Ca-Fi Dashlinq4 Android 4.1.1 Car Stereo - WHOA BABY!

[Prog]

Originally Posted by ducks

FYI:

Thanks for your enquiry very much. This is Will from Innotrends support team.

The warranty is 6 months.

Regarding the BlueTooth OBD2 adapter, currently, the CA-FI Dashlinq4 unit only supports the model that we supplied.

For any other query, please feel free to contact us.

I don't see any reason why another adapter wouldn't work. I think the key word there is "supports," as in, maybe they just can't guarantee any other one will work. Thoughts? Either way, not a dealbreaker for me. My OBD2 adapter is unplugged 99% of the time anyway.

[Narcoden]

What color do the buttons light up as?

Sent from my Nexus 7

[SHIFTER]

Originally Posted by Narcoden

What color do the buttons light up as?

Sent from my Nexus 7

White

[SHIFTER]

Originally Posted by Prog

Still kinda worried about a battery in the heat. Those things can explode, and if the car is off, a fan won't kick on.

Anyway, what about that seek knob? Can you scroll through music with it? And do the physical next/previous buttons fast forward/rewind if you hold them down.

Edit: I emailed Ca-Fi about the battery, and apparently I misunderstood.

"There is no battery inside the Dashlinq4 units. The fast boot gets the power from the car, when the ACC is cut, the power+ is still on, and there will be about 5MA current for the CPU. User can set the fast boot time long as 2 days via the system.

The operating temp. -20 degree c ~70 degree c"

Sweet!

Cool! I guess I was wrong about the fastboot option. Eitherway, it works flawlessly!

[SHIFTER]

Originally Posted by encity5

thanks for the write up and share!

i havent watched through all your walkthrough videos yet so forgive me if this is addressed, but how is the GPS? what maps are they running?

GPS is whatever you want to run - its an android device. Google Maps, Tom Tom, Waze, Sygic... whatever. They all work.

[SHIFTER]

Originally Posted by Namuna

The "sticky" point for me with this Ca-Fi HU is the $533 pricetag.

A Nexus7 (2013 model) tablet with a FAR SUPERIOR (quad-core 1.5GHz, vs the single-core 1GHz of the Ca-Fi) processor and thereby inherently an also FAR SUPERIOR GPU (Adreno 320, vs. whatever's in the Ca-Fi), 2x more RAM, 8x more ROM, 1900x1200 screen (vs. 1024x600 Ca-Fi) can be had for $230 (or less).

Don't get me wrong, I get it...It's not about just the hardware specs. The Ca-Fi offers an entire "package" that seems to be pretty much plug-n-play, and I have watched some of the videos and it does seem responsive. Still, to me, $533 for something with hardware specs that read like a cheapo, no-name, fly-by-night Chinese brand tablet, just isn't right.

With the listed hardware specs, if this thing were more in the $350 (or less) range, I'd probably be having a case of itchy trigger finger...But not at $533.

Buying on specs alone is kind of, well - not the point. The real elephant in the room is what works BETTER in the car. I won't tell you putting a nexus 7 in the car is stupid - they're great devices. BUT. there are two different goals being discussed here.

With the ca-fi device, you're looking at a well rounded CAR STEREO. AKA a device that implements an amplifier, radio antenna AND an android tablet all in one unit with a consistent interface that will plug and play in a car with less than 20 minutes of work - bolted in and running.

Installing a N7 tablet requires an external source for radio if you want it, amplification for the speakers - and overall audio control. Also, you must MODIFY the interior to mount it at unknown amounts of time.

There are pluses and negatives to each. the Ca-Fi device is a fantastic device for a car stereo with the super powers of Android. A Nexus 7 is a great tablet with none of the benefits of a car stereo.

Like I said - each to their own. But comparing on price and specs alone completely misses the point.

[bgibbsunc]

Dude are you sponsored by them. I cant find any info on this unit besides your reviews on every forum. They even used your video on their own website. Do you have the only one out there? Can't help but think you may be a little biased.

[DC2R]

Originally Posted by SHIFTER

Buying on specs alone is kind of, well - not the point. The real elephant in the room is what works BETTER in the car. I won't tell you putting a nexus 7 in the car is stupid - they're great devices. BUT. there are two different goals being discussed here.

With the ca-fi device, you're looking at a well rounded CAR STEREO. AKA a device that implements an amplifier, radio antenna AND an android tablet all in one unit with a consistent interface that will plug and play in a car with less than 20 minutes of work - bolted in and running.

