Lewis/EC said:
First hurdle is that the connectors are not the same.
The 14 pin Connector Destined for Honda for the PIE and the NeoChanger10MP3 is not the same. This much is true.
Lewis/EC said:
My guess is that Honda had Pioneer change the protocol on the changer so that you could not use anything aftermarket (that allready existed). We are working with someone to develop one just for the 1800, but it is slow-going.
SSI america, which produces the interface for the NeoChanger and the popular line of NeoMP3 players, however, was supplied a set of Photos of the connector and immediately identified it as a new late Model Honda Car CD changer connector, and yes, it does have a new protocol. They picked up the details of that protocol on March 20th, and flew to Europe to a supplier of the new connector; according to the Engineer I talked to on the phone back then. They pinned April 7th as a delivery date, I have yet to follow up.
I tried today to talk to the Engineer, but he was not in to update me. I'll try in the coming week to pin down logistical details and will hopefully sample the upgrade soon. the NeoChanger10MP3 must be purchased from Best Buy, the cable upgrade must come from SSI america upon request. I place high hopes that the interface will work, since the same changer P/N supplied for the GL1800 shows up in the Honda CR-V.
Honda re-usables are all over the place, since the key fob remote is identical, save for a car trunk logo, for the Honda S2000. My intuition sez that it costs way to much to make a one-of purpose built protocol; Honda wants to keep their costs down.
Although 10 MP3 CDs is roughly the storage of a low end iPod, I still hanker for the integration and the lower level of distraction being able to use the buttons Honda gave us. I pressured SSI america instead to use the protocol converter with their MP3 players, but they flat said
no 