna is weak compared to the SAM - you won't be using the included antenna once the SAM is integrated.


Maybe I'm not explaining myself well enough. I have both antennas connected right now and the reception is still worse than the factory radio's.

I was offering a solution by suggestion that maybe this is because I spliced and extended the SAM and the HD DICE antenna wires when I had the HD DICE module located in the trunk. Now since the HD DICE module is located in the glovebox I no longer needed the long wires so they are wrapped up behind the glovebox with the module. Interference maybe? Bad splice?

Are you suggesting that if I disconnect the HD DICE antenna that the SAM will work better according to the quote above?

Thanks


----------



## tdawg183 (Mar 20, 2006)

Tom, I'm running out of idea about why my reception is so bad with the SAM and the HD DICE antenna connected. 

Again, could it be the splice that I made to extend the small SMB connector wire to the trunk which is now all wrapped up behind the glovebox? Could the two SMB wires which I physically plug into the SAM be backwords? (Does that matter?) Could it be a bad ground on the HD DICE antenna?

Can I order a new wire from you to replace the one I spliced? It's the SMB connector wire running from the SAM to the DICE module.

It's been a while like this now and the fuzzy reception is starting to get a little annoying.

Thanks


----------



## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

tdawg183 said:


> Tom, I'm running out of idea about why my reception is so bad with the SAM and the HD DICE antenna connected.
> 
> Again, could it be the splice that I made to extend the small SMB connector wire to the trunk which is now all wrapped up behind the glovebox? Could the two SMB wires which I physically plug into the SAM be backwords? (Does that matter?) Could it be a bad ground on the HD DICE antenna?
> 
> ...


If the cables were cut - it can be anyone's guess. Can you email me pictures of your connections and the cable splices so I cna see what we're working with?


----------



## tdawg183 (Mar 20, 2006)

tom @ eas said:


> If the cables were cut - it can be anyone's guess. Can you email me pictures of your connections and the cable splices so I cna see what we're working with?


I mean the connections into and out of the SAM and HD DICE are dummy proof, before I start tearing things out to take pictures I would like to confirm 2 things.

1) Could the only wires plugged directly into the SAM (female connections, not the coaxial to the HU) possibly ever be switched. In other words, is this a one-way connector?

2) Could any interference be created by the HD DICE antenna (say a bad ground) while the SAM is plugged into the factory radio?

I believe if those questions are answered I can narrow the problem down significantly without pulling the glove box. My factory radio works fine so I've eliminated the coaxials as the issue in this.


----------



## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

tdawg183 said:


> I mean the connections into and out of the SAM and HD DICE are dummy proof, before I start tearing things out to take pictures I would like to confirm 2 things.
> 
> 1) Could the only wires plugged directly into the SAM (female connections, not the coaxial to the HU) possibly ever be switched. In other words, is this a one-way connector?


Yes, the connector is directional. This is determined by the red and green dots on the module.



tdawg183 said:


> 2) Could any interference be created by the HD DICE antenna (say a bad ground) while the SAM is plugged into the factory radio?


It's possible, we discard the DICE antennas when the SAM is used.


----------



## tdawg183 (Mar 20, 2006)

tom @ eas said:


> Yes, the connector is directional. This is determined by the red and green dots on the module.


Even with the unit made for a '97 528i? I thought that this module didn't have the red and green dots... I didn't see any if there were.



tom @ eas said:


> It's possible, we discard the DICE antennas when the SAM is used.


Ok, I'll try disconnecting the DICE antenna this afternoon


----------



## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

tdawg183 said:


> Even with the unit made for a '97 528i? I thought that this module didn't have the red and green dots... I didn't see any if there were.
> 
> Ok, I'll try disconnecting the DICE antenna this afternoon


I was referring to Single Diversity. For an early antenna design (Dual) - there is no possible way to connect it wrong.


----------



## tdawg183 (Mar 20, 2006)

tom @ eas said:


> I was referring to Single Diversity. For an early antenna design (Dual) - there is no possible way to connect it wrong.


I pulled the HU this afternoon to get to the SAM. First thing I noticed was that the coaxial coming from the SAM being plugged into the back of the HU was loose... not the connection itself but the actual plug in how it was connected to the wire. I attempted to tighten it up onto the wire and the connection fell of the end of the wire coming from the SAM. Not sure what to do about that and why that end would affect the reception of the HD radio, maybe you can tell me.

Long story short, I connected the factory radio lead into the SAM and did not connect the other end into the HU. Then connected the small wire to the DICE module and the reception seemed much better BUT I have no factory radio now. Any suggestions?

Thanks again.


----------



## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

tdawg183 said:


> I pulled the HU this afternoon to get to the SAM. First thing I noticed was that the coaxial coming from the SAM being plugged into the back of the HU was loose... not the connection itself but the actual plug in how it was connected to the wire. I attempted to tighten it up onto the wire and the connection fell of the end of the wire coming from the SAM. Not sure what to do about that and why that end would affect the reception of the HD radio, maybe you can tell me.
> 
> Long story short, I connected the factory radio lead into the SAM and did not connect the other end into the HU. Then connected the small wire to the DICE module and the reception seemed much better BUT I have no factory radio now. Any suggestions?
> 
> Thanks again.


Either the antenna wires became disconnected or something bad within the module. Recheck your connections or we can have the module tested for you.


----------



## tdawg183 (Mar 20, 2006)

tom @ eas said:


> Either the antenna wires became disconnected or something bad within the module. Recheck your connections or we can have the module tested for you.


I just checked and then rechecked the connections. For simplification I have completely taken off the HD DICE glass mount antenna.

