Intravee II iPod DIY Install & Review (For cars with Nav)

[sna77]

I did this review on fanatics a while ago, and noticed that there wasn't much talk on the Intravee on this forum, so I'm updating and copying my review here.

Cliffs Notes: If you have OEM Nav, there is no better and more reliable way to connect an iPod to our cars than the Intravee II.

*******

My official review appeared on page 20 of the September 2009 issue of Boston Bimmer magazine (the Boston chapter of the BMW CCA):
http://www.bigpatsfans.com/BostonBimmer.pdf

[sna77]

Parts Needed:

Intravee II.
BMW ibus to Alpine AI-Net module. $250 Available from UK seller ToysInYourCar.com -- shipping is quick to the US (within a week):
http://www.toysinyourcar.com/acatalog/intravee.html

http://www.bigpatsfans.com/intravee.PNG


Alpine KCA 420i.
$100 MSRP (I bought one on eBay for $50)
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-VtqnAvRpdzP/p_500KCA420I/Alpine-KCA-420i.html

http://www.bigpatsfans.com/alpine0.PNG

This device has been discontinued by Alpine, but they are readily available on eBay for sub $100 US.

iPod.
I used a 5th generation 30GB iPod video. Its dedicated to the car, and I don't need to worry about a charging adapter for the newer iPods. The 5th generation was the last iPod to use the old style charging ports.

http://www.bigpatsfans.com/ipod5th.PNG

If you choose to use a newer iPod or iPhone, you will need this $20 adapter made by Scosche:
http://www.scosche.com/consumer-tech/product/1667

http://www.bigpatsfans.com/scosche.PNG

Most people will leave the iPod in the trunk as I did, but if you want to route it up front, then you need this extension cable (also discontinued, but readily available on eBay etc):
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-eAZk99rOLmX/p_500KWA350B/Alpine-KWA-350B.html

http://www.bigpatsfans.com/alpine1.PNG

[sna77]

After many frustrating years with various forms of the IceLink, Dice, Dice Silverline, and Neo, I finally gave up with those products and decided to step up and get a legit, reliable iPod solution for my BMW with OEM Nav. Her car has factory Nav and Bluetooth, which makes the Dice just about unusable. There is enough info on this forum about the Dice’s shortcomings that I don’t need to rehash it here—basically the same complaints everyone else has: popping noises, alternator feedback, having to constantly disconnect the battery for 10 minutes to reset the thing, the inability to browse by artist on the older modules, freezing text on newer modules, and of course, ridiculous shipping charges for warranty repairs. Basically, I’ve had enough…

A few years ago, I’d first discovered the Intravee II (IV2 for the rest of this review) and had anxiously awaited its release. By the time it came out, I had already invested too much into the DICE that I didn’t want to incur additional expenses of a whole new setup. In hindsight, I would have saved a ton of money had I just invested in the IV2 then.

The IV2 is a BMW ibus to Alpine AI-Net converter. Instead of trying to do the iPod controls itself, the IV2 allows Alpine’s rock-solid KCA-420i to do the dirty work. The IV2 acts as a converter between the Alpine and the BMW. I’ve been using the product for about a week now and have no complaints. There is a customer support forum for the IV2: http://www.intravention.co.uk/forum/index.php and the developers are active there helping customers. The firmware is upgradeable by customers, so you don’t need to worry about shipping charges back and forth for simple software fixes.

The searching of the IV2 is amazing. I was first a bit bummed that the length of the Alpine cables (about 4’) would not allow me to store the iPod in the glovebox. Turns out, leaving the iPod in the trunk is just fine—the IV2 search is so good (and quick!) that you’ll never need to touch it except to remove it from the car to load new songs.

[sna77]

Here are the pics of the install. The official install instructions and quick start guide are located here:

http://www.toysinyourcar.com/Intravee_UI_6_Cars_with_nav_Users_Guide.pdf
http://www.toysinyourcar.com/Intravee_Quick_Install_Guide.pdf

The IV2 as it arrives. There is a serial port (for firmware upgrades) on one side, and 3 connections on the opposite side. (ibus, CD changer and Alpine AI-net).
http://www.bigpatsfans.com/iv2/01.JPG


Inside the IV2. You move jumper pins if its slaved off a Sirius unit (mine is):
http://www.bigpatsfans.com/iv2/02.JPG


All of the pieces. Alpine KCA-420i, the ipod, the ipod cable, and the cable connecting the IV2 to the Alpine unit:
http://www.bigpatsfans.com/iv2/03.JPG


I am installing my iPod where the CD changer went. I drilled a 1" hole in the back of the CD changer blanking tray:
http://www.bigpatsfans.com/iv2/04.JPG


I used a 1" rubber grommet from an electronics store to clean up the install, and make sure the cables don't pull through:
http://www.bigpatsfans.com/iv2/05.JPG

