http://www.ace-xtra.com/rdsxtra.htm

This unit sits between the tuner and the antenna, and
"inputs" RDS-text showing the current indoor and outdoor temperature.

I seem to remember that the RDS-data could be picked up, even when playing MP3s? And then put in an "overlay" over the screen at a particular button-press? Any comments?

Marius (Escort Cab + Mark II)

That almost looks like a hoax product... I mean, how does it know what station you're listening to? (unless, of course, you tune to a dead station & get no audio but *do* get temperature info... that would make sense even though it'd be damn inconvenient)

Hugo

Hi Hugo.

That is exactly the way it works: It creates a soundless virtual station with RDS info. Though I have seen one device that actually added RDS info to _one_ pre-existing station, overwriting any RDS info that station might send itself. The problem with that unit was that you couldn't tune it to another station on the fly, so if you where out of reach of your favorite station, you either had no sound, or no RDS temperatur display.

cu,
sven

Yes, it works like that. One Silent station displaying RDS. But what I thought would be a way to make it useful was to have the RDS comming in when listening to MP3s.

Marius (Escort Cab + Mark II)

OMFG, I must own this product.

One of the great features of my old Volkswagen was that I could get the outside temperature from the onboard computer. I have missed that feature on my new Honda.

And since RDS is completely useless to me here in the US, this suddenly makes it useful. And I don't have to worry about it overriding a radio station. TOO COOL.

Okay, how do I buy one of these here in the US? They've only got a Dutch address and no E-store.

They've only got a Dutch address and no E-store

Another reason to come to the European owners meet?

http://www.garage-wiss.ch/autoelectro/autoelektro_service.htm
http://www.auto-centro.de/shop1/Komfortelektronik.html
http://www.auto-teile.com/katalog/32_marder.html
Can't see any US sites... This was a quick web-search.
In Denmark it's available in normal "IRL" shops.

Marius (Escort Cab + Mark II)

Slightly shifting the topic, I have a hard time figuring out why manufacturers of add-on products that use FM modulation don't add some sort of RDS output for their products. An add-on CD changer could display the track number and time, or CD Text information. An XM tuner could display the song name.

This wouldn't obviate the need for a separate display unit for those who don't have RDS radios, and you'd still need external controls. However, it would really increase people's install options.

That's an easy one... Money. There wouldn't be enough profit made to offset the cost of the added feature. And while lots of ppl would think seeing the outside temp on their radio is cool, not enough would be willing to pay the $20 or so extra for the option.

Try this as well. Displays in an autodimming rearview mirror just like the OEM GM product.

http://www.mitocorp.com/nvsct.htm

The more I think about this, the more cool I think this product is.

Calvin

As previously mentioned... My local shop sells these, so that if you can't get hold of them, I'll buy and distribute. I'll buy one on Monday, I think, and check it out.

Marius (Escort Cab + Mark II)

I would love it if they had one that displayed two temperatures and wider ranges. Like from -40 to 150 degrees and two separate temps would be perfect. :-) Are there other available models that do this? (checking)

Does it override the RDS for a particular station or all stations or create a blank station?

Calvin

I think it creates a blank station. It would be cool if it overrode RDS for all stations because RDS is useless where I live, but an outside-temp indicator would be terribly useful. Don't think it does that, though.

I was considering a intake charge and intercooler charge temp probe without wasting a gauge position. :-/

Calvin

I think it can do inside and outside temp... Probably one in the unit and one external probe.

I'll test it wether it can lie "on top of" another radio channel

Marius

Marius, if you can get some through your local shop, I might be interested in one, as long as it's a US-capable version (uses Fahrenheit scale and tunes to US frequency increments). Dunno how to handle the currency conversion, is there a such thing as cross-national PayPal?

I *think* you can just pay to my Paypal acfcount... I cannot "withdraw" money from it, but *I can use it to pay for something else. I'm not 100% sure, though... but that's something we'll be able to work out...

I'll buy one on Monday (ca) and test it for US functions :-)

Marius (Escort Cab + Mark II)

I thought (from the web site) that the US version was actually a different part. Not sure, though.

hm... there seems to be a 108MHz model and a 106.5MHz model http://www.buchhalter.de/Produkte/rds.htm
This probably means that it is not adjustable...

Marius (Escort Cab + Mark II)

Bad news.... my local shop told me that the factory producing these has burned, and they are not expecting any to be produced until October again... So it would have to be if we could manage to find some in another shop...


Marius (Escort Cab + Mark II)

Wow, if that weren't so tragic, there would be something hilariously ironic about a thermometer factory burning down.

That's pretty twisted! :-D

Calvin

Hi Tony
Why not interface a simple temperature sensor circuit through the serial port?. The temperatures could then be displayed in a hijack app.

The advantage of this method is that you could set Hi and Low temp warnings and play a sound file. You could even have it play a sound file when the ignition was turned off that said ....hope you've got something warm wrapped around your ......(insert plural anatomy feature here). Its %^&* cold out there.....

Peter

That might be a fun project. Don't know where to start, though, especially with the circuitry to send characters down the serial port.

PIC controller with an analogue input directly connected to a temperature probe (or a couple), serial port directly to serial port.... *should* be easy enough :-)

I am 100% sure something like this exists already.

Marius (Escort Cab + Mark II)

http://www.dumlupinar.net/pc_projects_thermometer.html
http://www.lancos.com/webtherm.html
http://www.spiderplant.com/hlt/index.html
http://www.wut.de/58_app_1_2.html
http://www.phanderson.com/
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Launchpad/3632/pc_therm.htm
http://www.sensorsoft.com/main.html

A Dallas Semiconductor 1-Wire bus would be much more useful and versatile. You can string quite a few devices off it so you can have multiple temperature sensors. There is a whole range of bits, last time I played about with it there were memory chips, addressable switches, clocks and temperature sensors.

A PIC chip could be used to interface the bus to the serial port or you can buy a serial port adapter.

I've got an iButton developer kit which is their 1-Wire stuff in a small metal can and it is quite neat. You could use an iButton to authenticate yourself to the empeg if you wanted.

- Trevor

Yes.. I can see that after some searching...
for 3$ you could get a temperature-to-1wire bus unit.
du you have a price for the simple 1wire to rs-232 part
of it?

Marius

I'm not in the US so I don't know the price over there but I'd say about $10-$15 or so at most.

- Trevor

visit P H Andersons web site, he sells a pre-programmed 'kit' that will interface many Dallas 1-wire temperature devices to a serial Port.
The kit I'm referring to here is the 512 Point Temperature Measuring system.
Click here for more details about what this kit is and the serial data stream it sends out.

There is also a 256 point temperature and A/D kit, but that requires the 'PC' (i.e. the empeg) send 'requests' to the Pic and the pic responds with the reading.
But it can be used to control 1-wire switches.

Note: both of these are kits of parts, plus instructions, you still need to make up the circuit either on breadboard or Veroboard or similar. He doesn't provide PCB's.

He sells (some of) the 1-wire devices as well, along with lots of other useful kits.

One of these kits would be a cost-effective way to get a few temperature readings from the various parts of your car into your Empeg via the serial port.

If you live overseas, he will post to some overseas countries (but not all), and he takes VISA etc, and I think PayPal.

I recommend you look and see what's on offer here. Maybe you find a good alternative that with a little hacking on the Empeg will do what you want.