# Pioneer Linc / AVIC-F500BT news?



## skro

Hi everyone,


Has anyone heard any more news regarding the AVIC-F500BT (Linc)? This unit seemed to amaze everyone at CES in January, but I haven't heard a thing since. I think Pioneer is letting their supply of current AVICs dry up.


This thing looks like it can do it all (so i'm sure to be disappointed), and want to hold off on a purchase of a new head unit and/or gps until this thing comes out. Last I heard, the target was Spring 08.


Any news? I can't find anything on the interwebs.


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## phobic99

Ha, I was wondering the same thing. Google brought me to this thread and I was surprised to see the post was today. The main thing that's drawing me to this unit is that it's removable. At least it looks removable in the press photos.


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## skro

Yeah, this version will be a portable device, a little bigger than most portable gps devices.


I think pioneer will also be releasing this software with future in-dash hardware. One local shop said they may put it in the avic-d4...who knows.


I like the portable aspect but I'm also wondering how they will allow it to integrate with "virtually all" head units (they stress this in the press release). They specifically say that even if you don't have auxillary in on your head unit, you can buy an adapter to connect the two units. I just bought a new car and opted for a cheap stereo with no aux jack (planning on upgrading). How would it interact with this aside from fm transmission? Even if it was wired to the unit, i don't have a clue how I would tell my head unit to play from something other than the FM radio or CD..... sorry, went off topic.


Anyway, I spoke with a guy in an auto electronics show who demoed it at CES, and he said the voice recognition was truly amazing.


I hope it comes out soon!


I'm also waiting for the Parrot RK8200 head unit to come out (soon i think). That unit has no CD, but interfaces with ipods, usb drives, etc., has built in blutooth, an LCD screen for album art, etc. If that comes out at a reasonable price, I may just get that and a cheap nuvi for navigation....who knows, this new pioneer system could be $1000. I can't believe there isn't more info on a product that was demoed 3 months ago.


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## skro

It just got FCC approval, and looks to be pretty expensive in Europe (700 Euros).


Here is a link to a recent story.

http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/18/p...rough-the-fcc/


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## txangler

The unit should ship in mid June along with the other 2 new AVIC F flash drive units. Pricing is right at $600 but there is a $100 amp that you need to get full function unless your vehicle comes with a AUX input. Also the unit though looks like a portable it's really a hybrid mix of a indash and portable unit.


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## cigga24

I also was looking at this one since January but almost bought a Kenwood 5120 until i seen that engadget story last week. I'm waiting till june anyway for the Pio 1018 stereo so i guess i can wait for this.


Whats so special about June anyway, I would think April so everyone can enjoy it as soon as summer starts.


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## txangler

Took them a while to get the voice recognition software right....unlike Ford's Sync where you have to use certain words to call up a song or phone number Pioneer's Linc understands slang.


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## cigga24

Just found this post, http://www.navigadget.com/index.php/...2/avic-f700bt/ this pne may be more of a winner if you dont care about watching DVDs.


I may be watching from ipod so this may be a good competitor to the kenwood 5120


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## cigga24

more pioneer info

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PU...+AVIC-F+Series


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## cigga24

These are available for preorder from sonicelectronic http://www.sonicelectronix.com/viewc...=25&new_page=1 


Even though the hands free sounds great and probably is. I'm leaning towards the

Kenwood 5120 since the screen is a tad bit bigger and the accessories is much cheaper. Pio ipod cable is $60 and rear cam is $280. kenwood is $22 and $140.


I was considering just dropping down to the F700bt but i would like the dvd function and not have to rip everything to my ipod.


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## skro

Hey cigga24,


Great. Thanks for the info. I was looking at the Kenwood, and like it a lot. I want to check out the Pio first since I don't need DVD. I wonder how easy it is to swtich cars with 500BT.


Thanks!


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## cigga24

The 900BT is on ebay now from one seller who has 10. I was all about to pull the trigger on the cheaper Kenwood but the voice control feature of the Pio seems like it could be worth $150 since i wont have to search for music by hand any longer.


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## cigga24

I took the plunge and ordered the Kenwood 5120 from 6Ave for $628


If anyone is interested you can call Richard at 6ave, his extension is 8612 and ask if you can get the Amazon price of two days ago.


