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Thread: Finally upgrading my Head Unit - Kenwood DDX9902S

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  1. #1
    Worlds Shiniest HD F-150!
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    Finally upgrading my Head Unit - Kenwood DDX9902S

    Finally getting around to upgrading my Head Unit to a eXcelon Kenwood DDX9902S
    This unit is VERY similar to a Kenwood DDX9702S 5 vs.7 band EQ, Preout 4v vs. 5v etc.



    This HU works with Apple CarPlay and androidauto

    True Mirroring with HDMI / MHL
    Connect your smartphone via HDMI/MHL to mirror its display on your receiver. Operate your smartphone applications with the receiver touch panel.



    Even though I have a iPhone I can use Waze with a HDMI cable


    Wireless requires an Android phone

    Wireless Mirroring Ready
    Your smartphone display can be transmitted to your KENWOOD receiver wirelessly by connecting the optional KCA-WL100 Wireless display adapter.



    HU, cables and XM receiver ordered...waiting on delivery and install.

    Last edited by Merlin; 07-14-2017 at 01:30 PM.

  2. #2
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    Name: Derek

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    Very nice unit, you'll love it.

    Oh, and about damn time!

  3. #3
    Worlds Shiniest HD F-150!
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    Quote Originally Posted by SonicHD View Post
    Very nice unit, you'll love it.

    Oh, and about damn time!
    Sadly, I've been wanting to upgrade for years...

    The wife says "What do you want for xmas?"
    I say "A new Head Unit for the truck."
    She says " Which one?"
    I say "Let's see what new models are coming out?"

    The new models usually come out in December.
    The new model reviews come out in Jan/Feb.
    Some favorable...some not so favorable.
    This cycle ended and repeated year after year.

    My main requirement for all these years has been Garmin. I like Garmin.
    The GPS in my HU sucks!
    Sadly, the Kenwood/eXcelon/Navigation units have not received good reviews.
    This year I was looking at the DNN992...then the DDX9902S caught my eye!

    I like Google Maps and Waze but have an iPhone and didn't want to switch.
    I believe these are available if you use androidauto and a Android phone.

    Apple CarPlay gives you Apple Maps and that was a big no no in my book.
    Once I found I could use Waze (yeah I need to have a wire) then I was sold.
    The DDX9902S & DDX9702S came out this summer & has had good reviews.

  4. #4
    *SOLD - but not forgotten
    Name: Chuck NHTOC #291

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    Cool....Great mod!

    Geez reading your little story about the wife I was beginning to worry when you said you needed a new 'head unit' and what her response was going to be!
    Luckily you did explain that it was for the truck!

    Mods=L&S Oil Sep, Blackwood trim & mirror caps, Navi ant' base, E-brake pedal, CAI, C&L Intake & Plenum, 95mm MAF tube, SBTB, 170 T-Stat, Predator+RWTD custom tune, 8# lower, PG Ti900.7 amp, JLA XR570-CXi & Stealthbox, FTVB, Finned Trans Pan, Line of Fire LED, J-Jent Grille, RotorPro Dimpled & Slotted rotors, LED taillights, chrome door strikes, billet locks & coat hangers, ChickenEars Engine Billet package #1&2+door sills, Metco billet aux idler bracket & pulleys, LFP E-Fan, Xenarc HID heads, clear corners, Roush HID fogs, Bedrug, L' 3rd, Kenwood DDX-7017 DVD+TV+Sirrius+RevCam, Lotek dual pillar pod with AutoMeter boost gauge & DynoJet WBC, fog switch mod, UPR billet window switches and door locks, FAST overlays, LFP 58" bars, Hotchkis TVS, Bilsteins, DblG Panhard, Cervinis Cobra R hood, BFG T/A KDW 2 tires, Hawk Ceramic pads, MGP caliper covers.

  5. #5
    Worlds Shiniest HD F-150!
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    Still haven't gotten around to the install yet...I'm still gathering "things" up...
    I'm planning on doing it this Friday.

    The Kenwood DDX9902S only has one USB port in the rear.

    To hook up the Waze (as described in the above video) it takes that ONE USB port.
    I'm getting a USB male to female extension cable and running it into a small USB hub.
    I want to hide the USB hub and wires securely under the dash during the HU installation.
    I'll plug the small USB hub into the ONE USB port & run a couple of wires from the hub.

    My thinking is one USB/lightning wire to cup holder & another USB wire in the glove box.
    I can use the glove box wire for any HU updates or to plug in a thumb drive for tunes etc.

    I can use another port off the USB hub for the USB to lightning cable for iPhone power.
    I'm not sure how many USB devices I can utilize but my guess it will only be one at a time.

    I'm picking up a rubber cell phone holder for the dual pop-out cup holder to put the iPhone in.
    My idea is to poke a small hole in the back and insert the Lightning Digital AV Adapter wire.
    That way I can insert the Lightning Digital AV Adapter/HDMI cable through the phone/cup holder.

