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Old 03-28-2012, 08:53 PM   #151
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BWX View Post
Hey glad it's working out.

I also noticed worse reception. but I know the antenna amp is hooked up. I also notice it has better reception in some ways too- like it can pull in stations from much farther away that the stock HU could never get at all, but closer stations seem to not come in as good in areas where they fade out a little.

I wonder if the antenna amp is getting enough power? I might hook up a second relay, like the one for the hand brake mod, but use a switched power source and hook up output side to the antenna amp.
I installed the 4400 also and Im getting bad reception with the power antenna hooked up. I also have the Audio Control EQ (three.2) hooked up in line with my amp. My issue is FM interference when using the EQ. This is EQ is also a line driver so it is sending extra power to my amp. I get great signal from our local FM station but my normal station is getting crappy signal and my HD signal fades in and out and I get static. If I bypass the EQ and go straight to the amp my reception is fine. All other sources of the HU operate properly. I have tried to troubleshoot this several ways and to no avail. Now im stuck with keeping the EQ or trying to switch to a different EQ. Might try the Memphis Audio 5 band. I want to keep the Audio Control for the line driver but that might be my issue. Any suggestions could help. Sorry for the thread Jack but it was a great write up for the beginners.
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Old 03-28-2012, 09:42 PM   #152
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Use a good digital voltmeter and check the voltage on the 4400's amp turn-on wire.

Also, temporarily disconnect that and use your meter to measure how much current everything is drawing (use the meter to complete the circuit from the 4400's blue/white turn-on lead to everything else that you had connected to it.

It's possible that the voltage is dropping too low for the car's booster amp to be running properly.

It's also possible that you're trying to run too much from the 4400's amp turn-on lead. Pioneer's manual says it's rated for 300 mA max. The car's booster amp draws about 45-50 mA. If you're using one of those huge automotive relays for your brake bypass, those can draw 150-200 mA. Some older speaker amplifiers have a relay inside that does the same.

Awhile back, someone found that the Subaru's right-angle Motorola plug did not seat completely in the new HU's socket, causing poor reception. You can either switch to an aftermarket Subaru antenna adapter, or add a short Motorola extension -- both types of cables have a straight Motorola plug.

Let us know what you find in case others run into the same problem.
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Old 03-28-2012, 10:10 PM   #153
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Use a good digital voltmeter and check the voltage on the 4400's amp turn-on wire.

Also, temporarily disconnect that and use your meter to measure how much current everything is drawing (use the meter to complete the circuit from the 4400's blue/white turn-on lead to everything else that you had connected to it.

It's possible that the voltage is dropping too low for the car's booster amp to be running properly.

It's also possible that you're trying to run too much from the 4400's amp turn-on lead. Pioneer's manual says it's rated for 300 mA max. The car's booster amp draws about 45-50 mA. If you're using one of those huge automotive relays for your brake bypass, those can draw 150-200 mA. Some older speaker amplifiers have a relay inside that does the same.

Awhile back, someone found that the Subaru's right-angle Motorola plug did not seat completely in the new HU's socket, causing poor reception. You can either switch to an aftermarket Subaru antenna adapter, or add a short Motorola extension -- both types of cables have a straight Motorola plug.

Let us know what you find in case others run into the same problem.
You might be onto something here with the voltage drop. I will check into that soon and let you know. I'm not using the automotive relay but i will be wiring in the smaller relay for the brake bypass. Haven't heard anything about the antenna thing before but I will be checking the fitment with the new head unit to the factory Subaru radio. Thanks for the heads up!
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Old 03-28-2012, 10:46 PM   #154
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I'll check that out with my multi meter the next time I pull my HU.. I bet that automotive relay plus the amp turn on lead is taking too much power.. I might just try hooking it up without the relay to see if I can hear a difference.

Also that relay makes it so you cannot do the setup section where you calibrate the touchscreen which you do from the unit being off, so there's nothing to trip the relay, so the HU thinks the parking brake is off and there's no way to get around it with the HU installed. That's obviosly also why the microphone auto EQ setup won't work with the brake bypass.

I wonder if there's a way to safely hook up a relay and a switch so that when the relay doesn't work, you could just toggle a switch to make it work and "override" the relay?
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Old 03-28-2012, 10:50 PM   #155
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Use a good digital voltmeter and check the voltage on the 4400's amp turn-on wire.
Thanks for the heads up on my issue with the antenna signal strength. I have been pondering on what you said about the voltage drop and it does make sense to me. There is only 1 issue I have with that and maybe you can clarify for me as I explain what I think. I have a pretty good high powered amp, pacs steering wheel control module and the EQ wired to the amp turn on lead from the head unit. When I bypass the EQ with the rca's and go straight to the amp the fm signal is great, even though the EQ and amp are still powered on from the battery and the turn on lead. I am questioning whether or not the turn on lead has anything to do with the voltage dropping the antenna even though the amp and EQ are all powered from the battery and the turn on lead. Thanks again. Sent a pm but mailbox is full.
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Old 03-28-2012, 11:09 PM   #156
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Sorry, I have to leave my PM box full because otherwise I get too many requests for personal "tech support" (from people who haven't bought anything from me) that should be posts in threads.

