Alpine problem with MC20 remote

[NICKYPOO]

So I've got a an issue with my Alpine set up. CDA-9886M head unit w/ MC20 remote. It's a 2.4ghz wireless set up. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. For whatever reason, the remote doesn't see the stereo. I've been through the pairing and re-pairing procedures every which way I can think of from shutting everything down, cycling the key, shutting off the batteries, everything I can think of and I can't get it back to working.

Anybody ever had this issue?

I'm getting the feeling perhaps the transceiver off the deck is either bad or poorly wired.

[CoreyZ1]

I think it's the remote. I believe it's a known issue with those particular remotes. I had one for years never a problem, my buddy bought same set up at same time and was having that issue a few years in. Tried to buy new remotes, but was discontinued. If I recall correctly.


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[Jetter]

I have the same head unit and remote. Same problem as you. Sometimes it works perfectly, other times it takes a while to respond. Just wondering if you ever found a solution?

[NICKYPOO]

No solution to be had. Alpine has swept this problem under the rug. It's the reason I'm done with Alpine. My MC20 lasted one year and then it was dead. The problem lies within the transceiver. I've though about replacing it but I never got any sort of reply from Alipne on any of my questions about it. F'n B.S. if you ask me. This was my first and last Alpine. Pitty. The head unit sounds great.

[IDBoating]

It's a 2.4ghz wireless set up.

This is why, when designing something or offering advice to others who are, I always recommend hard wiring if it's at all possible. Not just on boats, but everywhere. Wireless connections should be considered a poor substitute for when hardwired connections are utterly impossible. RF just adds too many extra layers of potential problems, and (most of the time) wire is cheap especially when you already have a wiring harness running all over the boat anyway. Obviously wires don't work for TRUE "remote controls" (such as remotes held by someone on a surfboard!), but when the remote is physically ON THE SAME BOAT, there's little justification for an RF link.

"Wireless" may be the cool buzzword of the year, but it's not the best solution for every situation.

[Jetter]

Mine still works well enough and like you I like the head unit. I just bought a Chromecast Audio that I'm gonna plug into the aux port. $35 for bluetooth is better than trying to find that Alpine add-on.

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[NICKYPOO]

I would have rather had it hardwired. At the time it was the best fit for my application. I needed a new single din HU and a 4" gauge style remote with display. I was shooting for quality audio and Alpine had the 4v pre-out, single din chassis, and 4" gauge remote w/display. The 2.4ghz technology was something I was very comfortable with as I was using it in all my RC cars with zero issues. Had I know Alpine was going to bend me over and then never call me back, I would have gone a different route. I expected Alpine to be a trustworthy source. I was wrong.

IDBoating, you're the electronics wiz. What do you think about replacing the two transceiver units? They are external. There's a lot of us out there in same boat with these remotes.

[IDBoating]

IDBoating, you're the electronics wiz. What do you think about replacing the two transceiver units?

You won't like this answer, but: Probably not worth the design effort. If you're talking about a Bluetooth-based direct replacement, you'd have to reverse engineer their BT protocol - not impossible, but a PITA. If the existing units can come apart and you can reuse the nice looking top components, and only replace the underlying PCB (like we have done for the Tige Touch panel), then it might be OK. But it sounds like "some" percentage of these units "might" go bad, and how many are there in total out there? The total possible sales are an unknown number, at least to me.

The Tige Touch panels are almost guaranteed to fail, given enough time, so eventually they'll all need replacing which makes building a replacement worth the effort. But these units... there's a lot of unknowns.

[NICKYPOO]

Im not talking a full on production run. I'm just wondering if the average idiot could swap out a couple transceiver units?

Right now my MC20 is just filling a hole in my dash. It was part of my dash remodel. Now I'm shopping stereos out based on 4" round remotes. Slim pickins. I know I've painted myself into a corner on this deal but it is what is.