$$$ looks like a Ripoff to me $$$$

[radioman193]

XM Direct is nothing other than a Commander without the Wire remote . its ceaper to just buy a cable Or make one for your HU. and save money and you will be able to use it in other cars.

[secrecyguy]

[Sipde]

Yeah, good luck with that...
Take a look at the direct box next to a Commander. There is a power connection of the Commander box that isn't on the Direct, and even if it were the same unless you can purchase the smart adaptor interface without the Direct box (which you can't) you can't do a direct connect. I don't see where it is a "Ripoff"...It enables XM with the factory head unit, something the OEM's aren't able to do in the case of GM. The smart interface cables will be coming soon for other OEM's. It's just a matter of making sure they work PROPERLY before they come out.

[radioman193]

[Sipde]

Well, when you get a cable designed that will work the audio and the display through the OEM radio with a commander let us know. I'm sure you could sell them. Power is one thing, the data is something else.

[radioman193]

HAHA you know im talking the OTHER way
The XM Direct will work like the commander all but "fm Modulator" but would work with the line out.
its just thay should give you all you will need eg Remote with a breakout plug that would have your Power wires .
Open the two units up and look.
its a simple mod and Not to hard to interface the COMMANDER to work like Xm Direct.
everyone sed the same thing about the NEO35 mp3 player to.
But now you can plug it into a Pioneers Ip ........ .......
verry simple

[Sipde]

Audio out probably would be possible, I thought you were saying the Commander could be used just like the Direct with the display capability to the OEM radio. That you can't do without that smart digital adaptor harness. That's the difference between Commander and Direct, so it's not a "ripoff", the adaptor interface is a bit more expensive than a modulator and it allows you to do more with the OEM unit. Like I said, let me know when you make it work for cheap, I would really like to see it.

[radioman193]

"That smart digital adaptor harness " is not hard to make.

[Jahntassa]

So wait...this isn't hard?

Power is easy, all the boxes need constant and ground, be it Pioneer, Sony, Alpine, or Commander. However, the commander needs a seperate switched power. So... You'd need to run that. Though, i'd guess the XM DIrect might be modified to switch on via the data cable, as the direct boxes did.

Not an easy mod, but then, you could just connect switched power to an amp-turn on wire, and be set.

Next, you'd need to build an interface box to make the headunit (Pioneer, Alpine, Sony) talk the XM box. Meaning, you'd need to find specs on AiNet, IP-Bus, and the Sony Databus, as well as the controls on the XM unit, and make them talk to each other, flawlessly.

That's...EASY?!

Next, audio. On a Sony it's easy, because audio is seperate from the data..(or at least was, on the older systems. I'm pretty sure it still is.) In the case of the Pioneer and Alpine, you'd need to either get the Aux-In (I think $30 for the Alpine, around $60 for the Pioneer that allows a data pass-thru)... Or figure out how the AiNet/IP-Bus cables carry audio. Again, not something most people want to spend time on.

So...while you work on this easy modification to a commander (keeping in mind you've spent $160 on the commander, at least $30 on the aux input for the radio, and probably another $30 on the appropriate data cable), you could just wait another month or two, and buy the XM direct, which will be cheaper, just plug in, and won't need to be "figured out".

[Sipde]

Thank you. That was the point I was trying to make to "Radioman"
Why re-invent the wheel when the Direct is already out there, and at a reasonable price considering what it can do with the OEM. I just didn't like it being referred to as a "Ripoff". I think it is a well designed and resonably priced.

[secrecyguy]

Also let's wait until May.

That's the release date when the XM tuners suppose to come out that will work with Pioneer, Alpine, and Sony with special adapters.

Who knows, they may lower the price on the Commander, the XM tuners, and XM Direct (that works with OEM radios).

[fruit2k]

Gents;

I maybe misunderstanding the gist of this topic, but (AFAIK) Radioman is correct - the XM Direct tuner/receiver box is the exact same as the box that is being sold as the XM Direct (Terk is the only manufacturer of these boxes). In fact, my current car system (an Alpine MP3 HU and the XM Commander) was set up based on this fact - I am using the Commander display right now, but when the Alpine adaptor/connector is released (in a couple of months, supposedly) I am going to remove the Commander display and connect the tuner box directly to the HU, using the new adaptor.

[radioman193]

I was just wasting time to say that the commander and the XmDirect is the same basic unit inside.
But you need a Basic understanding of electronics to see or understand this.
when thay are set on a table side by side and open and you know what you are looking at you will see .
All That is needed and used is Data out and Data in .
The controller chip "CPU" on the Main board inside the xm unit is the SAME Chip and the Rom code is the same aswell.
To put it SIMPLE
all thay do is change the plugs and dont include the wire remote to controle the unit .
So Now thay Got "Two" "Seprate" Units to make More Money off of.
When these units are More "available" to more People Thay will be More likely to open them and "explore" these Possiltys for themselves. and at that point you will see that thay are just one unit in the same.
You just need to make a cable to replace the Wire remote on the Commander to the "Headunit" Stereos IP-Bus .
I remember about a year ago when people were Debating this same issue of controling off a stereos ip buss With The NEO35 MP3 Player.
And by the way most ALL Factory stereos that have an "IP bus" ALL have Audio in on that same buss plug/cable how do you think thay get the audio from the "cd chcaner" into the stereo?

and if the audio is not in the same cable thay have seperate left/right audio inputs "eg" AUX.

fruit2k Has got my point or is closer to the understanding of just what I'm trying to Explain.
and that is that you can or will be able to use The Commander connected Direct to your stereo just as you can with the XM Direct.

the "IP-Bus" dose not use a verry complicated set of instructions of the controller chip.