OK I love this radio but it wasn't cheap to put in my 2010 Dodge Ram.
I am writing a long review in hopes it will help the next guy with a Ram and S5 phone.
ABC warehouse charged me $250 to put in in because I didn't buy the radio and accessories from them.
I am not sorry I let them do the install though because my dash did have to be dremelled out for the Double DIN to fit
and I would rather let someone who knows what they are doing do that because it turned out almost perfect.
The guy said this particular setup fit better in my truck than any other Rams he had done.
I got a deal on Amazon on the radio $160.00 and added a 3 year warranty so the radio and accessories I roughly paid $400.00 for the radio and all the parts you will need to buy if you want to maintain all Chrysler controls and bypass parking brake switch and a additional 3 year warranty
Amazon purchases:
1) MicroBypass ALL AVH-X Video In Motion Interface for Select Pioneer Receivers
Sold by: MicroBypass
2) AUTO-VOX HD Car Rear View Backup Camera Waterproof License Plate Camera Reverse Parking Monitor Kit with Wide Angle for Truck&RV
Sold by: AUTO-VOX
3) PAC C2R-CHY4 Radio Replacement Interface for Chrysler
Sold by: Amazon.com Services, Inc.
4) PAC steering wheel controls to go with 2R-CHY4 Radio Replacement Interface
Ebay purchases:
1) Double Din Dash Kit for After Market Radio Install with Wire Harness & Antenna
ITEM PRICE:
US $10.98
Free shipping
ITEM ID:
400403885092
SELLER:
uneeksupply (394261)
Total: ~ $700.00 with install and warranty
I did not buy an aftermarket Sirius reciever or antenna because I don't use Sirius. Everything else works as the factory radio did.
The good:
1) I love being able to customize control button colors (made red to match my truck) and set a custom background (Dodge Ram logo).
2) Bluetooth connects great .
3) The AppRadioOne functionality is pretty nice but hangs once in a while but its not hard to recover.
4) The DVD picture quality is very good.
5) The interface is pretty easy to get used to.
6) Works well with my Samsung S5 and S7with Car mode turned on.
7) The Navmii and Waze apps work great for maps with car mode turned on and voice recogntion
8) With AppRadio you can view songs, the stock map (not as good as Navmii or Maze), the weather and events all at the same time as well as your car speed
all on one screen.
10) You can listen to the radio with the Navmii or Waze apps running. (Hit volume button and you can select weather to mute
the radio, maps directions, or both).
11) The camera I chose works great and the radio even has a option to turn on the camera while going down the road if you want to see
whats behind you.
12) Graphic equalizer is very nice.
13) Plays HD FM as well.
13) Sound is great.
14) Built well and good design
15) Steering wheel controls work like factory.
16) Can play musi, view pictures, and watch videos loaded on thumb drive with USB set as input.
The not so good:
1) Took a while to get all the settings right so the apps worked the way they should.
2) The Bluetooth voice recognition pacman option did not want to work at all in Bluetooth
mode or AppRadio mode until I turned on car mode on my Samsung S5 which I am growing to love.
3) AppRadioOne doesn't support many Android apps. (which they supported Dashcommand, Torgue, etc.)
4) Many screen options are greyed out once the car is started (Pioneer safety practice). You need a toggle switch of some sort to get them to un-grey while moving. ABC warehouse wired the toggle to do that into my headlights.
5) The AppRadio App does occasionally hang.
6) Bluetooth itself connects fairly slow but but my phone has alot of contacts so don't get in a rush.
7) I still have not been able to get the keyboard to show up on the Radio screen. It goes back to my phone always.
8) The camera is a little fuzzy at night but useable. Has nothing to do with the radio just the lighting. I am still glad I didn't spend too much on a lighted camera because it works really good in the day and didn't cost too much so if it quits I can replace it easily and for not a lot of money.
To customize your own back ground you will need a FAT formatted thumb drive with a 800 x 480 jpg image to load on the thumb drive
and no other pictures or files and you will have to switch the settings to USB on the radio temporarily instead of AppRadio mode for the
Android. There's a Youtube video on that. Don't worry about the video with the 2 guys who say the type of thumb drive id important you just have to make sure its FAT formatted and the radio is on USB mode to load it from my experience.
Overall I am a very happy camper and look forward to many years of use ahead.
My advice is to plug your phone into USB when you get into the car and your phone will be charging and you will be able to use any of the apps you desire. If you phone is not plugged in you are limited to the internal radio functionality and Bluetooth calling only. It works good either way with the S5 and S7 once your get everything configured correctly.
I have posted some pictures of the radio in my truck.
| Item Weight | 3.7 pounds |
|---|---|
| Product Dimensions | 6.5 x 7 x 3.88 inches |
| Item model number | AVH-X2800BS |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium Metal batteries required. (included) |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Wireless Remote | Yes |
| Memory Card Slot | CD, DVD |
| Weight | 5 Pounds |