[sna77]

I just plugged everything in to make sure it worked (it did!):
http://www.bigpatsfans.com/iv2/06.JPG

I then pulled everything out and decided to mount the KCA-420i to the Sirius bracket. There was plenty of room for both. Used locking nuts, of course...
http://www.bigpatsfans.com/iv2/07.JPG

http://www.bigpatsfans.com/iv2/08.JPG


There is plenty of room with the Sirius module mounted to feed the Alpine's 2 cables out the back of the unit. I zip-tied the excess cable and stuffed it between the BM53 radio and the Sirius bracket:
http://www.bigpatsfans.com/iv2/09.JPG

Here is everything put back together. I put the IV2 on top of the Bluetooth ULF so I could easily get to it for future firmware updates. For firmware updates the car needs to be in position 1 (for ibus communication) with the IV2 plugged in and a serial cable running to your PC.
http://www.bigpatsfans.com/iv2/10.JPG

Just labeled the pic with everything in it to make it a bit easier to see.

http://www.bigpatsfans.com/iv2/10-labeled.JPG

With the carpet back on, its super clean. There is velcro under the ipod to secure it in place:
http://www.bigpatsfans.com/iv2/11.JPG

[sna77]

Of course... pics of the interface. The thing is really fast.

This is the main "playing" screen with full screen Nav enabled:
http://www.bigpatsfans.com/iv2/15.JPG


Playing screen with split-screen Nav enabled:
http://www.bigpatsfans.com/iv2/13.JPG


The searching interface. You can skip forward and backwards 10 albums / artists at a time, which is fantastic, and makes for much quicker searching.
http://www.bigpatsfans.com/iv2/12.JPG


The main search screen:
http://www.bigpatsfans.com/iv2/14.JPG

[sna77]

Here is the Advanced Search menu. If you have Nav 4/80 or higher you can run this. Seems to create an artist cache and allows very quick scrolling when searching for artists / songs etc...

http://www.bigpatsfans.com/iv2/advancedsearch.JPG

[sna77]

You can also use the Intravee to connect a number of other Alpine units--like a $20 Sirius receiver etc.



Have a look at http://www.intravention.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=1109.0 to see some of the Intravee connectivity options.

I have something similar to this in my E39

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/richard.parkinson7/IV/Full%20Monty%202.jpg

The only difference is that I have 3 iPods (160Gb for My Music, 80Gb for Kids/'Guest' and a 60Gb just for Audio Books so I don't lose my place if I fancy a break) and 1 CD Changer.

[sna77]

Finally, Delmarco's YouTube functionality video:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbnD8x4nTko&feature=channel_video_title

[johnrando]

Great details and write up. Thanks for posting.

[NorCalZman]

Unfortunately the alpine adapter and intravee are not sold here any longer. I have looked into it :(

edit: I have found some used Adapters online, though. You are pushing me away from giving up on this. Let me ask you this, though: Are you still able to have:

- a stock bluetooth set up? I was planning on putting one in.
- a AUX hook up (I think it plugs into the back of the NAV system). Id like to have a ipod stay in the car hooked up, but there are times when I want to listen to streaming music via my iphone.

[sna77]

Unfortunately the alpine adapter and intravee are not sold here any longer. I have looked into it :(


Parts Needed:

Intravee II.
BMW ibus to Alpine AI-Net module. $250 Available from UK seller ToysInYourCar.com -- shipping is quick to the US (within a week):http://www.toysinyourcar.com/acatalog/intravee.html

Alpine KCA 420i.
$100 MSRP (I bought one on eBay for $50)
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-VtqnAvRpdzP/p_500KCA420I/Alpine-KCA-420i.html

This device has been discontinued by Alpine, but they are readily available on eBay for sub $100 US.


You didn't look very hard... ;) I've installed 4 of these for friends within the last year. :thumbsup


Here is a used Alpine KCA-420i available on eBay for $85:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ALPINE-KCA-420i-IPOD-ADAPTER-FREE-SHIPPING-/270978680854?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f17968816

http://www.bigpatsfans.com/ebayipod.PNG

and a new one from Canada for $69 US:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Alpine-KCA-420i-interface-adapter-for-iPod-/400295702304?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item5d337baf20

http://www.bigpatsfans.com/ebayipod2.PNG

[NorCalZman]

On the Dension unit, they say you have to switch it into a "bypass mode" when taking it in for service as it wont get along with diagnostic equipment. does the intravee have any issues in this regard? Since we are on the subject, Any issues with it at all in the time youve been living with it?

Also how do you like the bluetooth ULF unit? You get that from bimmernav? I saw it. I liked the voice command functionality...just wondering how useful it would be if I already have Siri on my 4S

[sna77]

edit: I have found some used Adapters online, though. You are pushing me away from giving up on this. Let me ask you this, though: Are you still able to have:

- a stock bluetooth set up? I was planning on putting one in.
- a AUX hook up (I think it plugs into the back of the NAV system). Id like to have a ipod stay in the car hooked up, but there are times when I want to listen to streaming music via my iphone.