    This way I can open up the cup holder, insert the rubber cup/cell phone holder and hook it up.
    When done, take out the phone, unhook the AV Adapter, close the cup holder and no exposed wires.

  6. #6
    Huh?
    Name: Philip

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    I had to cut some plastic braces in the back of the unit, i was unable to push my radio in fully until i did so. (Then found out the radio didnt function properly. So i threw it away and grabbed my old single din from my old car and used that. Both of which were free so i had no problem trashing the other. ) and yes i am to cheap to buy a new radio. 😎

  7. #7
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    nice unit. i use waze daily and its saved my butt a few times now with the new radar units that cant be picked up with radar detectors.

  9. #9
    Worlds Shiniest HD F-150!
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    Made a couple of splash screens for the new HU...



    Last edited by Merlin; 07-14-2017 at 01:31 PM.

  10. #10
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    According to some I research Here's how I found to change the splash screen.

    It is 800 x 480 pixels and is 16 bit R5G6B5

    --Make your image according to how they described.
    I used Photoshop CC2015 (set DPI to 100)

    --I used a freshly formatted Fat32 USB Thumbdrive (mine was 16GB)

    --When saving your image use the filename: sample_wallpaper.bmp

    --Place the file onto your empty USB device

    --Create a text file in notepad called OpeningCustomize.txt on the USB device with the following insides:
    Opening Customize
    [FILE]sample_wallpaper.bmp
    [VERSION]9999
    ~END

  11. #11
    Worlds Shiniest HD F-150!
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    How to watch Netflix on the Kenwood 9702s and 9902s


  12. #12
    Worlds Shiniest HD F-150!
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    9702s and 9902s Android Auto

  13. #13
    Worlds Shiniest HD F-150!
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    9702s and 9902s Apple CarPlay

  14. #14
    Worlds Shiniest HD F-150!
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    OK folks I'd like to give you my feedback after getting the Kenwood DDX9902s Professionally installed.

    To start...a while back I had a JL Audio XD600/1 and the JL Stealthbox sub box installed and a JL Audio XD400/4 to power the four Infinity door speakers.

    It sounded good with the prior setup Eclipse AVN5500. This was a good double Din HU and was pretty much state-of-the-art at the time it was installed.

    The Kenwood DDX9902s sounds much cleaner! It is very crisp in both highs, mid-range and bottom. Even Sirius/XM sounds flat out awesome in comparison.

    A gripe:
    One of the main reasons I went with the model HU was to be able to use Waze. "It works with HDMI, Lightning Digital AV Adapter and USB/Lightning cable."
    Well folks I'm disappointed to let you know, as of the latest Waze version 4.0.x, the "Control Waze from car unit" no longer functions via using the HU for controls.
    This is not a fault of Kenwood, This is not the fault of the professional installation. This is reported on the Waze forum and has been reported by many Waze users.
    This is across the board on Pioneer, Kenwood and a few other head unit manufacturers. It appears that almost all HU functionality controls have stopped working.


    iPhone wired mirroring:
    Switching from HDMI/Apps to iPhone/Carplay requires changing cable connections
    For HDMI/Apps the USB/Lightning cable plugs into the Lightning Digital AV Adapter.
    (This is Waze, Netflix etc.)
    For Apple CarPlay the USB/Lightning cable plugs directly from the HU USB to the iPhone

    iPhone dash connection wiring:
    I have the USB from the HU going into the glove compartment
    That plugs into the USB Lightning connector that I have routed to the dual cup holder.
    The HDMI cable from the HU also is routed to the cup holder.
    The Lightning Digital AV Adapter is under the "ash tray" insert in the left side.
    This leaves just "a little wire" and the lightning connector coming out from underneath.
    I have a cell phone/cup holder in the right side of the dual cup holder.
    I am able to plug in this "little bit of wire" into the phone in the right side cup holder.

    Why all this trouble?
    I can easily remove the phone from the cell phone cup holder and close the cup holder drawer so it looks clean.
    If I want to switch between HDMI input to Apple CarPlay I pull up the ash tray and plug in the Lightning wire.
    Wireless Mirroring requires an Android phone and a KCA-WL100 adapter. Sure would be nice to do wireless.

    I know this all sounds a bit confusing but I can post a few pics if you want and that should clarify.

    Pros:
    Much better sound!
    Very easy intuitive interface.
    Apple CarPlay and android auto
    Auto detects iPhone an Addroid in USB cable
    Mirroring from smartphone for Apps
    Apple CarPlay and androidauto auto-detected when plugging phone in the USB cable.

    Cons:

    No "built in" GPS.
    The wireless mirroring in android only.
    I have a iPhone. For the iPhone it's cable(s) only.
    The Lightning Digital AV Adapter for iPhone is bulky

  15. #15
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    Thanks for the heads-up on the splash screen. I didn't know how to do that.

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