Dennison or Fisco bluetooth/iPod connection?

[Ari]

My SLK has no phone preparation at all and I need to add it. I'd also like to hook up an iPod.

It seems to come down to two units, a Dennison Gateway 500 or a Fisco Pro phone kit.

I'm told that the Fisco is the better unit as it will use all the car buttons including steering wheel buttons just as though the car was fully Bluetooth compatible from the factory, which would be brilliant. However the chap who fits these doesn't seem to be able to come up with a way of hooking in an iPod (I'd like to have a cable to the glovebox so I can leave an iPod in there and it'll play through the CDC (CD chganger) function on the standard head unit).

The Dennison Gatewy 500 can handle iPod connection as above, but apparently isn't as compatible with the standard steering wheel buttons etc.

The wild card is to simply replace the whole unit with a Kenwood sat nav/CD/DVD/Bluetooth/iPod connector etc etc, which would give great functionality, but wouldn't look as original and I guess won't work with the steering wheel phone and volume/track change buttons nor put the display up in the instrument cluster. And it'll cost more.

So I'm at a bit of a loss, although probably preferring one of the first two options to keep the car looking original.

Just wondered if anyone had fitted either of these kits and how theyt got on regarding compatibility with buttons etc and/or iPod connectivity?

Cheers in advance.

[mackie1]

I recently got the Fiscon kit fitted to my Octavia and it works just like OEM. The chaps that fitted it don't rate the Dension even though it looks good on paper.

I did fancy iPod connectivity too but there is already an aux socket and SD card slot so it's no great loss. I could always retrofit the OEM MDI kit if I wanted. Do MB do something similar?

Edited by mackie1 on Thursday 17th March 23:52

[Silverbullet767]

No idea about the mercedes, but my dension gateway 500 works with my steering wheel controls. (Audi A6) also, add the bta1500 module for Bluetooth if your car didn't come with it. Check the website for compatibility. A firmware update might support your steering wheel controls.

[Ari]

Thanks chaps. The only external input the stereo seems to have is for a CD stacker in the glovebox. I'm guessing there must be a way of utilising that as an input from an iPod?