Absolutely you can use both accessories with the Intravee. I have both running in my car + OEM Sirius:



On the Dension unit, they say you have to switch it into a "bypass mode" when taking it in for service as it wont get along with diagnostic equipment. does the intravee have any issues in this regard? Since we are on the subject, Any issues with it at all in the time youve been living with it?

Also how do you like the bluetooth ULF unit? You get that from bimmernav? I saw it. I liked the voice command functionality...just wondering how useful it would be if I already have Siri on my 4S

I have 2 Intravees--one in my car and one in my wife's X3. Both work flawlessly with 5th generation iPods. The only "issue" I have is that I set a calendar reminder on the iPods 2x a day to wake the iPod up from sleep. iPods go into a deep sleep after about a day, and I don't drive the cars daily. This way I always can get in my car switch to CD Changer input and have music play right away.

I switched from a ULF to the latest generation TCU in both cars about a year ago. The latest TCU is cheaper and works better with newer phones (my iPhone and BlackBerry connect within 10 seconds of turning on the car). The only thing you lose with the TCU is crummy voice recognition that I never used anyhow...

Oh, and no issues with diagnostic equip... The thing just sits there and works...

[NorCalZman]

Ah, I drive my car once a week if that (its a toy). So it sounds like I would have to go into the trunk before I drive off and wake the ipod up, or see if a ipod nano has this calender thing to wake it up. Otherwise nothing would happen when I go to the CD changer mode, I am assuming. Not a huge deal, I guess.

re: the TCU. I am assuming you get the TCU if you buy the e46 bluetooth kit from the dealer, right? That had been my original plan. Id rather have reliability than fancy features honestly.

[sna77]

Ah, I drive my car once a week if that (its a toy). So it sounds like I would have to go into the trunk before I drive off and wake the ipod up, or see if a ipod nano has this calender thing to wake it up. Otherwise nothing would happen when I go to the CD changer mode, I am assuming. Not a huge deal, I guess.

re: the TCU. I am assuming you get the TCU if you buy the e46 bluetooth kit from the dealer, right? That had been my original plan. Id rather have reliability than fancy features honestly.

For wake-up your options are:
- repeating silent calendar entries on Nano (what i do--set it up once, never touch again).
- run cable to front and just press any button on iPod to wake it

No reliability difference between TCU and ULF. The TCU is much easier to get actually. Just buy the latest one for about $350 from the dealer. It's part # 84109195455.
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=EV53&mospid=47725&btnr=84_0528&hg=84&fg=10&hl=24

[kayger12]

This thread is freaking awesome.

Think I just found my next project.

[NorCalZman]

Thanks for all the very clear info sna77. Really helping us out. I'll have to look over the bluetooth installation instructions (I think they're online somewhere) if it involves taking the interior apart to route wires, etc. I think I want someone to install it for me. Not to mention if there is any"coding" that might be required as well.

I think I can handle the intravee though. Looks like a hour install if that. Hah


This thread is freaking awesome.

Think I just found my next project.

If we can even call something so easy to install a project right? Haha. Just a few plugs and placements of modules!

[sna77]

Thanks for all the very clear info sna77. Really helping us out. I'll have to look over the bluetooth installation instructions (I think they're online somewhere) if it involves taking the interior apart to route wires, etc. I think I want someone to install it for me. Not to mention if there is any"coding" that might be required as well.

I think I can handle the intravee though. Looks like a hour install if that. Hah

If we can even call something so easy to install a project right? Haha. Just a few plugs and placements of modules!

I drilled 4 holes on the Sirius bracket to mount the KCA-420i--that took a good 15 minutes. ;) Definitely under an hour for the Intravee install.

Bluetooth install with a TCU is easy--no coding required unless you want VR (you dont need it with Siri). Everything is plug and play. I installed the system for cakm3 in about 20 minutes. I'll dig up the right link in a bit.

[NorCalZman]

Oh awesome. Thanks. You will save me soo much money from having the dealer do it. Is the TCU all I need or do I need other parts too?

[SoarinZHP]

The Intravee system is BY FAR the BEST iPod solution for cars with factory nav. I was fed up with Dice and ended up coughing up the cash for the Intravee and it is awesome!

[sna77]

Oh awesome. Thanks. You will save me soo much money from having the dealer do it. Is the TCU all I need or do I need other parts too?

Quick q... Do you currently have BMW Assist? You have a 2005, correct? I'll pull the parts list.

[NorCalZman]

I have a 2005. I do not have BMW Assist. that would mean I have little buttons on the rear rear view mirror right? I do not have that.

