Update: It was the Bekker Cascade. Cascade uses Navtech disks. With correct file modifiction, any can be used.
Or RCA input.
Last edited by Dr. T; 02-17-2011 at 07:26 PM.
I just learned that someone else performed my modification as well: Becker Indianapolis 7969 mod geglückt @ e30-talk.com
bringing up the thread again, i'm interested with the looks of this HU, does anyone know the type of the HU in BMW? i couldn't find it on the parts catalog.. thanks
1994 E34 520i Build Thread, Click Here!
acssilhoutte: Becker/BMW Indianapolis BE7969 (65 90 0 393 718). Note that it's no longer available new from BMW.
1994 E34 520i Build Thread, Click Here!
Because this unit does not work with NAV in US and I want to have NAV, is there any other BMW-Becker unit that can be used for US? Currently I have BMW Traffic Pro (see my avatar) with US NAV but no Bluetooth. Looking to add Bluetooth to this or if not possible replace with another unit that matches BMW interior. Need your ideas please.
Kicking this back up again.
Did anyone ever try reversing the BMW carphone's display?
For some off reason, BMW changed the display on the later type brickphone from negative to positive. Why!?
This is the old style brick:
It has large pixels, in style with the radio and other dot-matrix display, but is only 2 lines of 8 pixels.
I'm not 100% it's actually a negative display as with no pixels lit up (it can be seen in the second line under BMW-GSM) you can still see orange in the display, instead of fully black as one would expect on a negative display, so maybe some other filter is used....?
Now this is the phone I have in my car, which is the later model,with 3 line x 12 positions.
But as can be seen, it's a positive display and I would really like to invert it to match the rest.
Not sure if it's just removing a polarizing filter or anything.
Last edited by MParallel; 04-26-2012 at 10:47 PM.
1998 BMW M3 3.2 Cabrio • Alpinweiß III on Schwarz • German spec • 1 of 12
SMG • SRA • PDC • AUC • OBC • GSM • HK • UURS • IHKA • FGR • MFL
IG: https://www.instagram.com/iflok/
The old brick has a negative display, but it's probably one of the worst I have ever seen. Poor viewing angles, bad contrast and backlight bleeding.
Unless you can find exactly the same display but negative for the newer car telephone and have the equipment and skills to replace it, your only option is to replace the polarizer film on the display. The problem is finding good polarizer film that offers good contrast and doesn't have a color cast. The ones I used in my early experiments had a terrible blue cast. I gave up finding good film and simply replaced the entire display unit with a proper negative version, but that is probably not an option for the car telephone. Replacing the film is not without risks. The film is glued tightly to the display and there's always the risk that you break the display while pulling off the film. Also, you can't recover the removed film. It's completely wasted. In other words, you can't go back to the original if the replacement films don't give a satisfying result in either positive or negative orientation...
Another issue is that negative displays require a backlight to be good readable. Positive displays only need a backlight in the dark. Your first picture of the newer car telephone suggests the backlight is not always on, so if you replace the polarizer film to create a negative display you'll always have to modify the backlight to be always on.
Last edited by revtor; 04-27-2012 at 07:17 AM.
Ha yes. I see the points. (btw are you from Wallonië or Vlaanderen? Kun je een beetje Nederlands/Vlaams spreken?)
I asked on a Dutch forum as well and someone with a junked horn will give it a try.
I read there is both a filter in front and the back at LCD displays. It's only the front one that needs reversal?
1998 BMW M3 3.2 Cabrio • Alpinweiß III on Schwarz • German spec • 1 of 12
SMG • SRA • PDC • AUC • OBC • GSM • HK • UURS • IHKA • FGR • MFL
IG: https://www.instagram.com/iflok/
To invert the display one of both polarizer filters must be rotated 90°. It doesn't matter which one, but the front filter is much easier because the rear one has an additional reflective film attached... Even if you could remove the original filter without damaging it, you can't use it for the inversion because of the 90° rotation (unless the display would happen to be square of course). The quest is finding a polarizer film that is a good match for the rear one...
Reviving this old thread... If anyone knows where to buy one or if someone has one for sale, send me a PM.
I've been looking for this deck for a while for a friend.
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/partxref....718&showeur=on
Last edited by saul24; 08-19-2013 at 08:24 PM.
There actually is (was?) a hack to use Ferrari maps in newer model headunits. (Ferrari used these Becker headunits until the mid 2000s).
None of the Becker Indianapolis series have US navigation maps (but even Europe is stuck with 2008 map sources and no more updates)... If navigation is mandatory for you, look elsewhere. Also, for those still listening to AM radio you may have issues tuning into your favorite stations as the Indianapolis uses European-style 9 kHz intervals whereas the US has 10 kHz intervals. FM radio is no problem, though.
Thanks guys for the recommendations.
My friend does not need the GPS Navigation or AM radio features. What he wants is this nice looking OEM deck with amber lighting to match all the other BMW amber lighting.
If we can't find a Becker 7969, we may go for a Becker Casade (Full color). He has the older Traffic Pro sitting in his garage, but it's "too outdated" and "old looking" for him...
Last edited by saul24; 08-21-2013 at 02:40 AM.
If GPS is not needed, I'd look for the BMW Professional RDS (Becker 2450 for M bus, 2455 for I bus). Can't beat its looks for OEM unit and, well, it's a Becker.
It was the most expensive unit avaiable for the 1-DIN units, along with the Bavaria C Proffesional. The later unit is an easy install. No separate trunk modules.