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## Sirsilent

The new AVIC-F500BT has a 5.8" display with a resolution of 800x600. The Avic-D3 has a 6.1" display with a resolution of 1,440 x 234 which seems better to me or am I wrong?


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## skro

The Avic-f500bt has "supposedly" awesome speech recognition, improved ipod controls, and bluetooth....i'm not sure what the screen size is for the in-dash models (f700/f900), it may be 6.1"...this model is a somewhat portable model, and can be taken from car to car.


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## cigga24

I returned my Kenwood 5120 and bought a f700bt from 6Ave (amazon). The 5120 was fine in all respects but my ipod art kept looking garbled and the bluetooth was making outgoing calls on its own. At times people on other end found me hard to hear but they did hear me if i spoke louder, could be due to the placement.


Now the f700. Just got it installed yesterday and i have some of the issues described on avic411. But first let me say the screen looks gorgeous at dusk.


1. Screen is a little hard to read during day (icons are grey on black) but you can make things out.


2. Bluetooth is bad. I have an samsung a900 and the unit keeps disconnecting and reconnecting. But for some odd reason it seemed to work ok when the car is in park. (the avic411 bypass trick is on as well). But i need to try another phone since 5120 seemed to have issues also.


regarding the bypass if you don not do this you'll get an error message while driving saying your parking break is not correctly installed. Which is weird because everything was grounded and functions were not allowed when the parking break wasnt engaged. There is a sticky on avic411 describing the bypass on pg 3 with an image.


3. The nav voice says "one comma 2 miles" instead of "one point two miles"


4. Speech recognition barely works. I only done three successfull commands. This could be the mic placement but i doubt it.


5. Unit takes a good 2 min to fully start. But Radio starts in about 20 sec and ipod in about 45. But you cant control or press anything until the startup is done. The startup is loading the maps and getting the sat info.


6. ipod video doesnt work all the time. i have to back out to map and go back for it to pop up.


7. GPS is off a bit but that could be a map issue (garmin was on point though). It had my address at the end of the road when its at the begininng.


8. NAV voice and VR voice seems staticy when they speak. someone said pioneer said its a connection issue but then everything would be static...


Thats about it. Other than those,i do like it but those are the reasons i bought it and am a little annoyed. Its rumored Pioneer stopped production because of some issues and is working on a firmware update. If they fix these, the unit would be great. Like someone else said, it looks great on paper but it doesnt perform. I do understand that firmware wont fix things like the startup and i dont mind that but the others i do.


Also the maps are kinda cool and the autocall POI feature is nice. Man this thing has potential. Oh the odd thing i found is the Detour feature is now gone. I used that a couple times on 5120. I think i have to buy NavTraffic for that to be enabled which seems weird. Also there is no XM product available on pioneer site so i'm a little confused.


Some cool things:

1. Goog411 is a preset icon to call

2. You can press a button and it'll bring up all POI near you

3. You can add POI to database (new bestbuy opens, go to location and add it to the category)

4. ipod song info and cover art displays on map

5. virtual zoom in and out

6. more audio settings than 5120

7. easy customize of splash screen with SD card. i found a 1600x1200 looks great on it anything bigger seems to be in 4:3 mode

8. my "call nancy" feature worked once. others report only being able to "call 919-277-7777"

9. screen looks great at night

10. you can customize your route with multiple POI. going on road trip, you can set multiple locations to stop at. Could be useful if your a driver and go to multiple places for work...i.e social worker.

11. ipod search by alphabet seems ok. its not truly as fast as 5120 since on that you can search the scroll bar but it works.

12. ipod layout is neat looking.


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## blackmax2k1

I heard the buttons are smaller and harder to push compared to Kenwood. I also heard the screen sucks in daylight compared to Kenwood. Do you regret dumping the Kenwood at all? Is the Pioneer navigation really better than the Garmin? I would buy the Pioneer for its voice recognition but it sounds like that is not even working. Looks like it would be better to wait for next year. They are on the 3rd gen on other units (D3, Z3).


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## cigga24

In a way i do kinda regret it.


The buttons are fine.


The screen is hard to see only if the sun hits it directly. The only thing you can see in daytime is the things that are greyed out. Since i dont have Sirius installed, in the AV Source list you can barely see it as an option. But that doesnt really matter since i wont use it. The things you have installed can be seen. This morning getting on the hwy the sun hit it directly and the screen was completely gone. The Kenwood can be seen all the time, there was never a time i couldnt see the screen perfectly or brightly.