[sna77]

I'll start a new thread with Bluetooth info

[NorCalZman]

I nominate sna77 for "mafia family member" of the week :santa1

[NorCalZman]

For wake-up your options are:
- repeating silent calendar entries on Nano (what i do--set it up once, never touch again).
- run cable to front and just press any button on iPod to wake it


Hey Steve (Im Antone, btw): on page 25 of the user guide, in the diagnostic menu, there is a "Issue a power control on command to the selected device." what do you think that means?

[sna77]

Just a reboot of the Intravee it looks like. Truthfully, I've never even gone into that menu before. I ran updates to the Intravee firmware on an old laptop, and after that it's set it and forget it...

[NorCalZman]

Found a video review of the Intravee on a Z4. Making me more excited to do this. HE shows a lot of nifty features, including being able to program any button on the dash to do something on the intravee. Not sure if that applies to the E46 (the user guide on specified the clock button and steering wheel arrow buttons as being customizable).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPlBDiZROuc

In other news, I bought that brand new KCA from canada, so itll be here in a week or so. I am waiting to hear what my body shop bill will be before I order the intravee. lol.

[sna77]

Nice! That Z4 system is exactly the same as the one in my wife's 2006 X3. I have an Intravee II in there as well. I bought a used iPod on eBay for $50 for my wife's car, loaded up songs and just let it sit...

[NorCalZman]

Ordered my Intravee II today!!!

hey Steve, have you heard of this "mod" to the KCA to allow it to wake the ipod out of hibernation? look at posts 63 and 64....I have not been able to find any further info about it:
http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e39-m5-e52-z8-discussion/166931-intravee-issues-toysinyourcar-com-7.html

[sna77]

yeah, dont bother with it. much easier to just set a calendar reminder 2x a day with silent alarm. takes 5 minutes to setup, and you never worry about it again... what do you plan on using for an ipod?

[NorCalZman]

Ah ok. I have a 4th gen? (tall and skinny) nano I was going to use. After you posted about the calendar I plugged it in and looked at the settings and I can set up a calendar like you suggested so that won't be a problem :) Do you think 2x a day is needed for sure, or 24 hours might be enough? sometimes I can go a few weeks without driving my car.

[sna77]

not sure... just set mine for 2x to be safe

[RichardP]

Different types of iPod respond to allarms in different ways. For some iPods they are a good solution, for others they don't work well enough.

In particular the Gen 4,5 and 6 Nano and the iPod Touch enter hybernation mode too quickly for alarms to be of much use. With the iPod Classic (the current high capacity iPod) the alarms won't repeat until you clear them, so you need a whole set of them to keep the iPod awake and you need to clear them every so often (depending how many alarms you've set).

The best solution is to modify the KCA-420i to get round the problem. There are two ways you can do it.

The first way is to add a small CPU which simulates the iPod being connected for about 2 seconds after the KCA-420i powers up. The CPU must be programmed for this to work, here's a picture of the attached CPU :

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/richard.parkinson7/IV/DSC_3434.jpg

The second way it to bypass the output of the main processor on the KCA-420i and set the KCA-420i so that it always charges the iPod when it's powered up. Here's a picture of the mod :

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/richard.parkinson7/IV/KCA-420i%20Mod%203.jpg

The big advantage of the second mod is that you can use just a single wire and drill out the via on the board with a 1.5mm (1/16th inch) drill, all stuff you can easily find at a local hardware store or online. The wire should be single strand and very small, 30AWG, and use high temperature insulation such as Kynar. You'll need a very fine soldering iron tip.

The second method also has the advantage that it will alow a totally flat iPod battery to be charged, the frst method won't, the iPod must have enough charge to be able to boot up.

[kayger12]

^ Now THAT'S how you make an entrance.

Great post.

I wish this was sent with a Galaxy S3

[danewilson77]

Great info Richard.

Sent from a Thunderbolt

[johnrando]

^ Now THAT'S how you make an entrance.

Great post.

I wish this was sent with a Galaxy S3

+1

[robincx]

Just what I have been looking for - thanks!

[NorCalZman]

4449

Look what just came in the mail! Took a week and a half to two weeks. Looking forward to getting it installed and working. Won't be this weekend since I will be in LA again. But soon!

Leigh's cell phone number was included in the package too. I guess thats a good way to stand behind what you sell. hah.

[NorCalZman]

Do you happen to remember what sized hole you drilled and bolts you used to mount the alpine to the Sirius mount?

[sna77]

no idea. I literally just grabbed some old bolts from a junk drawer and slapped them on. You don't need to be very precise.