Installing a N7 tablet requires an external source for radio if you want it, amplification for the speakers - and overall audio control. Also, you must MODIFY the interior to mount it at unknown amounts of time.

There are pluses and negatives to each. the Ca-Fi device is a fantastic device for a car stereo with the super powers of Android. A Nexus 7 is a great tablet with none of the benefits of a car stereo.

Like I said - each to their own. But comparing on price and specs alone completely misses the point.

The price strikes me when comparing to appradio. I know they are two different things. Probably the closest would be parrot head unit which I believe runs gingerbread. I think the nexus installs tend to get pricey with proper mounts and amps/wiring too. I will try to check this out in person at local meet.
Can't recall if this was covered but does this handle incoming calls over Bluetooth as well as stock head unit?

Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

[Namuna]

Originally Posted by SHIFTER

Buying on specs alone is kind of, well - not the point. The real elephant in the room is what works BETTER in the car. I won't tell you putting a nexus 7 in the car is stupid - they're great devices. BUT. there are two different goals being discussed here.

With the ca-fi device, you're looking at a well rounded CAR STEREO. AKA a device that implements an amplifier, radio antenna AND an android tablet all in one unit with a consistent interface that will plug and play in a car with less than 20 minutes of work - bolted in and running.

Installing a N7 tablet requires an external source for radio if you want it, amplification for the speakers - and overall audio control. Also, you must MODIFY the interior to mount it at unknown amounts of time.

There are pluses and negatives to each. the Ca-Fi device is a fantastic device for a car stereo with the super powers of Android. A Nexus 7 is a great tablet with none of the benefits of a car stereo.

Like I said - each to their own. But comparing on price and specs alone completely misses the point.

You quoted my post, but it seems you didn't actually read it. Particularly the part where I said I get it, that the Ca-Fi is a "package" and not just a tablet to be compared directly with the N7.

My perspective, to put it another way is that 'the whole doesn't equal the sum of the parts' here. The 'whole' being the $533 pricetag and the 'parts' being the Ca-Fi package of tablet/amp/tuner/etc...

My main point of contention is the fact of how inexpensive a powerhouse like the N7 is (and that's even at full retail cost, not even considering how much less expensive it would be for similar specs direct to a manufacturer like Ca-Fi would be) as compared to the specs of the component part of the Ca-Fi "package" that is the tablet.

So, to reiterate and in my opinion and my perception of fair market value...$533 seems high for the overall package, when taking into consideration that one of the main components (the tablet) has sub-par specs.

...To be fair, I don't know what all costs are involved for Ca-Fi to put such a package together, what with all the components involved (amp, tuner, tablet, etc...) and licensing and such and I don't even know of any competing product to compare costs to. I'm going by my 'gut' feelings and my own threshold of what I'm willing to pay for such an item.

It is definitely to each his own.

[Prog]

Asked them some more questions, got some more answers:

-Does the unit have RCA plugs for subwoofer out in the back?

---YES. Please refer to the attachment.


-Do the physical Next/Previous buttons on the right side of the unit also do fast forward/rewind if you hold them down?

---Currently, no.


-Does the Disp/Seek knob only work for tuning the radio, or can it also scroll through songs on, say, an iPhone or a USB thumb drive?

---Built-in music player, yes.

Thanks for your questions. We will improve the unit step by step.

[DC2R]

Shouldn't subwoofer be two RCA?

Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

[ducks]

Originally Posted by Prog

I don't see any reason why another adapter wouldn't work. I think the key word there is "supports," as in, maybe they just can't guarantee any other one will work. Thoughts? Either way, not a dealbreaker for me. My OBD2 adapter is unplugged 99% of the time anyway.

I hope to be proven wrong as I really like the idea of this unit.

Conspiracy theory from someone who is NOT an android expert: Since they sell their own adapter, have a specific OBD Bluetooth device pairing option, and had Torque pre-installed, maybe they restrict pairing by MAC address and/or only give Torque access to the OBD Bluetooth device.

[Prog]

Originally Posted by DC2R

Shouldn't subwoofer be two RCA?

Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

I think you're right, but I'm not really an audio person, so I don't know what this means. Anyone know? Would you have to buy an adapter?

[Dooley]

Originally Posted by Prog

I think you're right, but I'm not really an audio person, so I don't know what this means. Anyone know? Would you have to buy an adapter?

You can have a single out RCA on a sub. You can also choose to split a L/R because it is already done internally.

Essentially, there is 2 RCA inside the single out. Everything is the exact same, just less external wiring.