The GPS is kinda sweet. There are things on here that i wish the Garmin had. The only thing its missing that Garmin had is the detour button. But thats solved if i had the 900bt and the MSN Direct, but thats also an extra $400 that i dont want to spend. I havent noticed any more GPS errors besides my street.


Now the ipod voice thing is sweet. I fixed it. I had the the VR Catalogue turned off because i thought it only had to do it once so i was trying to save load time. But it needs to do it everytime you start the car. Its not a big deal it just takes about 30secs to load my 15gb of stuff from ipod. I was very excited that it was so accurate. It recognized; Beyonce, Jay-Z, Kanye West and even Gnarls Barkley. Now the ipod search is much quicker and easier than kenwood. So this was my biggest issue but since this works i can settle with the rest.


I'm gonna try a friends phone to make sure it wasnt just mine that was making the BT act up. I really wanted traffic but oh well. Also XM NavTraffic no longer works on the F-series.


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## blackmax2k1

So with all the hype with Garmin the Pioneer does just as good of a job?


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## txangler

If your speaking of just the navigation part yes I would say the Pioneer is as good if not better then the Kenwood. I do think Tele Atlas does a better job then Garmin.


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## cigga24

Well i like how there is a button for quick POI, call POI, moving arrows to tell you how to turn. But it does warn you too much. There is a lot of info for you here and good route planning. I think the streets are spelled accurately. I tried to type in TW Alexander (Durham, NC) but it wasnt there. It was listed as T W Alexander. I never realized that until i couldnt find it.


It also decreases letters as your typing. If Main St is the only MA street in your area then when you type M, everything else disapears except A. I think i'm explaining this right.


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## blackmax2k1




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *txangler* /forum/post/14143733
> 
> 
> If your speaking of just the navigation part yes I would say the Pioneer is as good if not better then the Kenwood. I do think Tele Atlas does a better job then Garmin.



That's funny cause I always hear that Navteq is better than TeleAtlas.


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## rivertiger

I got the AVIC-f500bt today. Purchased on ebay for $320 and I think its a good deal. I wanted the f500bt vs the 700 and 90/900 because I don't care for CD loading or DVD watching, really. After all, in a few years, all of our movies are going to be in digital files anyway so you won't need the DVD/CDs, right? =)


I opened the box and whoa, I've never seen more cables and accessories! You can see whats included in my pic below; the unit is in the corner. Unit looks good really. Comes with a CD-ROM that gives you the installation diagram and user manual. I'm still putting the unit through its paces so if you want me to try anything, let me know. Here's a couple initial observations:


1.) You cannot turn on the unit until you first put in the battery and switch the "unlock" cover position to "lock" position. I thought I had a DOA unit when I was pushing the on button for X minutes until I realized it won't power on until you put it into lock.


2.) The overall unit dimensions is right about a double din size. And I don't think the lost real estate of 5" screen vs 7" is not really noticeable.


3.) Screen contrast is very good at night (mentioned earlier). I think the pixel quality and touch response sensitivity appears fairly good. On par with the Tom/toms (which was my previous PND).


4.) The dash mount is a freaking tower. I would say that you can elevate the unit a good inch off the dash with this thing. Its tall and adjustable up/down and pivots up/down as well. The sticky baseplate that you attach to the window or dash could use a better epoxy.


I'll post more info as I put it through its paces, and attach pics as they are available.


In the box you get:

1. The PND Unit AVIC-F500bt

2. The tower mount

3. The base plate with sticky surface

4. An AC wall charger

5. A car charger (Cigarette lighter end/5V power plug on other)

6. A big, multi-connector cable. This is the cable used to connect all the inputs/outputs (rear view camera input, parking brake, audio out, battery cable (always on power), reverse gear signal input).

7. mini-USB to USB cable. (used for connecting to a USB mass storage device)

8. the rechargeable lithium ion battery

9. a plastic plate that attaches to the rear of the device that is used to connect the mounting tower (kinda hard to explain)

10. CD-ROM and warranty paperwork


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## kampret

Sorry if this is a newbie question, but does anyone know if this item needs to be installed in the dasboard? I've been seeing this with a regular GPS mount (that you can stick in the front window), but also mentioned that it can be installed in dash.