[NorCalZman]

Yeah I was just at the hardware store and I think we got everything we needed to do it. I am shamelessly copying your setup :-)

[NorCalZman]

Actually I don't see the bracket you screwed the alpine unit to so I might have to start thinking of another way to mount it

http://img.tapatalk.com/c6e4d89e-8b92-d9de.jpg

[NorCalZman]

I stopped this to install my BT and it works fine thanks to your instructions. Now I am trying to see where to plug in the alpine unit into the car. Can't really see where to hook it into the cars' network. I'll worry about mounting it after I figured this out.

Edit: nevermind study the pic again and I see how to hook it up. :-)

[NorCalZman]

http://img.tapatalk.com/c6e4d88f-cccf-5dd4.jpg
We have lift off. Just have to mount it somehow

[sna77]

The bracket I used was the Sirius bracket. I you buy a Sirius tuner, you need that bracket. You can just wrap the unit and stuff it in there. You wont see it once the carpet goes back

[NorCalZman]

Ok. I'll have to order the Sirius bracket next week then. I don't currently have the tuner (and won't be buying one). I just want that clever mounting solution you have

[sna77]

The bracket part # is: 84110141976
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=AV53&mospid=47725&btnr=66_0119&hg=66&fg=95&hl=6

You actually get the whole install kit which includes a few bolts as well--looks like the bracket has the same part # as the kit:
http://www.bigpatsfans.com/E46SedanSirius.pdf

[NorCalZman]

Oh thank you. I was going to find that myself but you just saved me (even more) time. And looking at the directions it looks like it goes in front of the whole set up right where I have an empty spot. And having bolts is nice. My TCU bracket didn't come with any so I have been going back forth to the hardware store buying the bolts for it. Also got the bolts for mounting the alpine to this bracket so once it comes in I should be able to get it all installed pretty quick and put my trunk back together haha


To others: I have been reading the instructions to this thing this weekend and you can do more than just listen to music on the intravee. It will even tell you your exact coolant temp. Nice peace of mind on hot, long drives.

[PHZ]

So... my question would be [thanx for ALL the great legwork on the intravee vs DICE]... if i wanted to use the BSW "ashtray dock" that seems so integrated with our cars... can this dock be used with the Intravee 2 system?

[johnrando]

That doc should be able to be used with any of them, but I couldn't tell you 100% for Intravee. It works with my DICE.

[PHZ]

Thanx. Does anyone have the BSW dock with Intravee?

[sna77]

Intravee does not work with the Spec Dock

[PHZ]

The spec dock is the BSW ashtray dock?

[RichardP]

I think there are two versions of the Spec Dock, one is fully wired and will work with the Intravee, you may have to order it direct from Spec Dock.

http://www.xoutpost.com/articles/x5/stereo/56151-intravee-ii-spec-dock-install.html

[sna77]

although it'd be silly to buy a spec dock at this point when the soon-to-be released new iPhone will have a new charger port...

[PHZ]

I think there are two versions of the Spec Dock, one is fully wired and will work with the Intravee, you may have to order it direct from Spec Dock.

http://www.xoutpost.com/articles/x5/stereo/56151-intravee-ii-spec-dock-install.html

Thank you!

[PHZ]

although it'd be silly to buy a spec dock at this point when the soon-to-be released new iPhone will have a new charger port...

Unless you cannot afford a new iPhone AND an integration system.

Then it's not silly, it's practical.

But point taken.

[NorCalZman]

Mounting went great this weekend thanks to all the legwork SNA77 did with his install.

I fiddled with it a bit and noticed that it didnt have a lot of the options that I am seeing in the documentation or youtube videos. I looked at the software version they shipped me and its 6.00. I think the newest is 6.02. Bummer. I guess they dont send these things shipped with the newest firmware. Ill have to email them all that info they ask for to get them to send me the newest firmware, find and buy a cable that will work, and find a windows laptop to use (Im a mac guy). Hopefully there is a detailed DIY on the install somewhere.

[sna77]

firmware is easy to update.

Register your Intravee on intravention.co.uk forums.

They'll email you the firmware / download tool.

You need an old laptop with serial port and a DB9 serial cable straight through.

[NorCalZman]

Hey Steve. I finally got a old windows laptop and a cable and all that jazz. I downloaded the latest firmware on their site updated the software but it seems that the latest software on their site is 6.00 and not 6.02. Do you still have the .blf file for 6.02?

[sna77]

Don't have it handy, but you can just email them at support@intravention.co.uk and ask for the latest stable beta firmware.

[NorCalZman]

Yeah that was going to be my 2nd plan but they're probably asleep at this hour :-)

[NorCalZman]

Oh actually it was attached to their email that they sent a month ago. My bad. Not on their site. And here I was triple checking everything I did....

[NorCalZman]

It successfully updated. Ill keep my emails and files for anyone in the family that may need it in the future.