1998 BMW M3 3.2 Cabrio • Alpinweiß III on Schwarz • German spec • 1 of 12
SMG • SRA • PDC • AUC • OBC • GSM • HK • UURS • IHKA • FGR • MFL
IG: https://www.instagram.com/iflok/
Hopefully Revtor can chime in, but the question goes to anyone who knows.
I was searching for Becker Indianapolis Pro and Indianapolis 7969 and found nothing. I did find an Indianapolis 7921 but it has red display.
Is there another alternative? I rather have the Pro and have bluetooth.
CB42366 - 1991 850i 6-speed. Brilliantrot & Black Nappa Leather
CD00144 - 1994 850CSi. Hellrot & Black Nappa Leather
My other projects:
Supercharged Tbirds, V8 Tbirds, V8 Mustang Convertible, Audi V8 Quattro & Audi S8
To be honest, I do find the Bluetooth a rather useless addition on the Becker Indianapolis Pro because it's very limited. It does not have access to the contact list on your telephone. That means you can make outgoing calls only by manually typing the telephone number and incoming calls only show the telephone number - not the names that you have stored in your telephone's contact list (there's no contact list on the head unit either). Even the factory BMW mobile phone from the early nineties is more advanced than that .
The later Becker head units with color screen have phonebook integration over Bluetooth, but on the Indianapolis you will find yourself using the Bluetooth functionality once and then never again. So if you really want a Becker Indianapolis style head unit, don't let the Bluetooth be a decisive factor.
BMW Indianapolis 7969 (based on Becker Indianapolis 792x)
- Compatible with BMW I-bus (cd changers and multifunction steering wheels)
- Has BMW written on it and starts up with "BMW" on the display
- NOT compatible with Becker accessories like the Becker Remote Kit (Apple mp3 player support) and Becker cd changers
- NO subwoofer output (the adjustment entries are in the menu but the actual hardware is missing)
- NO proper BMW style negative display but otherwise correct colors
- NO US navigation maps (and relatively old maps for Europe)
- NO US AM radio band spacing (FM is fine though)
Becker Indianapolis 792x
- Compatible with Becker accessories like Becker Remote Kit (Apple mp3 player support) and Becker cd changers
- Subwoofer line output
- Has Becker written on it and starts up with the Becker logo on the display
- NOT compatible with BMW I-bus
- NO proper BMW style negative display and only available in red, yellow, green and blue
- NO US navigation maps (and relatively old maps for Europe)
- NO US AM radio band spacing (FM is fine though)
Becker Indianapolis Pro 795x
- Same as Becker Indianapolis 792x but with the addition of a useless Bluetooth implementation
Personally I think the Becker Remote Kit is the best addition (sadly not compatible with the 7969 which is why I changed the base unit for a genuine Becker). The Indianapolis series can play mp3 CDs but even a CD can only hold about 100~150 mp3 songs. With the Becker Remote Kit you can hook up an mp3 player (well only Apple mp3 players) and expand the collection to thousands and thousands of songs. It displays artist and tract title, supports playlists and has really fast navigation through larger collections. The only thing I don't like about it is that it is not stored as last source - the head unit remembers the last source that was playing when you power it up, but defaults to radio when the Remote Kit was the last source. So you always have to press the [CD] button after powering up to continue playback.
Feature-wise there are many better head units nowadays. Finding one that doesn't look like it belongs in a spaceship is another thing...
You hit the nail on the head. I'm not a "huge" audio guy...stock sound is good for me. My main requirements are stock-ish look, 3.5mm and ipod connectivity. If you can throw in the bluetooth and other goodies...great, but not a requirement.
Do you happen to know if the display color changes in any of these? Or is the color designated by the actual model number (i.e. the last digit in the 795x). I saw one or two Pro's on ebay, but they're all different color display.
Any thoughts on the Becker Cascade?
CB42366 - 1991 850i 6-speed. Brilliantrot & Black Nappa Leather
CD00144 - 1994 850CSi. Hellrot & Black Nappa Leather
My other projects:
Supercharged Tbirds, V8 Tbirds, V8 Mustang Convertible, Audi V8 Quattro & Audi S8
3.5mm?
None of the Becker units have a 3.5 mm input. You can get an adapter cable for an auxiliary input, but the Indianapolis has only one external input. So it's either CD changer, Becker Remote Kit (not possible with BMW version) or auxiliary input. Not a combination of these.
Do you happen to know if the display color changes in any of these? Or is the color designated by the actual model number (i.e. the last digit in the 795x). I saw one or two Pro's on ebay, but they're all different color display.
- BE79x0: Yellow display and buttons
- BE79x1: Yellow display and buttons (vertical mounting version)
- BE79x0: Red display and buttons
- BE79x3: Green display and buttons
- BE79x5: Blue display and red buttons
- BE7969: BMW orange display and buttons
No personal experience, but I believe Timm has one.Any thoughts on the Becker Cascade?
How would you compare the becker to the cd43?
I have one and should i keep the professional rds, but in the cd43 that i own with new speakers or get a becker?
Got it, i was confused since I saw this on ebay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Becker-iPhon...item2ecb162925
but that's not a Becker item, it's after market.
Revtor, I know at the end you used a different front to keep with the BMW lighting, but your original Indianapolis Pro unit...which color did you use? I'm wondering if the red looks too out of place with the rest of the redish/orange BMW lighting.
CB42366 - 1991 850i 6-speed. Brilliantrot & Black Nappa Leather
CD00144 - 1994 850CSi. Hellrot & Black Nappa Leather
My other projects:
Supercharged Tbirds, V8 Tbirds, V8 Mustang Convertible, Audi V8 Quattro & Audi S8
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