[PetrolDave]

Well it took quite a while to get everything together:

EU RNS-E plus GPS antenna from Sky
Adapter from Ralf Deventer
Antenna adapters from Kufatec
Dell Inspiron 510m laptop plus VAG-COM (tested by recoding my central locking)

I was replacing a Symphony 2 with Bose - 2004, so all the speakers are attached to the Bose amp.

Did the install yesterday afternoon - took about 2 hours including recoding the RNS-E and the Instruments.

I'm using the 2004 EU map DVD, I won't upgrade the DVD until the UK TMC codes are included (due in the July 2005 update according to Audi UK).

And it's great!!! So much better than the "stick on the windshield" Navman I was using.

To anyone hesitating, I would say "go for it".

 

[PetrolDave]

Hiss?

One thing I have noticed is that the Bose amp seems to stay turned on - at least that's the only way I can explain the permanent hiss I can hear from the speakers (yes it is from the speakers so it's not the cooling fan on the RNS-E). It's even there first thing in the morning when I first get in the car.

The hiss wasn't there when I had the Symphony 2 HU in the car. So I'm wondering if the RNS-E is correctly driving the switched 12V to the Bose amp. I've double checked the wiring of the adapter.

Anyone else had a similar problem?

Do I have a faulty RNS-E? Is there a VAG-COM coding I haven't done correctly?

I'm taking the RNS-E out on Friday to fit the glovebox CD changer and the cooled glovebox kit (see AudiWorld Tech Interior for details on this mod), so any suggestions before then would be really welcome.

 

[AudiA4B6US]

The RNS-E turns "on" into some kind of stand-by mode when you unlock your car, and it remains in that stand-by mode for up to an hour after you locked your car. This is to allow your handfree phone set to work or your RNS-E to receive TMC messages while you are away for a few minutes (if it's only a few minutes). At the end it's a computer which takes some time to boot up. So Audi is using the 3-10 seconds it takes between unlocking the car, getting into it and pressing the RNS-E power on button to boot the RNS-E up and be ready for you.

There were several discussions about this in German forums and this was the bottom line. Some were also complaining about the base noise the Bose amp produces. You usually don't hear it while you are driving but when standing still with the engine turned off it's quite noticable...

 

[PetrolDave]

Thanks AudiA4B6US

I'll turn the TP timers back on (it's kinda nice to be able to listen to the recent traffic news when you get into the car for the daily commute to and from work) and stop worrying.

Now I can concentrate on getting the glovebox changer fitted - I do like the convenience of the SD card, but I CAN hear the difference between the CD and MP3 versions of some tracks (even with a 320kbps bit rate), especially some of the tracks on Chris Rea's album "On The Beach" where some of the quiet instruments just aren't there on the MP3. Kinda spoils the listening experience for me since those are my favourite parts of the tracks.