I've been reading reviews but still quite unclear. It was described to be able to integrate with regular car stereo. How does this work?


Could someone that own it share their experiences? How does it work?


Thank you,


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## kampret

anyone? please?











> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *kampret* /forum/post/15052777
> 
> 
> Sorry if this is a newbie question, but does anyone know if this item needs to be installed in the dasboard? I've been seeing this with a regular GPS mount (that you can stick in the front window), but also mentioned that it can be installed in dash.
> 
> 
> I've been reading reviews but still quite unclear. It was described to be able to integrate with regular car stereo. How does this work?
> 
> 
> Could someone that own it share their experiences? How does it work?
> 
> 
> Thank you,


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## txangler

I think you can only dash mount it or use the windshield mount it comes with. I am sure someone could fabricate a indash mount for you but it doesn't come with any sort of indash mounting kit. As far as integration with a factory head unit, to get full function from the 500bt it has to me hooked up one of two ways. First way is the best which is to hook it up using the Pioneer ND-G500 integration gateway amplifier. The second way is if your stock stereo has a aux input you can hook it up through that. If you just want the navigation and MSN direct functions you can just plug it into the power point and stick it to the windshield. I don't own one but from what I've read I think that's a few ways you can install it.


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## cliric

I wonder if this unit can save a route that you create for later use!?


But what troubles me most is that I want to use this unit both in US and Europe. Does anybody know if/how I can add or update maps on this unit, like if I buy it with US maps, to (buy and) add the Europe maps?


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## txangler

Yes the unit has a route history that saves your last dozen or so trips. And as far as I know you would have to buy two units to get a Euro map and US version


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## cliric

Great news regarding route history! It would be great if they would put what some garmin has: when you disconnect the power from the unit (usually when you leave the car in the parking lot) it memorize that location such that when you return to the parking lot, you can use the GPS unit (assuming you didn't leave it in the car) to find your car! I find this as a nice feature!


However I am disappointed regarding the US & Europe maps so I guess I'll wait for a while before buying the unit.


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## cigga24




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *txangler* /forum/post/15185577
> 
> 
> Yes the unit has a route history that saves your last dozen or so trips. And as far as I know you would have to buy two units to get a Euro map and US version



Actually you can use the LeetLauncher and run other maps on this unit if you have an SD card. I have TomTom, GarminXT and iGo8 installed on mine and they all run different countries. Check avic411.com for more info, it'll be in the F-Series Hack section.


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## cliric




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *cigga24* /forum/post/15215586
> 
> 
> Actually you can use the LeetLauncher and run other maps on this unit if you have an SD card. I have TomTom, GarminXT and iGo8 installed on mine and they all run different countries. Check avic411.com for more info, it'll be in the F-Series Hack section.



Wow, that's more great news! I'll sure check that! Thanks a lot!


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## moshock

I just purchased this GPS. What is all this information about hacking it? If I chose to hack it, how would that benefit me?


Note: This is my first GPS, and I know nothing!


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## cigga24

You can hack it to make it look different and to add shortcut buttons and such to the map screen. Redlight cam warnings also.


If you're international you can hack it to run international maps from igo8, tomtom and garmin but garmin has some errors at the moment. just check the hack section of avic411.


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## luckymick

I am considering this unit. Since there doesn't appear to be an external GPS antenna, how is the GPS reception on this unit? I'm considering this for my motorhome, thus flat front windshield: I won't be able to put in on my dash to get reception from an angled windshield.


Any feedback would be appreciated!


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## mrsato

No need to worry about that. I get GPS reception walking around in my house. I barely get a cell signal in there! There are really only 2 things to think about when considering buying this unit, besides money... SIZE, as it is a big unit, and you should figure out if it will fit anywhere in your car, and if you want voice commands to control the GPS - as opposed to just the media player. This unit does not have voice commands for navigation. Other than that, after playing with it for a couple of days now, I find zero issues with it, and many benefits. My biggest problem right now is finding the right place for it in my '09 Audi A4. Its a small car, and it already has a non-navigation LCD screen right where I would have put this unit.


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## luckymick

Thanks MRSATO for the reply! I think I might try this unit... my wife wants to play with the nav while I drive. More difficult to do with an in-dash unit!


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