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Pioneer AVIC-F900BT and buying from the US 

 

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 Post subject: Pioneer AVIC-F900BT and buying from the US
Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 10:39 am 
Getting Side Ways
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Currently I've got a Pioneer in-dash DVD player with 7" flip out touchscreen.

Saw the AVIC-F900BT on there website the other day, and it looks the shib niz. Puts GPS navigation all into the 1 unit, and DivX playback, blue tooth for the mobile phone car kit, and SD card reader on the front save me writing CD/DVD's all the time!

However, at $1,999.00 it's not cheap. I see you can get them from the US through eBay for not much over a grand. However, they'd be 3 issues - 1 the GPS maps would be US not AS, 2. the radio stations differing and 3. warranty. Any ideas how hard these are to overcome? For a grand saving the warranty is almost worth risking, it's the maps and radio stations that are my main concern.
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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 8:26 pm 
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im pretty sure that all HU use the same frequiencies ranges for their tuners? can somone comfirm this. But you wont be able to get XM radio as its only in the US. You may be able to get new maps for the gps

 

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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 8:36 pm 
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FM should be fine, AM will be off. But on certain models you can select 9kHz/10kHz stepping for AM, so if that model has that option, AM will be fine too.

The map is a problem, if it's anything like the AVIC-HD3 the map is made for the Australian model only and will not even work in an overseas model unit. The only way to know is to find someone who has already bought one or be the guinea pig yourself :)
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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 9:42 pm 
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im sure most the maps and stuff are on a cd or the sd. thats how most of them work..

 

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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 10:40 pm 
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The map is stored on flash memory inside the unit along with firmware and other data.

The US model has IP-BUS which means a different main board so AU mapping and firmware is most likely not going to work but you won't know for sure unless you try. It'd be a rather expensive little exercise if it doesn't work though :?
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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 11:05 pm 
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Why not ring pioneer australia, and found out whats required to change the maps over?
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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 11:25 pm 
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They don't know as they don't have a US version to try it on. The call centre will probably just say no so that you'll buy an Oz version.
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Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 11:36 pm 
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I know that whereisit who supplies the maps says that the maps are updateable. but probably not worth the risk.
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Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 5:04 pm 
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Yeah everything should be fine apart from AM and the maps

couple of years ago i bought an alpine unit from alpine themselves, but only just realised a month ago that i cant get properly onto the AM stations.
Only just realised after 2 years coz i dont listen to AM.

But FM works fine.

By the sounds of it you want it for the GPS as well, so i'd probably scrap the idea about playing around with the firmware and map data unless you know someone who 100% knows what they're doing.

Remember in the end you are still paying about $1000 and your not sure if its going to work completely

 

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Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 6:29 pm 
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I originally purchased a USA F900BT from eBay when they first come out (Around August/September 2008). It arrived & it worked perfectly with 1 problem.

I couldnt get/find any AU maps. Pioneer will soon be releasing the upgrade for the maps. Since it is stored on NAND Ram the upgrade will be quite simple & trouble free.

At the moment its just all in one unit without the GPS functioning however the radio stations are fine (FM). AM radio stations are in increments of 10 & not 9 so maybe AM isnt the best but if you upgrade the firmware to the AU version i think you will overcome the AM radio problem.

So if you dont mind waiting for the AU maps to be released then you will save yourself a whole heap of cash.

Warranty is NON-EXISTANT through Pioneer AU. So make sure you buy it from an eBay seller who sells internationally & offers warranty to international buyers. The worst part of international warranty is that you will need to send it back to the USA to get it repaired. Might mean a month or so without your F900BT.
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Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2009 8:48 pm 
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What about these guys http://cgi.ebay.com/PIONEER-5-8-GPS-AVI ... m153.l1262

same thing but $199usd , thing is its recond crys

the seller wants to much for shipping , come on $88usd
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Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2009 9:03 pm 
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i remember i think steve? (dcstraight) saying hes seen one and found the user interface very laggy... have you played with one in jb or somthin? reviews are good but you wouldnt want to spend that kind of money with out using one yourself...

 

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Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2009 9:10 pm 
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Forgot about this thread. Ended up getting a Clarion double din touch screen unit for a third of the price. At a Garmin GPS unit. In the end I decided that the built in GPS was overpriced and not very useful as you can't easily take it with you or to other cars etc.
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