Android Radio Install - Antenna Question

[AJ88CAB]

I am installing a Android Radio to replace the Factory Symphony/Bose unit.

I am trying to sort out the antenna connections.
The factory unit appears to have two antenna wires. One with a flat OEM style connector (shorter than, but not Motorola), and another connector (maybe Fakra, but not like other Fakra I have seen)
See picture below.

The Android unit has single Motorola type antenna socket. I used an adapter for the OEM flat connector (can be seen in picture). But the reception is not good.

I am looking for an adapter (or combination of adapters) to combine the two antenna wires.
Anyone have an idea or ever find something that would work?

Also, I read somewhere that factory antenna amplifier gets power through the antenna wires from the Symphony unit.
Can anyone confirm this? Do I need an adapter with an inline amplifier?

I have seen this thread, it is similar but not the same connector issues.
https://www.audizine.com/forum/showt...ed-Navigation)

Any help is greatly appreciated.

FYI...

Android Radio:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Andr...5bb14c4dYXHUYk

Harness Adapter (this was really "plug-n-play", but does not include any antenna connections):
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Active-Syst...72.m2749.l2649

Antenna Adapter:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Dash Kit (some assembly...and modifications required, not perfect, but not to bad):
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Radio Connections:

[zillarob]

I think you need one of the antenna adapters with the extra wire hanging out of it.

This is just quicky so not sure if it is exactly the right one, but the ones I have seen look like this.
https://wholesaler.alibaba.com/produ...295394874.html

[AJ88CAB]

Yes, after spending the afternoon searching, I have ordered an adapter with an inline amp and with two leads for the dual antenna wires, plus a couple of adapters for those different connectors as well.
I'll post back with the results. I am concerned that that diversity antenna connector is not exactly a standard Fakra connector...we'll see.

[warrenzo]

Did you have reception before? The power antenna could be bad

[AJ88CAB]

I received the adapter today with the in-line amp. I only connected the flat connector antenna wire and the reception is great. The adapter for the other antenna lead (Fakra type) hasn't arrived, but it doesn't appear to be required for FM, but i don't have AM reception, so maybe the Fakra connector is the AM antenna (no real loss if I don't have AM though).

The blue power line on the in-line amp adapter had a connector that fit in the after market adapter harness. There is a yellow tab that you have to pull out to insert the connector, then push it back in. The hole in the wire was a T-tap I used before I realized the connector would fit in the harness, I wrapped it with electrical tape to cover the perforated insulation. See pictures below.

The next issue to tackle is that when I try to use an internet music service (Pandora, Amazon Music, etc.) or the USB input (music on a USB stick) the main speakers get muted, and the music only comes from the phone speaker in the door. FYI...I do not have a factory phone! I am guessing (hoping) that there is something I can change with VAG-Com. I am assuming the system thinks it needs to mute the speakers for any other source other than the radio. I have a VAG-Com, anyone have any ideas or experience with where or what settings to start with...?

There are several "mute" wires listed on the factory radio, so there might be a wiring solution, but I need to keep the mute for my cell phone call feature working.

It's never really just plug-n-play is it...

[warrenzo]

What can bus did the Android come with? The same thing happened to me when I used an B6 A3/A4 can bus decoder, fixed when I got the C5 decoder (don't think they make one for the b5).

It'd be a message sent on the can, not any particular wire, I believe. If you find it is a wire, let me know, I could've get mine to work until I got the new decoder

[AJ88CAB]

I recently put one of these Android radios in my 2006 Cayenne and it had a Can-Bus decoder, but this unit did not have one. There is a small circuit board (under the shrink wrap) on the adapter harness (see link in first post). But I am not sure what it does. I might just have to draw out a schematic of the wiring with the adapter harness and how it routes with the factory wiring.

The 10 pin factory plug (pic below) does not get used, there is no connector on the adapter harness.
The 20 Pin connector on the adapter harness only uses the "Line-Out" section. (see pin-out above). There is a contact closure that might be a suspect to look at...

Below are what came with the HU.
"USB" & "Power Cord" are mislabeled (reversed).
The "power cord" has all the speaker outputs on it, and other stuff as noted in the pics.
I got the ISO cable version to match up with the adapter harness.

