Pioneer problem

[lrathwell]

I have a 2014 International with Pioneer radio and receiver. Apart from the fact the system is not user friendly I cannot figure out how to shut off the dancing lights display. Even by powering off the unit the 1970's disco display continues. It illuminates the entire trailer all night long. Apart from physically removing the face plate does anyone have any answers of how to access the display and disable it. My Airstream dealer has been unable to help.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by lrathwell

I have a 2014 International with Pioneer radio and receiver. Apart from the fact the system is not user friendly I cannot figure out how to shut off the dancing lights display. Even by powering off the unit the 1970's disco display continues. It illuminates the entire trailer all night long. Apart from physically removing the face plate does anyone have any answers of how to access the display and disable it. My Airstream dealer has been unable to help.

Good question!

We have a new 2014 FC20 bought last Fall, and I think the same Pioneer unit. I have not figured out any way to stop the light show, other than to remove the face plate as you suggest. I started messing with it last night, because I never set it up as we had to winterize shortly after purchase. Coincidentally I just bought a new battery for the remote control today. I will get into this later today and post in the next day or two.

Is there a 12-volt fuse/breaker that can be thrown? How about a new in-line power switch located in the radio upper cabinet?

How about a new radio?

[idroba]

I have the same damn radio. I copied this from an Airforms post some time ago. It will help you deal with the problem. Sorry I cannot credit the original poster properly. I only copied their response.


GUARDO 365 and Others,
Rick March at AS has been attentive and helpful regarding the radio. I do appreciate his efforts and his willingness to pay for an on-off button. Here is my last correspondence to him. Warning ... It is lengthy and was structured from a certain amount of frustration. Pardon my sense of humor ...

Rick,
We wanted you to know that you will not be charged “back” regarding the on-off switch for the Pioneer Radio. Thank you for offering to do so. Yep, I actually figured it out on my own. So, here is what you can tell your customers with the Pioneer Systems from now on:
(This is the dummy proof version…which I evidentially needed):

1.Push what the in-English Pioneer manual calls the “On-Off” button (as I remember, it is marked as the <SRC> switch on the upper left hand side of the radio. I’d know for sure, but my Airstream is currently at Suttons. Getting back to the On-Off button: pushing this will turn on the radio to any function. Don’t be afraid (at this point), just push it to get into some function. Of course, the damned system is probably already “functioning,” on its own, totally out of your control or understanding… flashing to and fro. That will change as we begin to attempt to take control.
2.With the button pushed, the radio or some other substantive feature should be running. Any one of the features running is okay, it seems, not just the radio.
3.Now … push the round dial. It is a rotating dial and also a button when you push it. When you do push it, immediately the word “Menu” should be displayed.
4.Next, push the upper or lower lever (off the round button) until you scroll to the <Systems Menu> (from the main menu).
5.At this point, there may be something in the system that wants you to set the clock, before it allows you to go to the systems menu … that happened to me. My advice is to set the clock … Then, start over* … Then, push and scroll through to the systems menu, again.
6.Once finally back to the systems menu, push the levers again to scroll to the different functions. You are looking for <Demo>, which you want to eventually “turn-off,” unless you want a kaleidoscope of colors lighting your highly reflective Airstream interior, changing color and intensity every few seconds.
7.To turn off the demo, turn the dial to scroll between “Yes” and “No” when the screen shows “Turn Off Demo.” You want to turn the dial until you can push it to affect the “YES.”
8.Since you are having so much fun and success, and while you are in the Systems menu, you may want to turn down the Illumination-Brightness, too. When you scroll with the levers to find the proper lamination location, you can scroll between 1 to 5 with the dial to accomplish this. There may be other items that are yet undiscovered by me that you may want to fool around with. What fun!

*(Note) Between any of the above, you may have to go completely out by pushing the on-off button; then, turn the “radio” on and start the “Menu” process again. This necessity is apparently the only reboot available when the system gets unproductively “hung up” (on one of the menu items). This happens regularly, for no apparent reason. They throw this feature in just to add insult to injury.

