Has anyone used the Maestro RR2 programmable functions?

I got the ready harness for my Kenwood and all I ended up having to make was a reverse trigger and remote turn on for my amps.

 

OK cool, yes I didn't want to get a nice headunit just to find out I lost one of the nice features of the truck! Thanks

 

Keep In mind a shop is looking out for profit. The more you know the better the final outcome.

 

Yeah, but they should also be trying to install it right because any customer returns to fix something is coming out of the shop's time and they will lose money fixing stuff that wasn't done right the first time.

 

Found a huge difference in what shops charge!!! Suggest you shop around I got prices (Tampa, Florida area) from 175.00 to over 600.00!

 

You'd think. Im amazed by the drop in qualified shops over the years.
I've worked in the automotive feild in general since the 80's. Quality skilled, labor is much harder to come by. But the stereo/alarm/tint can be pretty sleazy.

Im just saying its not uncommon to have a shop push out a job 1/2 @ssed more now than ever. Whos to say it was done wrong?

 

Radio installs are pretty easy if you're not adding amps. Have you posted in the regional thread to see if someone would be willing to help? Offer some pizza or some bbq.

 

No doubt. It's why I do most of my own work. I won't do anything transmission related.

 

Was 1 of those shops 5 star car audio? I watch them on you tube and their the guys that helped me figure out what I wanted to do install wise.

 

i'm not. "it's not what you know, it's who you know". i was personally turned down for 4 different minimum wage car audio install jobs, all citing 'lack of experience' when i was a broke high school kid cobbling together discount audio gear from garage sales and goodwill while looking for my first job.

when i got a real job that paid 4x's what they all wanted to pay me, i'd end up stopping by those shops for genuine parts that i could finally afford for my in-progress-but-functional full-active carpc install. most times, i'd end up teaching their staff what parts were on their shelves, and what their purpose was. this was back when the audison bitone was one of the first decent dsp's on the market... all 4 places offered me a job on the spot. at 25% what i was currently making.

the problem, i'm learning, isn't the staff. it's the persons doing the hiring. i'm starting to see it across all employment, though it's definitely been evident in my working experience over the last 20 years (early on, after submitting thousands of applications, and constantly getting turned down for everything from pizza delivery to grocery store stocker due to 'lack of experience', i started a lawn mowing service with my brother). there's a push to hire people that are sociable and with past experience, but one cannot fundamentally grow a workforce with only those 2 abilities. the biggest problems are a lack of identifying a person's passion within a field, being willing to train 'inexperienced' people to do the job, and also, significantly, hiring people that are 'experienced', but they formulated a whole persons-worth of bad habits with that experience, that now either take more time to un-do, or more typically, no one does anything about, and they go on to create even more bad habits in a new job.

 

Love it. You sound like the exception. The passion that drives one to succeed or do their best has been neutralized when everyone got a trophy.

 

lol, unfortunately, i'm not an exception. just reality. more often than not, when people are complaining that 'no one wants to work', or 'we can't find anyone', further analysis of the employers rules/requirements, and who was rejected will yield an answer that it was never a lack of applicants, but overbearing requirements and/or pay for the specified position on the employers part that simply reject the majority of applicants that apply.

to your point, the downturn in the quality of the available workforce is a direct result of regurgitating the same workforce through the same process because 'they have experience', over a willingness to properly train and guide new entries to the workforce to doing the job the proper way.

the irony of my situation is that they were only interested in hiring me after i had enough disposable income to properly showcase the skills i already had and already knew. but once i was at that income level, there was no way i could afford to work for them.

 

Got the alpine F511 installed and the RR2 is working. The programmable output works! I used the Drive Gear for the trigger and the Toggle option. I left everything else alone since I didn't need a delay. Since the tacoma uses negative voltage to apply the locks, I didnt need to convert the negative output signal from the RR2. I just tapped into the door lock master wire at the kick panel.

It's super fast. The lock engages as soon as my shifter hits the D gate. It doesn't even wait until it's fully engaged.

 

So the RR2 comes with a separate 6pin harness for the outputs. Only 3 wires are specified to be output wires. I couldn't find any info on the other 3. They may be something that will be available to use in the future. Only the single trigger wire is needed for the signal. In my case, I used the white/red. The other 2 trigger wires are the white/blue & white/green.