I will report back as I dive into this...:)

[warrenzo]

I thought my A4s symphony had a harness with some line level inputs to the Bose amp, maybe you'll have to utilize those.

Edit - maybe I should look at your pics lol ya it looks like there's line level inputs there, see what powers up the amp, and try hooking into those

[AJ88CAB]

I just noticed that as well...updated my post above:)
Will be looking at that for sure.

[AJ88CAB]

The connector listed as "Public Antenna" (?) has line out feeds. I have not used that yet. I guess I would have to run cables to the amp, but that might be the issue.

[AJ88CAB]

Tell me what you think about this possible theory, or if I am heading in the wrong direction?

I pulled out the Radio & Harnesses to study the wiring. I think I found an potential issue. Refer to notes & pictures below (sorry about the small text notes on harness picture):

Pin 6 at the Red connector is the Bose amp control signal (see contact closure symbol in the Line-in group). It is fed by the Blue wire at this point. If you trace the Blue wire to the Android HU it runs thru the Black connectors to the HU where it is labeled ANT. I have picked-up the in-line Antenna power at the Blue wire on the car's Black connector as noted above.

The theory is that when the HU switches away from the Radio source, it cuts power to the ANT power line (Blue wire). This turns the Bose amp OFF because it is also feeding the AMP control signal line. So for any source other than the Radio, the Bose amp is OFF. There really should be dedicated line for this, as that is how the factory radio did it.

The FR, FL, RR, RL lines from the HU run to the Brown connector on the Adapter Harness, but where it connects to the car's Brown connector, it has double feeds that go back out (not thru) the connector to the Red connector. The Red connector pins are noted as the Line-out to the Bose Amp. So the Bose amp is being fed the Line-out signal.

The car's Brown connector for this setup only has the Phone speaker wires. So only the Phone speaker is feed a live source when the Bose amp is OFF, so it stays on. I have noticed the phone speaker is on when the main speakers are working, which makes sense.

I assume the Antenna power control is a setting in the HU, but without documentation it is a "Where's Waldo" adventure to find it, let alone change it.

As an alternate to doing it in the HU, I could cut the Blue wire after the Black connector and connect the Bose amp signal line it to the Red Switched wire. I am concerned this might affect the music mute feature when I get a phone call.

I have managed to get into the Factory Setting menu, but havn't found anything. There is another deeper "Engineering Menu" that is also PW protected, I haven't gotten in to that...yet.

I will put it all back together and do some testing to try an confirm this. Maybe I should have done that first:) but it's dark out now, and there is another car project in the garage!
I'd like to avoid cutting wires, but it may be the only option.

The vendor for the Android unit is in China, and they are celebrating the Chinese New Year for the month of February. So there wil be no help from them until March I guess:)
I did send a note to the adapter vendor in Germany, so hopefully I'll hear from them soon.
Quite the International effort isn't it!

[warrenzo]

I think you nailed it, the amp triggers only when the power antennae line is live. Try switching the amp power to the ign (pink #17, and look into keysense! if you find the wire in your steering column and set up a relay, the stereo will stay on until the key is removed, if you don't use a relay, it could blow a fuse), I'm sure it won't cause any issues - unless you were hoping for the telephone to come out of the telephone speaker.

Password should be m123456

[AJ88CAB]

Success!

I confirmed with a multi-meter that the HU is muting the antenna power (ANT) for all sources other than the Radio.
I cut the Blue wire between the Black and Red connector, and tapped off the ACC (12v switched) line.
All speakers functioning for all sources!

Interestingly (oddly?), the HU was not muting the Antenna power for Phone calls, so phone calls were, and still are, running through all the speakers.
I also confirmed that for all the sources (Radio, Internet, or USB), the HU does mute the active source for phone calls, so that is good.

The phone speaker in the door continues to operate with the main speakers all the time as it is a direct feed from the HU. I might just disconnect the Brown factory connector which would disconnect the phone speaker in the door. It wouldn't affect the main speakers.

This solution (hack?) will result in the Bose amp being ON whenever the car is ON, even if the Android unit is OFF. It's not ideal, but for now it appears to be the only option.
Still hoping I might find a head unit software setting solution to make the ANT power stay on for all sources...