[Nucking Futs!]

Originally Posted by Alex.br

Just to let you know that I have an Western Digital Passaport 500GB FAT32 Formatted working without external power source.

Now I have to convert my itunes library movies, music and music videos in format that the USB unit could read.

Is it this one?

Originally Posted by s.myrr

A quick question, do we all have this pouch? I didn't look when I was on european delivery.... pretty snazzy!

Not sure if you need to order the USB/iPod adapter package or not but yes you're suppose to get that pouch.

Originally Posted by Rotary Rasp

Do you have a link to the Western Digital drive you're using?

I'd like to know as well. Part number? Thx!

Originally Posted by Pseudo Nim

I'm curious - are people choosing hard drives over iPods? Wouldn't it be a "better" choice to use an iPod, seeing as it has playlists, etc., instead of "dumb" storage? Or are people finding drives, flash disks, etc. to be a better choice?

Main reason (besides cost & having more storage capacity than an iPod) peeps are using USB drives is b/c the quality of the digital audio converter (DAC) is better if converted thru the car's audio system compared to an iPod's internal DAC. Not sure what other playlist formats work but I know for a fact the .m3u playlist format works.

[Kilgore Trout]

Originally Posted by bsd107

Are you guys SURE that the car is readying Windows Media Lossless files through 6FL?

I have a 2009 E90 LCI with 6FL and New iDrive, and it will not play Windows Media Lossless files. This is extremely frustrating for me, although I'd prefer that it would play Apple Lossless files, which it won't even list let alone play. It will play WMV uncompressed PCM files, however, so I can still get great sound quality (although it takes twice the *******.

I'm surprised that the 2008's and earlier will play WMA Lossless - if so, I am certainly jealous.....

My 2009 E91 LCI with 6FL and iDrive is having no trouble playing Windows Media Lossless. I just ripped an album onto my 32 Gig Kingston Flash Drive using Windows Media 11.

There must be something else going on with your vehicle or the music source.

[Kilgore Trout]

Originally Posted by s.myrr

A quick question, do we all have this pouch? I didn't look when I was on european delivery.... pretty snazzy!

They deleted the pouch on the 2009.

[Rotary Rasp]

For the people that are using external power for there hard drives... where are you powering it from? The power outlet in the center console is only active when the engine is running, this sucks because you can't listen to music while parked.

[bsd107]

Originally Posted by Kilgore Trout

My 2009 E91 LCI with 6FL and iDrive is having no trouble playing Windows Media Lossless. I just ripped an album onto my 32 Gig Kingston Flash Drive using Windows Media 11.

There must be something else going on with your vehicle or the music source.

Yes, it works from 6FL - I mentioned this in followup posts. I must have been doing something wrong initially. I can play WMA Lossless from a USB drive in 6FL in my 2009 E90.

However, I cannot play WMA Lossless from a DVD-ROM disc in the slot, even though all the officially supported formats will play from the same disc (ACC, WMA, MP3). WAV PCM will also not play from a DVD-ROM disc...

[bsd107]

Originally Posted by s.myrr

A quick question, do we all have this pouch? I didn't look when I was on european delivery.... pretty snazzy!

My 2009 E90 with 6FL and 6NF did NOT come with the pouch. Which annoys me - I wanted the pouch...

[bsd107]

Originally Posted by Nucking Futs!

Main reason (besides cost & having more storage capacity than an iPod) peeps are using USB drives is b/c the quality of the digital audio converter (DAC) is better if converted thru the car's audio system compared to an iPod's internal DAC. Not sure what other playlist formats work but I know for a fact the .m3u playlist format works.

Agree totally - playing directly from a USB drive in 6FL playing WMA Lossless is fully digital and converted by the car's DAC.

If you use 6FL with iPod/iPhone to play Apple Lossless Codec (or any other codec) you are using the iPod/iPhone's internal DAC and the signal is transmitted across an analog line-out integrated into the iPod/iPhone's docking connector.

[bsd107]

People here seem determined to use large USB hard drives.

But have you noticed that USB memory sticks are now up to 64GB? Kensington makes one that costs just over $100. Fully digital, low power consumption, no moving parts, etc. With WMA Lossless, you can store at least 100 CDs on this. Even more if you are using lossy compression (e.g. MP3).

As USB memory sticks get larger, there will be fewer and fewer reasons to try and use a USB hard drive in the car...

[Kilgore Trout]

Originally Posted by bsd107

Yes, it works from 6FL - I mentioned this in followup posts. I must have been doing something wrong initially. I can play WMA Lossless from a USB drive in 6FL in my 2009 E90.

However, I cannot play WMA Lossless from a DVD-ROM disc in the slot, even though all the officially supported formats will play from the same disc (ACC, WMA, MP3). WAV PCM will also not play from a DVD-ROM disc...

It is nice of you to post all these details. Very helpful information.

[Kilgore Trout]

Originally Posted by bsd107

My 2009 E90 with 6FL and 6NF did NOT come with the pouch. Which annoys me - I wanted the pouch...

This was annoying. Like deleting that tiny flashlight in the glove compartment.

[Kilgore Trout]

Originally Posted by bsd107

People here seem determined to use large USB hard drives.

But have you noticed that USB memory sticks are now up to 64GB? Kensington makes one that costs just over $100. Fully digital, low power consumption, no moving parts, etc. With WMA Lossless, you can store at least 100 CDs on this. Even more if you are using lossy compression (e.g. MP3).