Steve, not sure if you noticed this but when switching around the menus the song name on top of the screen flickers a bit. Not a big deal but slightly annoying to any perfectionists out there.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/11/05/qasa4a9y.jpg

[NorCalZman]

looks like this device's future is in limbo if you are trying to buy it new. I just received this email:

Hello,
I’m RichardP from the Intravee forum; I’ve been involved with the Intravee on a non-commercial basis since it was first available and I am a moderator on the forum.
As some of you may have noticed the Intravee web site and forum have been unavailable since the start of last week end. It is with great sadness that I must inform you that Simon Allen, the owner of Intravention Electronics and the designer of the Intravee, passed away suddenly on Friday 23rd November. Simon was a highly talented individual who will be greatly missed by anyone that knew him.
Intravention Electronics was run entirely by Simon, with a little help from a few enthusiastic volunteers, the entire computer infrastructure was based at his home and run and maintained by him. Although I do not yet know any details of what may happen in the future, as of Friday evening it would appear that the computers running the Intravention web site have been shut down. There is currently no access to the forum, web site, software library or support e-mail. I have only been able to e-mail you because I had a backup of the forum users with Customer, or higher, access permissions. The future of the Intravee product is, at best, unclear.
The Intravee hardware itself is generally very reliable indeed; the only hardware problem I am aware of is that it is possible to blow the internal fuse. I have a quantity of these fuses and can supply them if required. It may be technically possible to continue with Intravee production as the manufacturing facility has all the details, legally and financially it may be a different story.
The Intravee release firmware is reasonably bug free, but only supports the Professional Nav system to any significant degree. The pre-release V6.02 firmware is also generally quite stable; the very latest build 6.02-6940 is a significant upgrade to V6.01 with support for Business Radio, Business Nav and MID. I have copies of the various pre-release firmware builds and, again, can supply this on request.
It may be possible for me to do some limited development on the Intravee firmware, however this would have to be done in my spare time and so the scope would be quite limited. I have the source code and the knowledge of the Intravee, iBus and AI-Net to continue development – however, what I do not have is the ability to compile the source code to create the firmware file. Simon used a version of a compiler that he modified, it may not be possible to obtain or use this compiler.
I apologise for the unsolicited e-mail, but thought that there would be many users that would like to know the situation. If you would like to be removed from receiving any future e-mails please reply to this e-mail with “Remove” as the subject line, otherwise I will endeavour to keep you informed of any developments. In the meantime, if you have any questions or problems, please e-mail me directly.
Richard

[johnrando]

Thanks, please keep us posted.

[NorCalZman]

Got another email. Sad about the death of the inventor. :-( However, it looks like the future of the product is more secure. So if you want the best ipod integration with Nav equipped cars this is the one to get. You just need to find that alpine box to get it to work with our cars! Steven, it looks like theres a new build of the 6.02 software if you are interested. I am thinking I might install this one. What about you? Maybe that link in the email should be put in the first post of this thread since the intravee site is down and has been replaced with that thread?

New email:

Thank you all for responding to the news of Simon death, I’m now in contact with Simon’s brother and will try to pass on all your kind comments to the family. I don’t think they had any idea of the high regard Simon had with respect to the Intravee and in the internet community in general. There is as yet no date set for the funeral; I believe it is likely to be sometime the week beginning 10th December.

I have leant that Simon died of a massive heart attack that must have killed him almost instantly. Simon was not married but leaves his mother and brother. He was in his late 40’s.

After some serious digging around in my backups and archives, the future of the Intravee firmware development and support now looks much more secure. I have managed to recompile the firmware and load it onto my Intravee to confirm that it functions in the same way as the last version that was built on Simons computers.

Leigh at ToysInYourCar has asked me to convey his continued interest in selling the product, that he still has stock and that he has a supply of the Intravee fuses as well as my self.

My next focus will be on trying to organise a web site that can be used for hosting files and providing first line support information, hopefully a forum and support e-mail address too. At this stage I do not know if the Intravee forum information can be saved, this was hosted on Simon’s computers which have been turned off. Even with access to the computers I suspect that they will require passwords to access the data. Simon was very security conscious, his brother said it took them several days to access Simon’s room as he had a numeric key pad lock on the door! I have some rather old forum backup files, the last being from late 2010, so some of the information may be retrievable from those.

Sending firmware images and the Intravee documentation by e-mail is not sustainable, the documentation files in particular are too large to e-mail in any volume.

Leigh owns the domain name www.intravee.com which currently redirects to the Intravee page on the ToysInYourCar web site. This would be the preferred domain name to host a new site.

In the short term Darren and Rob from www.bmw5.co.uk have agreed to host some files for people to download, you can find the thread at http://forum.bmw5.co.uk/topic/75485-the-intravee-thread/ Attached to the thread you will find the latest firmware, V6.02-6941, the downloader program, user guide, supported devices and PXA Supplement documentation. Many thanks to Darren and Rob for their help and support. I’ll also use this thread to keep people updated and save some e-mail bandwidth.

