What should this forum do now?

[snoggle]

I thought I had replied to this thread already, and my post was mainly a thank you and please don't delete my account request. But since I can't find that post (maybe it was deleted by the moderator as insufficient), and I want to retain access to the forums, I will try again.

Here is my Phatbox "would like to do" list:

1. Retain access to the forums because I visit here often, but I have not assimilated all the information available here yet.
2. Be able to use VOIT with my PIE Kenwood to GM adapter. I don't have a scan button, only disc +, ff, rev, track -, track +, and I can't figure out how to go into VOIT mode.
3. Try out the Kenwood Kenwood KCA-R70FM RF modulator I bought as a phatbox controller.
4. Reflash the VW phatbox I have into a Kenwood phatbox.

Most of this list probably just requires better understanding on my part, so I would like to retain access to the forums to continue to learn. I do try to contribute what little help I can, and have posted my experiences to the forums. So please retain my account. Thanks.

[todd1010]

I'm an Audi PB user (self - installed) and a computer "hacker" (not the malicious kind). My interests in this board are:

1. I recently bought a Kenwood HU for my other car and am interested in putting a keg/other compatible PB in too.
2. Using one music manager instance for an Audi PB and a Kenwood Keg.
3. Player Usibility/UI enhancements (SSA/VIOT)
4. DIY DMS size upgrades
5. Cable pinouts/How-Tos to integrate Sirius Satellite into the Audi factory head/PB combo

Great board, keep up the good work!

I've already done the #5 on your list. Email me for details!

[flatlandskibum]

I think it should continue as a replacement to the (now-removed) Phatnoise support forums. It was users helping users, for the most part, there as it is here.

[Steveo369]

Browsing this thread, I'm seeing lots of great software suggestions, some "pie-in-the-sky" hardware modifications, and some stuff I'd never use, but all in all, an awesome list of items.

There's a wealth of info here and the effort put forth to get to where we are is amazing.

My short list of items I'd like to see improved would be:

• Refining the hack disk so that it's fool-proof, esp for vw/audi units  (This might have been done, i haven't checked lately.)  One reason I haven't upgraded is the apparent issues that some vw/audi owners have had w/ upgrading.
  
• Better voice prompts (16k?), more complete subs files, etc.  I see that todd1010 has tried out the Neospeech voice generator, but that (maybe) the voices require conversion to be used w/ the Phatnoise.
  

I'm not a linux guru and have no programming skillz, but I can see how much potential this project has, the results so far have been jaw dropping.

One other thing that *might* be nice is if some of the knowledge gained here was incorporated into future revisions of the Phatbox.  Although I suspect this would start to kill any opensource aspect of it.  I just don't know if there's resources here to really steer hardware modification/direction/progression.  Seems like something that Harmon-Kardon would have to invest in, now that they own Phatnoise.   :-/

-Steveo

[wtrjock]

I think it would be cool to have a WiFi connection to the Phatbox.  You could pull into the garage and the PhatNoise software would recognize your DMS without pulling it from the car.  That would be cool.

[nunaat]

Hi everybody. I am so interested about this forum because i can´t read mp3 files in my bmw. I am thinking to buy a vw phatnoise and change the firmware to bmw. Actually is the 9.0. But i don´t know if this change will work fine. Please can you help me? About phat4x I am so interested.
Thanks from Spain.

[micmom]

On penalty of being deleted......

It would be nice to have an option to, when in Album/Artist mode, to group those Albums/Artists that have less than x number of songs into "Various" Album/Artist.

[MousePad]

Hmmm..

I've been lurking in the forum for quite sometime now... Thanks for all the help everyone, very appreciated..

Now, anybody would have to courage to dive into the PB firmware itself?

I have the VW one and love it as it is, but it would be really helpful if we tweaked it a little bit.. Here's an idea...

I wish I could browse albums, but only among those that are in my smooth playlist for example... Not being forced to browse through the first playlist by default...

What do you guys think?

[PhatAl]

As the "official" Phatnoise Forum is gone... I would sure love for this forum to stick around and help people address various Phatbox/Phatnoise issues... and not just "hacking" it.

But since I haven't had my VW Phatbox all that long I haven't gotten all that annoyed with the current features to think of some changes.

But I do hate the current way of browsing.

How do I get of the things like "car talk"... I searched using Windows Explorer and can't find where they are stored.

[dvg]

A fully functional Linux linux version of PMM would be pretty sweet - and I see it's already in the works!

