Dension Gateway 500 Install Experience

[hard24get]

After reading many experiences of a Dension Gateway 500 install, I thought I would share my own. I have a 2004 996 C4S with CDR-23 MOST and 6 CD changer. The whole experience took about 2-3 hours.

Everything went straight forward after I learned how to separate the fiber optic cables from the harness to create the configurations that were in the installation guide.

I chose to mount the Gateway 500 behind the A/C controls versus in the trunk with the CD changer. This presented a slightly different challenge than the configurations listed in the installation guide. For this configuration, I was not able to get the 6 CD changer to work and I ended up having to bypass the changer. This was okay for me as I hope to never have to use one of these legacy devices again. If I need to listen to a CD, I can just put it in the single CD slot on the head unit.

After much testing with the various configurations in the manual, I chose Installation Type 3.

I dismantled the FO cables from the connectors and created my own loop per the diagram. I then had to make sure I had at least one female connector in the loop and two males. I connected the one female connector to the connector coming from I’m guessing the Amp/CD changer (this was the connector that was originally connected to the head unit). I then connected the other two male connectors (one to the Car Side of the Gateway 500 and the other to the head unit). I then had to disable the CD changer by unplugging the power and creating a loop in the FO ring at the CD changer. I did this by dismantling the FO connector and using the FO barrel connector that was provided in the installation kit to essentially splice the In/Out FO cable together.

For power, I tapped into the cigarette lighter. The Gateway 500 automatically senses power, so there was no need for switched power.

I don’t have an iPod, I use a Creative Zen Vision M, so I’m only using the RCA audio and I’m not using the iPod or USB ports for any reason.

For mounting, I then went to Radio Shack and bought a 2 RCA (left/right) to 3.5mm 1meter cable and ran this cable through a small hole I cut in the storage tray below the CD holders.

After using an FM modulator for many years, the quality is incredible in this setup. It is just like listening to a CD! VERY GOOD SOUND QUALITY! Highly recommended!

[montegoblue]

Thanks for your input-- I am about to do this same install in a few days. Just waiting to take the car to the dealer for "programming" of CDR-23 to recognize CD changer (I don't have this stock). I will let you know how my experience goes.

[ronbonner]

Thanks for your input-- I am about to do this same install in a few days. Just waiting to take the car to the dealer for "programming" of CDR-23 to recognize CD changer (I don't have this stock). I will let you know how my experience goes.

I just fitted mine with PCM2 and I have to say I am really pleased with the results. I knew the CDC would be redundant after the install so I took mine out and used the bracket that holds the CDC. I now have my USB,RCA and Ipod connectors poking through where the CDC used to be. I have a C4S Cab so didn't want my Ipod vunerable in the cabin. I have mounted the gateway 500 on top of the petrol tank under the trim. I never had to touch any of the dash apart from turning on the screen.

The screen text is better than I expected with only one gripe - the play lists, artists or albums are displayed in banks of 30 on "pages" which means the page needs "turning" when scrolling though.

RB

[mpikounis]

Nice results! I am also thinking of the Dension 500 for using my iPhone as a source of music. I have seen they also sell a bluetooth add-on to the 500 - has anyone tried this?

[ronbonner]

Nice results! I am also thinking of the Dension 500 for using my iPhone as a source of music. I have seen they also sell a bluetooth add-on to the 500 - has anyone tried this?

There are some issues with the Iphone and the new "classic" Ipod with Gateway 500 and if i could find the actual web page I found explaining this I could tell you what they are!!! Basically at present these 2 Versions of ipod are not supported that well by the 500 but Dension are trying to fix the problems. I seem to remember there were problems not charging the ipods etc. In the meantime I will search for this site in which more detail is given.

The Dension web page lists all the current Apple Ipods that will work. My Ipod is the 5th Generation Video Ipod (80G) and it works just fine.

RB

[GW500]

For power, I tapped into the cigarette lighter. The Gateway 500 automatically senses power, so there was no need for switched power.

Hi!

The Gateway 500 must have permanent, non-switched power.

[GW500]

The screen text is better than I expected with only one gripe - the play lists, artists or albums are displayed in banks of 30 on "pages" which means the page needs "turning" when scrolling though.

The number of tracks in tracklist is limited. Imagine, if getting 30 song names from iPod takes about 2-3 secs, and users typically have some hundred artists and some thousands of songs. If you don't use paging it would be very slow.

Anyway, there's an option to increase or decrease the size of the pages. (It needs a special config file to be placed onto a USB stick).

[ronbonner]

The screen text is better than I expected with only one gripe - the play lists, artists or albums are displayed in banks of 30 on "pages" which means the page needs "turning" when scrolling though.

The number of tracks in tracklist is limited. Imagine, if getting 30 song names from iPod takes about 2-3 secs, and users typically have some hundred artists and some thousands of songs. If you don't use paging it would be very slow.

Anyway, there's an option to increase or decrease the size of the pages. (It needs a special config file to be placed onto a USB stick).

Thanks for explaining the set up regarding the 30 entries on a page setup GW, I have the Gateway on a the power supply that was used for the CDC so perm non switched I presume?

RB