I agree that simply disconnecting the EQ's audio shouldn't affect the voltage/current on the amp turn-on lead. But who knows, maybe somehow the EQ unit doesn't actually draw anything until it detects signals? Measure everything and find out.

While you're at it, you can even measure each device's current draw separately. Maybe your speaker amp is already pushing the 4400 to the edge?

I hope you weren't saying the PAC module was connected to the amp turn-on lead (it shouldn't be). Its tiny draw from the +12V Accessory line shouldn't be impacting anything.

Added: Right-angle antenna plug issue mentioned here:
FM reception issue (blue wires connected)

Last edited by SVXdc; 03-28-2012 at 11:18 PM.
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Old 03-29-2012, 07:14 AM   #157
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SVXdc View Post

Added: Right-angle antenna plug issue mentioned here:
FM reception issue (blue wires connected)
I'll have to pull out the radio again to double check the antenna cable, but I'm curious if there's a specific type of extension cable needed to fit the Pio's, or if something http://www.amazon.com/Scosche-Axt12-12-Inch-Antenna-Extension/dp/B000NWHVU2 will get the job done.
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Old 03-29-2012, 12:25 PM   #158
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Yeah I think you can use that, I'm going to get one to see if it works. I think I'm going to hook uo antenna booster power directly to switched power to see if that helps too.
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Old 03-29-2012, 01:53 PM   #159
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Great review! I have been doing research for head units for a couple of months now and this thread has convinced me to buy the 4400, I'm pumped.

One thing I was concerned about was if the display brightness could be dimmed during night driving.. just recently I read a review on crutchfield saying that in fact you can dim the display. Can anyone confirm this?

Also, has anyone tried out the Motion X app for GPS on this head unit? How well does it work?
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Old 03-29-2012, 01:57 PM   #160
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CDwrxDC View Post
Great review! I have been doing research for head units for a couple of months now and this thread has convinced me to buy the 4400, I'm pumped.

One thing I was concerned about was if the display brightness could be dimmed during night driving.. just recently I read a review on crutchfield saying that in fact you can dim the display. Can anyone confirm this?

Also, has anyone tried out the Motion X app for GPS on this head unit? How well does it work?
Confirmed. If I remember correctly there's settings specifically for daytime brightness and then for night time dimming.
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Old 03-29-2012, 06:39 PM   #161
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CDwrxDC View Post
Great review! I have been doing research for head units for a couple of months now and this thread has convinced me to buy the 4400, I'm pumped.

One thing I was concerned about was if the display brightness could be dimmed during night driving.. just recently I read a review on crutchfield saying that in fact you can dim the display. Can anyone confirm this?

Also, has anyone tried out the Motion X app for GPS on this head unit? How well does it work?
You can hook up the dimmer lead so it dims with your lights on and there is another feature of the 4400 that I like and you can hit the mode button on the front panel and it shuts the display off completely while fully operational. To turn it back on just touch the screen.

Last edited by WRX09MD; 03-29-2012 at 10:37 PM.
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Old 03-29-2012, 10:32 PM   #162
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You can hook up the dimmer lead so it dims while your lights and there is another feature of the 4400 that I like and you can hit the mode button on the front panel and it shuts the display off completely while fully operational. To turn it back on just touch the screen.
Right on! Very helpful, thanks guys.
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Old 03-30-2012, 10:42 AM   #163
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I fixed the poor reception on my 3300BT yesterday.

First I went to a local stereo shop and bought a straight antenna plug that connected to the subaru factory harness. It totally replaces the 90 degree antenna lead coming out of dash.

That did nothing, but I eliminated that connection as the problem.

Next I rewired the antenna signal booster to the switched power lead coming out of the dash. It improved FM reception a huge amount.

With a turn on lead for an amp, and the relay for the parking brake bypass, the HU's remote turn on lead does not have sufficient power to run the antenna signal amplifier properly. I didn't measure current draw with multi-meter, I would have if I couldn't fix it though.

So that's how you fix the poor reception issue if you are running an amplifier and a parking brake bypass relay. Don't waste your $$ on an antenna cord extension before you try hooking up the antenna amp power lead directly to a switched power source.
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Old 03-30-2012, 11:10 AM   #164
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BWX View Post
I fixed the poor reception on my 3300BT yesterday.

First I went to a local stereo shop and bought a straight antenna plug that connected to the subaru factory harness. It totally replaces the 90 degree antenna lead coming out of dash.

That did nothing, but I eliminated that connection as the problem.

Next I rewired the antenna signal booster to the switched power lead coming out of the dash. It improved FM reception a huge amount.

With a turn on lead for an amp, and the relay for the parking brake bypass, the HU's remote turn on lead does not have sufficient power to run the antenna signal amplifier properly. I didn't measure current draw with multi-meter, I would have if I couldn't fix it though.