As USB memory sticks get larger, there will be fewer and fewer reasons to try and use a USB hard drive in the car...

I bought the 32GB variant from Amazon. It works well in my E91. My main complaint is that the stick is a tad slow. That has no implications for listening in your car, but copying songs to it takes a while.

Otherwise, it was a screaming bargain at Amazon for about $50.

[Pseudo Nim]

Something is weird with my car, I think. None of the USB drives I have tried worked, regardless of cables or whatever, and even the 250GB Passport earlier mentioned in this thread fails to get enough power to power up (I just hear the motor clicking, and nothing actually happens).

Anybody have any thoughts on what I could do except hardwire the HD into the car?... I'd rather avoid that if possible....

[EDIT] Incidentally, for all of you using large USB sticks with the car (8GB and up) - does it take you forever to re-index them? I do not have iDrive, and it takes me a good hour to reindex the stick every time, with about 4-5GB of music on it. Until that time, I only have DIR/RND/CUR appearing on the screen, and only after a solid hour of driving will I get the artist, playlist, etc. links on the screen. Is this something I can improve somehow (I am scared at the thought of hooking up a 300GB hard drive to this, heh), or is that just how life is for non-iDrive owners?

[bsd107]

Originally Posted by Pseudo Nim

[EDIT] Incidentally, for all of you using large USB sticks with the car (8GB and up) - does it take you forever to re-index them? I do not have iDrive, and it takes me a good hour to reindex the stick every time, with about 4-5GB of music on it. Until that time, I only have DIR/RND/CUR appearing on the screen, and only after a solid hour of driving will I get the artist, playlist, etc. links on the screen. Is this something I can improve somehow (I am scared at the thought of hooking up a 300GB hard drive to this, heh), or is that just how life is for non-iDrive owners?

I've got a 2009 with iDrive. But on my 16GB USB stick with about 14GB used, indexing does not take long at all. I mean, by the time I get around to firing up the stereo it seems to be working and have finished indexing.

[Rotary Rasp]

So I decided to make a hard drive booster so I could use an external laptop drive. The unit senses when the 6FL is powered and automatically turns on using a 5 volt reed relay that trips a micro 10amp 12 volt relay. It uses a 3 amp 5 volt regulator and is completely isolated from the cars usb port. The hard drives I've tested use about .5 amps nominal and up to 1 amp when starting/seeking. So 3 amps is more than enough for anything.

I've been using it for a few days now and it works great. Every drive I have tried works flawlessly. Right now I have a 120gb drive hooked to it.



^ usb cable was hard attached for testing

^ usb and power cable was hard attached for testing

[Mr Pomposity]

That looks really good, Rotary Rasp, excellent photos too! I have just tried a Freecom XXS 250G drive and it just clicks when I plug it in so I'm very interested in your solution but I have a few questions:-

1. Where does the power come from - I don't have the little grill in mine where you seem to have a 3.5mm jack lead. (My car is a 320D M Sport 2009)

2. Are you using a switched-mode converter before the LT323 regulator - if not doesn't it get quite hot? (12 - 5)*0.5 = 3.5W

3. Did you consider trying just a capacitor across the 5V from the USB - I was just wondering whether the real problem is the transient current when the drive is seeking and maybe just a large capacitor would do the job.

Thanks for your help.

[Rotary Rasp]

Originally Posted by Mr Pomposity

That looks really good, Rotary Rasp, excellent photos too! I have just tried a Freecom XXS 250G drive and it just clicks when I plug it in so I'm very interested in your solution but I have a few questions:-

1. Where does the power come from - I don't have the little grill in mine where you seem to have a 3.5mm jack lead. (My car is a 320D M Sport 2009)

There is a small air vent in the center console that I ran the type m power connector through. It was very simple to run the wires to the sat radio hook-up in the trunk. Here is a picture of the wires you need to connect to:



I was able to find a connector that snapped right into the connector that was already on the car. So nothing needs to be spliced or cut.

Originally Posted by Mr Pomposity

2. Are you using a switched-mode converter before the LT323 regulator - if not doesn't it get quite hot? (12 - 5)*0.5 = 3.5W

No I'm not; however, if I was to build another... I think I would. The outside of the unit barley gets warm. The heat sink gets hot, but well within the 125c limit of the regulator. I'd say its between 50-60c. I'll have to check later with the multi-meter. I'm using a 5 watt resistor drop the voltage about 2 volts. I'm using a diode to protect the unit from reverse polarity, this also drops the voltage about .7 volts. With the car running I measure about 11.5 volts at the regulator.

Originally Posted by Mr Pomposity

3. Did you consider trying just a capacitor across the 5V from the USB - I was just wondering whether the real problem is the transient current when the drive is seeking and maybe just a large capacitor would do the job.

Yes, I tried. It didn't help.

If I get some time this weekend I will make a schematic. The project is pretty simple.

[Mr Pomposity]

OK, thanks very much for the info - sounds like I'll have to do the same.

[Rotary Rasp]

I'm measuring the temp right now.

[Rotary Rasp]

With the car running the regulator core reaches 75c. About 68c without the car running. I think I'll increase the 4.7 ohm 5 watt resistor to a 10 ohm... but other than that, I don't think it'll be a problem.

[Mr Pomposity]

That sounds like it should be OK - well done.

[Rotary Rasp]

I swapped out that resistor with a 6.8 ohm and made a huge difference. The heatsink barley gets warm now.

[skierman64]

Rotary, are you going to sell any of your hard drive boosters?