Sony XNV-770BT - Double Din Install LGT-B MY07 6MT Wagon

[frozenwaffles]

dude this is awesome!
i am thinking of doing the exact same thing for my xtrail.
i cant believe sony havent released this in australia!
i have just checked on tomtoms website and you still cant add other countries maps yet which is really crap!
have you fixed the radio frequency steps yet or the dvd region issue?

[gfennessy]

i cant believe sony havent released this in australia!
i have just checked on tomtoms website and you still cant add other countries maps yet which is really crap!
have you fixed the radio frequency steps yet or the dvd region issue?

Yeah, well, a little birdy told me that they are currently testing the EU version (XNV-77BT) unit in Australia (Melbourne, in fact). So it shouldn't be long yet. Maybe if we chipped away at Sony/Tomtom they would bring it forward. And I believe the test unit already has the Australia map on it. I wouldn't buy the unit unless I was ABSOLUTELY SURE I could get the map.... GRIN

If you got the EU unit, the AM steps would be ok, but the DVD zone wouldn't be. However the EU unit is like twice the price of the US unit. And no - no luck with Sony - but hey its only AM, and I can just attach an external HDD to the unit to watch all the movies I want... No worries bro!

[frozenwaffles]

these are all very true points you make.
i have asked sony and tomtom numerous times why the unit is not avaiable here in OZ.....i really do hope it will be here soon. i might just wait a little bit longer.
at the end of the day, the actual headunits are all just XAV-62s or 72s with the nav module addon.
i do like the igo software so i was thinking of just getting a XAV-72BT and then getting the Navigator NAV-X67 module... this is all sold through JB Hi Fi.
the navigation resolution on this setup is very ordinary though and i do much prefere tomtom.

Big kudos to you for being brave and getting the US unit. please keep intouch and let me know how you go witht he frequency thing and also the DVD region hacking....
SONY (like all big manufacturers) are lazy and its much cheaper to make all the same hardware and just enable/disable/change features in software. i promise the changes are posible, just working out how...
as you say i bet a service menu would fix it!

[frozenwaffles]

on another note bro... do you have an iphone connected via bluetooth by any chance?
on an XAV-70BT that i was trying out at JB the other day, i noticed that like my crappy alpine ida-X305, when connected via bluetooth, all notification sounds from my iphone do not get heard! either via the handset (which is where you should hear notifications like when connected to my pioneer AVIC-F910BT) or via the headunit bluetooth connection.
its a very annoying thing and i hope the XAV-72BT or the XNV units do not do this!

[edwarren84]

Hey gfennessy,

I have seen these sony XNV's in America from sonicelectronix.com and they look pretty good.
Does everything work?
How about the wiring and harness - did they supply you with one?
What about the Australian gps map? i rang the US tomtom and they said there is a Aus map available?
I was looking at this one - http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_310 ... 660BT.html
Any issues that you can point out?

Thanks for your help mate.
Cheers,
Ed

[mihai]

Hey gfennessy,

I have seen these sony XNV's in America from sonicelectronix.com and they look pretty good.
Does everything work? No. Read his post below. AM and FM steps are out, not such a problem for FM. DVD zone is Zone1 not Zone4 (for Australia)
How about the wiring and harness - did they supply you with one? What harness are you talking about? All headunits come with a fly lead which gets hardwired to the car wiring loom or you can purchase a wiring harness from Autobarn and the likes and wire the fly lead to that.
What about the Australian gps map? i rang the US tomtom and they said there is a Aus map available? About a week ago there was still no support for Australian maps on these headunits according to what others have said. I'd confirm twice with TomTom if its possible if you really want the nav on this unit.
I was looking at this one - http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_310 ... 660BT.html
Any issues that you can point out?

Thanks for your help mate.
Cheers,
Ed

Gripes With Sony... (Hmmmm... I guess that's what you get when you import an American product into the Australian market...)
3 things: AM frequency steps in 10 rather than 9Mhz, FM steps in odd decimals (100.1, 100.3, 100.5 - not too much on an issue), and DVD Zone is Zone 1...
So I emailed them about this issue - they were good - to start.
Said "there is a little switch on the bottom of the unit, that will change the frequency steps". Duh - Oh brother!
I took the unit out again. Looked for a switch - No switch. Looked everywhere. May have undone a couple of screws and peered inside - no switches, no jumpers - NADA!
So I emailed Sony again - Whoops, they said - "we made a mistake - no switch... you need to take it to an auto-electrician"... NO WAY! "Oh, and by the way, you can't change the zone on this to zone 4!"...

[gfennessy]

these are all very true points you make.
i have asked sony and tomtom numerous times why the unit is not avaiable here in OZ.....i really do hope it will be here soon. i might just wait a little bit longer.
at the end of the day, the actual headunits are all just XAV-62s or 72s with the nav module addon.
Big kudos to you for being brave and getting the US unit. please keep intouch and let me know how you go witht he frequency thing and also the DVD region hacking....
SONY (like all big manufacturers) are lazy and its much cheaper to make all the same hardware and just enable/disable/change features in software. i promise the changes are posible, just working out how...
as you say i bet a service menu would fix it!

... You are right, the head units are XAVs with a Nav addon - the circuit board is exactly the same. US, AU, EU - its all the same. I can access the service menu by using the remote control. With the unit off, I press 4 then 5 then hold 1 down for >2 secs. (or 452, or 453, or 454...) This brings up "Test Mode" - this is where the money is at methinks, although it does reset the unit too, so you have to reprogram things.

As far as the TomTom Australia map look at my post here. Read it again, and read it again.