 

Thinking of buying your exact same setup (DBX1057XR and Maestro RR2). How did it work out? Can you post pics and what you like/don't like? Thanks!

 

I blame it on the school systems doing away with Vocational Tech and poor parenting. As we all know some young kids aren't college material for a variety of reasons. Back in the day I was doing stuff in vocational classes that I'd never see otherwise. Many no longer get exposure to those things. As a society we're failing the younger generation in that regard. Every one we get into the workforce with a half way decent job becomes an asset to society, as opposed to a kid that no direction and who often becomes a burden on society. I blame a good bit of that on the guidance counselors and adults who preach college educations and anything below that is a failure. I'm exaggerating a bit but not allot.

It was very clear after reading the thread on here about young man and his dad that did a frame off resto on his truck that produced a vehicle most of us would be proud to own. That young man won't have a problem finding a decent job with the skills, knowledge and work ethic gained by that one endeavor let alone the rest of his life experiences.

Back on topic, I installed a RR2 and flashed it's memory for my model truck and audio system which included programming secondary functions for the steering wheel controls. All the cabling is a little imtimidating but it's doable.

 

This is my 4th Tacoma since 1996. In Sept. I sold my 2015 SR5 Pre-runner w/screen headunit and updated to a new 2023 TRD Sport, and,,,,,,, was shocked to find out that the screen had not change one bit from 2015. I couldn't stand it and had to swap it out.

So I started to reserch options what people liked and what they didn't like on replacement units and whittled them down:
* I wanted volume knob
* I wanted something that looked factory which pointed to a 10" Stinger, forgot why I didn't choose that one. (I think someone had mentioned that it made noice, I don't remember)
* I didn't want to lose any factory settings that came with the truck.
* Wife has a BMW and her headunit has awesome highres. screen and wanted that.
After a long phone call to Red at Crutchfield I zeroed in on the unit and all accessories needed. (1,800.00, plus, the install here in Tampa FL, 375.00)
After install:
* Did not lose any functions from steering wheel, safety or camera. (Maestro RR2)
* I like the unit,,, screen res. is awesome, audio is great. Mirroring is very cool!!!! (Video)
* If I had to do it again I would try and find a unit that wasn't so sophisticated in regards to audio settings, crossovers, etc. I'm a kid from the 60's and 70's so really don't need to crank up the music even though I have been known to elevate a good ole rocker tune from time to time!
* I had a hard time figureing out that I had 2 possible music (audio) sourses the radio and my phone. After 6 weeks on hands on and watching videos, etc. I am finally understand things such as understanding that my SiriusXM has 2 sourses phone and headunit. (Head has better settings than the SiriusXM on my phone, so need to select it on radio and not on my phone.
* SiriusXM,,, Saving songs and arist you like is nice as it is stored, audio rewind is nice. When switching channels,, selected channels automaticlly start at begining of a song, all cool options.(not sure if this is Kenwood option or not.
* Back up camera is still a creature of the 60's television screen but until I can get a camera that installs in factory location I'll live with it.

Summery, if you want audio settings one step short of the Rolling Stones concert tour equipment,,, buy this baby!!!

 

I still have the upgraded version of that radio for sale if you don't mind a used unit. I have the DNR10007XR.

 

Wild question - anyone tried to run a USB port out the dash for reprogramming a Maestro?

I'm not just talking about leaving a USB cable tucked behind the dash, but actually using something like this dash mount:



Here is what I am thinking - the DMX1037 has an HDMI port and single USB port. This was the only way I found I could run the HDMI port to the dash (if anyone has another answer, I'm all ears - not the Batige Cigarette lighter adapter, I don't want to lose the 12v outlet). But i have the cables to use the existing USB port on the dash already, SO.... I didn't want 2 USB ports with one not working.

Option 1 - wire the USB port for power only

Option 2 - use some adapters to let me reprogram the Maestro!

On option 2 I tried a USB OTG plug + this port + a USB A to A cable - it didn't quite work. My computer sees the Maestro, but won't program properly.

Thoughts?

 

It could be something in the cable that came with the maestro that you use specifically to program it with. Or it might be that if the power is still going to it causing it to not program right. You might be able to disconnect the battery and see if it would program.