[jlv]

If there's any doubt, I'll make another vote that this forum should continue to exist, especially since the 'official' ones went away.

For the Phatbox itself, I like the direction that Phat4X is going.  PMM has too many nits.  The Phat4X support forums are great.

[My_B5]

Hi Paul,

Well, here's my two cents...

The forum has also done a good job of encouraging people to connect boxes for, say, a VW, to a different vehicle / head unit.  When people change cars every 2 or 3 years this is a real benefit.  Of course, it may not be what Phatnoise or the vehicle brands want us to do - I am sure they would rather we buy a new box.  And of course with the relatively cheap VW boxes that are available, someone may be losing out somewhere.  But my view is that those if us that hack these things are the smalll minority of users, who then go out and evangelise about the product.  The efect could very well be that more "official" PB installations then get sold.

I have just about finished hooking a VW box up to my Volvo S80.  I will be happy to post some more details of the wiring etc when I'm done.

Regards,

Les.

I'll double that. How to get your VW/Audi PB to work with aftermarket units.........

[hattori888]

Hi,
I just joined this forum and it contains lots of great information but what I would like to see is perhaps a section somewhere on the forum that would tell newbies like me what headunits the Phatbox can be used with.  I realize that Phatnoise has an application matrix, but that list is now 2 years old and does not include 2005 and 2006 cars not to mention any aftermarket radios.

Of course, I am speaking from experience as I have joined this forum to post to see if I can even use a Phatbox within my new 2005 Audi.  I have searched this forum as well as other forums and have been able to get some information but nothing definitive to say whether the Phatbox will or will not work with my OEM radio.  

I believe a section expanding on Phatnoise's application matrix along with hardware recommedations would greatly help newbies such as myself when searching the forum for information.  That aside, I am disappointed that VW/Audi has discontinued the sale of Phatbox  .  Thanks.

[sbingner]

Hi,
I just joined this forum and it contains lots of great information but what I would like to see is perhaps a section somewhere on the forum that would tell newbies like me what headunits the Phatbox can be used with.  I realize that Phatnoise has an application matrix, but that list is now 2 years old and does not include 2005 and 2006 cars not to mention any aftermarket radios.

Of course, I am speaking from experience as I have joined this forum to post to see if I can even use a Phatbox within my new 2005 Audi.  I have searched this forum as well as other forums and have been able to get some information but nothing definitive to say whether the Phatbox will or will not work with my OEM radio.  

I believe a section expanding on Phatnoise's application matrix along with hardware recommedations would greatly help newbies such as myself when searching the forum for information.  That aside, I am disappointed that VW/Audi has discontinued the sale of Phatbox  .  Thanks.

You could start a Wiki page on that... try http://wiki.phathack.com/Interoperability

Sam

[pwborders]

I would like to be able to enable the voice navigation functions that were part of the VW unit I bought and converted to a Kenwood HU. Since this function is part of the unit I bought I should be able to use it even when connected to a Kenwood without having to pay another $75.

Pete B

[admin]

Hmmm...did you pay full price for the VW box and the functionality?  Or did you get a box for $175, convert it to a Keg, and now want it to do $600 worth of work for $175?  

(just giving you a hard time)

[jgruiz]

Additional functions on the Phatbox would be nice. For example, I think a simple one woul'd be a way to display the remaining play time.

[bug]

I'm new to all this too.

I'll be installing a Kenwood Excelon KDC-X689 in my car this afternoon/weekend (but no Phatbox).  

Do any of these hacks apply to the ACDrive (mCD) cd's that are created with Media Manager?

Is there a way to auto-sync with my podcast downloads from iTunes?

[slowwagon]

I'm not sure how long it will take to get Phat4X up to the same functionality level as some more mature products, but wouldn't it make sense to just develop a plug-in for a product that already exists?  It's been a long time since I've used J. River's Media Center, but after taking a quick look at their site, http://www.jrmediacenter.com/, it looks like they continue to improve their product.

I searched their forum a while back and it seemed that the main obstacle was with the signing of playlists.  Isn't that something that Phat4X is capable of now?  If so, couldn't the code from that be used to create a plug-in for something like Media Center?

Sean

[Hansel3]

I have not been the forum much but a couple of things if not already there and I just have not found them yet.

1. Better definitions of what all this is. Meaning - Phat4X, its benefits, its limitations, spelled out requirements for operation etc.

2. VOIT that would work within a playlist against a song title. Would be helpful when in random mode.

Thanks and great work