There currently appears to be no reason why production of the Intravee hardware should not continue, although no details have even been discussed yet alone finalised. Although I have not yet talked to the factory where they are made, they should have all the components and information required for production. Simon set them up so they would normally have no reason to bother him!

That’s all for now, try to keep an eye on the www.bwm5.co.uk thread for future developments.

Richard

[johnrando]

Keep 'em coming. Still interested in a potential upgrade to my current ipod sitch.

[RichardP]

Darren and Rob at www.bmw5.co.uk have been kind enough to temporarily host a Intravee forum on their site. The forum is at http://forum.bmw5.co.uk/forum/117-intravee/ and there is a pinned thread which contains the latest firmware, downloader tool and documentation which you can download at http://forum.bmw5.co.uk/topic/75485-the-intravee-thread/. You will need to sign up to the forum to access the downloads.

Richard

[sna77]

Just saw this--so sad.

Thanks for keeping the community informed Richard.

[danewilson77]

Yeah...it really sucks ballz.

[cakM3]

I was reading thru this thread….wondering if there's any more updates?

[NorCalZman]

Updates for? Are you looking to purchase an intravee?

[cakM3]

Updates for? Are you looking to purchase an intravee?

Already have it… just wanted to know what's going on? I read the back story where the owner died and Richard was trying to get things going again. Haven't heard anything else.

[RichardP]

The 'temporary' (or maybe not so temporary!) home for Intravee updates etc. is on the BMW5 form at http://forum.bmw5.co.uk/forum/117-intravee/

[cakM3]

The 'temporary' (or maybe not so temporary!) home for Intravee updates etc. is on the BMW5 form at http://forum.bmw5.co.uk/forum/117-intravee/

Thanks Richard! I appreciate all the work you have done to date. I'm relatively new to Intravee and just got PXA-H100 to add to my current setup but am looking for the breakout box. Is there one available for purchase?

[RichardP]

Yes, I have the components for the breakout boxes available, I make them up to order.

Cost is £20 (UK Pounds) plus P&P which is £10 for a tracked service to the USA. Payment by PayPal, I'll PM you the details.

[ELCID86]

I'm glad there is still this option.


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

[cakM3]

Yes, I have the components for the breakout boxes available, I make them up to order.

Cost is £20 (UK Pounds) plus P&P which is £10 for a tracked service to the USA. Payment by PayPal, I'll PM you the details.

Thanks Richard for keeping this alive! So far I love the interface and how easy it is to go through my iPod library! Can't wait to install and hook up my PXA :thumbsup

[WOLFN8TR]

Sorry to hear about Simons passing.
Intravee is a great product and I'm looking forward to installing this setup with my factory BMW Nav.

[cakM3]

This is the biggest reason why my ///M will retain it's OE Navagation system Gary.

[WOLFN8TR]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2tUWbPcPdQ


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPlBDiZROuc


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbnD8x4nTko&feature=channel_video_title

[WOLFN8TR]

Intravee II and Alpine KCA-420i, BMW iPod iPhone Adapter on eBay for $222 plus $22 shipping.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/221693314560?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[johnrando]

Thanks for posting Gary. Good price, sold already.

[WOLFN8TR]

Welcome...

[cakM3]

Thanks for posting Gary. Good price, sold already.

John, when these come up at good pricing they don't stay for sale too long.....they go quick....

[KevinC]

Good news - new units available again! Tempted to add one of these to my M5, and move my CP600BMW to the ZHP.

http://www.toysinyourcar.com/acatalog/intravee.html

[KevinC]

Bumping again.. I just ordered for my M5. Currently out of stock but supposed to have more as of 2/1/16. Total cost for unit + Alpine box, plus air mail, was $286.32. Yes, they turn up cheaper on Ebay occasionally, but not that much cheaper, and figured I'd rather start with fresh hardware. I'm currently running a CP600BMW CD changer emulating SD card adapter, which works pretty well, but doesn't support AAC files, and doesn't have near the functionality of the Intravee. Will post impressions once installed.

[WOLFN8TR]

That's a good price. [emoji106]

[KevinC]

Cross-posting what I just posted at m5board.com... short version: installed today, VERY happy!

I just bought a brand-spankin'-new Intravee II and Alpine KCA-420i from Toys in Your Car. They have done another production run, and have special pricing through February. Including shipping to Arizona, total cost as $286 and change for the whole nine inches. My car is an '02, and as such doesn't have a DSP amp, making installation a 5-minute affair, plus about another 2 minutes to velcro the hardware to the side of the amp, and run the iPod cable out through one of the vents, allowing the iPod to sit outside the access door for easy access. Velcro on the back of it allows it to stick firmly to the fuzzy material of the access cover/trunk liner.