Get it?

[gfennessy]

do you have an iphone connected via bluetooth by any chance?
on an XAV-70BT that i was trying out at JB the other day, i noticed that like my crappy alpine ida-X305, when connected via bluetooth, all notification sounds from my iphone do not get heard! either via the handset (which is where you should hear notifications like when connected to my pioneer AVIC-F910BT) or via the headunit bluetooth connection.
its a very annoying thing and i hope the XAV-72BT or the XNV units do not do this!

You are correct - I didn't notice this. The ringing comes through, but not text messages... Bit of a pain but its usually just the wife anyway... Might be a setting somewhere...

[gfennessy]

I have seen these sony XNV's in America from sonicelectronix.com and they look pretty good.
Does everything work?
How about the wiring and harness - did they supply you with one?
What about the Australian gps map? i rang the US tomtom and they said there is a Aus map available?
I was looking at this one - http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_310 ... 660BT.html
Any issues that you can point out?

As the other reply said, the only issues I currently have are the AM frequency steps and the DVD zone... A fix is on the way though (Watch this space). The units are the same as the XAV. The 660 has a 6 inch screen, although from the inside the circuit boards will be pretty much identical (the XAV 660BT/770BT, XNV 660BT/770BT - all these decals are actually printed on the board - - note also the 660BT = US, the 66BT = EU.)

The wiring harness is simple to install - I've done the walkthrough for ya!

As far as the Aus Map Look Here. Read it again and again.

Just like a good seamer, just keep chipping away at the off-stump of TomTom - they will surely come through with the official map.

[frozenwaffles]

ok, so i just went to the european tomtom store and the USA stores and on both you can now buy maps for australia and it does not come up and say that you cannot buy maps or its not supported anymore.
i might just buy one from europe as i really need a solution...

[kon1122]

Gripes With Sony... (Hmmmm... I guess that's what you get when you import an American product into the Australian market...)

3 things: AM frequency steps in 10 rather than 9Mhz, FM steps in odd decimals (100.1, 100.3, 100.5 - not too much on an issue), and DVD Zone is Zone 1...

So I emailed them about this issue - they were good - to start.

Said "there is a little switch on the bottom of the unit, that will change the frequency steps". Duh - Oh brother!

I took the unit out again. Looked for a switch - No switch. Looked everywhere. May have undone a couple of screws and peered inside - no switches, no jumpers - NADA!

So I emailed Sony again - Whoops, they said - "we made a mistake - no switch... you need to take it to an auto-electrician"... NO WAY! "Oh, and by the way, you can't change the zone on this to zone 4!"...

Well, I'm not buying it! There must be a simple way to change the Zoning and AM frequency - it's probably software rather than hardware. Any thoughts anyone. I have the circuit diagram if that helps?

Hi, Gents
Hello from Russia
I received approx. same unit SONY XAV-70BT from US and have the same problems, i am reading your chat and want to share my expearience as well.
First of all radio issues AM/FM : solved by re placing 3 resistors from one place to another (there is US, EU, RU AM/FM options on the AUDIO board of the unit).
But still have to solve one more issue...DVD region 1 to be changed to 0 or to 5 (RUssia)
If you need help to identify which resistors to be moved to you should have SERVICE MANUAL of your unit (there is audio board drawing).
If somebody have news pls. share
Cheers

[gfennessy]

Thanks Kon,

Might have a go at those resistors at some point. Still no luck with the DVD zone - but if anyone cracks the XAV its sure to be the same.

Cheers

[frozenwaffles]

hi, any updates on this?

[Lizzidman]

I am in the Sunshine Coast, and I have a Sony XNV-660BT I brought on eBay, it is a US version. (installed in a VX Commodore Calais)
I have done the resistor modification and confirm that AM radio is now 9MHz steps and all the FM steps are now .05.
The Audio board is under the disc drive, easy to get at, but the resistors are all surface mount, and very small, about 1mm x 2mm.
There are three resistors to remove, and three to replace:

Remove:
R508 --0
R510 --0
R513 --100к
and put back:
R509 --100k
R511 --100k
R512 --0
This info came from Konstantin in Russia, see earlier post.

I tried to reuse the 100k surface mount resistors, but gave in as I couldn't get then to solder with confidence. Their tinned surface seems to be on the top, I could not get the solder to flow up the sides. We are talking 1mm size, and adjacent solder pads. My soldering iron is a Weller with a 25mm needle nose tip, end diameter is 2mm.
I took the easy option and folded the legs on some 1/4 watt old school resistors and I could then see and confirm each leg as I soldered them. I Added a blob of neutral cure silicon to support the longer components.
The R=0 is a link, it soldered back ok.
Requirements: good eyes, small soldering iron and tools, desk light, magnifying glass. Difficulty greatly reduced by using discrete resistors.

[jp928]

You have gone to a LOT of trouble....some of it could have been avoided, but I guess you enjoyed. I changed my MCintoss hu out a couple of years ago, using the factory double din facia. I have talked with SVXDC (Dave) on a previous conversion (05 outback), and in this case (08 gtb), he gave me all the pinnings, cable layouts, and even made me a cable to go from Suby connector in the dash to the speaker plug removed from the Mc amp, and the only problem was lacing the cable from the centre down the tunnel, under the carpet and the pax seat to the speaker connector. Using a JVC DV6105 hu (reads dvds, plays videos and mp3, has equalizer (none in the Mc), sub woofer out, aux in, optional ipod in, cooling fan), I dispensed with the Mc amp completely, and have never missed it. Sold the Mc and amp easily on here.
jp 08 gtb 6mt wagon