9.Now, it’s time to get things done! We have turned off the demo and lowered the illumination.
10. Push the SRC “on-off” button on the upper left. Hold it down for a few seconds. What should happen now is that the radio or whatever is running should silence and go off. Yep … go off. But, we are not done yet. The lights are still on and displaying the time of day. The colors are changing every few seconds, lighting up the aluminum brilliantly, still.
11. Now, look at the bottom right hand corner of the radio and find the <Disp> button. Push it!!
12.At this point, instantly, there are no lights blinking, no demo running, and perfect silence. For the first time, there are no flashing lights inside your RV.
13.Now, except for the camper next door who belongs in the 1960s and is playing Bob Dylan tapes over and over, you are in great shape and you have conquered your Pioneer Radio System. You have a tremendous feeling of accomplishment. If you are lucky like me, your wife believes that you must be a genius!

To operate the Blu-Ray system, I wave my hand over the top of the unit. The tray miraculously pops out and once the disc is in place, functions with the TV and radio wonderfully. It is like magic and I am beyond genius at this point. I'm mystical.

The radio tuner also has menu items for surround sound, etc. You will find them, I'll promise.

Hopefully this is helpful. Simple huh!? The only issue that is a bit frustrating is that I seem to need to re-program the system for reasons unknown, but possibly has to do with electrical changes and some sort of protective device (?). Like certain things about my wonderful spouse, some things should remain a mystery ... It's the spice of life.

Dave & Nancy

[OTRA15]

Thanks idroba, best laugh I've had all day!

Really, could you make the instructions [not] for a HiFi [dating myself I know] device any more complicated? Great humor in that post. Love the "lamination" instruction! [middle of item 7.]

I will check out our radio later . . .

Ya'd think this was the 1960's or something, and we were figuring out our first transistor radio!

Cheers,

Peter

[OTRA15]

Update --

I was able to replace the battery in the Pioneer remote control. Be thankful for small victories?

The thread from which idroba's quote is taken is here, and the relevant post is No. 13:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f317/pioneer-surround-sound-tv-questions-129460.html

The next post No. 14 from Msmoto is pretty funny too!

The Pioneer user manual that came with our FC20 has the smallest font type face I have ever seen in a manual, almost unreadable without a magnifying glass.

Our model number is MVH-X560BT, and the manual is here:

https://www.pioneerelectronics.com/S...nual092513.pdf

Hopefully it can be saved, enlarged and printed as a PDF.

Can't change the crazy labels on the controls, which are very difficult to follow in the TINY PRINT manual, but at least we are getting close to finding our way through the PIONEER FOREST . . .

More later . . .

[CDONA]

On the Sony in my '13, I had to go thru the manual to find the "Demo" feature to kill it too, much the same way.
I hold the off button a bit longer to totally kill the radio, otherwise it will display time with just a quick poke.
If I put my batteries in "store", I have to reprogram the dang radio again to kill "Demo"

[CruizinDux]

I posted earlier but appears closed the browser before forums finishing.

[QUOTE=OTRA15;1766444]Thanks idroba, best laugh I've had all day!]

Ditto irdoba !!!

Coming from a man that still has a flip phone and a VCR, I have found the who TV/BR/Tuner setup challenging to say the least. I need to reconsider getting rid of the cassette deck. I so miss the streaming tape hung up on the tape head.

6 weeks ago we learned a lot about the AS on a 3 week maiden voyage... as important as heat etc was...tunes were right up there. I finally got the mp3 and connection cord all tucked away in the slot designed for an i-pod (oh, that's what that little connection piece is for). I then ventured in tot he realm of the exterior USB connection. While doing that homework, I stumbled on page 42/43 of the manual how to disable Demo. Bingo. However as I remember it, it was short lived and would for some reason not yet determined, would reset itself to light show status. However as I remember it, if I turned the demo off at bedtime, night would be dark and the light show would activate with new music activity in he a.m. The good news is that I have finally figured how to use both the mp3 and thumb drive for music : )....forget using the BR for going to sleep music....the TV needs to be on....unless someone knows how to have the TV on and he screen off???