So that's how you fix the poor reception issue if you are running an amplifier and a parking brake bypass relay. Don't waste your $$ on an antenna cord extension before you try hooking up the antenna amp power lead directly to a switched power source.
Thanks for the report back. I don't have an amp (yet), I only am running the brake bypass, but I will definitely give this a shot since it's a free solution.
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Old 03-30-2012, 12:08 PM   #165
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weird. i have both an amp and a bypass and no reception issues.
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Old 03-30-2012, 12:24 PM   #166
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Same here. I have the tiny bypass, though.
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Old 03-30-2012, 01:44 PM   #167
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My 4400 in my12 and svx harness soldered up with swc and bypass!



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Old 03-31-2012, 07:08 AM   #168
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I have a hand brake bypass that's about 1 inch square or so. Looks like a small automotive relay. It's not thar really small one that I saw on e-bay after I bought this one.
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Old 03-31-2012, 07:13 AM   #169
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BWX
I have a hand brake bypass that's about 1 inch square or so. Looks like a small automotive relay. It's not thar really small one that I saw on e-bay after I bought this one.
Its is nothing more than a relay..
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Old 03-31-2012, 07:18 AM   #170
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Its is nothing more than a relay..
Yeah, I know exactly what it is.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/PIONEER-DVD-...33346541767675

Did you read the posts above? Do you know why I said how big it was?
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Old 03-31-2012, 07:31 AM   #171
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Originally Posted by BWX View Post
Yeah, I know exactly what it is.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/PIONEER-DVD-...33346541767675

Did you read the posts above? Do you know why I said how big it was?
What would lead me to read post above yours?

You where making a statement, one that seemed involve a question, I was answering said "question"..... something along the lines of "it looks like a small automotive relay"

I was backing your STATMENT...
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Old 03-31-2012, 08:43 AM   #172
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Ok, LOL... but yeah... there was a reason I stated that. I was going to quote this:
Quote:
Originally Posted by infinite012 View Post
Same here. I have the tiny bypass, though.
...but I figured everyone would have read that anyway. I think the difference between the power draw of the larger and smaller brake bypass is the difference between powering the antenna amp properly or not if you're also running an amp.
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Old 03-31-2012, 09:03 AM   #173
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Ok, LOL... but yeah... there was a reason I stated that. I was going to quote this:

...but I figured everyone would have read that anyway. I think the difference between the power draw of the larger and smaller brake bypass is the difference between powering the antenna amp properly or not if you're also running an amp.
That is the big drawback to running a relay bypass, is the relays rather high draw to do very little work, that's why we are agreeing that the solid state bypasses are a better choice for sure, now that they are readily avalible..
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Old 03-31-2012, 02:09 PM   #174
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If you ever have occasion to go back in there, I'd be really interested to know how much current each thing draws individually (your amp's remote turn-on and the large bypass relay).

Also, it's worth checking what voltage the Pioneer sends with nothing connected. It's possible that the HU doesn't provide a full 12 Volts and it wasn't sufficient for the car's booster amp even by itself. (I seem to recall someone saying that was the case in another thread).

If your amp plus the bypass relay total more than 300 mA (or 250 or whatever the limit spec'd for your particular HU), you could use a double-pole relay for the bypass. Wire one pole to ground the HU's parking brake input. Wire the other pole to provide +12V (from the red Accessory / switched wire) to power the antenna booster, your speaker amp(s), and anything else that needs a remote turn-on.

As I mentioned earlier, it can be the smallest relay you can find that has the correct number of contacts (it doesn't need to be capable of switching 30 Amps like the large automotive relays).
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Old 03-31-2012, 10:36 PM   #175
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SVXdc View Post
If you ever have occasion to go back in there, I'd be really interested to know how much current each thing draws individually (your amp's remote turn-on and the large bypass relay).

Also, it's worth checking what voltage the Pioneer sends with nothing connected. It's possible that the HU doesn't provide a full 12 Volts and it wasn't sufficient for the car's booster amp even by itself. (I seem to recall someone saying that was the case in another thread).

If your amp plus the bypass relay total more than 300 mA (or 250 or whatever the limit spec'd for your particular HU), you could use a double-pole relay for the bypass. Wire one pole to ground the HU's parking brake input. Wire the other pole to provide +12V (from the red Accessory / switched wire) to power the antenna booster, your speaker amp(s), and anything else that needs a remote turn-on.

As I mentioned earlier, it can be the smallest relay you can find that has the correct number of contacts (it doesn't need to be capable of switching 30 Amps like the large automotive relays).
I went digging for my FM signal issue today and did not find a fix. I did not measure any draw from anything. I hooked up my power antenna wire to the yellow lead for a 12 volt power that is switched and not from the head unit. That did not work at all for any reception issues. I then hooked it up to a switched circuit in the fuse panel and that did nothing also. I also hooked up the antenna extension to see if that would resolve the issue and got no fix there either. I am officially stumped now I have tried everything and all I can come up with is that my Audio Control EQ is emitting some sort of interference with the FM band. Any more suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
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