What I have now is the factory coaxial radio wire running into the SAM. The coaxial wire coming out of the SAM and into the back of the HU is not connected because the connector fell off the wire (* - see note below). There is then a small wire running from the SAM to the DICE. Radio is working through the DICE but not great... it's a weak signal. Factory radio is obviously not working at all.

* I have read that the factory radio's amplifier in the rear c-pillar of the car needs an external supply (looks like connector in blue note below from an e46). I see this connector on the back of my HU and amplifier in the c-piller. Both are connected now. My question is that with the SAM not plugged back into the HU is this leaving a circuit incomplete thus causing bad reception?


----------



## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

tdawg183 said:


> I just checked and then rechecked the connections. For simplification I have completely taken off the HD DICE glass mount antenna.
> 
> What I have now is the factory coaxial radio wire running into the SAM. The coaxial wire coming out of the SAM and into the back of the HU is not connected because the connector fell off the wire (* - see note below). There is then a small wire running from the SAM to the DICE. Radio is working through the DICE but not great... it's a weak signal. Factory radio is obviously not working at all.
> 
> * I have read that the factory radio's amplifier in the rear c-pillar of the car needs an external supply (looks like connector in blue note below from an e46). I see this connector on the back of my HU and amplifier in the c-piller. Both are connected now. My question is that with the SAM not plugged back into the HU is this leaving a circuit incomplete thus causing bad reception?


We've been shipping the module for quite some time, if this was an issue - it would have shown its face long ago.

I would believe it is a faulty module beforehand - and it would be the first. Contact me via email and we'll make arrangements to have it inspected under warranty.


----------



## tdawg183 (Mar 20, 2006)

But what I'm saying is that nothing is wrong with the module from what I can tell except for the fact that the coaxial connector came off the end of the wire going into the back of the HU. This is what I was questioned. Could having a loose connection here cause the HD DICE module to not have as powerful a connection as if it wasn't loose?


----------



## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

tdawg183 said:


> But what I'm saying is that nothing is wrong with the module from what I can tell except for the fact that the coaxial connector came off the end of the wire going into the back of the HU. This is what I was questioned. Could having a loose connection here cause the HD DICE module to not have as powerful a connection as if it wasn't loose?


No, as the BMW side would still perform a bridged connection.


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## clavius (Oct 30, 2008)

*stealth antenna*

Tom,

Will the stealth antenna work with a 2005 Toyota Camry/Solara no NAV JBL 6 disc in dash system?


----------



## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

clavius said:


> Tom,
> 
> Will the stealth antenna work with a 2005 Toyota Camry/Solara no NAV JBL 6 disc in dash system?


Can't say for sure as we're BMW specific.


----------



## tdawg183 (Mar 20, 2006)

Tom, has you ever tried accessing the CD43 service mode after you have installed an HD DICE with the stealth antenna? I am able to do this but it won't gain me access to the AREA part... where you choose US, Canada, Europe, etc. This is somewhat in response to the bad reception issues that I had mentioned (and still have) a long while back... in this thread.


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

tdawg183 said:


> Tom, has you ever tried accessing the CD43 service mode after you have installed an HD DICE with the stealth antenna? I am able to do this but it won't gain me access to the AREA part... where you choose US, Canada, Europe, etc. This is somewhat in response to the bad reception issues that I had mentioned (and still have) a long while back... in this thread.


What specifically is happening in your case?


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## tdawg183 (Mar 20, 2006)

tom @ eas said:


> What specifically is happening in your case?


My HD Dice isn't picking up all of the stations that my normal radio is picking up, I've even found myself switching to factory FM just to recieve common frequencies. Some of the ones that it does pick up often have a popping sound, some stations come in perfectly fine though. I'm not even sure I'm receiving optimal FM reception through the factory radio so I was exploring the service mode of the MID to make sure the AREA function was set to US and not Canada or wherever.

I mentioned before that the large connection coming off the SAM and into the back of the radio was extremely loose and looks to be falling off.

Thanks again Tom


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

tdawg183 said:


> My HD Dice isn't picking up all of the stations that my normal radio is picking up, I've even found myself switching to factory FM just to recieve common frequencies. Some of the ones that it does pick up often have a popping sound, some stations come in perfectly fine though. I'm not even sure I'm receiving optimal FM reception through the factory radio so I was exploring the service mode of the MID to make sure the AREA function was set to US and not Canada or wherever.
> 
> I mentioned before that the large connection coming off the SAM and into the back of the radio was extremely loose and looks to be falling off.
> 
> Thanks again Tom


If the DICE antenna is not properly grounded, reception will be spotty at best. We simply toss the HD DICE antennas and use our Stealth Antenna Module.


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## tdawg183 (Mar 20, 2006)

tom @ eas said:


> If the DICE antenna is not properly grounded, reception will be spotty at best. We simply toss the HD DICE antennas and use our Stealth Antenna Module.


Sorry, I meant to add that I did that. I no longer use the HD DICE antenna, just the stealth


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

tdawg183 said:


> Sorry, I meant to add that I did that. I no longer use the HD DICE antenna, just the stealth


If you would like, we can perform a bench test to make sure the pieces are working 100%.


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## tdawg183 (Mar 20, 2006)

tom @ eas said:


> If you would like, we can perform a bench test to make sure the pieces are working 100%.


Sure, can I just send the SAM or do you need the DICE module also? It's kind of tucked and secured away... not as easy to get to.


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## tom @ eas (May 5, 2004)

tdawg183 said:


> Sure, can I just send the SAM or do you need the DICE module also? It's kind of tucked and secured away... not as easy to get to.


I'd prefer both as we can have both tested for you.


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## dman928 (Dec 23, 2008)

Any word on the Silverline features for the HD Radio kit? It's been a long time with no info, so I'm assuming that it's not happening.

I'd like to purchase a unit soon with HD Radio capability, but I don't want to lose the silveline functions.


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