And I thought irdoba's installation of a switch at the radio (I'll have to look for that...maybe a PM ) was for addressing the parasitic draw...naw, it's to stop the light show.

[CruizinDux]

Ah..Dave & Nancy, not irdoba, but AS friends cross-town Eugene.

Interesting too, Peter and I have the same vintage, but his is MVH-X560BT and ours is DSX-S310BTX

different models, same story!

bob

[lrathwell]

Thank you so much for the thoughtful and entertaining reply. We are headed out to Galveston Beach for Easter Weekend. I cannot wait to jump into the dep end of the electronic pool and learn how to operate the system. One cannot help but wonder. -- given the demographics of the clientele buying airstreams, why on earth would they choose such a Y generation system and then utterly fail or refuse to address the issue to solve the problem.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by lrathwell

Thank you so much for the thoughtful and entertaining reply. We are headed out to Galveston Beach for Easter Weekend. I cannot wait to jump into the dep end of the electronic pool and learn how to operate the system. One cannot help but wonder. -- given the demographics of the clientele buying airstreams, why on earth would they choose such a Y generation system and then utterly fail or refuse to address the issue to solve the problem.

Another good question! And welcome to the forum, I should have said earlier. Have a great trip, and please let us know what you figure out about the Pioneer. Or maybe a more modern replacement radio?

Peter

[Sbb]

I just block my lights with a tee shirt.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by CruizinDux

. . .
While doing that homework, I stumbled on page 42/43 of the manual how to disable Demo. Bingo.
. . .

As you mentioned, Bob, we have different Pioneer radios, so the closest I can find to your page 42/43 reference is the following from page 16 of the Pioneer manual I linked in Post 5 earlier:

1 Press M.C. to display the main menu.
2 Turn M.C. to change the menu option and press to select SYSTEM.
3 Turn M.C. to display DEMO OFF and press to select.
4 Turn M.C. to switch to YES.
5 Press M.C. to select.

I am posting this tonight while it is still fresh in my mind, and will try to turn off the light show in the next day or two. Thanks for posting the encouraging news that you WERE able to go dark on the Pioneer.

Peter

PS -- M. C. = Multi-Control -- the large round knob in the center of the left cluster of controls. See diagrams of unit on page 3 of the manual linked in Post 5.

PS2 -- Bob, if you interrupt power to the radio [i. e., battery switch Store mode for an instant?], I believe someone posted in that older thread I linked earlier that the radio reboots itself and reverts to the Demo mode's light show. Likin' idroba's solution of an in-line On/Off switch . . .

Reversion to the Mean? As in very mean . . . !

[rmkrum]

My solution to entertainment radio issues in our AS was to pull the faceplate, put it in a nice bag, and toss it into the overhead storage. I don't want music out camping other than the sounds I get doing PSK-31 with my ham radio gear. Hardly watch the TV either.

My idea of Airstreaming is getting away from all that. Even the dogs love the peace and quiet😄😄😄


Sent from my pocket Internet using Airstream Forums

[OTRA15]

Good sentiments about why we are on the road . . .

Another solution may be



and get a new radio . . .

[CruizinDux]

Sbb Tee short solution...too easy and too obvious.


[QUOTE=OTRA15;1766568]As you mentioned, Bob, we have different Pioneer radios, so the closest I can find to your page 42/43 reference is the following from page 16 of the Pioneer manual I linked in Post 5 earlier:

1 Press M.C. to display the main menu.
2 Turn M.C. to change the menu option and press to select SYSTEM.
3 Turn M.C. to display DEMO OFF and press to select.
4 Turn M.C. to switch to YES.
5 Press M.C. to select.

I am posting this tonight while it is still fresh in my mind, and will try to turn off the light show in the next day or two. Thanks for posting the encouraging news that you WERE able to go dark on the Pioneer.

Peter

PS -- M. C. = Multi-Control -- the large round knob in the center of the left cluster of controls. See diagrams of unit on page 3 of the manual linked in Post 5.