I had been running a CP600BMW (Google it if you're not familiar), a slick device that uses a CF card up to 32gb and emulates the CD changer. But it doesn't support AAC, and all my music is in my iTunes library, so I had to export it and covert it to MP3, meaning it was compressed twice. I doubt the second pass to MP3 removes much at that point, nevertheless fidelity suffers. Going straight to the iPod gives me 256k AAC files, which are plenty decent for my ear (and the somewhat crappy "M Audio" system). Also I just wanted full access to all my playlists.

The results? Couldn't be happier. Music does indeed sound clearer, with highs & even mids sounding much better than before. Navigation is a snap, and the Intravee adds a ton of additional features to the OBC, as has been well documented elsewhere.

Here are some screen shots. I can take pics of the installation as well, though there's nothing much to see there that hasn't been posted many times before - it's dead-nuts simple to hook these things up and mount them.

http://www.kcphotodump.net/Cars/BMW-E39-M5/i-tpDQ4fb/0/L/IMG_7301-L.jpg

http://www.kcphotodump.net/Cars/BMW-E39-M5/i-mBnF8hp/0/L/IMG_7302-L.jpg

http://www.kcphotodump.net/Cars/BMW-E39-M5/i-H3pZcSB/0/L/IMG_7303-L.jpg

http://www.kcphotodump.net/Cars/BMW-E39-M5/i-X26m49j/0/L/IMG_7313-L.jpg

http://www.kcphotodump.net/Cars/BMW-E39-M5/i-mnt3rRC/0/L/IMG_7314-L.jpg

[KevinC]

Yes, it really was 68 degrees at 8:19pm here tonight. All 80's in the 10-day forecast. Spring training starts next week - weather is gonna be PERFECT. Fans flying in from the midwest are gonna be very happy indeed. :)

[johnrando]

Nice. Double nice having Rush playing in the pic.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[KevinC]

A few more relevant pics....

http://www.kcphotodump.net/Cars/BMW-E39-M5/i-FDwmDNS/0/X2/IMG_7318-X2.jpg

http://www.kcphotodump.net/Cars/BMW-E39-M5/i-8n3sGb6/0/X2/IMG_7317-X2.jpg

http://www.kcphotodump.net/Music/Rush-in-Concert/i-ZcfLRKz/0/X2/IMG_6598-X2.jpg

[WOLFN8TR]

Excellent [emoji106][emoji106]

[WOLFN8TR]

Set outside temp, coolant temp and speed display as well as triple blink in the settings menu. Intravee Rocks!!


http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160806/36539c02ab52b73bc8ea7ec80bdc8e5b.jpg

[Minnesota]

Dredging this thread up again.

I recently bought a 2005 ZHP coupe and want to get the iPod hooked up. I have the factory nav so I pre-purchased the intravee ii and already had the kca 420. Today I peeled back the lining in the trunk and discovered I don't have the three or six pin connectors. Instead it looks like I have the coax connector. The intravee website says I need a converter. Is this true? If so what converter should I get? I have a picture of my connectors but can't seem to be able to upload pictures off my phone. If there's interest I'll can upload one off the PC when I get a chance.

[Minnesota]

OK. So I did a little more poking around on the interwebs and the consensus seems to be that E46 BMWs absolutely do not have DSP. Any connectors I may have found that seem to indicate otherwise are just the wrong connectors. I have to go back into the trunk and dig a bit more and I will find the three and six-pin connectors I am seeking.

But if this is true, what are those two coax connectors for???

[Minnesota]

Nevermind.

It's nearly midnight here but curiosity got the better of me so I had to check the car again. I pulled the trunk liner out again and sure enough, deep in the bowels of the wheel well there was another bundle of gift-wrapped wires. It took a bit of doing to persuade them out of their hiding place, but I was able to unwrap the bundle and sure enough, there were the three and six pin connectors I was looking for. WHEW! I was starting to think nothing was going to be easy with this car.

Now I just have took wait for the Intravee to get built and shipped. I'm sure looking forward to the day I can ditch those CD's rattling around.

[BMWCurves]

Glad to hear you found the cable bundle. Let us know how it goes once your Intravee arrives.

[cakM3]

I installed Intravee II in both of my BMWs. It was plug and play. There are no DSPs for E46 but if you go over to M3Forum Ian (Obioban) posted a detailed Intravee thread over there. There is a solution to incorporating a DSP with the Intravee...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Minnesota]

I installed Intravee II in both of my BMWs. It was plug and play. There are no DSPs for E46 but if you go over to M3Forum Ian (Obioban) posted a detailed Intravee thread over there. There is a solution to incorporating a DSP with the Intravee...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Exactly. I was expecting the install to be a simple plug and play so I was a little distressed when I only found the coax cables. Now that I know I have the 3 and 6 pin cables my expectations for an easy install are back.

Now that it is April, and the new order of Intravees is supposed to arrive from the manufacturer in April, I will be watching the Toys In Your Car website closely for updates.