So here are my instructions. Pretty much the same it appears.
1. press and hold the multi-way encoder (big Button). apparently no secret handshake required
2. Rotate the MW Encoder to select the desired menu item (of which Demo is one option), the press it (MW Encoder to select it)
3. Push the MW Encoder up/down to select the setting (off in the case of Demo), the press it (the MW Encoder
4. Press reverse arrow (back icon) to return to the normal reception/play mode.


I just noticed that "Dimmer" was another of the setup options..."changes he display brightness...options are auto, on & off. Hmmmm, something to play with maybe.


PS2 -- Bob, if you interrupt power to the radio [i. e., battery switch Store mode for an instant?], I believe someone posted in that older thread I linked earlier that the radio reboots itself and reverts to the Demo mode's light show. Likin' idroba's solution of an in-line On/Off switch]

I need to look for this thread/PM...maybe idroba will check in.

When on SP for more than I day I often go to store to hopefully keep from cookin' the batts by the wonderful OEM converter. Maybe this is what was triggering the Demo reset? However seems to me that irdoba indicated that the radio is a parasitic draw, meaning the radio (like the propane detector) is not in the use/store circuit.

[CruizinDux]

FYI since there seems to be a lot of variety in the 2014's equipment (Stereos, LP drains so far) I thought I'd reference my build date which is 10-21-2013

[idroba]

Originally Posted by CruizinDux

Likin' idroba's solution of an in-line On/Off switch]

I need to look for this thread/PM...maybe idroba will check in.

When on SP for more than I day I often go to store to hopefully keep from cookin' the batts by the wonderful OEM converter. Maybe this is what was triggering the Demo reset? However seems to me that irdoba indicated that the radio is a parasitic draw, meaning the radio (like the propane detector) is not in the use/store circuit.
[/FONT]

The radio is wired through the USE/Store switch, so if it is in STORE, there is no draw from the radio. However, if the USE/Store switch is put in the USE position, the radio reverts to the Demo/disco lights mode, and takes close to one amp for the show lights. If you are not plugged into grid power, it will eat into your batteries rapidly over a day or so. My radio is behind a cabinet door so it is not visible, and can easily be turned on by accident this way. Since you can't see it doing it's dance, there go your batteries.

I put a separate switch on the radio, so this cannot happen. It turns off all power to the radio. Period. I only turn it on when I want to actively use the radio (which is rare) or use the radio for the TV sound amplification (which is also rare).

[OTRA15]

To update --

Our FC20 was built in April 2014 according to the VIN plate on the exterior street side. [Bob your document is for some other build date IMO, perhaps of some component?]

The steps in Post 12 turn off the disco light show, but do not render the face entirely dark when the radio is Off. I can't find a way to do this, although I was able to dim these basic lights. At least they don't flash and bleed out from behind the upper cabinet door during the night.

Be grateful for small improvement?



Will enlarge manual PDF and print relevant pages.

TBD



PS removing the faceplate is becoming more appealing, and requires no modifications such as idroba's switch. A different user-friendly unit may be the most satisfying solution if the user interface is intuitive and easy.

Is there such a device still made?

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by CruizinDux

. . .
While doing that homework, I stumbled on page 42/43 of the manual how to disable Demo. Bingo.
. . .

Bob, after the steps above, does your screen go totally dark, or are there still some basic lights including maybe the time? I assume the parasitic electrical draw is less (without the disco light show), but still there nonetheless?

Thanks,

Peter

[CruizinDux]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

Bob, after the steps above, does your screen go totally dark, or are there still some basic lights including maybe the time? I assume the parasitic electrical draw is less (without the disco light show), but still there nonetheless?

Thanks,
Peter

Peter I'm not sure.

Reading the manual;

1) Source/Off button (upper left corner on our unit) Press to turn on the power/change the source Radio/USD etc)

Press for 1 second to turn off the power
Press for 2 seconds or more to turn off the power and the display disappears.

My recollection is that the first option shows the time & the second option does inn fact go dark. I'll check it out next time I'm at Blue.

I'll also thoroughly vet the system next month at Beachside as I'll have SP, 5 days and some playing time for the unit when I can toggle the store/use switch per idroba's post above.

my recollection is that on power up in the a.m. the demo was the default again, possibly since I was in STORE, which idroba confirmed.

Bob